World Politics

China urges others to help keep North Korea stable

2011-12-21T21:03:00.000-08:00

SEOUL (Reuters) - China, which may have received advanced notice of the death of North Korean leader Kim Jong-il, has moved swiftly to call on the United States and other countries to help maintain stability in the reclusive state, officials and news reports said.

North Korea is in mourning since it announced Kim's demise on Monday, two days after the 69-year-old iron ruler died of a heart attack, plunging the region into uncertainty over its stability and who had control over its nuclear weapons program.

The official KCNA news agency said at least five million people one-fifth of the population of the impoverished state had paid condolences at statues and portraits of the leader and his father, North Korea's founder Kim Il-Sung.

"These places turned into a veritable sea of mourners who bitterly wept, looking up to portraits of smiling Kim Jong-il," it said.

Obama unlike to change oil pipeline

2011-12-19T20:52:00.000-08:00

It doesn't sound like President Obama is going to change his mind on a proposed oil pipeline from Canada to Texas, even if Congress passes a bill designed to pressure him into a quick approval.

Gene Sperling, director of the National Economic Council, noted that proposals in Congress only require Obama to make a decision within 60 days. The State Department continues to conduct an environmental review of the Keystone XL oil pipeline project.

Under the Republican plan, Obama would be required to grant a permit to the Keystone pipeline or issue a determination that the project is not in the national interest within 60 days of the bill.

Even if political party like Congress passes a payroll tax cut bill, there's no sign that Obama will change his view and approve the Keystone pipeline project right away.

2011-12-16T20:54:00.000-08:00

MOSCOW — Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin worked Thursday to soften his authoritarian image, hinting at self-governing concessions, but he also pushed back at protesters who have rocked the country in recent weeks, saying they had been paid to show up.

Using a televised question-and-answer session, Putin, in his first full-scale response to demonstrations after disputed parliamentary elections this month, portrayed himself as tough but reasonable, agreeing that not all was perfect in the country he has led for 12 years.

Obama supported the Department of Health and Human Services

2011-12-09T20:43:00.000-08:00

WASHINGTON – President Obama said that he supported the Department of Health and Human Services superseding on Thursday an FDA decision to allow an emergency morning-after contraceptive pill to be sold to girls younger than 17 without a prescription.

I did not get involved in the process," Obama said during a White House news conference but added that "as the father of two daughters," he supported HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius' decision, which activists, doctors and scientists have criticized as political.

Republican adversary in the 2012 election

2011-12-06T23:25:00.000-08:00

President Obama's aide have exhausted weeks criticizing Mitt Romney, expecting him to be their Republican adversary in the 2012 election

Vice President Biden in the midst of a trip to Iraq, Turkey and Greece took a poke at Gingrich yesterday, suggesting that the hot GOP presidential contender tends to overstate his importance.

"I don't want to sound like Newt Gingrich," Biden said about his meetings with Turkish Recep Tayyip Erdogan. "I don't want to sound like I'm inflating my importance or relationship with him." He said he had faced so many difficulty in his Prime Ministerpolitics life.

U.S. to investigate deadly NATO airstrike

2011-11-28T20:48:00.000-08:00

Gen. James Mattis, head of U.S. Central Command, which oversees American military operations in the region, was expected by Monday to name an investigating officer to examine the incident, according to a defense official who was not authorized to discuss the matter publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.

NATO has said it is conducting an investigation to determine the details of the Saturday airstrikes. The alliance has not commented on Pakistani claims the attacks killed 24 soldiers, but it has not questioned them.

A key question to be examined by the U.S. is who approved the airstrikes and why.

The attack could become the deadliest friendly fire incident against Pakistani troops since the war began a decade ago. It also raises serious questions about the extent of cooperation between supposed close allies in fighting terrorism.

"There's a lot of diplomacy that has to occur and it has to be tough diplomacy in the sense that they need to understand that our support for them financially is dependent upon their cooperation with us," said Sen. Jon Kyl of Arizona, the Senate's No. 2 Republican.

Afghan officials say their soldiers called for help after being fired upon from the direction of Pakistani border posts. Pakistani authorities claim the airstrikes were unprovoked.

NATO officials previously have complained that insurgents fire from across the poorly defined frontier, often from positions close to Pakistani soldiers, who have been accused of tolerating or supporting them.

Obama pardons pair of gobblers for Thanksgiving

2011-11-25T22:53:00.001-08:00

WASHINGTON (AP) – With a wave of his hand, President Obama on Wednesday gave two plump turkeys a Thanksgiving reprieve, noting that without his intervention, "they'd end up next to the mashed potatoes and stuffing."

The official national Thanksgiving turkey is a 19-week-old, 45-pound bird named Liberty. Its alternate, also spared, is a turkey of the same age and size named Peace.

Liberty sat calmly as Obama, accompanied by daughters Sasha and Malia, offered a blessing, his hand over the turkey's head. Obama said Liberty had the distinction of being . Obamas pay Thanksgiving visit to food bank

Obama jokingly cast his pardon as yet another of his "We Can't Wait" initiatives. "Recently, I've been taking a series of executive actions that don't require congressional approval," the president said. "Well, here's another one. We can't wait to pardon these turkeys."

In a more sober tone, Obama called on Americans to remember the meaning of Thanksgiving and to be mindful of those who have less.

Government offers to fly Border Agency staff home to work through strike

2011-11-22T20:55:00.000-08:00

UK Border Agency staff in embassies across the world are being offered taxpayer-funded flights to Britain if they are willing to work at ports and airports in next week's strike against public sector pension reform.

Emails seen by the Guardian show the government has asked immigration officials from India, South Africa and Russia to return to the UK on Wednesday when thousands of their colleagues plan to take industrial action. Staff willing to return and cross a picket line would also be allowed to extend their stay to spend time with their families. The disclosure raises difficult questions for ministers on the use of taxpayers' money to help break a legal, union-backed strike.

Labour MPs expressed concern. David Winnick, a member of the home affairs committee, said: "Strike-breaking in any form is unacceptable and The government should be negotiating with the unions involved in a meaningful way." Khalid Mahmood, MP for Birmingham Perry Barr, said: "The government has made unforgivable errors with the agency that stem from cuts in resources and have led to unsafe borders. And so to cover for a legitimate strike, they are proposing to spend some of the public money they cut flying in staff. It is an absurd situation."

On 30 November, a month before the deadline for a deal between the government and union leaders on pension reform, up to three million public sector workers are likely to strike. Around 18,000 immigration officials are believed to be among them. Many more agency staff are posted via the Foreign Office to embassies as entry clearance and visa officers on secondments of two or three years.

We are not against congress but for Lokpal

2011-10-20T21:59:00.000-07:00

Today News: Team Anna Member refused to comment if they were from Congress or any particular political party.

