New Delhi, December 18
After months of uncertainty, L.K. Advani finally quit the post of Leader of BJP parliamentary party, only to be elevated immediately to the post of chairman of the parliamentary party, with powers to nominate leaders of the two Houses of Parliament as also other office-bearers.

And he promptly announced to a crowded parliamentary party at the Parliament annexe here today the nomination of Sushma Swaraj as the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha. Arun Jaitely, as he himself noted a little later was re-nominated as Leader of the BJP in the Rajya Sabha. Jaitely said, “I am being nominated a second time in six months to this post.”

To facilitate this process BJP president Rajnath Singh moved a resolution amending the BJP parliamentary party constitution, whereby the chairman (read Advani) has been empowered to nominate all the office bearers of the two Houses, including deputy leaders and the chief whips.

As Rajnath later explained Article 6 (a - 1) and 6 (a - 2) of the constitution have now been amended by the parliamentary party which now vests all powers of Leader of parliamentary party in the chairman. Earlier, the BJP parliamentary party constitution provided for Leader of the Lower House, (read here Lok Sabha) to lead the entire Parliamentary party comprising of both Houses and the Leader of the Upper House (Rajya Sabha) was deputy leader of the parliamentary party.

The same was the position in respect of the state assemblies, specially those states which have both the legislative assembly and the legislative council. Now the two leaders are at par with each other and the chairman is the final arbiter.

Also, the parliamentary party will only elect the chairman and the chairman will nominate his team. Thus, even though Advani has been pushed a step up, he will continue to enjoy full control of the parliamentary party, the same way Sonia Gandhi does in the Congress party.

The whole process has been necessitated because of RSS wanting Advani, since the BJP defeat in the general elections in May this year, to pave way for younger generation. On the other hand Advani supporters had been asking upon him to break away from the Sangh and turn BJP into a moderate, liberal, right wing party.

As if to deny any defiance of the Sangh, Advani stated in his brief speech, “I was first a RSS pracharak. Had I not been a Sangh pracharak I might never have entered politics,” implying that he owed his political career to the Sangh.

The whole process was marked by much camraderie and bonhomie in the annex meeting, with Najma Heptullah praising Advani for nominating a woman as the leader of the Lok Sabha and Sumitra Mahajan waxing eloquent on the greatness and competence of Sushma, as also Jaitely listing sushma’s virtues and Sushma Jaitely’s accompanied by a lot of garlanding and bouquet offering.

Act 1 of the change of guard having concluded today, Act 2 would commence tomorrow with the meeting of the Parliamentary board which is expected to decide and announce the name of Nitin Gadkari as the new president of the BJP, since Rajnath’s term is coming to an end in a couple of days.

New Delhi, December 18
Winter Session of the Lok Sabha ended on a sore note today, with the Opposition staging a walkout over the government’s unprecedented act of passing five legislations in just over seven minutes, as the pro and anti Telangana lobbies paralysed proceedings.

Waking up to another uproarious day - courtesy the Congress and the TDP who came prepared to stall functioning for the third consecutive day - Speaker Meira Kumar adjourned the Lok Sabha sine die after it sat for 21 days against the scheduled 22 and lost 32 hours to disruption.

Scene in the Lower House was painful as the Telangana lobbies exploited the House for no purpose while the debate suffered. The Opposition, including the BJP and Left, termed the passage of Bills and avoidable adjournment of LS as “the government’s conspiracy to evade the real issues” and said the government purposely allowed the din to last, not once reining in their unruly members.

CPM’s Basudeb Acharia said: “The UPA has broken all rules of parliamentary democracy. We wanted the House to function. We were not even told it would be adjourned.”

Ignoring the Opposition clamour for debate, the government hastily passed the following bills - Commercial Division of High Courts, Civil Defence Amendment, Salaries and Allowances Amendment (allows ministers to carry along any number of companions on their free air travels), Legal Metrology (the Standing Committee had earlier rejected) and Trade Marks Bill. It also introduced the Transplantation of Human Organs Amendment Bill (to prevent organ trade) and the SBI (Subsidiary Banks Laws) Amendment Bill, 2009.

