Modi, Advani booked for poll code violation
By IANS
Ahmedabad : The Ahmedabad police have registered a case against Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi and senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader L.K. Advani for violation of the model code of conduct during the assembly elections last week.
According to police sources, the two leaders had made claims about their party's victory Sunday, the day of the second phase of polling, before mediapersons within 100 metres of polling booths - which amounts to a violation of the model code of conduct.
BJP may get 100-105 seats: analyst
By IANS
New Delhi : The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is expected to win the Gujarat assembly election bagging 100-105 seats in the house of 182, political analyst Mahesh Rangarajan said Sunday.
Rangarajan, however, said while analysing the counting trends from across the state that this tally might change.
The BJP won 127 seats and the Congress 51 in 2002.
Mayawati offers sops to push Ganga Expressway plan
By IANS
Lucknow : Apparently worried over the virtually united opposition to her proposed 1,000-km Ganga Expressway to be built along the river in the state, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati has offered sops that are unlikely to be easily refused.
The proposed 'access control' eight-lane highway is aimed at establishing a fast track link between the two farthest ends (east and west) of her state, thereby drastically bringing down the commuting time between Varanasi and New Delhi.
Kerala drafts new policy for land reforms
By IANS
Thiruvananthapuram : Kerala Friday came out with a draft 'land policy' to ensure that the Kerala Land Reforms (KLR) Act is not violated.
State revenue minister K.P. Rajendran released the draft of the new policy here to reporters. The KLR Act, which came into effect on Jan 1, 1970, put a cap on the area of land individuals and joint families could own.
He said in the next two months the draft policy will be discussed across the state and would be placed before the state assembly towards the end of the forthcoming budget session.
BJP in election mode, Swaraj to coordinate NDA
By IANS
New Delhi : With a year and a half to go for the next general elections, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Tuesday declared itself in election mode and gave party leader Sushma Swaraj the task of coordinating election related activities in the party-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA.
The BJP is also commencing from Jan 15 a series of poll-related activities, including public rallies, in all states to make itself battle ready.
Amarinder Singh gets interim bail in graft case
By IANS
Ludhiana : Former Punjab chief minister Amarinder Singh was Thursday given interim bail in the multi-million Ludhiana city centre corruption case.
District court in this industrial city also gave the interim relief till Jan 22 to Amarinder Singh's son Raninder Singh, son-in-law Raminder Singh and his former local bodies minister Jagjit Singh and a few others in the graft case.
Punjab police had made elaborate security arrangement inside the court complex and especially around the courtroom in view of presence of the VIPs.
No fresh mandate needed for Indo-US nuclear deal: Cong
By NNN-PTI
New Delhi : Congress sought to dismiss CPI(M) demand that the party should seek a fresh mandate if it wanted to forge a strategic alliance with America and go ahead with the Indo-US nuclear deal.
"Congress believes no fresh mandate is needed," AICC spokesperson Abhishek Singhvi told reporters.
Cabinet decides to notify redrawing of constituencies
By IANS
New Delhi : the government Thursday decided to implement the delimitation panel's recommendations that will redraw parliamentary and legislative assembly constituency maps across the country.
The new maps, drawn to reflect India's latest demographic profile, also mean that many leaders will have to look for new seats now.
"The cabinet decided to recommend to the president to notify the recommendations of the Delimitation Commission," Information and Broadcasting Minister Priya Ranjan Dasmunsi told reporters.
Migrant workers flee Pune in hundreds
By V. Vijayalakshmi, IANS
Pune : For Vishnu Singh, a construction worker from Bihar, and hundreds like him, Pune is no more the safe haven it used to be to stay and work in. Migrants like him are leaving the city in droves in the wake of the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) campaign "Maharashtra for Maharashtrians".
The MNS' chauvinistic campaign has dashed Singh's dreams of setting up home in the city with his family of four kids and wife. Now he is arranging for tickets for his family and himself to leave the city as soon as possible.
BJP demands farm loan remission up to Rs.50,000
By IANS
New Delhi : Stating that farmers were not getting remunerative prices for their produce, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Friday asked the government to write off all agricultural loans up to Rs.50,000 as a one-time measure to help farmers reeling under debt burden.
The party also asked the government to accept the recommendations of the Commission for Agriculture Costs and Prices (CACP) about the minimum support price (MSP) for various crops.
Patil promises increased connectivity in northeast
By IANS
New Delhi : President Pratibha Patil Monday said the government was committed to improving air connectivity in the northeast by upgrading 18 airports, with green field airports in Assam and Arunachal Pradesh.
Addressing the joint session of parliament, Patil said the special accelerated roads development programme in the region (SARDP-NE) with a funding of Rs.430 billion had been formulated to construct, improve and widen roads in the region.
Upset with rail budget, Orissa protestors hold up trains
By IANS
Bhubaneswar : Train services across Orissa were disrupted for three hours Wednesday by workers of the ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD), its ally the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Kalinga Sena, who said that the railway budget had neglected the state.
Hundreds of activists, including members of the BJP Yuva Morcha - the youth wing of the party - staged protests across the state and sat on railway lines, preventing the movement of trains, M.D. Sahu, an official of the south eastern railway, told IANS.
Voting begins for Nagaland assembly polls
By IANS
Kohima : Voting began Wednesday in the northeastern state of Nagaland for the 60-member assembly amid tight security with the Congress party and the Nagaland People's Front (NPF) led regional combine as the main challengers.
An election official said people in large numbers attired in their traditional tribal costumes lined up polling booths much before voting began at 7 a.m.
"Voting has begun with people turning up in large numbers already," a state election official said. The polling ends at 4 p.m.
Shibu Soren cleared of murder charge in 1975 massacre
By IANS
Ranchi : Former union minister Shibu Soren was Thursday acquitted of a murder charge in connection with the massacre of 11 people in a Jharkhand village in 1975.
A fast-track court in Jharkhand's Jamtara district acquitted Soren and six others, while convicting 14 people for the lynching of 11 people including nine Muslims by a mob in Chirudih village of Jamtara district Jan 23, 1975. One suspect is still absconding.
