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Jaitley fails to placate Yeddy
Pass Lokpal Bill before 2014 election or face protest, says Anna Hazare
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IAC office in Congman’s house?
Ban on GM crop trials
Army Chief to brief PM on weapons shortage
UFOs over India-China border may have been lanterns, says report
Left meets today to chalk out strategy
Row over construction at temple near Charminar
DoPT issues fresh norms on vigilance cases
India, Maldives caught in diplomatic tangle
White paper sought on crop loss during ‘Nilam’
Clean politics vital for democracy, says Advani
2G daily trial completes year
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Jaitley fails to placate Yeddy
Bangalore, November 11 Yeddyurappa, who had to quit the office of the Chief Minister last year after being indicted by the then Lokayukta Santosh Hegde in his report on illegal mining in Karnataka, reportedly has told Jaitley that he has already moved a long way off from the BJP and it will not be possible for him to patch up with the party any more. Jaitley, who arrived here last night, reportedly met Yeddyurappa at the residence of an RSS leader and tried to persuade the lingayat leader to reconsider his decision to bid goodbye to the party. The former chief minister, however, refused to admit that such a meeting took place. The official spokesperson of the BJP also remained incommunicado when this correspondent called up his mobile phone. “There is no change in my plan to launch the Karnataka Janata Party on December 9. Irrespective of whether or not anyone joins me on that day, I will go ahead with it. There is no question of looking back”, Yeddyurappa told reporters at his residence here today. Yeddyurappa, who has been fuming at the BJP leadership at the Centre and in the state for ‘ill-treatment’ meted out to him, said Jaitley was in the city to hold talks with him, but he did not meet him last night. “I have respect for Jaitley. But there is no question of meeting anyone or going back on my decision. I am not leaving the BJP out of vengeance. I have certain dreams for Karnataka which I could not realise when I was in the BJP”. “Now I want to realise the dreams of making Karnataka a progressive state”, he said, adding that he banked on the support of people. The 70-year-old Karnataka leader, who had played a key role in installing the first-ever BJP government in the South, said he was not floating a new political outfit to become chief minister or get any other post. He ruled out the possibility of his accepting any position like chief ministership or party presidentship in the BJP.
No going back
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Pass Lokpal Bill before 2014 election or face protest, says Anna Hazare
New Delhi, November 11 Addressing supporters after inaugurating his new office at Sarvodaya Enclave here, Hazare said, “If the Jan Lokpal Bill is not passed before the 2014 elections, we will hold another rally at Ramlila Maidan.” “Our fight for Jan Lokpal Bill will continue till it is passed by the government. I will campaign throughout the country and try to raise the conscience of the people. I will try to bring in change,” he said. Hazare had on Saturday announced a new 15-member team and vowed to start a nationwide campaign against corruption from January 30, the death anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi. “Gandhiji said that to change the country, we must first change our villages. That will lead to development,” he said. — IANS
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IAC office in Congman’s house?
New Delhi: Is Anna Hazare's new rented office here in the house of a Congress worker? The residents welfare association (RWA) of south Delhi's Sarvodaya Enclave, where Hazare has taken up a room at a monthly rent of Rs 50,000, alleged on Sunday that the property belonged to a Congress worker. Team Anna, however, dismissed the allegation as illogical.
Soon after Hazare inaugurated the office, the RWA said the anti-corruption activist should have rented a non-political person's property. “The owner Mahesh Sharma is an active member of the Congress, who had sought ticket for councillor in the last MC elections," Payal Aggrawal, vice-president of the RWA, said. Sharma denied being a member of any political party. "I have rented my house to them (Team Anna). I give my house for rent to anyone who wants it. I am not a member of any political party," he said.
