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

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

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

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

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

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?

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

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

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

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..

 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.