Heroin worth Rs.260 mn seized, Akali activist nabbed
Amritsar, March 23 (IANS) In a major embarrassment to Punjab's ruling Akali Dal, a leader of the party's youth wing was Sunday arrested by officials of the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) while he was trying to smuggle 22 kg of heroin to Canada.
The drug haul is valued at over Rs.220 million ($5.5million)in international market.
Jalandhar-based businessman and youth Akali Dal general secretary Purshottam Sondhi was arrested on the Rajasansi International Airport road late Saturday night in a trap laid by the DRI officials, DRI joint director Deepak Rastogi said Sunday.
Three phased polls in Karnataka from May 10
By IANS
New Delhi : Elections to pick a new 224-member Karnataka assembly will be held May 10, 16 and 22, the Election Commission announced here Wednesday.
Counting of votes will take place May 25, said Chief Election Commissioner N. Gopalasami.
Sonia Gandhi announces huge farm credit
By IANS
Karaikkudi (Tamil Nadu) : Additional credit worth Rs.280,000 crores (Rs.2.8 trillion) would be made available to farmers during the next fiscal, Congress president Sonia Gandhi announced here Saturday.
Addressing a huge rally in this small town of palaces owned by the prosperous Chettiar community of merchants located 400 km south of Chennai, the Congress leader reeled off statistics to differentiate between the previous National Democratic Alliance (NDA) regime and the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government's farm policies.
Gill gets youth affairs and sports, Scindia IT
By IANS
New Delhi : Former chief election commissioner M.S. Gill has been made the minister of state with independent charge of youth affairs and sports while Jyotiraditya Madhavrao Scindia is the minister of state for IT and communications in the cabinet reshuffle effected Sunday.
According to an official statement after seven new ministers of state were sworn in, V. Narayanaswamy has got the portfolios of parliamentary affairs and planning, while coal goes to Santosh Bagrodia. Raghunath Jha is the minister of state for heavy industries and public enterprises.
Scindia hogs limelight at swearing-in ceremony
By IANS
New Delhi : Jyotiraditya Madhavrao Scindia, young MP and scion of former royal family, hogged the limelight at the swearing-in ceremony Sunday of seven new faces in Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's council of ministers.
He was the first to reach the Ashoka Hall at Rashtrapati Bhawan. A visibly elated Scindia interacted with everyone and freely mingled with the mediapersons present.
-*-
Pitch for Rahul Gandhi as PM candidate becomes louder
By IANS,
New Delhi : The pitch for Congress MP Rahul Gandhi as the party's next prime ministerial candidate seemed to be rising Monday with two senior party leaders and an ally saying he could be considered for the top job.
Human Resource Development (HRD) Minister Arjun Singh set the ball rolling Monday morning when he said the 37-year-old Amethi MP was eligible for the hot seat because he had the qualities of his father, former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi.
Raman Singh in Gujarat to get tips from Modi
By IANS,
Raipur : In a bid to help the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) retain power, Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh left for Gujarat Tuesday to meet his counterpart Narendra Modi to collect tips on "how to do a Gujarat in state's assembly polls".
The assembly election in the state is due later this year.
In a three-day trip to the BJP-ruled coastal state, Singh will hold meeting with Chief Minister Narendra Modi who notched up an impressive victory last December to retain power.
Government must justify its existence: CPI
By IANS,
New Delhi : Communist Party of India (CPI) MP Gurudas Das Gupta Wednesday launched a blistering attack on the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government for its failure to rein in inflation.
"Manmohan Singh government must justify its existence. It seems there is no government in place. Things have been left to market forces," said Das Gupta, initiating a discussion in the Lok Sabha on rising prices.
"The government is out of place," he said.
UNPA, Left launch protests against price rise
By IANS,
New Delhi : The United National Progressive Alliance (UNPA) and the Left Saturday launched a weeklong nationwide protests against soaring food prices, warning the government of an "explosive" situation.
"An explosive situation will emerge if (food) prices are not controlled," Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) general secretary Prakash Karat told a meeting organised by the UNPA and the Left here.
The UNPA and Left leaders are to march to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's office after the meeting.
NTR’s son Balakrishna ready to contest electionst
By IANS,
Hyderabad : Former Andhra Pradesh chief minister N.T. Rama Rao's son and popular Telugu film actor N. Balakrishna is ready to contest next year's elections as a candidate of the main opposition Telugu Desam Party (TDP).
He has already agreed to campaign for the party, led by his brother-in-law and former chief minister N. Chandrababu Naidu.
Left Front manipulated EVMs to win Tripura polls: Congress
By IANS,
Agartala : The opposition Congress party in Tripura has accused the Left Front of winning the February assembly elections in the state by manipulating the electronic voting machines (EVMs).
"Due to the manipulated EVMs, the result of the election was not the true reflection of the peoples' mandate," Samir Ranjan Burman, president of the Tripura Pradesh Congress, said Friday.
"The state's chief electoral officer, G.S.G. Ayyangar, was the chief architect of the manipulation and the Election Commission failed to ensure a free and fair election," Burman told journalists.
Shutdown in Kerala town following arrest of RSS men
By IANS,
Kannur (Kerala) : The Thalassery assembly constituency in Kerala's Kannur district observed a shutdown Monday in response to a call by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) to protest the arrest of three activists Saturday.
The three RSS activists were held in connection with the murder Jan 26 of Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) member Jijesh.
The dawn-to-dusk shutdown was peaceful except for an incident where BJP-RSS supporters smashed the windscreen of a car, police said.
Left denies Manmohan government go-ahead on IAEA pact
By IANS,
New Delhi : The Indian government's much sought after nuclear deal with the US remained in limbo after its Left allies Tuesday refused to give it the green signal to go the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to finalise an India-specific safeguards agreement.
PM ‘waiting for the finals’ on his government’s popularity
By IANS,
New Delhi : Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is “waiting for the finals” to find out the popularity of his government that completed four years Thursday.
“Waiting for the finals,” he quipped when reporters asked him how he rates his government.
Talking on the sidelines of an anniversary dinner hosted by the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government at his 7, Race Course Road residence, Manmohan Singh listed “an accountable government” as its single most achievement of the four years.
BJP stakes claim to form government in Karnataka
By IANS,
Bangalore : A jubilant Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) late Monday formally staked claim to form the government in Karnataka, its first in southern India, with the support of five independents.