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Apex court to wait for experts’ report
Legal Correspondent
New Delhi, November 11 Arguing before a Bench comprising Justices Swatanter Kumar and SJ Mukhopadhaya, Attorney General GE Vahanvati contended that the use of biotechnology could usher in the second Green Revolution which was necessary to ensure the food security of the nation. The AG was against the recommendation of the SC-appointed Technical Expert Committee (TEC) for an interim ban on field trials of GM crops. The first Green Revolution had reached a saturation point as the methods of conventional breeding were showing only a very marginal increase in the yield. Further, the use of fertilisers, pesticides and irrigation systems was expensive and unsustainable, the Centre said in an affidavit. The GM crops had far reaching implications for agricultural productivity and food security of the nation, the government said. The field trials of GM crops should be allowed to go on without any interruption, the AG pleaded. Counsel Prashant Bhushan, arguing for a PIL petitioner, pleaded for imposing a ban on field trials as recommended by the TEC in its interim report. Even a 30-member parliamentary committee was against GM crops as it would cause irreversible damage to the environment, he pointed out. The Bench said it would not immediately ban the trials and would rather wait for the final report of the TEC. It asked the TEC to submit its report within six weeks. There was a need to increase foodgrain production from the present 257 million tonnes to 345 million tonnes by 2030. With no further possibility of increasing the net sown area, the only recourse left to meet the demand for food was through increase in productivity, the government said. Field trials could be conducted by using scientific management methods to prevent the escape of experimental GM plants into the environment and by confining these to specific areas, it said.
Petitioner’s view
Govt’s argument
GM crops can usher in second Green Revolution that is needed to feed the growing demands of an increasing population
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Army Chief to brief PM on weapons shortage
New Delhi, November 11 Gen Bikram Singh will make a presentation before the Prime Minister about the "hollowness" faced by the force and the steps needed to do away with them in the next few weeks, government sources said. The Army is in the process of identifying more areas where it is facing shortfalls and they will be added in the presentation before the PM, they said. The Directorate General of Military Operations has asked the Army Headquarters to coordinate with all the arms and services to prepare the list of all equipment and platforms which are short in inventory and would be required by the force to maintain its operational preparedness, sources said. During the recent Commanders' Conference also, the Army Chief had said "hollowness" in the country's defence preparedness will be addressed by pushing for a new direction in modernisation. "There was a need to address hollowness in defence preparedness and undertake modernisation with added vigour," he had said. Gen Bikram Singh's predecessor Gen V K Singh had highlighted the critical shortage of arms and ammunition faced by the various arms and services of the force in a secret letter written to the Prime Minister. In his letter, the former Army Chief had said that there was only three to four days of ammunition left with the tank regiments especially the ones operating the Russian-origin T-90 tanks. He had also highlighted the 98 per cent obsolescence faced by the Army Air Defence. — PTI
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UFOs over India-China border may have been lanterns, says report
Leh/New Delhi, November 11 Last month, the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) wrote to the government about sighting some orange-yellow luminous flying objects on the horizon over the Pangong Tso, located 160 km from Leh. The Leh-based 14-Corps was alerted by the ITBP, which also reported sighting of the light-emitting body to its Udhampur-based Northern Command prompting an intensive monitoring of the flying object, official sources said. Scientists from various organisations were brought to Leh and a thorough study was conducted in consultation with experts of the Indian Air Force, whose radars were also unable to pick up any signal due to the flying of the unidentified objects on the horizon of the lake, 45 km of which is in India while the remaining 90 km lies under the control of China’s People Liberation Army. There was a suggestion that one of these flying objects needed to be shot down with the heat-seeking weaponry of the Indian Army, a proposal which was shot down as this region had last heard a gunshot on October 29, 1962, during hostilities with China. It was also thought that the move could trigger tension in the region, the sources said. Intelligence agencies, with their sparse presence in this region, however, opined that this could be a psychological operation of the Chinese army and a possibility of launching “Chinese lanterns” during daybreak and