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Don’t revive
Hindutva, VP advises BJP Dharam Singh
sworn in as Karnataka Chief Minister |
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Cabinet adopts CMP
Scams, not
lapses, to be probed, says Pranab
Natwar meets
heads of missions Mulayam’s
lashout surprises Surjeet CMP shows 60’s
mindset, says BJP 501-crore Central
aid for Maharashtra Andhra Govt to
constitute panel for talks with PWG Amarinder meets
Patil Labour Ministry
to send team to HP
Medical entrance
test cancelled
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BJP stands by Hindutva: Advani New Delhi, May 28 Mr Advani said that BJP had not abandoned, and would not abandon, its Hindutva ideology. Addressing first formal press conference after the stunning defeat of the BJP, Mr Advani indulged in some pep talk for the party cadres while underlining the need for firm steps to remedy the many deficiencies that had cropped up in the party’s organisation. Wishing good luck to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, he said, “Only unequivocal interpretation of the divided verdict of the elections is that the people expect the new government to follow the path of maximum consensus, not only within the ruling alliance but also with the Opposition.” On the foreign origin issue, Mr Advani said, “The party’s stand on the issue has been very clear that a person of foreign origin should not occupy high Constitutional posts.” Asked whether the election verdict had settled the foreign origin issue forever, Mr Advani said, “Foreign origin issue is a political issue and not concerning an individual. The decision of Congress President Sonia Gandhi’s decision not to become the Prime Minister came as a big relief to the country.” Detailing about the factors, which went against the BJP-led NDA, Mr Advani said, “In some states, we suffered along with our allies. In others, we suffered because we did not forge proper alliances. But a fairly common factor in many constituencies was the ‘local anti-incumbency’ directed at the sitting MPs who were renominated.” On the “Feel Good” and “India Shining” campaign, Mr Advani said, “These phrases, though valid in themselves, were inappropriate for our election campaign”. The Congress and the Communists carried out a viciously negative campaign, replete with falsehood, to claim that India had actually suffered ruination under the NDA Government,” he added. Asked about the induction of tainted ministers in the UPA government, Mr Advani regretted that a person with a clean image (Dr Manmohan Singh) had to defend such ministers. |
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Don’t revive Hindutva, VP advises BJP New Delhi, May 28 “It will be the biggest mistake of the BJP if it revives its Hindutva agenda and the people will throw the party’s Vision Document on its face,” Mr Singh said at a specially convened press conference at his residence here. He also advised the BJP to go through the Common Minimum Programme (CMP) of the UPA government to know why slogans like “India Shining” and “Bharat Uday” hurt it during the Lok Sabha elections. Mr V.P. Singh’s remarks came within few hours of former Deputy Prime Minister L.K. Advani assertion that there was no question of abandoning Hindutva. “We remain firm and unapologetic about our espousal of Hindutva, we will continue to wage an ideological battle against those who portray Hindutva as ‘communal’ for their narrow political ends,” Mr Advani said in the national capital. Mr V.P. Singh also asked “one of his closest friends” Telugu Desam Party chief Chandrababu Naidu to “re-think” about his party’s alliance with the BJP, reminding him that none of the NDA allies would remain with the saffron party as they have realised that they had lost because of “Gujarat genocide.” The former Prime Minister, while praising the CMP as “the marriage of the efficiency of the market with the sensitivity of the welfare state”, claimed that it was precisely what the BJP had missed. Mr V.P. Singh said the CMP’s proposal for cess on education was justified as it was the key to overall improvement. “I also welcome the government’s commitment to plead at WTO the farmers case in the right perspective, the concern for the slum dwellers... resolve on improving relations with Pakistan and China and commitment on Telangana.” However, he agreed with Mr Advani’s suggestion for running the country through national consensus and with the cooperation of the Opposition, but questioned him as to why the BJP did not put into practice the same thinking when it was in power. Replying to a question on “tainted ministers” in the UPA government, he suggested an all-party meeting should evolve a legal mechanism so as to ensure that the court disposed of the case of such a minister within three months. |
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Dharam Singh sworn in as Karnataka Chief Minister Bangalore, May 28 The pre-poll rivalry of the two parties was given a shallow burial with both leaders citing ‘political compulsions’ and ‘force of circumstances’ in coming together to keep the single largest party, the BJP, out of power. The BJP has 79 seats, the Congress 65 and the JD (S) 58 in the 224-member assembly. Chaos and exuberance marked the swearing-in ceremony. Later, the new heads of government addressed a press conference. Mr Singh said: “The BJP may be the single largest party, but look at the vote share, the Congress has got 36 per cent, the BJP 29 per cent and the JD (S) 20 per cent. So, together we have 56 per cent of the vote share. On this basis, in the larger interests of the state, we have come together setting aside political differences.” Mr Siddaramiah said: “In a situation where no one received a mandate, we took this decision to keep out communal forces and to ensure that another election is not necessitated.” The leaders did not specify their priorities or spoke anything on any agreed governance programme. The press conference was quickly wound up by Principal Secretary K. Jairaj when the questioning got pointed. Among the many unanswered questions was the status of defamation cases filed by the Congress against