While the BJP had sought a debate on the Civil Defence Act, the Left wanted to discuss the Metrology and Trade Marks Bill. Acharia said none of the 19 (out of 21 Bills introduced) passed in the LS this session were referred to Standing Committees.

Also, eight of these 19 Bills were not debated at all due to disruptions - a matter which the Speaker noted in her valedictory address today. That apart, Meira Kumar earlier presided over the hurried passage of Bills, much to the displeasure of the opposition. 

Guwahati, December 18
Fresh attacks on migrant labourers by unidentified militants in Manipur has forced the state government to provide a temporary shelter to these at a ‘dharamsala’ at Thangal Bazaar in Imphal city, even as red alert has been sounded in the state.

Sources said over 60 migrants had already taken shelter at the camp that is under heavy security, in response to the Manipur government’s call to them to stay at safe places in Imphal city.

Three migrants had been killed in Imphal east district areas during last three days, forcing the police headquarters in Imphal to sound red alert across the state.

Two migrants Gajinder Ram (44) from Bihar and Subhas Yadav (35) from Assam’s Cachar district were killed on Tuesday night at their residence in Chingmeirong Kabui Khul, situated on the outskirts of Imphal. The gunmen barged into the bamboo-walled house of migrants while they were asleep.

New Delhi, December 18
The issue of illegal and forcible transfer of 150 acres of prime land owned by two gurdwaras in Lahore reverberated in the Rajya Sabha today with the Opposition demanding summoning of the Pakistan ambassador.

Notably, the high-cost land owned by the gurdwaras has been allotted by the Defence Housing Authority of Pakistan for a military housing project. Guru Arjan Dev, the fifth Sikh guru, is credited to have established a major base of the religion in Lahore, the erstwhile capital of unified Punjab.

Raising the matter during the zero hour, BJP member SS Ahluwalia asked the government to summon the Pakistani ambassador for seeking an assurance regarding protection to property belonging to minorities, including Sikhs, Hindus and Sindhis, in the neighbouring nation. “Next they will sell Panja Sahib (near Rawalpindi) where there is still the hand imprint of Guru Nanak Dev… Will we allow this?” asked Ahluwalia, who was backed by other BJP members and opposition parties.

Ahluwalia said the gurdwara authorities had been told to vacate the land. This, he said, was an infringement of the agreement between the evacuee property trusts set up by India and Pakistan after Partition.

It was only after External Affairs Minister SM Krishna assured the House of taking up the matter with Pakistan that the commotion eased somewhat. “…the member has raised a very important issue. I share his concern and the concern of the House,” added Krishna.

Notably, a Pakistani court yesterday directed the authorities to respond by December 21 to a petition against the sale of land attached to the Sikh shrines to the Defence Housing Authority in violation of regulations. The district and sessions court sought a response from the Evacuee Trust Property Board to the petition on the sale of land attached to two Sikh shrines -- Samadh Bhai Maan Singh and Gurdwara Deh -- in Lidhar, a village within the Lahore cantonment.

On its part, the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee has shot off a protest letter to Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari seeking cancellation of the deal. Also, the transfer of land is being seen as a violation of the pact signed by the then Indian Prime Minister Jawahar Lal Nehru and his Pakistani counterpart Liaquat Ali Khan. There are about 172 enlisted historical Sikh shrines and gurdwaras in Pakistan. 

Hyderabad, December 18
There was no respite from protests, rallies and disruption of public life in Andhra Pradesh for the ninth successive day today over the Centre’s move to carve out separate Telangana state.

A day after resigning from Assembly, the actor-turned-politician and president of Praja Rajyam Party Chiranjeevi joined the movement for united Andhra from the temple town of Tirupati.

Cutting across party lines, the MLAs, MLCs and other public representatives in coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema regions participated in the anti-Telangana agitation which has paralysed normal life in these two regions.

Tension prevailed in Anantapur in Rayalaseema region when police arrested three opposition Telugu Desam Party (TDP) MLAs - P Sunita, P Raghunath Reddy and Parthasarthi, who were on fast-unto-death in support of integrated state.

