L A T E S T      N E W S

Manmohan rejects Team Anna's charges

NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Monday rejected the charges of Team Anna that the government had “swindled unbelievable amounts” of money and criticised yoga guru Baba Ramdev for claiming that “astronomical” sums of black money can be brought back from other countries in one stroke.

Addressing the Congress Working Committee (CWC) meeting in New Delhi, he said “canards and falsehood” were being spread by “disparate” and “desparate” elements and asked the party cadres to effectively tackle the “misinformation”.

In an apparent reference to Baba Ramdev and Team Anna, Dr. Singh said, “Every day one hears of astronomical sums of black money that can be brought back in one stroke. It is alleged that in every area of its activity, our government has swindled unbelievable amounts of money. Nothing can be farther from the truth.” 

The assertive statement by the Prime Minister came a day after Baba Ramdev and Mr. Hazare held a day-long protest in New Delhi, with the yoga guru attacking the government over black money.

Team Anna has been alleging that thousands of crores had been misappropriated by various departments and ministers.

“The truth is that our government is fully committed to tackle the menace of corruption in public life and bring about transparency and accountability in the work of government authorities. And we have proved this by taking action on multiple fronts,” Dr. Singh said.

“The legislative and administrative action we have taken in this area speaks for itself,” he added.

The Prime Minister said, “The misinformation being spread by disparate, desperate elements, unified only by their opposition to our government, needs to be tackled effectively.” — PTI

Vrindavan: Former army chief General VK Singh has thrown his lot behind the anti-graft agitations led by social activist Anna Hazare and yoga guru Baba Ramdev, terming them "timely and valid".

In town to offer prayers at the famous Banke Bihari temple, General Singh, who retired on May 31, pointed out on Sunday that corruption was a major issue in the country and it was upto the government to devise ways to tackle it.

Talking to mediapersons after paying obeisance, Gen Singh said that while there were many issues facing the nation, he did not have any "immediate plan" to join politics.

Gen Singh refused to talk about his 42-year tenure with the Indian Army - beyond saying that he had come to thank God that it had passed off peacefully - citing confidentiality on many issues. He also hoped that the government would do all it can to maintain the honour of the force.

"At the end all was good and I wanted to thank God for his blessings" he added.

New Delhi: Master blaster Sachin Tendulkar begins a new innings today as he has been sworn in as a nominated member of the Rajya Sabha by Chairman Dr Hamid Ansari.

Sporting a white shirt, Tendulkar took the oath in the office of Dr Ansari.

President Pratibha Patil had approved the cricket legend's name along with Bollywood actor Rekha and businesswoman Anu Aga in April for the Upper House of the Parliament. The approval had come after Prime Minister Manmohan Singh wrote to the President with the government's recommendations.

While Rekha and Aga were sworn in in May, Tendulkar could not take oath earlier due to his IPL commitments. The IPL ended only on May 27.

Indian skipper MS Dhoni said that his senior team-mate will make a contribution as a Rajya Sabha member. "This (Rajya Sabha) is a new avenue for him and I am sure he will do well and contribute there also," Dhoni said.

World chess champion Viswanathan Anand also said that Tendulkar serving as a Rajya Sabha member would be a big step in his life and wished the cricket legend enjoys his new role. "I hope he enjoys his role and he is able to do it very well. It's a big step for him and I think he will enjoy it," Anand said.

Ghaziabad: A special Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court in Ghaziabad on Monday adjourned the hearing in the Aarushi-Hemaraj double murder case till June 8. The hearing was adjourned after the Bar Association of Ghaziabad decided to strike work following the death of a lawyer.

Aarushi's parents, Rajesh and Nupur Talwar, are being tried for the 2008 murders. — IANS