BJP's chief minister-nominee B.S. Yeddyurappa met Governor Rameshwar Thakur along with the five independents who pledged support to his party for forming the new government.
Karnataka in kitty, BJP rejoices in south India
By IANS,
Hyderabad : Now that it is set to form a government in south India for the first time, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is confident the victory in Karnataka will help it spread its base in the adjoining states of Andhra Pradesh, Kerala and Tamil Nadu.
BJP stalwarts in the three states where the party remains weak say the stunning election win Sunday in Karnataka was the best thing to have happened to them.
The rejoicing is at its height in Andhra Pradesh, where the BJP has decided to contest all 294 assembly and 42 Lok Sabha seats in the 2009 elections.
Kerala shuts down to protest fuel price hikes
By IANS,
Thiruvananthapuram : Educational institutions in Kerala were closed and public transport was hit by Thursday's state-wide shutdown called by the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) and the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to protest the hike in fuel prices.
"We had no option but to protest in this manner because several of our suggestions were being continuously ignored by the Manmohan Singh government," said Thiruvananthapuram Lok Sabha MP Paniyan Ravindran.
Last minute attempts to resolve UPA-Left deadlock
By IANS,
New Delhi : With no sign of a breakthrough, senior Congress ministers met Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) general secretary Prakash Karat Wednesday in a last-minute attempt to convince the Left leader just hours before the crucial United Progressive Alliance (UPA)-Left nuclear committee meeting.
Amar Singh tells CPI-M not to strengthen ‘communal forces’
By IANS,
New Delhi : Seen as crucial to solving the political imbroglio over the India-US nuclear deal, the Samajwadi Party Tuesday told the CPI-M not to do anything that would strengthen "communal forces" and said it did not see anyone as an "enemy".
Samajwadi Party general secretary Amar Singh, who met Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) leaders Prakash Karat and Sitaram Yechury, said his party was willing to consider "new facts" on the nuclear deal.
Storm in UNPA over Congress-Samajwadi ties
By IANS,
New Delhi : India's already shaky Third Front was in ferment Thursday over the decision of one of its key members, the Samajwadi Party, to prop up the Congress-led government.
Leaders of the Samajwadi Party, Telugu Desam Party (TDP), Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) and Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) were locked in seemingly stormy discussions at the residence of Samajwadi Party general secretary Amar Singh over the future of the United National Progressive Alliance (UNPA), which came up last year to take on both the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
Textbook controversy heats up in Kerala
By IANS,
Thiruvananthapuram : The Congress party in Kerala Saturday decided to strengthen agitation against the Left Democratic Front (LDF) government of the state over a controversial Class 7 textbook.
The Congress, which is on a campaign demanding withdrawal of the social science book, would organise a series of meetings across the state against teaching from the book, state Congress chief Ramesh Chennithala told reporters here.
Left says PM forcing them to end support to government
By IANS,
New Delhi : Indian Communist leaders Monday said they had no option but to withdraw their support to the government after Prime Minister Manmohan Singh vowed to go ahead with the India-US nuclear deal.
The Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) and its three Left allies, which had asked the government to clarify by Monday its stand on the deal, will meet Tuesday morning to decide their next move.
India’s Left withdraws support to government
By Xinhua,
New Delhi : India's Left parties announced to withdraw support to the ruling United Progressive Alliance government Tuesday after failing to resolve their differences over the India-U.S. civilian nuclear deal.
The Communist Party of India-Marxist General Secretary Prakash Karat made the announcement at a press conference at the party headquarters here.
Karat said the decision would be formally conveyed to the President Pratibha Patil on July 10.
Left withdrawal was expected: Kerala Congress chief
By IANS,
Thiruvananthapuram : The Congress party in Kerala Tuesday said it wouldn't be surprised if the Left parties now teamed up with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) after having withdrawn support to the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government.
Terming the withdrawal of support by the Left as "expected", state Congress chief Ramesh Chennithala told reporters here: "Don't we know these Left (parties) better than anyone else? And don't be surprised if the Left decides to join hands with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)."
India Left Front Bags US Nuke Deal
By Prensa Latina,
New Delhi : Given the insistence of the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) to further the nuclear agreement with the United States, Left Front (LF) organizations decided today to withdraw support.
The decision was made in a meeting of the four LF parties: the Communist Marxist Party of India (CPI-M), Communist Party of India, Revolutionary Socialist Party and the All India Forward Block (FB).
Let launches campaign against UPA govt
By NNN-PTI,
New Delhi : Launching a nationwide campaign against the UPA government clubbing the nuclear deal and price rise, the Left parties accused the ruling combine of "failing" to address the problems of the 'aam aadmi' (the public) due to its "obsession" with the agreement.
The Left parties said they could not agree to the country becoming a "junior partner" to the US and withdrew support to the government as it moved ahead with the deal when the country was faced with price rise and inflation.
Stung by ‘broker’ charge, Amar Singh slams Advani
By IANS,
New Delhi : Samajwadi Party general secretary Amar Singh Tuesday hit back at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader L.K. Advani for calling him a "broker", saying the BJP had courted him earlier to try pull down the Congress-led government.
Picking on Advani's weekend remarks accusing the Congress-led government of "Pehle lal salaam tha, ab dalal-salaam hai" (First they saluted the Left, now the brokers), Singh said that BJP leader Jaswant Singh had approached the Samajwadi Party twice to try toppling the United Progressive Alliance (UPA).
Mumbai business community pledges support to UPA
By IANS,
Mumbai : Indian Merchants' Chamber (IMC), a leading industry forum that represents nearly 250,000 businesses in the western region, Wednesday extended its full support to the Manmohan Singh government, which is seeking vote of confidence in parliament July 22 over the Indo-US nuclear deal.
In a letter sent to the prime minister, IMC said the Mumbai business community would stand by the government's efforts to clinch the nuclear deal.
Somnath in Hyderabad for eye check-up
By IANS,
Hyderabad : Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee arrived here Wednesday night for an eye check-up at a city hospital.
Chatterjee, who arrived from Delhi, headed straight to the Raj Bhavan from the airport. He refused to speak to mediapersons.
