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New Delhi, June 7 Asking Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to explain the induction of “tainted” persons in his Council of Ministers, the BJP today said it would take the campaign against them to its logical conclusion. Advani’s idea on poll debacle probe rejected New Delhi, June 7 Former Deputy Prime Minister L. K. Advani appears to be on a losing wicket as his proposal to set up a BJP central committee to probe into the debacle of the party in the Lok Sabha elections did not find favour among other party leaders.
Centre in a dilemma over SC order on SYL
canal
Best Bakery retrial adjourned till June 21
Saras second test flight successful
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News Analysis SC to hear plea on RS poll tomorrow Atwal front-runner for Dy
Speakership
Harassment
of Haryana journalist alleged
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BJP firm on seeing tainted ministers
out
New Delhi, June 7 The main Opposition also sought to corner the Congress-led UPA government by picking holes in the President’s Address in Parliament saying that the government had used “ambiguous language” and attempted to find “escape routes” for not implementing its common minimum programme (CMP). “The government has said in the President’s Address that it was determined to rid the country of the scourge of corruption. How will it do it if tainted ministers continue in the government? Therefore, Dr Manmohan Singh should either dismiss them or seek their resignation,” BJP Parliamentary Party spokesperson Sushma Swaraj told newspersons here. Asked whether the BJP would boycott “tainted” ministers, she said a final decision on whether to go in for a debate or boycott during the Motion of Thanks to the President’s Address would be taken in consultation with other NDA allies. However, she asserted that the party wanted to take the issue of “tainted” ministers to its logical end i.e. their resignation. “While the Prime Minister has clean image, it is known that a man is known by the company he keeps,” Ms Swaraj said. When pointed out that the then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee himself had defended the inclusion of “chargesheeted” persons in his Cabinet, Ms Swaraj said his comments were being read out of context. “It was not a case of moral turpitude, disproportionate assets or corruption,” she said, asserting that NDA convener George Fernandes was reinducted into Vajpayee’s Cabinet since there was no case, FIR or chargesheet against him. Recalling that Congress leaders Jaipal Reddy and Pranab Mukherjee had moved a motion demanding dropping of three ministers on prima facie charges, Ms Swaraj said: “They had put us in the dock on the issue and by the same yardstick, they should drop these tainted ministers.” On the President’s address, Ms Swaraj said the government had not only used “ambiguous language” but also “drifted away even from the CMP.” |
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UPA takes steps to face
Oppn New Delhi, June 7 Prime Minister Manmohan Singh hosted a special dinner for floor leaders of all allies and supporting parties tonight as part of the government's efforts to evolve a consensus on countering the Opposition onslaught. Significantly, the Samajwadi Party and the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), which are lending outside support to the new government, were also invited for this dinner. SP leader Amar Singh, who has been upset over the treatment meted to him when he gatecrashed a dinner hosted by Congress President Sonia Gandhi, turned up for the PM's dinner while BSP chief Mayawati also attended. At the same time, the government constituted an eight-member Cabinet Committee on Parliamentary affairs with representatives from the Congress and its allies. The committee comprises Congress ministers Pranab Mukherjee, Shivraj Patil, Ghulam Nabi Azad and H.R. Bharadwaj. Lok Janshakti Party's Ram Vilas Paswan, RJD chief Laloo Prasad Yadav, NCP's Sharad Yadav and DMK minister T.R. Baalu are among the other members. Parliamentary Affairs ministers Suresh Pachouri and Suryakanta Patil along with Mr Prithviraj Chavan, minister of state, PMO, will also be associated with the committee. The panel, which is to hold its first meeting tomorrow, is meant to ensure better coordination among the UPA partners. |
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Advani’s idea on poll debacle probe
rejected
New Delhi, June 7 While one section of the party said the proposal had been “shelved”, the other asserted It may be recalled that Mr Advani addressing his first press conference on May 28 after the Lok Sabha results were announced had said that he had proposed to party President M. Venkaiah Naidu to set up a central committee to look into the overall reasons leading to the party’s poor showing. According to the sources, a majority of the party central leaders felt that appointing such a committee would turn out to be duplication of the exercise being done by various state units, which are probing the debacle of the party in their respective states. In the wake of this overwhelming view, the party leadership is understood to have decided to hold a “chintan baithak (brainstorming session)” after the National Executive meeting, which is likely to be held in the first week of July. The majority view in the party is that since each state unit will be submitting a report on the reasons for the poor show during the National Executive Meeting and that state leaders will be present in the meeting, the central leadership can have direct interface with them on the issue. |
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Centre in a dilemma over SC order on SYL
canal
New Delhi, June 7 The apex court’s order will prove to be a real challenge for the Congress-led UPA government. It cannot afford to ignore the court’s directions. At the same time, it cannot take any step which could create problems for the Congress government in Punjab. However, the Centre cannot ignore Haryana