On Team Anna member Arvind Kejriwal being attacked, the PM said, "In a democracy there is no place for violence. Therefore any act of violence is to be condemned and on that point I am clear that nothing is gained by pursuit of violence." The PM said, "I would hope that he would not use language at times which appears to be intemperate. I think in politics it is better to avoid harsh words."

Team Anna member Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday blamed corrupt political parties for the attack on him during a public gathering in Lucknow. However he refused to comment if they were from Congress or any particular political party.

Why Team Anna was campaigning against the Congress in UP instead of the Mayawati government, which had not spoken in support of Jan Lokpal Bill, Kejriwal reiterated that the team was not anti-Congress.

He said that the campaign was not against the Congress, but was to ensure a strong Lokpal Bill, adding that everything was being done to put pressure on the ruling party. Kejriwal further said that putting such pressure was very legitimate in a democracy.

Backing the yatra taken up by Team Anna, he said that there was no harm in taking it up, clarifying that they were not asking people go against the Congress. He further said that the team would wait for the winter session, following which Anna Hazare would himself request to the people in December or January.

Government bows to Anna Hazare

2011-10-18T22:05:00.000-07:00

News Today: On Monday Law minister Salman Khurshid said Team Anna's proposal was being looked into by the government. Anna's next course of action, which the Gandhian has already said would be to press for electoral reforms.

Khurshid said the proposal could be placed for consultation at an all-party forum on electoral reforms. The minister, however, admitted the right to recall was a difficult provision but said the government was working on that, indicating it has not been put in cold storage because of opposition.

"We have a strong lobby that is questioning us on the need to introduce the right to reject," Khurshid said at the Asian forum for global governance.

A number of other proposals of electoral reforms were also up for discussion. Among it is a suggestion to introduce a provision wherein voters can reject a candidate and decide not to cast a vote.

But Quraishi said it would lead to frequent elections. " Our main fear is that if we start rejecting all candidates, we will have another election.

"The CEC said efforts should be taken so that tainted candidates do not take part in elections. But the proposal was met with stiff resistance from political parties on the grounds that false cases are often framed against politicians.

"We are only saying that at least those candidates be barred, who have serious charges like rape, kidnapping, murder and dacoity against them which would lead to imprisonment of more than five years and cases against whom are pending for more than six months prior to elections and against whom charges have already been framed by the court," Quraishi said.

Kashmir is inseparable part of India - Anna Hazare

2011-10-15T22:15:00.000-07:00

Today's Current News: Anti-corruption crusader Anna Hazare told that we did not support the words which told by Prashant Bhushan. He did not ask anyone in the team before making the statement. And he told that it is his personal view alone and i am not agree with that point.

Mr. Hazare said "If anyone needs to be removed form the team, the core committee will decide together." He pointed the eradication of corruption and fighting for the Jan Lokpal Bill were his team's sole agenda. "We will not talk about any other issue."

Kashmir is an important, inseparable part of India, and having any other opinion about his is not acceptable. I am ready to give my life for kashmir.

Why no action on PM's 2G letter to Raja: Supreme Court

2011-10-14T21:50:00.000-07:00

The Supreme Court Thursday asked why no action was taken on a letter from Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to his then telecom minister A. Raja on award of airwaves and felt that the severity of the case in question otherwise could have been different.

Two corporate executives accused in the second generation (2G) spectrum case, Justice G.S. Singhvi and Justice H.L. Dattu also observed that the gravity of the alleged crime could have been different if action had been taken on the letter.

The letter written Nov 3, 2007 had raised several questions on the manner in which Raja was proposing to allocate the precious airwaves to telecom players and had also conveyed the industry's apprehensions in this regard. The letter favoured auction of airwaves.

But a reply the next day from Raja, now in judicial custody as the prime accused in the case, clearly said he will not change the policy of first-come-first-served to allocate the scarce resource but assured full transparency in the process.

Both the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) said the apex court's observations were serious and demanded a full explanation on the matter from the government.

Appearing for the prosecution, Additional Solicitor General Haren Rawal sought to draw a line of distinction between the action of Raja and the suggested inaction on the content of the letter written by the prime minister, which had favoured transparent auction.

Congress Core Group discusses Telangana

2011-10-12T21:48:00.000-07:00

News Today: The Congress top leadership is still not fully convinced that creating a new state of Telangana is the best option for it. On Tuesday meeting of the Congress core Group at Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's residence ended without any change in the situation even as reports form Hyderabad suggested that Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Kiran Kumar Reddy had taken a stern line with striking government servants. Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, briefed Congress president Sonia Gandhi and Dr. Singh on the consultations they had over the last few days with party leaders from both sides of the divide in Andhra Pradesh.

Telangana Congress leaders saw a pattern in the appeal. A senior leader claimed that the Chief Minister, having drawn flak for allegedly doing little to restore normality in the wake of the general strike, had gotten into an overdrive. In fact, Mr. Reddy and APCC chief Botcha Satyanarayana had gone all out to woo the RTC union leaders to end the strike.

The Chief Minister had also begun consultations with his own party leaders and there was a perceptible change in the ground-level situation. The political JAC had deferred its three-day rail roko agitation while Director General of Police V. Dinesh Reddy and Police Commissioner A.K. Khan had gone round the city inspecting bus depots and railway stations.

CM briefs Governor

The Chief Minister drove to Raj Bhavan late in the evening to brief Governor E.S.L. Narasimhan about the prevailing law and order situation and the efforts made by the APSRTC to put more buses into operation from Wednesday morning.

CBI raids Dayanidhi Maran's Premises

2011-10-11T21:55:00.000-07:00

Today News: "Dayanidhi as Telecom Minister misused office in Aircel deal"

The CBI on monday conducted simultaenous searches on the premises of the former Union Minister, Dayanidhi Maranm and his elder brother and Sun Network managing director, Kalanithi Maran, in connection with a case arising out of the Aircel-Maxis deal.

The special team conducted the searches in New Delhi. CBI registered a case against the Maran brothers as well as against Ralph Marshall and T.Ananda Krishnan of Maxis Communications, in the FIR. Raids were conducted at the homes of the Marans in the Boat Club area and Murasoli Maran Towers that houses the Sun Network in Chennai. When search was took place Mr. Dayanadhi Maran was away and Mr. kalanithi Maran was at home.

The CBI has alleged that in return Ananda Krishnan invested clost to Rs.800 crore in Sun Network through a sister concern of the Maxis group. The CBI also searched the premises of Chairperson of Aircel, Suneeta Reddy and invested in it. The CBI official said that they seized documents pertaining to the Aircel-Maxis deal.

Going gets tough for state parties as EC hikes minimum votes limit

2011-10-10T21:07:00.000-07:00

Today News: Getting recognition as a ‘state party’ is all set to become more difficult. The Election Commission of India (ECI) has raised the cap of minimum votes a political party must secure in an election to get the status of a state party or maintain it further.