After a night halt at the Raj Bhavan, the official residence of the state governor, the Lok Sabha speaker will visit the L.V. Prasad Eye Hospital Thursday for the check-up. He underwent an eye surgery at the hospital last month.
Andhra Pradesh assembly Speaker K.R. Suresh Reddy called on Chatterjee at the Raj Bhavan.
UPA renames airport after his father, Left woos Ajit too
By IANS,
New Delhi : With three Lok Sabha MPs in his Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD), it was Ajit Singh's day to be wooed Thursday with the government deciding to rename an airport after his father, the late former prime minister Charan Singh, and the Left trying equally hard to win him over.
A cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh took the decision to rename the Amausi airport in the Uttar Pradesh capital Lucknow after Charan Singh in an apparent attempt to win the support of the RLD chief, whose three MPs could be vital in the trust vote on July 22.
Senior CPI (M) leader Yechury denies linking Speaker’s office to bribery scam
By NNN-PTI,
New Delhi : Senior CPI(M) leader Sitaram Yechury strongly rebutted a report quoting him as saying that the Speaker's office was involved in the alleged cash-for-vote scam.
"This is a complete distortion of what I had said," Yechury told PTI from Bangalore over phone.
Yechury had actually said, "we understand the tapes on the allurements offered to the MPs have been sent to the Speaker's office.
"The truth should be out and only then will the credibility of the system be restored. Investigations if any, should be done at the earliest".
Apex court denies relief to Raj Thackeray
By IANS,
New Delhi : The Supreme Court Monday refused to grant any relief to Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray, facing prosecution in Jharkhand for making rabble-rousing speeches against north Indians staying in the western state of Maharashtra.
Thackeray had moved the apex court last week, challenging a Jharkhand High Court ruling upholding a Jamshedpur judicial magistrate's order to prosecute him under section 504 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) for making defamatory speeches against north Indians staying in Maharashtra and its capital Mumbai.
CPI-M for urgent central intervention in Jammu and Kashmir
By IANS,
Agartala : The Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) Tuesday sought immediate central intervention to control violent protests in Jammu and Kashmir following a row over a controversial land transfer issue there.
"If the central government does not take immediate action, the situation may take a dangerous turn and groups with vested interests could utilise the situation to their advantage," said CPI-M politburo member Sitaram Yechury.
"Some fundamentalist elements have been aggravating the situation in Jammu and Kashmir," he told journalists here.
Koda unperturbed by Soren lobbying for chief ministership
By IANS,
Ranchi : Jharkhand Chief Minister Madhu Koda Wednesday said he was not perturbed by Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) chief Shibu Soren lobbying with the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government as the chief minister's post was not a "permanent" one.
"The chief minister's post is not a permanent post for anyone. People select anyone for the post for a certain period of time. The post of chief minister should be respected by everyone".
Asked about JMM's move to install Soren as chief minister, he said: "There is a political process and I am not perturbed with the development.
BJP demands Lalu’s removal, probe into sting
By IANS,
New Delhi : The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Tuesday asked Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to order an inquiry and remove Railways Minister Lalu Prasad after a television news channel purportedly showed him misusing his official position to acquire land for his family and relatives.
“Though Prime Minister Manmohan Singh doesn't have the capability to remove Lalu Prasad, we still demand a thorough inquiry and resignation of the railways minister,” BJP spokesman Ravi Shankar Prasad told reporters here.
JMM hopeful of Soren’s bid, Independents rally behind Koda
By IANS,
Ranchi : The Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) Thursday said it was hopeful its chief Shibu Soren will soon become Jharkhand chief minister, but the Independent legislators who have been made ministers have opposed the move.
"We are hopeful that the issue will be resolved by Aug 16," Hemlal Murmu, a JMM Lok Sabha member, told reporters here.
"People who are ruling for the past two years may not find it easy to quit. (But) the Independents should not worry and they will enjoy the same importance in the Soren government as they enjoy now," he added.
BJP gives party job to ‘cash for query’ accused
By IANS,
Raipur : Former Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Pradeep Gandhi, tainted in the 2005 'cash-for-query-scam', has now been made in-charge of the party's election control room in Chhattisgarh. He was expelled from parliament following a sting operation in which 11 MPs were caught accepting money for posing questions in the house.
Gandhi, who was Lok Sabha MP from the state's Rajnandgaon constituency, had also been suspended from the party following the expose called 'Operation Duryodhan'.
Confusion over CPI-M politburo censuring Bhattacharjee
By IANS,
New Delhi/Kolkata : Was West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee censured by the CPI-M politburo for his anti-strike remarks? On Friday, confusion reigned with some leaders in West Bengal saying that he had been "publicly censured" but their counterparts in New Delhi claiming that Bhattacharjee would face a strong reprimand only at the next meeting of the politburo.
"The report (that Bhattacharjee was censured by the politburo) is baseless," said senior CPI-M leader S. Ramachandra Pillai.
Court reserves order on Amarinder’s plea
By IANS,
Chandigarh : A division bench of the Punjab and Haryana High Court Friday reserved its order on a petition filed by former chief minister Amarinder Singh, seeking a stay on the state legislative assembly's decision to expel him from its membership.
Justices A.K. Goel and Ajay Tewari, constituting the bench, announced that they were reserving the order on the petition after hearing lawyers Friday.
The same bench Thursday refused to stay the Punjab assembly order expelling the senior Congress leader, saying it was not an urgent matter. The matter was postponed till Friday.
BJP, Congress have failed to serve common man: Uma Bharti
By IANS,
Bhopal : Both the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Congress had failed to serve the common man, Bharatiya Jan Shakti Party president Uma Bharti said here Monday.
Addressing a huge Suraj Sankalp rally at the historic Lal Parade ground, she said Madhya Pradesh had become a haven for activists of the banned Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI).
BJP, Samajwadi Party lock horns over Jamia shootout
By IANS,
New Delhi/Panaji : Samajwadi Party leader Amar Singh Tuesday called for the resignation of Home Minister Shivraj Patil and a judicial probe into the shootout in Delhi's Jamia Nagar, prompting the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to label his stance "vote bank politics".
"Shivraj Patil should voluntarily step down in the name of morality and in the wake of the great Congress tradition over the decades," the Samajwadi Party general secretary told reporters in Goa.