JD(S) leaders. Allocation of portfolios would be decided in a few days and a coordination committee would look into a common minimum programme, the leaders stated. The agreement is to emulate the Maharashtra model in the state, where prize portfolios, including Home, Power, Finance, Irrigation, and Higher Education, will come to the junior coalition partner. Mr
Siddaramiah, who has held the finance portfolio in previous JD governments, is expected to keep it. Meanwhile, BJP leader Ananth Kumar said his party had already launched a statewide campaign against this “unethical alliance, where a rejected party has made a backdoor entry.” While the BJP had decided to play the role of a “constructive opposition”, he did not see any scope for “either policies or populism”. It would be a “governance of compromise, opportunism and contradictions,” he declared. |
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Cabinet adopts CMP New Delhi, May 28 At a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, it decided to set up NAC with a chairperson having the rank of a Cabinet Minister and 20 members to be appointed by the Prime Minister to oversee the effective implementation of the NCMP. With a view to implementing the programme effectively, each ministry would be expected to work out modalities along with financial implications, an official release said after a 90-minute meeting of the Union Cabinet. The ministries would, in consultations with the Planning Commission, the Ministry of Finance and the Department of Legal Affairs and the Ministry of Law and Justice, work out the roadmaps along with proposals for legislations for implementation and seek approvals at appropriate levels of the government. Each ministry would develop its own periodical monitoring and reporting mechanism subject to overall directions, it said. |
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Scams, not lapses, to be probed, says Pranab Kolkata, May 28 This was stated by Mr Mukherjee after returning to his home state from New Delhi today. Later, at a press conference at the Congress office, he said his first priority would be to ensure the territorial integrity of the country and to save the nation from outside aggression and internal rifts. He would also work for increasing employment opportunities, ensuring economic growth and welfare of the poor and backward classes. Mr Mukherjee, who is also the WBPCC president, said his successor in the state would be appointed soon. He, however, said the Congress in Bengal would continue to fight against the CPM even though they had an alliance at the Centre, which, he said, was necessary for saving the nation from the onslaught of the communal forces. He will visit his constituency, Jangipur in Murshidabad, tomorrow and spend two days there. |
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Natwar meets heads of missions New Delhi, May 28 Mr Natwar Singh’s move demonstrates that the new government is continuing with the country’s foreign policy without any major departures from the past. His predecessor Yashwant Sinha had also started his eventful tenure with focus on the neighbourhood. Mr Natwar Singh met for an hour the Heads of Missions of SAARC and Association of South East Asian (ASEAN) nations as well as those of Iran and Afghanistan. Mr Natwar Singh shared his perceptions of India’s foreign policy and highlighted the foreign policy aspects which were given in the CMP of the UPA government led. The Ministry of External Affairs is circulating the CMP to the Heads of Missions. As regards SAARC, Mr Natwar Singh mentioned that New Delhi took upon itself as its duty to make SAARC a creative and meaningful organisation. In context of ASEAN, he stressed on the “age-old” contacts India has had with ASEAN countries as well as the excellent bilateral relations that now prevailed with each of the countries and between India and ASEAN as a whole. Mr Munnawar Saeed, Acting High Commissioner of Pakistan, was among the 17 envoys who attended the meeting. From tomorrow Mr Natwar Singh’s attention will be kept engaged on Sri Lanka and Bangladesh whose foreign ministers are arriving here for intensive talks from tomorrow and May 31, respectively. |
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Mulayam’s lashout surprises Surjeet New Delhi, May 28 Commenting on the Yadav’s allegation that Amar Singh was meted out “unfair treatment” at the meeting, Mr Surjeet said the country wanted to see all those who contributed to the defeat of communal forces on a single platform. “I reflected this desire, when, despite the absence of an invitation from the Congress to them, I requested Amar Singh and Ajit Singh (of the
RLD) to accompany me to the meeting,” Mr Surjeet said, expressing surprise over the remarks made by Mr Yadav and that he owed an explanation for Amar Singh’s “humiliation.” “In this ongoing battle against communal forces, the CPM will continue to seek the support and cooperation of the SP,” the CPM General Secretary said. Miffed Mulayam Singh Yadav yesterday blamed CPM leader Harkishen Singh Surjeet for ill-treatment meted out to the Samajwadi Party by the Congress in the post-election scenario. He blamed Mr Surjeet for “forcibly” taking SP National General Secretary Amar Singh to a dinner meeting at 10, Janpath. “Mr Surjeet should explain as to why he took Amar Singh with him to the dinner meeting at Sonia Gandhi’s residence. He (CPM leader) is responsible for the humiliation of Amar Singh and the party faced at the meeting,” Mr Yadav told reporters at a hurriedly-called press conference in Lucknow. He said the SP had bestowed “faith” on Mr Surjeet’s leadership. “But we never thought that he would take us the wrong way,” Mr Yadav said. When asked whether the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) had thanked the SP for extending outside support to it, Mr Yadav retorted: “Ask Mr Surjeet. He is the right man to answer this question.” Visibly irritated Mr Yadav said the SP had fulfilled its promise to support a secular government at the Centre. “Jo kaha wo
kiya,” he said in a matter-of-fact tone. Though the Chief Minister supported the UPA’s Common Minimum Programme, Mr Yadav clarified that his party would not support the Women’s Bill if it was produced in the present format. |
