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FDI: SP not to back UPA in Rajya Sabha
NEW DELHI: Buoyed by its win in the Lok Sabha on the FDI issue, the government on Thursday said it is confident of a victory in
the Rajya Sabha as well, though the numbers are close even as Samajwadi Party made it clear it will not support
the UPA during voting on the issue in the Upper House.
“I am fully confident that BJP’s politics will be defeated. The Congress won in
the Lok Sabha and we will win in the Rajya Sabha as well. Numbers are close but clear,” Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kamal Nath told reporters outside Parliament House.
Asked how the government will manage the numbers in the Upper House with the Opposition having a majority, he said, “Let me handle it.”
Kamal Nath’s views were echoed by Finance Minister P. Chidambaram. “The debate will happen and the government will win the vote,” he said.
The Samajwadi Party, which had spoken against FDI in retail decision during the debate in
the Lok Sabha but staged a walkout before the vote, said its Rajya Sabha members will take a call on the issue when it is put to vote in the Upper House.
“We will definitely not vote with the government, that much we can say,” SP Rajya Sabha MP Naresh Agrawal said
NCP leader and party MP D. P. Tripathi said, “The NCP is very sure that FDI in retail should be implemented. Our party is very clear on this issue. It is not divided and has no reservations as far as FDI is concerned. It is a Fair Direct Investment.”
Tripathi said the NCP will discuss the FDI issue at the party’s coordination committee meeting. Party leader Praful Patel and Maharashtra NCP chief Madhukar Pichad had said they do not support bringing FDI in retail in the
state.
The NCP leader defended the FDI decision, saying it is in national interest. “Everybody understands this. Some understood it early and some later.” He denied that the government had used any unfair means to win the vote in
the Lok Sabha.
Hitting out at NCP and the government, TMC MP Vivek Gupta told reporters, “NCP’s Maharashtra chief has said he is against FDI. I am confused about their stand. If something is against a state how can it be good for the country.”
TMC MP Derek O’Brien said the government’s “devious methods” will not help it in Rajya Sabha. “This government is in a minority since
the TMC withdrew support. It will have to go. No amount of match-fixing will help the government,” he said.
BJP and the Left attacked the government on the issue.
“We are confident of winning in Rajya Sabha as the numbers there are not in favour of the government... We will have to see how effective CBI will be. The mood of the nation is against FDI,” BJP leader M Venkaiah Naidu said.
He alleged that some parties which are opposed to FDI, voted in support of the government due to political compulsions and the “fear” of CBI.
D. Raja (CPI) said the tone and tenor of the debate on FDI yesterday in Lok Sabha and the sense of the House was against the decision. “Let us see how these parties (SP, BSP) vote. We hope the situation will be different in Rajya Sabha,” he said. — PTI
Male has authority to take back airport
from GMR: Singapore court
SINGAPORE/MALE: In yet another setback to embattled Indian infrastructure major GMR, a Singapore court on Thursday ruled that the Maldives Government can take back the Male International Airport from the private firm.
“Singapore Court of Appeal has passed judgement that the Maldives Government has the authority to take back the airport,” Maldives President Mohamed Waheed’s Press Secretary Masood Imad said in Male.
He further said, “Maldives will go ahead with the transfer as scheduled.”
Maldives had in a surprise move on November 27 terminated the over $500 million contract awarded to GMR during the previous regime of Mohamed Nasheed to upgrade its Male airport and to build a new terminal.
The government had said it was terminating the contract because it was signed under “dubious conditions” and was void, a charge hotly contested by the infrastructure major.
Following the termination, GMR had approached the Singapore High Court which had stayed the scrapping of contract. However, the Maldives
Government remained defiant and asserted that it would take over the airport from GMR on Saturday, a day after the notice period ends.
After Thursday’s ruling, Imad told PTI, “We are not doing anything against the law. We are just following the law. Now, even the Singapore court has given us the permission to go ahead.”
As per the project contract, in case of any differences between parties, the law of either Singapore or UK would apply.
Taken by “surprise” over the GMR issue, India had conveyed to Maldives that the move will have serious consequences on the bilateral ties as it is considering a “series of options”, including slowing down cooperative programmes, if legal course is not followed.
India acknowledges that the Maldivian government’s decision to cancel GMR’s contract for building Male airport is a domestic issue but it is upset over “anti-India sentiment being whipped up” in connection with the issue there.
Sources said the possibility of some external forces playing a role in the cancellation of the airport contract cannot be ruled out, even though there was no clear evidence of Chinese angle so far. — PTI
Software guru McAfee arrested in Guatemala
GUATEMALA CITY: Software company founder John McAfee was arrested by police in Guatemala on Wednesday for entering the country illegally, hours after he said he would seek asylum in the Central American country.
The anti-virus guru was detained at a hotel in an upscale Guatemala City neighbourhood with the help of Interpol agents and taken to an old, three-storey building used to house migrants who enter the country illegally, said Interior Minister Mauricio Lopez Bonilla.
It was the latest twist in a bizarre tale that has seen McAfee refused to turn himself in to authorities in Belize, where he is a person of interest in the killing of a neighbour, then go on the lam, updating his progress on a blog and claiming to be hiding in plain sight, before secretly crossing the border into Guatemala.
“He will be in danger if he is returned to Belize, where he has denounced authorities,” said his lawyer in Guatemala, Telesforo Guerra. “His life is in danger.”
Guerra said he would ask that a judge look at McAfee’s case as soon as possible. “From them moment he asked for asylum he has to have the protection of the Guatemalan government.”
Earlier Wednesday, McAfee said he had formally requested asylum in Guatemala after entering the country from Belize, where he says he fears for his safety because he has sensitive information about official corruption and refused to donate to local politicians.
“Yes, we are presenting this, and I want it to be clear, because of the persecution, not because of the murder,” he told the AP about his asylum bid.
The police in Belize deny they are persecuting McAfee and say there is no warrant for his arrest. The country’s prime minister has even questioned McAfee’s mental state. Since there are no restrictions on his travels, it’s unclear why McAfee would need any special status in order to stay in Guatemala.
The 67-year-old went on the run last month after officials tried to question him about the killing of Gregory Viant Faull, who was shot to death in early November on the Belize island where both men lived. — AP
India prevail 1-0 over Belgium, enter semifinals
Melbourne: India grimly hung on to an early lead to prevail 1-0 over Belgium to advance to the semifinals of the Champions Trophy at the State Hockey Centre in Melbourne on Thursday.
The goal that settled the fate of the quarterfinal contest came in the 13th minute of the first shot India had at the rival goal.
Nitin Thimmaiah capitalised on a rebound to send a firm shot into the right corner of the goal. The rebound had come to Thimmaiah on top of the circle following Gurmail Singh’s try off a cross from Birendra
Lakra.
India had very few chances thereafter and were forced to fall back to defend stoutly as Belgians asserted strength in the midfield.
Belgium forced six penalty corners against India’s one.
It was because of a fine display by defenders V R Raghunath and Rupinder Pal Singh, beside goalkeeper T R
Potunuri, that India managed to maintain their lead.
Belgium had beaten India in their last two encounters — in the final of the Champions Challenge last year and in the preliminary league of the Olympic Games in London.
India are now in the hunt for their first medal since their lone Champions Trophy bronze in 1982. This will also be India’s highest finish since 2004 when they had lost the bronze medal match to end fourth.
In the semifinals, India will take on the winner of the other quarterfinal match between four-time defending champions Australia and England. — PTI
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