Probe Sri Lanka killings, CPI-M says
By IANS,
New Delhi : The Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) Tuesday called for "a credible investigation" into widespread allegations of extra-judicial killings in Sri Lanka.
Great walls of states restrict regional satraps’ ambition
By Soroor Ahmed, TwoCircles.net,
Bahuguna proves majority amidst walkout
By IANS,
Dehradun : The Vijay Bahuguna-led Congress government Wednesday proved its majority in the assembly amidst a walkout by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
Thackeray wants Aamir show telecast in Karnataka
By IANS,
Mumbai : Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray Tuesday asked the Karnataka government to allow the telecast of Bollywood star Aamir Khan's maiden television show "Satyameva Jayate".
Jagan leaves jail to vote in presidential poll
By IANS,
Hyderabad : Jailed YSR Congress Party leader Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy and former Andhra Pradesh minister Mopidevi Venkatramna Thursday cast their votes in the presidential election.
Rahul Gandhi in Punjab
By IANS,
Amritsar : Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi arrived in this Sikh holy city Wednesday as part of his two-day trip to Punjab and Chandigarh and met party leaders and functionaries.
Rajya Sabha comes together, expresses faith in chair
By IANS,
New Delhi : A day after Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati's attack on Rajya Sabha chairman Hamid Ansari, the house Thursday came together to express faith in the chair.
Bengal’s people rejected industrial strike: Government
By IANS,
Kolkata : West Bengal's Trinamool Congress government Thursday claimed the people of the state rejected the strike, called by the central trade unions on its second and final day.
Mega cities haven for criminals, says parliamentary panel
By IANS,
New Delhi : Despite a modern police apparatus, mega cities in India are turning into safe havens for criminals, a parliamentary panel has said.
Mayawati finally relents after Supreme Court rap
By IANS,
Lucknow : Rapped by the Supreme Court for violating its explicit order to stop all construction activity at various memorial sites here, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati Friday finally bowed down to abide the court directive.
The six-hour deadline the apex court set earlier in the day was eventually adhered to, and various agencies involved in building gigantic memorials devoted to the ruling Bahujan Samaj Party's (BSP) icons, ensured that all work was brought to a halt well in advance.
Include Madhya Pradesh in Basmati-producing areas: Chouhan
By IANS,
Bhopal : Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has urged the centre to include the state among those where the Basmati rice variety is grown, officials said here Thursday.
In a letter written to union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar Wednesday, Chouhan requested him to direct the Export Development Authority to include Madhya Pradesh in the areas producing Basmati rice. The chief minister wrote that non-inclusion had affected the export potential of farmers from the state.
Would like to see Rahul Gandhi as PM: Jaya Prada
By Khalid Akhter, IANS,
New Delhi : Their parties are not on the best of terms, but actress-turned-Samajwadi Party MP Jaya Prada wishes to see Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi as the country's prime minister.
"It is good to see Rahul Gandhi active in politics; he is working hard to understand the ground realities and problems of people; and we (the people of India) would like to see him as the country's prime minister," Jaya Prada told IANS in an interview.
Assembly poll outcomes a blow to Mayawati
By Sharat Pradhan, IANS,
Lucknow : The Bahujan Samaj Party's (BSP) poor showing in the Maharashtra, Haryana and Arunachal Pradesh assembly polls has dealt a blow to Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati and her dreams of ruling the country.
The BSP, which she heads, failed to open its account in Maharashtra - the land of the party's biggest icon B.R. Ambedkar - and failed to score beyond one seat even in Haryana. It is yet to take birth in Arunachal.
Harmohinder Chatha is Haryana assembly speaker
By IANS,
Chandigarh : Harmohinder Singh Chatha was Wednesday elected speaker of the Haryana assembly in the first one-day session of the newly-elected house that also saw 89 legislators take oath.
Chatha, who was agriculture minister in the previous Congress government, was elected unanimously. He has become speaker for the third time.
The main opposition Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) did not put up its candidate for the speaker's post which led to Chatha, a Sikh leader, being elected unopposed.
Around 50 percent polling in Rajasthan
By IANS,
Jaipur : Around 50 percent polling was reported Saturday in bypolls from Rajasthan's two assembly constituencies of Todabhim and Salumber where the main battle is between the ruling Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
"The polling, which was completely peaceful, should be in the region of around 50 percent," an election department official told IANS, adding that the final percentage would only be known late in the evening.
Attack on Azmi an assault on idea of India: Congress
By IANS,
New Delhi : Condemning the attack by Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) legislators on Samajwadi Party leader Abu Asim Azmi for taking his oath as legislator in Hindi, the Congress Monday said "this criminal act is an assault on the idea of India".
The Congress said that both Hindi and Marathi are sister languages and using one did not mean that the other language was insulted.
"If Hindi is our mother, then Marathi is our aunt. Using one does not mean that another language is being insulted," said Congress spokesman Abhishek Manu Singhvi here.
Congress, BJP bag one seat each in Himachal
By IANS,
Shimla : Himachal Pradesh's ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Tuesday bagged one seat and the opposition Congress one in the assembly by-elections held last week.
Congress candidate Sujan Singh Pathania won the Jawali seat by 5,249 votes, whereas the BJP's Khushi Ram Balnatah won from Rohru by a margin of 8,473 votes, state chief electoral officer Anil Khachi told IANS.
Pathania got 25,168 votes while his nearest rival Baldev Raj Chaudhary of the BJP polled 19,919 votes in Jawali.
BSP bags six of eight declared seats in Uttar Pradesh
By IANS,
Lucknow : Uttar Pradesh's ruling Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) was on a roll Tuesday bagging six of the eight assembly by-elections for which results were declared. Counting was still under way in the other three.
Of the other seats for which results were declared, one went to the Congress and the other to an Independent.
BJP mum over Gadkari as next party president
By IANS,
New Delhi : Speculation continued over Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)'s Maharashtra unit chief Nitin Gadkari, whose name has been thrown up as the surprise choice of the party's next president, even as senior leaders refused to either confirm or deny this.
"I can't say anything right now. I am neither confirming it nor denying it. No final decision has been taken as yet," said a BJP spokesperson, who wished not to be named, deepening the media buzz.