either, especially since the state is headed for Assembly elections next February and the Congress is on a come-back trail there. The Centre
is, therefore, planning an incremental approach on the issue. It will not make any immediate move and will instead wait for the court to give its verdict on the Punjab Government’s review petition. In case the Centre is still required to intervene, it will buy more time to seek an assessment of the availability of water in Punjab. It will then address the issue of resources required for the construction and may cite paucity of funds to delay matters. The court verdict has created a flutter in the government. Water resources minister Priya Ranjan Dasmunshi spent the whole day confabulating with his officials, studying available options. The minister and law ministry officials also briefed Prime Minister Manmohan Singh late tonight on the issue. Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh has also sought an appointment with Dr Manmohan Singh in this connection. However, this meeting may only materialise after the ongoing Parliament session ends on June 10. Like all inter-state water disputes, the long-standing battle between Punjab and Haryana over sharing of river waters is a highly emotional issue in both states. “It is a tricky issue for the Centre...it will have to marshall all legal expertise at its disposal to find a way out... after all, the Centre can’t let down its own Chief Minister,” remarked a senior Punjab Congress leader. Punjab Congress leaders maintain the Centre will need to do some hard thinking on this issue, as the Punjab chief minister just cannot afford to release more water to Haryana as its own needs have increased over the years while water levels have steadily fallen. The issue could prove politically fatal for the Congress both in Punjab and Haryana. The party was routed in Punjab in the recent Lok Sabha elections. The Akali Dal, which enjoys a firm grip on the Punjab peasantry, is in an assertive mood after its improved performance in the polls. It will come down
heavily on the Amarinder Singh government in case it is legally compelled to complete the work on the SYL canal. The Chief Minister is also vulnerable on another count. His detractors in the faction-ridden Punjab Congress can use this issue to revive their campaign against him. On the other hand, the Supreme Court’s direction has provided an important electoral issue to the beleagured Haryana Chief Minister Om Prakash Chautala whose party was virtually wiped out in the recent Lok Sabha poll. With the popularity ratings of his Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) hitting an all-time low, the SYL canal issue could well snowball into a major controversy before the next year’s Assembly poll. |
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Best Bakery retrial adjourned till June 21
Mumbai, June7 Shortly after Sessions Judge Abhay Thipsay commenced proceedings in Sewri in Central Mumbai, Chief Public Prosecutor Rohini Salian sought time on the grounds that the Maharashtra Government was in the process of appointing a public prosecutor. The turf war between the two states, so far fought in the media, resurfaced in the court when T.S. Nanavati, appearing on behalf of the Gujarat Government, contended that it was for his state to appoint a public prosecutor. He told the court that the case was between the state of Gujarat and the accused. “Only the platform to hear the case has changed and nothing else,” he told the court. The retrial is being held on the orders of the Supreme Court, which also specified that it be held outside Gujarat. |
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Saras second test flight successful
Bangalore, June 7 “It was a good flight,” National Aerospace Laboratories Director B R Pai told PTI soon after the yellow coloured turboprop aircraft touched the base. The test pilots of the IAF’s Aircraft and Systems Testing Establishment
(ASTE) had flown Saras, named after the Indian crane, on its maiden sortie on May 29. —
PTI |
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News Analysis
Bangalore, June 7 This is the expectation of the JD (S) too, but already, with Congress spokesperson Janardan Poojary stating that the model applied only to the selection of the Chief Minister and the Deputy Chief Minister, the Cabinet formation is likely to be delayed, perhaps for quite a few days. Already, at press conferences and elsewhere, the impression was of the two Chief Ministers, equally powerful, rather than of a CM and his deputy. Mr Dharam Singh has a reputation of studied affability and geniality, while Mr Siddaramiah is more vocal, aggressive and forthright. (with some “rough edges” as he himself declared at a meeting.) In the words of a senior leader from a rival party, Mr Singh is a “no-enemy man”. He said: “I have seen him casually give up AC first-class seats to others, even from different parties, and chat comfortably with no malice with someone who has just blasted him on the floor of the Assembly.” Most people attest to his accommodating and affectionate attitude with all his political contemporaries. It is a policy that has evidently served him well, apart from the current election as the Congress CLP leader and thus the Chief Minister, Jewargi taluk in Gulbarga district has elected him eight times to the Assembly. He has never lost. There is one disturbing aspect, however, which brings to mind the politics of Bihar and Uttar Pradesh where by all accounts leaders prey on their constituencies’ backwardness to beat anti-incumbency and return to power. Jewargi is one of the most backward taluks in the state in a district which is one of the most backward in the whole of South India, according to a survey conducted some time ago by India Today. The survey used indicators like