in night was looked into by various astronomers, scientists and experts who have studied glaciers for years together, the sources said. Experts from Ladakh-based Indian Astronomical Observatory and other scientists then studied the phenomenon of the luminous object and found that it disappeared in 12 to 18 minutes. No crashing was also reported by the Border patrolling boat at the fringes of the lake and they reported that the light simply disappeared and there was no trace of it, the sources said. Scientists and experts suspected that it could be one of the Chinese gimmicks to launch lanterns having a capability to attain a height of 500 to 2000 metres and puzzle the Indian forces braving the chill and unfriendly terrain along the Line of Actual Control (LAC). Many European countries have banned the manufacturing of Chinese lanterns, which are traditionally constructed from oiled rice paper on a bamboo frame, and contain a fuel cell composed of a waxy flammable material. — PTI
The alarm
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Left meets today to chalk out strategy
New Delhi, November 11 The meeting of the party leaders of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), CPI, All-India Forward Bloc and Revolutionary Socialist Party comes 10 days ahead of the Winter Session of Parliament where the Left parties hope to garner support to oppose the FDI in retail. CPM general secretary Prakash Karat maintained that the Left plans to move a resolution in Parliament to oppose the move to open up multi-brand retail apprehending that it would not only result in hardship to the neighbourhood groceries stores but also go against the interest of farmers, fruits and vegetable growers in the long-run. The plan is to move a resolution that entails voting especially in the Lok Sabha. The tactic is to work out a strategy with parties like the Samajwadi Party, Telugu Desam Party and the Janata Dal (Secular) and force the Bharatiya Janata Party and its allies to take a stand. The Trinamool Congress is threatening to rally against the Congress-led UPA government through a no-confidence motion, a move that the Left will find difficult to support as it comes from a staunch political opponent. While there are other economic Bills like pension and insurance sector reforms that the Left is opposed to, these parties are keen on the passage of the National Food Security Bill. The Left parties have conducted a countrywide campaign demanding early implementation and plan to intensify it in the coming weeks.
On Agenda for winter session
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Row over construction at temple near Charminar
Hyderabad, November 11 Tempers ran high in the communally sensitive old city areas, prompting the police to step up vigil and impose prohibitory orders to prevent any outbreak of riots. At the heart of the dispute is the Bhagya Lakshmi temple, adjacent to the 16th century monument. When scaffoldings and other temporary structures appeared at the small temple last week, sparks began to fly. Local Muslim groups, backed by Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (MIM), opposed the move, fearing the temporary structure would eventually lead to construction of a huge temple that could deface the historic Charminar. The rumours that the temple authorities were planning to expand the existing premises added fuel to the fire, leading to tension in the area. MIM president and Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owasi alleged police inaction had led to rise of Hindutva forces in the area over the past few days. “We will not hesitate to withdraw support to the government if it fails to contain these forces and maintain law and order in the city,” Owaisi warned. The MIM and other Muslim groups raised objections over what they called “attempts to deface Charminar” by taking up expansion works at the disputed temple site. However, trustees of Bhagyalakshmi temple maintained that they were only replacing the worn-out bamboo structures with new ones ahead of the festive season. “Our family has been managing the temple affairs for decades now. We are the fourth generation that has taken up the reins of the religious structure,” said Sasikala, one of the
five trustees of the temple. “Each time there is any damage to the bamboo structure, we replace it. It
is an ongoing process,” she claimed. While Hindu groups claim that the Bhagya Lakshmi temple, erected on the eastern side of the historic monument, is over 150-year-old, several experts dispute the claim and point out that the devotees started visiting the shrine only about 50 years ago. Meanwhile, the high court, acting on a couple of public interest litigation petitions, last week ordered that status quo be maintained at Charminar and directed removal of temporary structure around the temple. The City Police Commissioner Anurag Sharma said the situation was under control. “We have to implement the high court order. So, we have asked the temple authorities to remove the temporary pandal,” he said. State BJP president G Kishan Reddy alleged the government had succumbed to the pressure from MIM and was hurting sentiments of the Hindus.