Sonia Gandhi in Rae Bareli on two-day trip
By IANS,
Lucknow : Congress president Sonia Gandhi arrived here Friday and headed to her constituency Rae Bareli to evaluate the implementation of developmental schemes there, a party official said.
Gandhi is on a two-day tour of Rae Bareli, 80 km from Lucknow.
"While going to Rae Bareli, Soniaji will halt at several places and interact with people to know their problems," Akhilesh Pratap Singh, the state Congress spokesperson, told reporters here.
Noisy protests from Andhra MPs stall Lok Sabha
By IANS,
New Delhi : Noisy protests for and against the division of Andhra Pradesh Thursday forced repeated disruptions of the Lok Sabha that saw 28 business papers tabled in a span of just 15 minutes amid the chaos before the house was adjourned for the day.
Deputy Speaker of the Lok Sabha Karia Munda was forced to adjourn the house for the day as the MPs from Andhra Pradesh representing the two sides of the debate on a separate state of Telangana continually disrupted the proceedings in the pre- and post-lunch sessions.
Agitation paralysing public life, development, says Rosaiah
By IANS,
Hyderabad : Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister K. Rosaiah Thursday appealed to all political parties to help restore normalcy in the state where an agitation over the proposed division of the state had paralysed public life and development during the last 20 days.
Addressing a news conference, he admitted that the massive protests for the last 20 days had hit hard the state's economy and affected the revenues. "When there is no business, how will the revenues come," he asked.
Fasting Andhra MP disappears from hospital, massive hunt on
By IANS,
Hyderabad : Police in Andhra Pradesh Monday launched a massive hunt across several cities for fasting Congress MP L. Rajagopal who made a dramatic escape from a Vijayawada hospital.
The Vijayawada MP disappeared Sunday night by giving the slip to 200 policemen deployed around the Government General Hospital. He had been on an indefinite fast for six days against the proposed division of Andhra Pradesh.
Home Minister P. Sabita Indra Reddy here said the MP had not yet been found. Chief Minister K. Rosaiah held a high-level meeting on the incident.
Congress government capable of fighting terrorism: PM
By IANS,
New Delhi : Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Monday said the Congress government had the capacity to fight the challenges India is facing from terrorism, Maoist insurgency, communalism and regionalism.
"The country needs the Congress government and the Congress government at the centre is capable of fighting terrorism and Naxalism efficiently," Manmohan Singh said at a ceremony to lay the foundation stone of the party's headquarters here.
PM praises Meira Kumar’s ‘iron fist, velvet voice’
By IANS,
New Delhi : Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Tuesday heaped praise on Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar, saying she had an "iron fist beneath a velvet voice".
"I am pleased that the speaker facing these challenges ... is a very distinguished woman, Meira Kumar, who sheathes the proverbial iron fist beneath a velvet voice," he told the Conference of Speakers and Presiding Officers of Commonwealth Countries (CSPOC) here.
Meira Kumar, 64, was elected unopposed as the first woman speaker of the Lok Sabha in June last year.
Prices will come down soon, PM tells Rahul Gandhi
By IANS,
Bhopal : Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi said Tuesday that he had discussed the "serious issue" of prices with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh who assured him that the government's efforts would "soon bear fruit" and prices would come down.
Describing price rise as a serious issue, Rahul Gandhi said: "I have already discussed the matter with the Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh and he has assured that the continuous efforts being made by his government would help curb the prices as soon as possible."
Governor Farooq in Ranchi, Soren in Dumka on R-Day
By IANS,
Ranchi : While Jharkhand Governor M.O.H. Farooq was in the state capital to unfurl the national flag on the country's 61st Republic Day Tuesday, Chief Minister Shibu Soren did the honours in his constituency Dumka.
Addressing the gathering after hoisting the tricolour at the Morabadi ground here, the governor appealed to Maoist rebels to join the mainstream of society and also took the opportunity to enumerate the work of the state government. He also spelt out in detail the government's agenda for development of the people of the state.
Congress debates Muraleedharan’s return – again
By IANS,
Thiruvananthapuram : As a crucial meeting of the Congress takes place here Wednesday, the topic, yet again, is whether 91-year-old former Kerala chief minister K. Karunakaran's son K. Muraleedharan should be readmitted to the party.
The meeting has been called after Karunakaran in a space of two months wrote his second letter to state Congress president Ramesh Chennithala, requesting him that the party discuss the re-entry of his son.
Ahead of the meeting, Chennithala called on the veteran at his residence here and was closeted with him for more than half an hour.
See Yeddyurappa’s ‘chopping off’ remarks in context: BJP
By IANS,
New Delhi: A day after Karnataka Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa told people to "chop off hands" of those vandalising churches in the state, his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) sought to soft-pedal the remarks, saying they should be seen in the context of his government's resolve to stop any violence.
"It is not a question of churches. No government can tolerate violence," party spokesman Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi told IANS.
Former BJP legislator arrested for attacking senior lawyer
By IANS,
New Delhi: A former Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) legislator and three others were arrested for attacking noted criminal lawyer R.K. Naseem Jan 24, police said Friday.
Naseem was attacked by Vinod Sharma, his brother-in-law, and three others in Dabri area of southwest Delhi over some property dispute.
Delhi Police Wednesday transferred the case to Crime Branch.
NREGA a role model but needs improvement: Sonia
By IANS,
New Delhi : Congress president Sonia Gandhi said Tuesday that the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) was a "role model" for other developments schemes and had given jobs to lakhs of rural people. However, it can be improved by addressing complaints of false job cards and less payment of wages.
Speaking at the `MGREGA Sameelan' organised by the rural development ministry to mark four years of the government's flagship programme, she said the welfare initiative was a "role model" for other development schemes but suffered from some problems.
Amid Telangana protests, governor stresses on peace
By IANS,
Hyderabad : Andhra Pradesh Governor E.S.L. Narasimhan Monday called for conducting struggles based on the Gandhian philosophy of non-violence even as Congress party legislator from Telangana tried to disrupt his address to the joint session of the state legislature.
The legislators who supported the demand for a separate Telangana state continued to shout "Jai Telangana" slogans throughout the governor's 45-minute speech and later walked out of the assembly.
PM asks opposition not to disrupt parliament
By IANS,
New Delhi : The government was ready to "discuss and debate all issues on the floor of the house", Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said Monday and appealed to the opposition not to disrupt parliamentary proceedings.