education, infrastructure, and basic amenities. One out of two persons in the district is below the poverty line. As for Jewargi itself, it was ranked 174 in terms of backwardness, in the regional imbalance eradication committee report. The Mr Singh is a Kshatriya Rajput, and third and fourth generation Rajputs like him number about 11 lakh in the state. His forefathers are said to have come southwards from Rajastan with the British to fight the then rulers of Mysore. He has held several portfolios in the late Mr Gundu Rao’s Cabinet and was the Public Works Minister in the Krishna Cabinet. Mr Siddaramiah traces his origin closer home — he commands mass support among all backward classes, especially form his Kuruba. The Deputy Chief Ministership is not new to him as he held the same post in Mr J.H. Patel’s Cabinet — he had missed out then, too, in the race to be the CM, after Mr H.D. Deve Gowda vacated the seat to become the Prime Minster in 1996. He has held many portfolios in the Janata cabinets of Mr Ramakrishna Hegde, Mr S.R. Bommai and Mr Deve Gowda, and distinguished himself with the Finance portfolio in Mr Patel’s government. The 2004 set-up appears to guarantee an almost constant jockeying for power and influence — albeit, at least in the beginning, in most affable terms given the personalities of the two protagonists! In fact, at a press conference on May 29, Mr Siddaramiah found himself dominating with his deep baritone, and frequently he could be seen trying to push Mr Singh to the forefront too. Workers of the two parties are still dissatisfied with talk of the JD (S) support only in the Assembly but opposition on the streets where political fortunes are made and lost. |
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SC to hear plea on RS poll tomorrow New Delhi, June 7 The date for urgent hearing of the Centre and EC’s plea was fixed by the Registry of the apex court today before a vacation Bench for June 9 after a request to this effect was made to Chief Justice R. C.
Lahoti. A vacation Bench of Ms Justice Ruma Pal and Mr Justice B. N. Agrawal had stayed the Rajya Sabha poll process on June 4, following a petition by noted journalist Kuldip Nayar questioning the constitutional validity of last year’s amendment in the Representation of People Act
(RPA) deleting the compulsory domicile clause for candidates and also the introduction of the open ballot system. The EC in its petition said “The question of bringing about a change to the statutory requirements for qualification to be elected to the Rajya Sabha arose in the context of several political parties at the national and state level wanting their senior leaders in the Upper House so that they could derive benefit of their political wisdom and expertise in public affairs”. “In practice, over the past 50 years, there have been several instances of parties fielding such leaders as candidates from the states other than those to which they are known to belong...” and to meet this condition, they had been registering themselves as voters from that state, the EC said. However, it did not approve this practice on the part of the candidates.
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Atwal front-runner for Dy
Speakership New Delhi, June 7 "We are extremely hopeful of getting the Deputy Speakership as we have had a very positive response from NDA allies...Now it is for the BJP to decide," SAD leader and former Union Minister S.S. Dhindsa told The Tribune after the NDA MPs' meeting here this evening. "A final decision to this effect will be taken tomorrow morning after another round of meeting of NDA leaders," Mr Dhindsa said. He, however, maintained that the issue of Deputy Speakership did not come up for discussion in the NDA MPs' meeting. In the event of the BJP offering the post to the Akalis, Mr Charanjit Singh Atwal, former Punjab Assembly Speaker and presently MP from the Phillaur (SC) constituency will be nominated for the post. After the Deputy Speakership was offered to the BJP by the UPA government, three names — Mr Jatiya, Mr K. Mallikarjunaiah (who had held the post earlier too) and Laxmi Narain Pandey (an eighth time MP) had emerged from within the party for the post. The nomination papers for the post has to be filed latest by 12 noon tomorrow. The Akalis, with eight MPs, have been expressing keenness for the post and its top leaders Parkash Singh Badal and S.S. Dhindsa have personally urged Mr Vajpayee and former Deputy Prime Minister L.K. Advani to leave the post for them. |
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Harassment
of Haryana journalist alleged
New Delhi, June 7 In a letter to Editors Guild president Hari Jaisingh, Mr Ashwini Kumar, director of Punjab Kesari, said its reporter at Panipat, Mr Chandershekhar Dharni, was apprehended and put behind bars on May 30 on the grounds of a complaint filed against him for a news item published on January 30, 2003. “While the process of the law was on, it is not understandable how a journalist without any basis could be arrested and placed under detention. This action of the authorities is nothing but an attack on the freedom of the Press,” Mr Ashwini Kumar said. Maintaining that the action of the authorities was full of vengeance, Mr Ashwini Kumar said in his letter of June 5 that the day the journalist was arrested, his wife, working as a nurse with ESI Hospital at Panipat, was also transferred to Punhana in Gurgaon district. “This is not a case of coincidence but a case of harassment and harming the journalist and an effort to curb the freedom of the Press. We may also mention that all this is a result of a news item, which appeared in the Haryana edition of Punjab Kesari on May 28, 2004, giving the version of the powers that be,” Mr Ashwini Kumar said. The newspaper had reported certain statements of Haryana Chief Minister Om Prakash Chautala on May 28 about the Lok Sabha election results. |
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