POINT, COUNTER-POINT
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DoPT issues fresh norms on vigilance cases
Chandigarh, November 11 “A number of cases have come to notice where initiation of disciplinary proceedings, issue of chargesheet or processing of the case is considerably delayed by ministries or departments concerned. Such delays allow an officer, whose conduct is under a cloud, to be considered for promotion,” a memorandum issued by the DoPT on November 2 states. “It becomes essential in respect of officers in whose case disciplinary proceedings are contemplated or pending and are included in the consideration zone for promotion, necessary action be taken for placing the proposal so that vigilance clearance is not allowed,” the memo adds.
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India, Maldives caught in diplomatic tangle
Male, November 11 In a damage-control exercise later, a statement posted on the official website of Maldivian President Mohamed Waheed said, “The government of Maldives disassociates itself from the remarks made by Abbas Adil Riza and some other government officials, and these did not reflect the views of the government.” The remarks were made by Adil Riza at a rally where he called Dnyaneshwar Mulay a “traitor” and “an enemy of Maldives”. The rally was organised by the “23rd December Alliance” on Friday night in protest against the leasing out of Ibrahim Nasir International Airport to Indian infrastructure major GMR by the government of former President Mohamed Nasheed. “A diplomat’s job is to work for his country and people and not to protect interests of a private company...He is a traitor and enemy of Maldives and Maldivian people. We don’t want these kind of diplomats on our soil,” Riza, a political appointee, said striking an aggressive posture. In a statement, The Indian High Commission said High Commissioner Mulay had condemned the remarks of the spokesperson to President Waheed, asserting it was “against diplomatic protocol”. — PTI
Riza’s verbal attack
Mulay’s reply
Maldivian govt’s stand
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White paper sought on crop loss during ‘Nilam’
Hyderabad, November 11 "Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy should convene an all-party meeting to discuss on the damage caused to the crops and relief works taken up by the government," Dattatreya told reporters. Demanding a white paper on the loss to crops due to the cyclone, the BJP leader said, "paddy, cotton
and mirchi crops are damaged in several lakhs of acres in the districts of
East Godavari, West Godavari, Krishna and Guntur districts." He appealed to the chief minister to announce compensation of Rs 30,000 to Rs 50,000 per acre to farmers who have lost their cotton and mirchi crops and Rs 15,000 per acre to paddy crop farmers. — PTI
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Clean politics vital for democracy, says Advani
Thiruvananthapuram, Nov 11 “You must be able to provide clean politics when away from power and good governance while in power, by which the people will judge the people in public life,” he said at a meeting organised to mark the 30th anniversary of pro-RSS cultural and intellectual forum “Bharatheeya Vichara Kendram” here. Alluding to recent scams and allegations, though without naming any party or person, Advani said BJP’s commitment to these virtues was uncompromising. “You must be able to give good governance and clean politics. These are virtues the BJP has resolved to give to the people,” he said. In a nostalgic speech reminiscing several episodes in his long innings in politics, Advani said despite some shortcomings, India belied the cynicism of the Western world at the time of Independence that democracy would not survive in the country. Not only that India had thrived as a vibrant democratic nation, but it was also poised to become a dominant country in the world, he said. — PTI
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New Delhi, November 11 Special Judge OP Saini has also recorded the evidence of over 25 witnesses in a separate 2G case involving Essar and Loop Telecom promoters. On November 11, 2011, the court started the daily trial after accepting the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) plea and framing graft and other charges against 17 accused, including Raja and DMK MP Kanimozhi. On Friday, retired department of telecommunications (DoT) official K Sridhara appeared in court to give evidence. The documents filed in the court and the evidence recorded by the judge till now are believed to run into thousands of pages. On the first anniversary of the daily trial, Raja’s counsel Babbanjeet Singh said, "The trial is being conducted speedily... At times, we don't even get time to prepare our defence.” — IANS
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Gadkari holding his own
BJP president Nitin Gadkari has been under constant attack from a section in his own party ever since details about his Purti group started surfacing. But this does not mean the beleaguered Gadkari is lacking in support. Last week, when speculation was rife that the BJP chief could be asked to step down, the party headquarters on the Ashoka Road witnessed a spell of
pro-Gadkari slogans by the office staff, which is fighting for him to stay on. Apparently, the staff is extremely loyal to Gadkari as he had evinced personal interest in each one of them when he first took over and even gave them huge pay hikes. Now that Gadkari has got a reprieve, thanks to the backing of the
RSS, the staff at the BJP office has much to celebrate this festive season.