"The government is ready to discuss all issues in parliament. I will appeal to the opposition not to have any disruption of parliamentary proceedings because the government is willing to discuss and debate all issues," the prime minister told reporters outside parliament on the opening day of the budget session.
Karunanidhi hopeful of diesel price rollback
By IANS,
Tiruchirappalli (Tamil Nadu): Citing revenue shortfall in the Union budget as justification for increase in excise duty on petroleum products, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi is nevertheless confident that the increase in diesel prices will be rolled back.
"We will demand a rollback of increase in the price of diesel in the budget debate. We will not participate in actions that would stall the activities of parliament," Karunanidhi Wednesday told reporters here, around 330 km from Chennai.
Suspended MPs physically evicted from Rajya Sabha
By IANS,
New Delhi : Seven opposition members of the Rajya Sabha, suspended for their unruly behaviour, were physically evicted from the house Tuesday after they continued to squat on the floor for more than three hours.
When the house reassembled at 3 p.m. after three adjournments, the seven MPs belonging to the Samajwadi Party (SP), the Janata Dal-United (JD-U), the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and the Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) continued shouting slogans against the women's reservation bill, even as Chairman Hamid Ansari called on leader of opposition Arun Jaitley (BJP) to speak.
JD-U stands divided over quota bill
By IANS,
New Delhi : The divide in the Janata Dal-United (JD-U) over the women's quota bill came to the fore Tuesday with party members in the Rajya Sabha supporting the legislation against the stand of party president Sharad Yadav.
JD-U member Shivanand Tiwari said during the debate in the house on the bill that the party supported the legislation that seeks to reserve 33 percent seats for women in the Lok Sabha and state assemblies.
"We support the bill," he said.
MPs lack a sense of purpose, say parliament visitors
By IANS,
New Delhi : "Certainly disappointing" is how a neatly dressed young man from Chandigarh responded as he came out of the parliament visitors' gallery after witnessing noisy protests in the Lok Sabha over the Women's Reservation Bill.
"They (MPs) lack a sense of purpose. Politics is a means to achieve certain goals, not the goal in itself. All they are doing is just politics, vote bank politics," said a disgruntled Aakansh Singh, a probationary officer of the Indian Revenue Service.
Lalu to Speaker: Listen to us and we won’t troop towards podium
By IANS,
New Delhi : "Don't take it otherwise," Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad told Speaker Meira Kumar in the Lok Sabha Thursday while attempting to explain the unruly protests over the women's reservation bill in a speech that invited frequent bouts of laughter.
The vociferous opponent of the constitutional amendment bill had the house smiling during the speech delivered in trademark Lalu style, scathing, sarcastic and satirical.
Haphazard highway work endangers Bandodkar statue: Goa BJP
By IANS,
Panaji: The Goa government and the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) are set to demolish a statue of the state's first chief minister Dayanand Bandodkar, leader of opposition Manohar Parrikar said Thursday.
Addressing a press conference in Panaji, Parrikar said haphazard expansion of the national highway (NH) 4a linking Goa with Karnataka will result in demolition of Bandodkar's statue at Farmagudi in Ponda taluka, 25 km from here.
Lapang meets Meghalaya governor as Congress faces rebellion
By IANS,
Shillong: Meghalaya Chief Minister D.D. Lapang Wednesday met Governor R.S. Mooshahary for the second time in nine days amid growing demand for his ouster among Congress legislators.
"Yes, I met the governor this (Wednesday) morning and there is nothing to say now," Lapang told IANS.
An aide of chief minister claimed that Lapang's meeting with Mooshahary was to effect a reshuffle in the 12-member cabinet to placate Congress rebels.
No post-resignation tweets from Tharoor
By IANS,
New Delhi : For a voracious tweeter, Shashi Tharoor has not tweeted anything since the final run up to his resignation as minister of state for external affairs.
Tharoor was quite regular at updating his statements, work or visits with over 725,000 followers. However, there has been no update from him since Friday.
Tharoor quit Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's government Sunday after being linked to an Indian Premier League (IPL) cricket row.
He last tweeted Friday at 11.16 p.m. -- when it was thought he was trying his best to weather the political storm.
No talks on ULFA’s sovereignty, says Gogoi
By IANS,
Guwahati: Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi Tuesday rejected holding peace talks with the outlawed United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) on their core demand of sovereignty and said negotiations, if any, should be unconditional.
"There is no question of compromising on India's sovereignty, and hence no point if the ULFA sticks to its demand that the issue of sovereignty should be the talking point in any negotiation," the chief minister told journalists here.
Jaya demands Raja’s dismissal over 2G spectrum row
By IANS,
Chennai : Leader of opposition in Tamil Nadu and AIADMK General Secretary J. Jayalalithaa Wednesday demanded dismissal of Communications Minister A. Raja over the controversial allocation of 2G telecom spectrum.
She also favoured bringing back a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) officer who was transferred while he was investigating the spectrum allotment case.
Soren cabinet meets, takes some decisions
By IANS,
Ranchi: Even while the fate of the Shibu Soren-led government in Jharkhand hangs in balance, a meeting of the state cabinet, chaired by the chief minister, was held Monday and several key decisions taken.
The meeting was attended by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ministers, including Deputy Chief Minister Raghubar Das.
Lalu Prasad plans march to expose Nitish Kumar
By IANS,
Patna : After Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar began a march to seek people's confidence, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad has planned one for himself to expose the government's failures before the October-November assembly poll.
Nitish Kumar completed the first phase of his "Vishwas Yatra" (march to seek people's confidence) last Sunday.
Lalu Prasad will start his march mid-May to counter the chief minister with a "Bhandaphor Yatra" (march to expose the state government).
Buddhadeb scoffs at Mamata’s claim of advancing polls
By IANS,
Kolkata : Scoffing at Trinamool Congress leader Mamata Banerjee’s claim that the West Bengal assembly polls would be advanced to October, Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee Sunday said only the state government has the right to decide on whether to hold the elections earlier.
The state will go to the hustings as scheduled next year, Bhattacharjee told media persons here.