The new minimum limit is eight per cent of total valid votes polled in state Assembly or Lok Sabha polls. Earlier, the limit was six per cent.

To make this change, the ECI has amended its Election Symbols (Reservations and Allotment) Order, 1968 and issued a new order on September 16, the Election Symbols (Reservations and Allotment) (Amendment) Order, 2011.

The order, issued by K F Wilfred, Principal Secretary to the ECI, has been sent to all states and Union Territories. In UP, the Chief Electoral officer has communicated the amendment to all district magistrates and registered parties in the state.

Parties play politics over eviction notice

2011-10-08T21:02:00.000-07:00

Today News: The eviction notice served by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) to thousands of families living in Tughlaqabad village since the 14th century is slowly snowballing into a political issue. While the ASI takes the plea that the villagers have “encroached upon” the government land, the two prominent parties of Delhi — the Congress and the BJP — with their eyes set on upcoming Municipal elections, have openly come out in support of the villagers.

A delegation of Congress leaders — south Delhi Member of Parliament Ramesh Kumar and Chhatarpur MLA Balram Tanwar among others — met chief minister Sheila Dikshit to reflect the tension prevailing in the village.

The move came just two days after a BJP delegation, led by leader of the Opposition in Delhi Assembly, Vijay Kumar Malhotra, and area MLA Ramesh Bidhuri met Lieutenant Governor Tejendra Khanna “to bring the matter to his notice”.

Yet another group of local leaders with west Delhi MP Mahabal Misra also met union culture minister Kumari Selja to request her to intervene into the matter. Senior political leaders accept that if municipal elections had not been around the corner, the issue would not have seen so much political frenzy. The issue has been in Court for quite some time now, but never managed to gather so much political support.

“Tughlaqabad is among several Gujjar villages that are spread in south, south west and west Delhi. The elections in these areas are fought and won with the support of Gujjar votes. The political leaders know that lending their support to the cause would help them get some support and votes in the municipal elections next year,”said a senior Congress leader.

With the Congress facing dual problems of Corruption and inflation at the Centre, the local leaders are making efforts get some support at the grassroot level. On the other hand, Tughlaqabad is one of two Assembly segments in Delhi where BJP managed to get more votes than the Congress could in the 2009 Parliament elections.

Hisar witnesses political colours of Dussehra

2011-10-07T21:17:00.000-07:00

The Vijaya Dashami here saw political colours, as supporters of Anna Hazare and members of India Against Corruption, Congress workers and INLD activists reached the venue of Ravana Dahan at old college ground to spread their respective messages.

Interestingly, Congress candidate Jai Prakash, had arranged high-tech gadgets here by installing big LCD screens and DJ sound to canvass votes for Congress, while INLD supporters distributed pamphlets in support of Ajay Singh Chautala.

High drama was witnessed when the audience tried to stop them from doing this, but they did not pay any heed and continued their work. Soon, the `'Anna factor'' came into play when IAC members were welcomed by the audience.

"We welcome the supporters of Anna Hazare, because he is not political. Parties indulging in such kind of pomp and show during Ramleela is very strange for us and not appreciated by the public," said Umesh Pandey, a city resident. Another resident, Rameshwer Singh said, "The meaning of Ramleela has changed in this election. It's not good that they are playing politics during Vijaya Dashami."

There is a village near Delhi, which does not burn the effigy of Ravana as the residents believe that the Sri Lanka ruler spent his childhood here.

Pakistan to Afghanistan: Stop 'Playing Politics'

2011-10-06T21:07:00.000-07:00

Today's News: Pakistan is calling on Afghanistan to refrain from "playing politics" following Afghan allegations of Pakistani involvement in recent high-profile attacks.

Afghanistan's intelligence agency has said that the assassination of the country's top peace envoy, former President Burhanuddin Rabbani, was planned in Pakistan and carried out by a Pakistani citizen.

Islamabad has denied the allegations and offered to cooperate with the probe of Rabbani's killing. On Thursday, Pakistani Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Tehmina Janjua urged Afghanistan to stop making such accusations.

She told reporters in Islamabad that Afghan officials should demonstrate "maturity and responsibility" and refrain from political grandstanding.

The foreign office ministry spokeswoman also said the Pakistani government was closely studying the strategic pact Afghanistan signed this week with Islamabad's archenemy, India.

The deal looks to boost security and economic ties between both nations, with India agreeing to help train Afghan forces.

Janjua said Thursday that any such deal should take into account the fundamental principle of ensuring stability in the region.

Pakistani Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani said Wednesday that both India and Afghanistan are sovereign countries and have the right to do what they want.

India’s Agreement with Afghanistan

2011-10-05T21:22:00.000-07:00

News Today: New Delhi Oct. 4, 2011: India and Afghanistan signed a strategic partnership in Delhi Tuesday, just a few days after Afghan President Hamid Karzai’s office accused a Pakistani citizen of carrying out a suicide attack against former president and peace envoy Burhanuddin Rabbani last month.

The partnership, which was signed an agreement after Mr. Karzai met with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, involves India training Afghan security forces. This takes ties between Delhi and Kabul to a new level, beyond the economic reconstruction that India has been very careful to focus on in the last decade since the Americans returned to Afghanistan after the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks. It is the first such agreement Afghanistan has with any country, including the U.S.

“The people of Afghanistan have suffered enough. They deserve to live in peace and decide their future themselves, without outside interference, coercion and intimidation,” Mr. Singh told the media Tuesday evening.

This agreement is aimed at forging a “deeper understanding between the two countries, especially at a time when the region is particularly unstable,” a highly placed Indian government official with responsibility for the matter said.

Off from politics, it's puja time for Pranab

2011-10-04T21:44:00.000-07:00

Today News: MIRITI (WEST BENGAL): The usual image of Pranab Mukherjee is one of a seasoned politician stepping out of Parliament and facing TV cameras. On Monday, villagers at Miriti, saw the 'other' Pranab Mukherjee - a Bengali at heart, spirit and tradition.

Dressed in a 'dhoti' and an 'uttoriyo', a traditional scarf, Mukherjee performed Durga Puja rituals, keeping alive a tradition started by his forefathers decades ago. His steps were measured on Monday, Saptami, when he walked towards a canal carrying a bamboo plankton (kalabou), chanting 'mantras' with a poise that matched the delivery of a Budget speech. He had the entire village as spectators when he dipped the plankton into the canal, then sat cross-legged on the cemented steps, his hands folded in devotion. Some more mantras followed before he finally got off at the end of the half-an-hour ritual.

Not many know that the ace politician is a religious man who makes it a point to celebrate Durga Puja at his ancestral home every year.