New ministers yet to settle in
It’s over two weeks since the new Cabinet members were sworn in but the ministers are still in the process of settling down in their new offices while their rooms are being renovated. Ajay
Maken, who has moved to Nirman Bhavan as the Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation Minister, spent the first few days rearranging his office in line with “vaastu” considerations. As a result, he has changed the entrance to his office and shifted his desk so that it faces in the right direction. Minister of State for HRD Jitin Prasad has been lucky as he has inherited a recently-renovated office from his predecessor E Ahmed who had a short stint in this ministry. But there’s no room for his staff and no arrangements for serving tea, a far cry from his
well-organised office in the Surface Transport Ministry. Shashi Tharoor has to start from scratch. In fact, his wife Sunanda dropped in to see Prasad’s room to pick up some tips for doing up her husband’s new office. Petroleum Minister Veerappa Moily struck lucky as his predecessor S Jaipal Reddy had recently redone his office. But there are many others who are still working from home as their offices are under repair.
Sensing opportunity
The day-long “Samvad
Baithak” or dialogue session, organised by the Congress last week in
Surajkund, was a fairly diplomatic affair. Nevertheless, some senior leaders participating in the deliberations used the opportunity to promote themselves or take potshots at their detractors in the party. Coal Minister Sriprakash Jaiswal said the Congress should learn some lessons from the BJP and promote strong regional leaders. Jaiswal was obviously hinting that he should be given his due as he had been winning his Kanpur seat despite heavy odds. On the need for strengthening the party
organisation, AICC general secretary Birender Singh lamented that some leaders only projected themselves and not the party or its leadership. He was obviously referring to his bete noire Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh
Hooda.
Wake-up call for politicians
The unseemly controversy over External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid’s family-run NGO has served as a wake-up call for other politicians who are running similar voluntary
organisations. For instance, former BJP MP and party functionary Kirit Somaiya has taken these revelations very seriously. As soon as this matter came to light, he issued instructions to his family-run NGO, which conducts medical camps in
Maharashtara, to stop taking funds from the Centre or state government. In fact, Somaiya was quite sympathetic to Khurshid in his private conversations although his party was quick to mount an attack against him. The BJP leader admitted that some lapses are bound to occur at these camps but felt it was not right to pin the blame on the person heading it as these activities are usually supervised by a hired staff.
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Social activist Anna Hazare on Sunday accused Prime Minister Manmohan Singh of “betrayal” on the Jan Lokpal Bill and warned of another protest if it was not passed before the 2014 General Election.
Addressing supporters after inaugurating his new office at Sarvodaya Enclave here, Hazare said, “If the Jan Lokpal Bill is not passed before the 2014 elections, we will hold another rally at Ramlila Maidan.”
Hopes of a patch-up between the BJP and its sulking Karnataka strongman BS Yeddyurappa is fading fast with senior BJP leader Arun Jaitley reportedly failing in his mission to placate the former Karnataka Chief Minister and prevent him from forming a new party by breaking away from the BJP.
A spectre of communal conflict loomed large over Hyderabad following a dispute over the construction activity at an old temple adjoining Charminar, the 422-year-old historic monument.
A diplomatic row has erupted between India and Maldives following intemperate remarks against the Indian High Commissioner by a spokesperson to the Maldivian President.