Jagan supporters, Telangana activists call for shutdowns
By IANS,
Hyderabad : Andhra Pradesh will see two shut downs Saturday, one by supporters of Congress MP Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy over his detention Friday and another to condemn the death of a Telangana activist.
The shutdown by Reddy's supporters has been called in Kadapa district over their leader being taken into preventive custody while he was on his way to a rally in Warangal in the Telangana regions.
President’s rule imposed in Jharkhand
By IANS,
New Delhi : President's rule was imposed in Jharkhand Tuesday, two days after Shibu Soren stepped down as chief minister and none of the three major political parties in the state showing willingness to form an alternate government.
The cabinet committee on political affairs chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh met Tuesday morning to approve the imposition of president's rule and put the legislative assembly in suspended animation, official sources said.
YSR’s son defers ‘yatra’ on Sonia Gandhi’s directive
By IANS,
Hyderabad : Finally bowing to the Congress leadership, Lok Sabha member Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy Monday postponed his 'odarpu yatra' by a month.
The late chief minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy's son said he will now launch his yatra in Srikakulam July 8. The young MP announced this in a statement a day before he was scheduled to set out on the controversial tour.
The yatra is aimed at consoling the family members of those who either committed suicide or died of shock following the death of his father in a helicopter crash last year.
Delhi government’s removing hoardings undemocratic: MCD
By IANS,
New Delhi : The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ruled Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) Sunday accused state Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit of having acted in an "undemocratic" manner by allegedly removing the hoardings put up by the BJP against the increased power tariff.
"Through these hoardings we were spreading general awareness on issues concerning the people. The government has in a single day illegally pulled down all the hoardings put up at 30 different sites," MCD house leader Subhash Arya told IANS.
Court grills Gujarat on civic polls
By IANS,
Gandhinagar: The Gujarat High Court Wednesday directed the state government to tell under which provisions of the constitution it was empowered to notify seats for municipal corporation wards.
The division bench of Chief Justice S.J. Mukhopadhaya and Justice Akil Kureshi sought answers from the state government and the state election commission in this regard over a public interest litigation (PIL).
The court queried the counsels on the question of law and wanted to know as to who would decide on the number of seats in a ward.
BJP to take up cause of Pakistan Hindus fleeing to Punjab
By IANS,
Chandigarh: The Bharatiya Janata Party's Punjab unit Friday announced that it would take up the cause of Hindu families from Pakistan who have been forced to settle in the state after being driven out of their country.
The state unit has set up a three-member committee under Rajya Sabha member Avinash Rai Khanna to look into all aspects of the issue, including relief to such families who have taken shelter in Punjab.
Most of these families are living in Amritsar and nearby areas and fear for their lives if they are forced to return to Pakistan.
No action against MPs for not disclosing assets: Activist
By IANS,
New Delhi: Four months after a right to information (RTI) plea revealed that 70 Lok Sabha members had not declared their assets to the speaker, the authorities have yet to take any action, a transparency law activist said Tuesday.
The information was disclosed Feb 24 in a reply to the RTI application filed by Subhash Chandra Agrawal, who has now approached Speaker Meira Kumar requesting her to take action against the MPs.
BJP will decide if Modi, Varun will campaign: Gadkari
By IANS,
New Delhi : Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Nitin Gadkari Friday said his party will take its own decision whether Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi and Lok Sabha member Varun Gandhi will participate in the campaign for the coming Bihar assembly polls.
"We have the right to decide which all leaders of the BJP should campaign in Bihar. We will decide it at the appropriate time and implement it," Gadkari told IANS.
Rosaiah appointed Southern Zonal Council’s vice chief
By IANS,
Hyderabad: The central government has nominated Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister K. Rosaiah as the vice chairman of the Southern Zonal Council, which comprises Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and the union territory of Puducherry.
Rosaiah, who succeeds Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.Karunanidhi, thanked the central government for the gesture, said a statement from the chief minister's office here Tuesday.
Both houses of parliament adjourned over price rise
By IANS,
New Delhi : Both houses of parliament were adjourned till 12 noon Tuesday following protests over price rise by opposition members as well as Samajwadi Party (SP) and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) MPs.
Soon after the proceedings began in the Lok Sabha, members of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) stood up and shouted slogans against increasing prices. Speaker Meira Kumar repeatedly urged that the issue could be raised after question hour, but to no avail.
Monsoon session: It is raining losses in parliament
By Sarwar Kashani, IANS,
New Delhi : The government spends Rs.7.65 crore for each day of a parliament session, and with the first five days of the ongoing monsoon session being washed away due to unending opposition protests over rising prices, this translates into a loss of Rs.38.2 crore ($8.5 million) for Indian the taxpayer, to go by official figures.
Consider this:
TDP, Mukherjee apologise after angry words
By IANS,
New Delhi: The Lok Sabha Wednesday saw both the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee apologise following angry exchanges over disruption of the house by TDP MPs over the disputed Babhali barrage on the Godavari river.
Earlier in the day, the house witnessed an unpleasant scene when it reassembled at 11.30 a.m. after an adjournment following protests by the TDP and the Shiv Sena over the Babhali barrage at the centre of a controversy between Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra.
Language barrier disrupts Lok Sabha
By IANS,
New Delhi : There was peace in the Lok Sabha Friday with no protests from opposition MPs, but a technical problem that hampered English translation led to a minor commotion and disruption of the house.
Speaker Meira Kumar adjourned the house for 15 minutes at 11.30 a.m. when some MPs from southern states complained that they were not receiving the English translation of Minister of State for Power Bharatsinh Madhavsinh Solanki's speech in Hindi.
Ruckus in Delhi assembly over irregularities in CWG
By IANS,
New Delhi : The Delhi assembly witnessed a ruckus on the opening day of the monsoon session Tuesday as Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) members protested over alleged financial irregularities in projects related to the Commonwealth Games.
As soon as the house met, some BJP members started beating plates with spoons, demanding adjournment of question hour to discuss irregularities in Games-related projects.
With the commotion continuing in the house, Speaker Yoganand Shastri asked marshals to evict the protesting members from the house.
Babri Masjid: ‘Sangh parivar should take the first step towards reconciliation’
By Shafee Ahmed Ko, TwoCircles.net
Bihar assembly results diminish Modi’s position in national BJP
By TCN Special Correspondent,