The police also arrested former Congress legislator Vardarajula Reddy in Porduttur in Kadapa district as his condition started deteriorating on the fourth day of the indefinite hunger strike.

Meanwhile, the TDP leaders launched an eleven-day long ‘bus yatra’ in Tirupati to reach out to people and seek support for unified AP.

“We will meet various sections of the society during the tour and increase public awareness on the need for a united Andhra Pradesh. We will expose how Sonia Gandhi decided to cut the state into pieces like a cake on her birthday,” senior TDP MLA G Muddukrishnam Naidu said.

However, pro-Telangana leaders within TDP sought disciplinary action against the leaders from Rayalaseema and coastal Andhra region for starting “bus yatra”.

Meanwhile, the fast-unto-death launched by Congress MP from Vijayawada L Rajagopal continued today while another fasting TDP MLA from the coastal city D Umamaheswar Rao was forcibly shifted to a hospital by the police.

In Kadapa, the former Chief Minister late YS Rajasekhar Reddy’s brother and Congress MLC YS Vivekananda Reddy continued his fast for the fourth day today, demanding a categorical assurance from the union government that the state would not be divided.

Shops, business establishments, banks, petrol bunks, theatres and all educational institutions remained closed and buses of state-owned Road Transport Corporation (RTC) went off the roads as a total shutdown was observed in Krishna, Guntur and Prakasam districts of south coastal Andhra.

New Delhi, December 18
The government will implement a special project on immigration, visa and foreigner’s registration and tracking, which will ensure secure and integrated checkpoints while facilitating legitimate travellers.

Addressing a meeting of the consultative committee of the Ministry of Home Affairs, Home Minister P Chidambaram said here today that Rs 1,011 crore project would begin in April, 2010, and be implemented over a period of four-and-a-half years. The scheme would network 77 immigration checkposts, five foreigners’ regional registration offices (FRRO) and over 600 foreigners’ registration offices with the Central Foreigners’ Bureau (CFB).

A programme had also been drawn up to develop 77 integrated checkposts across the country. Phase-I of the programme, which covers 33 major posts and handling 98.5 per cent of passenger traffic, had been completed.

The components of the programme include upgradation of computer systems and networking of the posts and five FRROs with the CFB. — TNS

Guwahati/Agartala, December 18
At least 15 people were killed and 34 others injured when a bus veered off the road and fell into a river in Meghalaya on Friday, officials said.

A police spokesperson said the bus from Guwahati to Agartala, capital of Tripura, fell into river Lobo near Sonapur, about 120 km from Shillong.

According to Tripura's Transport Minister Manik Dey , "Till Friday afternoon eight bodies, including that of a woman, have been recovered from the Lobo river and the rescue operation was on". Though, there is official confirmation of only eight deaths, sources said the number could be as high as 15.

"The injured were shifted to government hospital in Meghalaya and Silchar Medical College and hospital in southern Assam," Dey said.

"The hostile terrain is making it difficult to look for bodies that could be trapped in the bus," a police official involved in the rescue operations said. — IANS

New Delhi, December 18
Confirming that the Supreme Court Collegium has decided to “keep in abeyance” the proposed elevation of Karnataka High Court Chief Justice PD Dinakaran, Chief Justice of India KG Balakrishnan today said the impeachment proceedings initiated against the CJ in Parliament for his removal on the charge of corruption had clinched the move.

“There is no question of bringing him to the Supreme Court at this stage. It has been kept in abeyance,” the CJI told mediapersons amid reports that the government has declined the recommendation of the Collegium for the elevation of Allahabad HC CJ Chandramauli Kumar Prasad.

Replying to queries, he, however, made it clear that the proposal to elevate Justice Dinakaran had not been dropped altogether. Asked whether one vacancy in the apex court would be kept reserved for the CJ in that case, he said vacancy was not a problem. “The difficulty is filling up the vacancies.”

The Collegium, headed by the CJI, had recommended the elevation of Justice Dinakaran to the apex court in September, but the government turned it down earlier this month following allegations of corruption and land grabbing levelled against him by the Bar Associations of Tamil Nadu and Bangalore and eminent jurists, including Fali S Nariman.