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CMP shows 60’s mindset, says BJP New Delhi, May 28 “It is a document prepared with the mindset of the 1960s, unsuited to the global and national conditions of 2004,” Mr Naidu said in a statement here. The government had made compromises at the behest of the Left parties, which would “derail the economy from the fast-track growth it recorded under six years of the NDA government.” The Left parties, he said, wanted to enjoy power without any responsibility. Besides, the CMP lacked clarity as to how the UPA government proposed to raise adequate resources to fulfil its promises and achieve development goals. It was also silent on how investments — both public and private — would be stepped up to achieve the promised growth rate of 7 to 8 per cent, Mr Naidu said. Mr Naidu also accused the government of a pseudo-secular mindset by promising to repeal the Prevention of Terrorism Act (POTA). “The UPA has turned a blind eye to the threat of terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir and other parts. |
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501-crore Central aid for Maharashtra New Delhi, May 28 Maharashtra Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde today met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in connection with the demands of the state. Mr Pawar was present at the meeting, which was also attended by Mr Shivraj Patil, Mr P. Chidambaram, Mr Prithviraj Chavan, Mr Vijaysinh Mohite Patil, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister, and Mr Jayant Patil, state Finance Minister. In November last, Mr Shinde had requested the Centre for Rs 1,712-crore assistance towards drought relief. The previous government had released an assistance of Rs 77.46 crore for the state. Mr Shinde today urged the Prime Minister to also release the remaining Rs 1,635 crore and six lakh tonnes of foodgrains. |
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Andhra Govt to constitute panel for talks with PWG Hyderabad, May 28 The state Home Minister, Mr K Jana Reddy, met Mr
Kannabiran, the People’s Union for Civil Liberties (PUCL) president, and later announced that a committee, to be headed by a judge or any other expert, would be constituted to hold talks with the People’s War Group (PWG). Today’s meeting came in the backdrop of Congress party’s pre-poll commitment to revive dialogue with the PWG, banned since 1992 barring an year-long reprieve in 1995-96. Naxalites had openly called for defeat of the TDP-BJP combine in
the recent elections following the regional party’s tough stand against extremism. Founded in 1980 by
revolutionary leader K Sitaramaiah, the PWG had been unleashing a reign of terror in the state targeting policemen, people’s representatives and public properties alleging oppression of the rural masses by the ruling class. About 5,000 people, including Naxalite sympathisers and police
personnel were estimated to have been killed in the spiral of violence
in the last two-a-half decades. Reopening the stalled dialogue process was one of the key poll promises made by the Congress in the recent elections and accordingly, the Chief Minister Dr Y S Rajasekhara Reddy, soon after taking over, announced that the
government would consider lifting the ban on the PWG. Even as the new government extended olive branch, the PWG,
while welcoming the gesture, had set preconditions such as lifting the ban, putting an end to fake encounters and combing operations
so as to create conducive atmosphere for the talks. The earlier talks held in May, June 2002 had collapsed midway with the PWG walking out, accusing the then TDP government of continuing fake encounters. |
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Amarinder meets Patil New Delhi, May 28 A spokesperson for the Punjab Government described the meeting as a “courtesy call”. He said one of the issues discussed was related to deputation of the CRPF in Punjab. The spokesperson said Mr Patil assured the Chief Minister of taking up all pending issues on priority basis. The Chief Minister hoped that the installation of the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government, led by the Congress, would usher in an era of overall development and prosperity in Punjab. |
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Labour Ministry to send team
to HP New Delhi, May 28 Himachal Pradesh Rural Development and Labour Minister, who today called on Union Labour Minister Sis Ram Ola, said the two-member team would assess the training needs and curricula of ITIs in the state to strengthen vocational education. Mr Mahajan urged Mr Ola to assist the state in formulating social security measures for workers in the unorganised sector in the state. He apprised the minister of the steps being taken by the state government to provide housing facilities to industrial workers. Viplove Thakur, who heads the Himachal Pradesh Women Commission, also met Union Social Justice and Empowerment Minister Meira Kumar today. |
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AJTs to
replace MiGs by next year New Delhi, May 28 Speaking on the sidelines of a function to flag off an NCC mountaineering expedition to
Bhagirathi-III peak in the Garhwal region, the Chief of Air Staff said that the induction of the Hawk trainers in the coming years would help in replacing the MiG-21 trainers. The first batch of pilots was being sent to UK to train on these
AJTs. He also dispelled fears that the Indian Air Force (IAF) might take long to phase out the ageing and accident-prone MiG-21 fighters. |
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Medical entrance test cancelled Jaipur, May 28 The government cancelled the test on the directions of a committee headed by retired High Court judge Jagat Singh, who looks into complaints relating to irregularities in admission to such colleges, sources said. The development follows reports that admission to these colleges under the management quota was being granted purely on donation basis. Fifty per cent of the seats in these colleges fall under the management quota. —
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