At 8.30am, Mukherjee, accompanied by son Abhijit - a newly elected MLA - walked down to the canal from his home. Priests took a backseat as he led the ritual, occasionally taking their help.

Later, his 'Chandipath' left the small audience that comprised relatives, friends and members of the press enthralled. Then he performed the aarati, much like a professional priest. Then it was time for a break as Mukherjee finally took up a chair, chatting with relatives. "I look forward to the puja every year. Every year I try to come here. I have missed it on a couple of occasions though. This is a traditional event in our family and I try to follow it. For me, Durga Puja is very important," said Mukherjee. But he did not consider the pujas to be holidays. "This is also a duty for me," he clarified.

Security was tight but cops didn't prevent hundreds of villagers from joining the celebrations and lunch at the Mukherjee residence. Along with businessmen, bureaucrats and party leaders, poor villagers were seen strolling around the house freely. There was no show of grandeur either. An idol has been placed inside a small temple, not decorated extravagantly. No special 'prasad' was arranged for VIP guests.

Mukherjee's son Abhijit assisted his father for performing the rituals. He carried the sacred earthen pot as he followed his father to the canal in the morning.

Mayawati's tour, political gimmickry: BJP

2011-09-30T21:57:00.000-07:00

BJP today termed as political gimmickry the tours undertaken by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati ahead of the Uttar Pradesh Assembly election, and accused her of misleading the people of the state.

"Tours of Mayawati are nothing more than an eyewash. If she is really concerned then she should start her tour from the state capital where there has been a spurt in crime rate," BJP spokesman Vijay Bahadur Pathak said.

He alleged that while people were dying of infectious diseases, Mayawati was busy with electoral politics.

Can India Defend Its Poverty Line?-Politics Journal

2011-09-29T21:25:00.000-07:00

On the margins of the strategic economic dialogue between India and China in Beijing on Monday, deputy chairman of the Planning Commission Montek Singh Ahluwalia fired a salvo in defense of a Sept. 20 affidavit to the Supreme Court that fixed poverty line estimates at a lowly 25 rupees ($0.50) a day for people in rural areas and 31 rupees a day for those in urban areas.

People under the poverty line, which has varied over the years, are entitled to highly subsidized food grains and pulses as well as kerosene oil coupons and gas cylinders, but the measure is prone to criticism because many believe it is arbitrary and doesn’t do justice to the much greater levels of poverty that actually exist.

Brushing aside the volley of criticism by civil society activists that greeted the affidavit, Mr. Ahluwalia pointed out that it was “wrong” to accuse the government’s top think-tank of wanting to restrict food subsidy to 32% of the population, when “in internal discussions, we have said we are willing to go up to 41%.”

His remark elicited yet another sharp reaction, a measure of the highly charged nature of the prolonged poverty debate that has over the last 15 years ranged governments of varying ideological persuasion, the Supreme Court as well as development activists on different sides of the divide.

Political battle over 2G: PM on the offensive

2011-09-28T21:14:00.000-07:00

Defending the government over the 2G scam, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh went on the offensive. He lashed out at the Opposition saying there is no chance of mid-term polls.

The political war over the 2G note row is heating up with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh attacking the Opposition upon his return from New York. He has accused the Opposition of trying to force mid-term polls.

The BJP has hit back saying the 2G loot was not the Opposition's creation.

The Prime Minister and Congress president Sonia Gandhi are expected to meet party leaders on Wednesday to defuse the 2G crisis.

Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee is expected to set the record straight after meeting the PM. It was Pranab's ministerial note saying that his predecessor P Chidambaram could have chosen to intervene and avert the 2G scam.

Congress in troubleshooting mode-2G note

2011-09-27T21:55:00.000-07:00

New Delhi: The Congress was sleepless in Delhi last night. Fire-fighting ministers burnt the proverbial midnight oil in their attempt to quell the 2G note war between the party's two senior-most ministers, Pranab Mukherjee and P Chidambaram, as they prepared for Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's return from New York today.

The controversy over a note sent by Mr Mukherjee's Finance Ministry to the Prime Minister' office on the 2G spectrum scam in March this year has the top echelons of the party exercised - Congress president Sonia Gandhi met both Mr Chidambaram and Mr Mukherjee separately last evening. There were reports that Mr Chidambaram had offered to resign.

He is upset because the Finance Ministry note questions his actions when the telecom scam was playing out in 2008. It suggests that Mr Chidambaram, who was then Finance Minister, should have done more to ensure that spectrum was not given at throwaway rates to companies that were being favoured by A Raja, who was then Telecom Minister and is now in jail.

Pranab meets Manmohan, refuses comment on 2G

2011-09-26T21:29:00.000-07:00

Finance minister Pranab Mukherjee’s meeting with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today, they were severely disappointed.

Mukherjee in the New York Palace hotel carrying a bouquet of flowers to wish him in advance on his birthday, which falls on Monday. He told the Prime Minister he had sought the meeting while in transit through New York because he would briefly touch down in Delhi on his return from the US and immediately proceed to Calcutta for pitri tarpan ceremonies in his village.

Thereafter, he will travel elsewhere to dedicate a huge power plant to the nation. Mukherjee told Indian reporters there were matters that came up at last week’s annual meetings of the World Bank Group, which could not wait till he returned to New Delhi after almost a whole week.

Singh returns to India on Tuesday night, Mukherjee would already be in Calcutta and, therefore, he took the opportunity of a transit halt in New York to discuss fears of a second global financial meltdown that came up during last week’s meetings, the finance minister said.

Finance ministry note on 2G allocation which has been rocking national politics since the Prime Minister travelled abroad last Wednesday.

Sonia returns to political routine

2011-09-24T20:49:00.000-07:00

Congress president Sonia Gandhi is slowly getting back into her normal political routine of meeting people including political leaders although she is yet to make a public appearance after her successful surgery in the United States recently for an undisclosed ailment.

Over the past few days, Sonia has met several party leaders including former Maharashtra chief minister Ashok Chavan, Science and Technology Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh besides party general secretaries including Digvijaya Singh and Janardan Dwivedi, sources said.

On Friday, she met DMK leader TR Baalu, who conveyed his party leader M Karunanidhi’s wishes. “It is a great opportunity to receive the blessings of a senior leader like Karunanidhi,” Baalu later quoted Sonia as saying. He said no politics was discussed.

Party leaders said Sonia’s gradual return to normal routine invalidates the talk that she would slowly withdraw from active politics to make way for son and AICC general secretary Rahul Gandhi. In fact, just over a week after her return from the US, she decided to attend a Central Election Committee meeting to decide candidates for the UP polls.

Yeddyurappa kin's offices, house searched

2011-09-21T21:42:00.000-07:00

The Lokayukta police conducted simultaneous searches and recovered a large number of documents from the offices of firms jointly owned by former Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa's sons and son-in-law on Tuesday.