Asked whether the CJ, who opted out of performing judicial functions on December 16, would be asked to go on leave in view of the Collegium’s decision and the impeachment proceedings, the CJI said HCs were not under the supervisory control of the SC or the CJI. In that case, “how can I ask him to go on leave?”

To a question on whether Justice Dinakaran would be transferred, he merely said, “It can be done.” He was, however, non-committal on the option. He also made it clear that he had not received any communication from Vice-President and Rajya Sabha Chairman Hamid Ansari on the impeachment move. Anyway, the CJI and the Collegium did not have a role in the Parliamentary move and it was up to the Parliamentary Minister and the MPs to decide how fast they wanted to move on impeachment proceedings.

On Justice Dinakaran claiming yesterday that he had documentary evidence to refute the allegations against him, the CJI said, “Let him prove. I have nothing to do with the impeachment.”

Asked whether Justice Dinakaran continuing as the CJ was “justified” in view of the developments, CJI Balakrishnan said “I don’t know. I hope he will show propriety.”

To a query on whether the government had also declined the Collegium’s recommendation for the elevation of Allahabad HC CJ, he said he had learnt it only through media reports. The file was yet to be received by him.

However, the Collegium had recommended the name of Justice Prasad on November 27 along with that of Bombay HC CJ Swatanter Kumar, who was sworn in as an apex court Judge today. Sources said the government had received a representation against Justice Prasad.

Kolkata, December 18
The CPM is planning for a nationwide agitation against price rise and the UPA’s anti-people’s policies, CPM general secretary Prakash Karat said here today.

Talking to mediapersons at Nejati International Airport, Karat alleged that Manmohan Singh had failed miserably in controlling the price hike of all essential commodities.

He accused the Centre of persuing wrong economic policies causing the price hike. At this juncture, the CPM and other left parties could not sit idle and hence “We will be launching countrywide bandh and agitation against the UPA”. The detailed programme will be chalked out soon.

Meanwhile, the differences in the Bengal’s left front committee are gradually coming to light.

The Forward Bloc alleged that the CPM had been taking all major decisions ignoring other partners which was affecting their unity.

Veteran leader Ashoke Ghose, who had been re-elected for another term as the state party secretary, criticised that the CPM, being a major partner, was treating all other parties as their slaves. He held the CPM responsible for the left parties poor performance in the recent Lok Sabha and the Assembly bypolls in the state.

Ghose was addressing a party congress now being held in the city. At the meeting, leaders were reviewing the present political situation vis-à-vis the strategy the party would follow in the coming days in the national and the states level.

Another partner, the CPI also criticised the CPM of adopting a big-brotherly attitude towards small parties. 

New Delhi, December 18
Noting that Muslims did not attach importance to education and are needed to be made much more aware on this count, the report of the National Commission for Religious and Linguistic Minorities, tabled in the Parliament today, calls for Scheduled Caste status for Dalit Muslims and Christians.

“Any religion-based discrimination in selecting particular castes for affirmative action will conflict with the letter and spirit of the constitutional provisions,” the Commission headed by Justice Ranganath Misra (retd) said, adding that caste should be treated as general social characteristic without questioning whether the philosophy of any religion recognises it. The commission thus calls for de-linking untouchability from the criteria to grant reservation.

Overall, it recommends 15 per cent quota in non-minority education institutions and the central and state government jobs for religions and linguistic minorities. Ten per cent of this quota should go to Muslims, Misra said, in line with the Muslim share of 73 per cent in the minority population of India. In no case should the quota seats go to the majority, states the report tabled in both Houses by Minority Affairs Minister Salman Khursheed.

Importantly, the Commission Report comes with a dissent note from member secretary Asha Das, who arguing against SC status for Christian and Muslim Dalits, said SC status was accorded to Sikh and Buddhist Dalits because they were basically sects of Hindu religion rather than being independent religions like Christianity or Islam.

The report was tabled today after Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s last week assured Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav that the report would be brought in the current session.