The early morning operation was a result of an order passed by the Lokayukta Court on August 8 directing the Lokayukta police to register a First Information Report against Mr. Yeddyurappa, his kin and associates and investigate the alleged irregularities in the award of a major works contract for the Upper Bhadra lift irrigation project.

Yeddyurappa told presspersons in Koppal that he had been expecting the searches. He also assume that leaders of the Congress and the Janata Dal (Secular) were behind it.

“They want to take political revenge against me and my family members,” he said.

In a private complaint to the Lokayukta Court filed on July 27, JD(S) leader Y.S.V. Datta alleged that two firms owned by the two sons and son-in-law of the then Chief Minister received a kickback of Rs. 13 crore from a company for the award of a civil contract for the second stage of the Upper Bhadra irrigation project.

He had alleged that the company had been favoured despite quoting higher rates during the tender process.

Speaking to The Hindu, Additional Director-General of the Lokayukta Police Jeevan Kumar Gaonkar said the searches were conducted on the offices of Sahyadri Healthcare and Diagnostics Ltd. and Davalagiri Properties Ltd. owned jointly by Mr. Yeddyurappa's son-in-law R.N. Sohan Kumar and sons B.Y Vijayendra and B.Y. Raghavendra.

Four separate teams searched the offices situated in Vijayanagar, Tilaknagar and Kumara Park.

Mr. Sohan Kumar's house in Vijayanagar was also searched. Sources in the Lokayukta remained tight-lipped about the recovered documents and merely said that the thousands of seized documents contained details of the firms' bank transactions, financial transactions and other correspondence.

No politics in my fast

2011-09-20T20:59:00.000-07:00

Key BJP ally JD(U) has categorically said that it will reject Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi as the PM candidate while BJP says the party will decide its leader at the right time and not in TV studios.

Narendra Modi ended his fasting on Monday evening but the debate rages on, on whether he will be able to see himself as a future Prime Minister.

Key BJP ally JD(U) made it clear that there is no way Modi can ever be accepted for the top job on India at 9 with Rajdeep Sardesai. "We will not accept Modi as a PM candidate," said Ali Anwar, JD(U) leader.

Advani's Yatra

2011-09-19T21:25:00.000-07:00

L.K.Advani soon to begin yatra in Narendra Modi's Mission. The Yatra was started from Karamsad in Gujarat. It is the birth place of Sardar vallabhai patel. It seems the venue might be changed to Bihar's Sitabdiara. The reason for the shift was that Karamsad explained only part of his leader's symbolic choice.

Advani is Patel's role model and wanted to pay obeisance to his hero, the date fixed for the launch, October 11, is Jayaprakash Narayan's birth anniversary.

Ananth Kumar, the general secretary in charge of Advani's yatra, sprinted towards Ahmedabad after landing from Singapore where he had accompanied Sushma Swaraj on an official visit. Kumar was supposed to straighten out the nitty-gritties of the road show but he reportedly said that would have to wait for a couple of more days.

Sushma's first tweet on touching Delhi was she would be at "Narendrabhai Modi's" fast on Monday.

There are signs that the Congress's strategy was faltering. The party calculated that rather than cornering Modi over the 2002 violence, because it had proved counterproductive in the past two elections, it would focus on his "corruption" and "misgovernance".

Is Anna Hazare joining politics?

2011-09-15T20:56:00.000-07:00

Recent announcements, about supporting one political formation or the other, many are wondering if Anna Hazare is joining politics

Anna Hazare, India’s reincarnated ‘Gandhi‘ has assured his followers that he is not joining politics, but people are not ready to believe it.

“Absolutely not. I am taking extreme care to keep the anti-corruption movement free of politics. There is absolutely no such possibility”, he said while talking to the media. He was replying to a question on the issue of his movement against corruption for a Jan Lokpal Bill being slowly taken into the fold of politics, after the recent announcement of Team Anna bidding public to vote out MPs opposing their cause, in the next Parliament elections.

However, the seventy-four year old activist shared no views on senior BJP front man LK Advani’s proposed anti-corruption “yatra” being a political move to gain credibility for the party.

On the issue raised by Congress leader Digvijay Singh that the anti-corruption movement is being backed by the VHP (as claimed by VHP leader Ashok Singhal) and RSS, Anna’s views were strongly dismissive. He challenged any such allegations.

Hazare re-assured, “Our movement has nothing to do with RSS or VHP. All this is being talked to mislead the people.”

Anna said that he had no doubts about the yoga guru Ramdev’s sincere effort to wipe out corruption from the country.

The anti-corruption icon refused to pay a lot of attention bout Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s bouquet that was sent to Anna wishing him a speedy recovery from his health problems, when Anna was hospitalized after breaking his 12 day fast.

Anna explained, “The bouquet that I received in the hospital was sent by Prime Minister’s office as a matter of procedure.”

“We had no differences of opinion in the past and would not have any differences in future. Friction happens when people are selfish and greedy. All my team members are fighting for a cause with a selfless commitment,” he assured, on being asked about the differences, which coul come up between him and his team-mates.

Politics Journal: Where Did India-Bangladesh Talks Go Wrong?

2011-09-13T21:30:00.000-07:00

As Prime Minister Manmohan Singh climbed into Air India One at the end of his visit to Dhaka last week, Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her entire Cabinet lined up on the tarmac. There they waited not only until the plane began taxiing for take off, but until it had completely disappeared from view.

Only hours before, the Bangladesh National Party, Ms. Hasina’s major political opposition, had blamed her for not adequately preparing for the Indian prime minister’s two-day visit and described it as a “diplomatic failure.”

The accusation hurt, not only because it was partially true–a breakthrough agreement on sharing of river waters between India and Bangladesh had collapsed at the last minute–but also because Ms. Hasina’s special friendship with India goes back to 1971 when her father, Sheikh Mujib-ur Rahman, accepted Indira Gandhi’s help in midwifing the new nation of Bangladesh.

Ms. Hasina’s prolonged presence at the airport was “a huge relief,” a senior Indian diplomat said on condition of anonymity, adding that it “gave teeth to her statements that despite everything, both countries would always remain firm friends.”

Angry Anna

2011-09-12T21:22:00.000-07:00

India's decision to take tough steps against political dishonesty may have had a little help from a flying, angry bird.

Angry Anna, a political riff on popular game Angry Birds, helped to spread the word about Indian activist Anna Hazare's campaign to rid the country's government of graft, CNN reports.

In free-to-play Angry Anna, players shoot disembodied heads of Hazare and activists Baba Ramdev and Kiran Bedi against a group of Indian politicians, playing the role of the game's pigs.

The game was created by a New Dehli development company.

"We wanted to go to a candlelight march at (New Delhi landmark) India Gate but we were unable to because of the heavy work load in our office, so we thought, why not build a game so people can vent their frustration by sitting in an office and playing," developer Mohammad Faisal told CNN. "We didn't expect it to be so successful."

The game has been played online about 267,000 times, according to game host GameSalad.

It's an interesting look at how the popularity of a widely played, and known, game can be usurped to help further a political message.

Karachi killing case in SC: Many in police are political appointees: IG

2011-09-10T22:18:00.000-07:00

KARACHI, Sept 9: The Sindh police chief conceded before a five-judge special bench of the Supreme Court on Friday that 30 to 40 per cent appointments in police had been made on the basis of political affiliation which hampered action against criminals.

The bench headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry is hearing a suo motu case on killings in Karachi. The other judges on the bench are: Justices Anwar Zaheer Jamali, Sarmad Jalal Osmany, Ghulam Rabbani and Amir Hani Muslim.

IG Wajid Ali Durrani informed the court that action was being taken against personnel whose political affiliations had been determined.

The chief justice ordered the IG to take an across-the-board action against criminals because all political parties which had appeared before the court wanted peace in the country`s financial hub.

“We are here to strengthen you; we are backing you. You must take action against criminals without any fear or favour,” the chief justice told the IG.

Mr Durrani said sympathisers of political parties in the police force and some other factors were hampering action against criminals. He said politically-affiliated elements in police had a “soft corner” for criminals.

He said that under the Police Order he had powers only to transfer officers up to the rank of DSP. “I don`t have powers to even suspend a DSP.” Justice Sarmad Osmany said it meant “you (Mr Durrani) are not independent”.

The IG said there were hurdles in getting requisite information from mobile phone companies and from banks in respect of ATMs. He said the Inter-Services Intelligence had the facility of GSM/RBS locators.

The chief justice asked the IG if he was under any political pressure to take action against criminals. “We are here to help you,” the CJ said and asked the IG to submit such problem in writing.

The court asked Attorney General Maulvi Anwarul Haq to seek instructions in this regard from the authorities concerned and submit a report at the next hearing.

Justice Amir Hani said that over 900 officers had been given shoulder-promotions in the police department. The chief justice said this practice had been stopped in other provinces on the apex court`s order and asked why was this order not being implemented in Sindh.

When the chief justice wanted know if a case about the presence of a torture cell was registered, Karachi police chief Saud Mirza said it could not be done because the cell had been raided by Rangers personnel and police were yet to get details.

The attorney general placed on record a report of the Intelligence Bureau on the Karachi situation.

Sindh Advocate General Fateh Malik presented a summary of different cases from July 24 to August 24.

The court sought details of certain some criminal cases from provincial authorities.

The chief justice observed that police were capable of controlling the situation, but they were not doing so because of lack of determination and will.

The hearing was adjourned till Sept 13 when Sindh High Court Bar Association President Anwer Mansoor Khan will resume his arguments.

'Time to stop the political circus'-Obama

2011-09-08T21:25:00.000-07:00

With the nation’s economy in a particularly rough patch and his own re-election prospects in doubt, President Obama told Congress it’s time to “stop the political circus and actually do something to help the economy.”

“The people of this country work hard to meet their responsibilities,” Obama told a joint session of Congress. “The question tonight is whether we’ll meet ours.”

Specifically, the President offered a $447 billion “American Jobs Act” designed to help those 14 million Americans out of work. It includes extending the payroll tax cut, extending jobless benefits, a “returning heroes” hiring tax credit for unemployed veterans, a $4,000 tax credit for hiring long-term unemployed workers, $35 billion to keep laid-off teachers and first responders in their jobs, and some $100 billion to be spent on major school construction and infrastructure renovation.

Manmohan says Mamata assented to teesta deal

2011-09-07T22:27:00.000-07:00

ON BOARD THE PM'S AIRCRAFT: "Some other factors came into play" for West Bengal chief minister Mamta Banerji to pull out of the Bangladesh visit at the last moment, said Prime Minister Manmohan singh hinting that her intransigence had more to do with politics.

Mamata has said the final water-sharing deal on Teesta was different from the one she had agreed to. Gently refuting this, the PM said he and national security adviser Shivshankar Menon had been in touch with Mamata for over a month and that she was fully on board all decisions.

Mamata reportedly believed that she would be done in by CPM protests if she agreed to the Teesta deal, but more importantly, the CM believed that she did not get enough importance from the Central government regarding a pact of this stature.

"Some other factors came into play and she said she won't come. Its only then I realized about the disagreement with regard to Teesta. One learns from one's mistakes. I'm not claiming I'm infallible. We continue to work with Mamata Banerjee and will take into account the interests of West Bengal."

Mayavathi Vs Wiki

2011-09-07T02:51:00.000-07:00

NEW DELHI (AP) — A top Indian politician lashed out at WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange on Tuesday, saying he is either insane or being used as a tool of her opponents for releasing U.S. Embassy cables that describe her as a corrupt megalomaniac.

An October 2008 cable called Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati, a powerful leader of the nation's bottom caste untouchables, a 'virtual paranoid dictator' who once sent a private jet to Mumbai to pick up a new pair of sandals.

The cable said Mayawati had institutionalized corruption throughout India's most populous state, charged potential candidates $250,000 to run for Parliament on her party's ticket and was obsessed with becoming prime minister. Similar allegations have been often been made by her political opponents too, but she has consistently denied them.

Mayawati told reporters the Wikileaks accusations were "malicious, incorrect and obscene."

"From this it appears that the owner of WikiLeaks has either gone mad or else this person has played into the hands of parties who oppose us and deliberately want to tarnish the image of our party and government," said Mayawati, who uses only one name.

She called for Assange to be sent to a mental asylum either in his home country of Australia or in Uttar Pradesh, and called news reports about the cables as 'dirty politics' and an attempt to besmirch India's untouchables, or dalits.

Assange responded quickly and equally sharply.

In a statement broadcast by at least two Indian news channels, he said Mayawati should "admit her error and apologize. Should she fail to do so, she is welcome to send her private jet to England to collect me, where I have been detained against my will, under house arrest, for the last 272 days.'"

"I would be happy to accept asylum, political asylum, in India — a nation I love. In return, I will bring Mayawati a range of the finest British footwear," NDTV reported him as saying.

Mayawati has been criticized for excessive displays of wealth and power in a state rife with poverty. Last year, she was photographed inside a gargantuan garland made of 1,000 rupee ($22) notes estimated to total more than $1 million. She has also spent millions on statues of herself and other dalit heroes, while the roads and health infrastructure of the state lie in tatters.

The U.S. Embassy cable painted her as a cosseted megalomaniac.

It quoted local journalists as saying that Mayawati employed nine cooks and two food tasters. She demanded personal security equivalent to a head of state and had a private road built between her home and office that was cleaned every time her extensive motorcade used it.

She once forced a state minister to do sit-ups in front of her as punishment for arriving without an appointment, the cable quoted the journalists as saying.

A separate cable said her chief of staff told U.S. officials that she had a "penchant for personal corruption and strong authoritarian streak."

In condemning the cables, Mayawati seemed unaware they were written by U.S. diplomats, instead assigning the blame for them directly to Assange, as well as to her rivals in the Bharatiya Janata Party, one of several parties challenging her rule in elections next year.

In denying the report she sent a jet to fetch sandals: "Maybe if this BJP leader knows about my sandals then he must have accompanied the owner of WikiLeaks to go in the special plane and buy me my sandals."

The U.S. cable did not say where the allegations about the sandals came from.

Mayawati also denied she employed nine cooks. "I feel that maybe they're (opponents) cleaning dishes in my kitchen and that's how they know this."

The cables also said Mayawati had cowed the press; many reporters thought their phones were tapped and feared losing their jobs if they were critical of her rule. She rarely addressed the media, the cables said, and when she did, she did not take questions, a practice she continued during Tuesday's press conference.

In his response, Assange said: "there is no question that the documents are official papers from the U.S. embassy. The allegations within them are made by U.S. diplomats in their private communications back to Hillary Clinton. If chief minister Mayawati has a problem with the contents of these communications, she needs to take it up with Hillary."

Political parties in Tamil Nadu clamour for clemency to Rajiv Gandhi's killers

2011-08-30T21:44:00.000-07:00

CHENNAI: The political parties in Tamil Nadu have raised the pitch in demanding clemency for three men convicted in the Rajiv Gandhi assasination. This case moved to Madras high court on Monday. Challenging the rejection of their clemency pleas by president Pratibha Patil. The matter would be taken up today.

The assassins — Murugan, Santhan and Perarivalan — are scheduled to be hanged on September 9, following the rejection of their clemency appeals to the President. However, Chief Minister Jayalalitha on Monday said it is not in her powers to reverse the decision after the President has rejected their mercy petitions.

Chief minister Muthuvel Karunanidhi said the trio had spent nearly 20 years in prison, which is more than life imprisonment. DMK chief M Karunanidhi and other politicians appealed to the central government to cancel the death sentences and requested that they be sentenced to life imprisonment instead. Tamil Nadu CM Jayalalithaa said she had no power to alter the president’s order on clemency.

Anna Hazare ends fast

2011-08-29T21:46:00.000-07:00

Anti corruption crusader Anna Hazare breaks his fast after 12day by sipping tender coconut water and honey offered by children at the Ramlila Maidan in New Delhi on sunday. He said the country could be proud of the movement. Mr.Hazare and his team celebrate this victory. They shouted the slogan and enjoyed the happy moment. To celebrate their victory, Team Anna held a march at the Indian Gate in the sunday evening. People in all state celebrated this victory.

Mr. Hazare admitted in a private hospital in Gurgaon for a thorough check-up. He will rest there for two days. Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda enquired about his health.

Yeddyurappa's bail plea rejected

2011-08-29T00:18:00.000-07:00

Bangalore, Aug 29 (IANS) The Karnataka High Court Monday rejected the anticipatory bail petition of former chief minister B.S. Yeddyurappa in land scam and graft cases.

Rejecting the bail plea, Justice N. Narayana Swamy directed Yeddyurappa to be present in the Lokayukta (ombudsman) court later in the day in response to the summons issued by its judge N.K. Sudhindra Rao Aug 8.

Though Yeddyurappa was to appear in the trial court Saturday, his counsel pleaded for his exemption as he was suffering from fever.

Rao, however, rejected the counsel's plea and ordered Yeddyurappa to appear before the court Monday.

The twin cases relate to denotification of land near Bangalore in favour of his kin and a Rs.13 crore kickback in awarding a contract work to the highest bidder in the Upper Bhadra irrigation project during his tenure as the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) first chief minister in south India.

Rally urges US to strike Iran group from terror blacklist

2011-08-27T21:24:00.000-07:00

Supporters of an Iranian opposition group demonstrated en masse Friday in Washington to urge the Obama administration to strike the group from a US terrorism blacklist.

Supporters of the People's Mujahedeen Organization of Iran (PMOI), which is also known as the Mujahedeen-e-Khalq (MEK), said "several thousand" of them took part in the rally after having traveled to the capital from 41 US states.

However, AFP estimated the number at between 1,000 to 2,000 people. Maryam Rajavi -- the leader of the National Council of Resistance of Iran, the broad grouping that includes the Mujahedeen -- called for the PMOI to be delisted in a video message to the crowd in Farsi, sparking chants of approval. Rajavi is barred from entering the United States.

The PMOI was originally designated by the US State Department as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) on October 8, 1997 during the administration of president Bill Clinton. It has been redesignated in subsequent years, including by the George W. Bush administration, but was removed from the European Union's equivalent blacklist in 2009.

Daniel Benjamin, counter-terrorism coordinator at the State Department, said in May that President Barack Obama's administration would decide in six months on whether to strike the PMOI from the blacklist.

In December, several officials who had served in Bush's administration -- Tom Ridge, John Bolton, Frances Townsend and Michael Mukasey -- backed delisting the PMOI.

The officials said such an approach is needed because the Obama administration's policy of engaging Iran will fail to prevent Tehran from acquiring nuclear weapons. Iran says its nuclear program is purely peaceful.

The Mujahedeen set up in Iraq during the 1980-1988 Iran-Iraq war and received support from former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein's regime to mount armed attacks against Iran. Following Saddam's overthrow in 2003, they were disarmed by US forces. The United States guaranteed security for their base at Camp Ashraf until handing over authority to Iraqi forces there in 2009.

On April 8, 34 people were killed and dozens wounded when Iraqi forces attacked the camp. In addition to asking for the PMOI to be delisted, protesters also demanded Washington ensure protection of their camp.

Anna Hazarae - Day 11 of Fast

2011-08-27T00:55:00.000-07:00

Through the 11th day of the indefinite fast of the anti-corruption, Anna Hazare, Congress party and the BJP reached a pact. This team discuss about the Team Anna Jan Lokpal Bill today at 11a.m. by Pranab Mukherjee in the Lok Sabha.

The ruling party hopes that the rare initiative will pave the way for Mr. Hazare calling off his protest. Hazare note in a letter to P.M. Manmohan Singh, the hope that parliment would be considerate to three of his specific suggestions. The three suggestions are lower bureaucracy within the ambit of the lokpal, parallel lokayuktas at the state levels, and a citizen's charter for time bound disposal of public grievances. He told if there is a consensus on these proposal, then i will break my fast..

Congress M.P. Rahul Gandhi told Lokpal alone cannot root out corruption.

Political parties have pleaded with Hazare to end his fast, but MPs have squabbled over the content of a bill that would create a umbrella agency to probe government corruption, as thousands of supporters gathered at Hazare's fairground protest site and across New Delhi.

Lokpal debate in Parliament today; will Anna end fast?

2011-08-25T21:16:00.000-07:00

Going the extra mile to meet Anna Hazare's major demand, government will have a discussion in the Lok Sabha on Friday on various versions of the Lokpal Bill, including the one brought out by Team Anna. The discussion will be held under Rule 184 which entails voting, sources said.

A motion will be brought to facilitate a combined discussion on the Lokpal Bill, the Jan Lokpal Bill brought out by Anna Hazare as also the drafts prepared by activist Aruna Roy and Jai Prakash Narain, sources said.

Anti-corruption activist Anna Hazare speaks during a rally at Ram Lila grounds in New Delhi. Hazare......

While the exact wording of the motion is not immediately known, sources said the discussion could take place on the Jan Lokpal Bill in the shape of a "document" and its salient features, after which the records of the debate are expected to be sent to the Parliamentary Standing Committee examining the Lokpal Bill.

A decision in this regard was reached during hectic parleys within the government and discussions held by Finance minister Pranab Mukherjee with Parliamentary Affairs minister Pawan Bansal and Law minister Salman Khurshid.

We are victims of Congress politics, says Arvind Kejriwal

2011-08-24T21:31:00.000-07:00

NEW DELHI: Team Anna is a "victim of Congress politics", said activist Arvind Kejriwal Thursday, a day after talks between the government and activist Anna Hazare's group ended in a deadlock.

"We have become victims of internal politics of Congress. How many rounds of talks we have had with senior leaders like Kapil Sibal and Chidambaram but nothing has happened till now. Whom will we talk to?" Kejriwal said, even as Hazare's fast entered its tenth day Thursday.

There was no breakthrough Wednesday night in the talks between the government and Hazare's team for an anti-corruption law.

"There were strong indications that Annaji could be evicted from Ramlila Maidan early morning today (Thursday). As the issue was publicised nothing was done," Kejriwal told reporters here.

Hazare has been on fast since Aug 16, the day he was arrested and taken to Tihar Jail. He was released the same day, but he refused to leave. He shifted to Ramlila ground Aug 19 where he has been continuing with his fast.

Govt may relent, put Prime Minister under Lokpal

2011-08-22T21:41:00.000-07:00

NEW DELHI: Anxious to resolve the standoff with the Anna Hazare group over Lokpal, the government appeared set to relent on placing the Prime Minister within the jurisdiction of the anti-graft ombudsman. "We don't have any problem in placing PM within the scope of Lokpal," senior government sources indicated.

Parliament discussing only about the legislation approved by the Standing Committee, the re-think on including the PM in Lokpal is a significant concession as well as a tactical move to break the logjam. The government has taking fast steps in the process to draft a Grievance Redressal Bill which deals with corruption faced by the common man it getting licences and other clearances. The draft of the proposed law is expected to be put up for public discussion by this weekend.

The PM within Lokpal is taking help end Congress's isolation in Parliament. The BJP, Left and other parties like the DMK are opposed to keeping the PM outside the Lokpal's purview.

New Delhi: Anna Hazare's health was in bad condition, whose fast entered eighth day on Tuesday. Doctors have advised Anna Hazare, not to venture into the Sun as it could have a negative impact on his health. The doctors examined Hazare at the Ramlila Maidan, where he is sitting on an indefinite fast demanding a strong Lokpal Bill, late in the night. His health was little weak.. BP is in normal condition. His eyes are watery. A close aide Kiran Bedi said that his kidney was "infected" while another aide Arvind Kejriwal denied it. Though doctors have been maintaining that Hazare's health is fine, his close associates expressed worries over the health condition of the 73-year-old anti-corruption crusader. He lost over 5kg weight by fasting..

When asked about the August 30 deadline set for passing the Bill, Sisodia said Hazare has announced it and it is for him to decide the future course of action.

"There is no change in our stand. Formal talks have not yet begun," Sisodia said. Sisodia said a close aide of spiritual leader Baiyyuji Maharaj, who has emerged as a mediator, went to meet Hazare last night to submit a fresh proposal to end the standoff between the fasting activist and the government. However, the aide could not hand over a letter from Maharaj to Hazare as he was sleeping, Sisodia added. "The aide had come to meet Anna in the night.

As Anna was sleeping, volunteers did not allow a meeting and the aide left without handing over the letter...," Sisodia said.Earlier, a close aide of Maharaj claimed that the spiritual leader had a detailed meeting with Union Ministers Kapil Sibal and Salman Khurshid following which the fresh proposal was sent to the Gandhian. Maharaj, along with Maharashtra Additional Chief Secretary Umesh Chandra Sarangi, both of whom are known to Hazare, have been roped in by the government to initiate back-room negotiations to end the fast by 73-year-old Hazare demanding a strong Lokpal.

We are open to reasoned debate on Lokpal Bill, says PM

2011-08-22T01:02:00.000-07:00

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in a Kolkata function on Monday saying that the government was open to a reasoned debate on it even as noisy crowds swelled in various protest zones of the country. And also he told that there was no “magic wand” to solve corruption, a statement that suggests the government is far from a comprehensive strategy on the Anna phenomenon.

Prime Minister said the government was taking so many steps to tackle corruption and that will come up in Proper ways to stop it. Strong procedures are needed to eliminate it....

I have asked a Group of Ministers to look into this issue and I am confident we will come up with a systemic solution,' he said.

Cautious Prithviraj Chavan says Anna Hazare stir will end soon..

2011-08-21T22:50:00.000-07:00

Cautious Prithviraj Chavan says Anna Hazare stir will end soon

Exercising caution, chief minister Prithviraj Chavan on Sunday said the ‘unrest’ in Delhi will end soon. The CM was making an oblique reference to the ongoing stir by Anna Hazare, demanding a strong Lokpal Bill.

“The use of technology can help bring transparency in administration and tackle corruption,” Chavan said, while speaking at the inauguration of Rajiv Gandhi Academy of e-Learning at Shiv Darshan in Pune.

“Soon all government processes and procedures too will be done through internet, which will help curb corruption,” he added.

Meawhile, deputy chief minister and senior NCP leader Ajit Pawar said the NCP wants a strong Lokpal bill.

He said the deadlock on the Lokpal Bill will be resolved through dialogue between the Centre and Team Anna.

When asked whether the Prime Minister and the judiciary should be brought under the purview of the Lokpal as demanded by Team Anna, Pawar said: “That will be explained by our senior leader (read NCP chief Sharad Pawar) only.”

“Let people decided whose bill they most like and I hope that the Union government will take a right decision,” he added.