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.
Rajya Sabha will not sit March 17, 18
By IANS,
New Delhi : The Rajya Sabha would not meet Wednesday and Thursday and was likely to be adjourned Tuesday itself for a recess till April 12.
Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman K. Rahman Khan said a meeting of leaders of various political parties had decided that the house will not meet on March 17 and 18.
The Rajya Sabha was scheduled to go into recess from March 16 but the house decided earlier this month to extend the sittings by two days to discuss private member bills and other government business.
Digvijay should raise issues at party forum: Congress
By IANS,
New Delhi : The Congress Thursday objected to its senior leader Digvijay Singh's remarks, in an article, against Home Minister P. Chidambaram' "rigid" stance on tackling Maoist guerrillas, and advised him that the party was an appropriate forum to raise such issues democratically.
"The Congress is a democratic organisation. There may be differences of opinion on one particular issue, but these should be raised only in party forums," Congress spokesperson Shakeel Ahmed told reporters in Parliament House.
Munde, Yadav trio meet Pranab on caste-based census
By IANS,
New Delhi : Amidst a clamour from all political parties for a caste-based census, prominent OBC (other backward classes) leaders from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), the Samajwadi Party (SP) and the Janata Dal-United (JD-U) Friday met Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee on the issue.
Course correction will rejuvenate CPI-M: Buddhadeb
By IANS,
Kolkata : The Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) will be rejuvenated after the ongoing rectification campaign, West Bengal Chief Minister Buddahdeb Bhattacharjee said here Sunday.
"Only the communists can carry out such campaigns in the party. The party has suffered because of some (non-communist) trends (among party members). We are identifying these," Bhattacharjee, who is also a member of the party politburo, told media persons.
Mulayam’s brother, son framed me, alleges Amar Singh
By IANS,
New Delhi : Expelled Samajwadi Party leader Amar Singh Sunday alleged that party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav's brother and son played a key role in framing him in the Rs.500-crore money laundering case Uttar Pradesh Police filed against him last year.
In the latest post on his blog, Amar Singh said he had been provided evidence about the "conspiracy" against him by some of the conspirators.
Mayawati tells MPs to raise price rise issue in house
By IANS,
Lucknow: Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) president and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati Tuesday urged party MPs to raise issues related to price rise and ill-treatment of Bhopal gas tragedy victims in the coming monsoon session of parliament.
Addressing a specially convened meeting of party MPs here, she said: "Faulty policies of the Congress-led UPA (United Progressive Alliance) government are responsible for the unprecedented rise in inflation, which has led to acute economic oppression of the common man."
Rahul Gandhi pays surprise visit to Gujarat’s Anand
By IANS,
Gandhinagar : Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi Tuesday caught everyone by surprise when he visited the Institute of Rural Management Anand (IRMA)headquartered at the milk town of Anand in Gujarat.
Gandhi reached IRMA around 11 a.m. and was inside the institute, which is promoted by the National Dairy Development Board (NDDB), till about 5.30 p.m. before leaving for New Delhi, IRMA sources told IANS.
Tight security was deployed at the main entrance of the institute and the visit was out of bounds for the media.
BJP not fielding Muslim candidates in Godhra for ‘political reasons’
By TCN Special Correspondent,
CPI (M)’s independent MLA Manjalamkuzhi Ali resigns from Kerala Assembly
By TwoCircles.net Staff Correspondent,
AAP blames Modi government for President’s no to bill
New Delhi : The AAP on Tuesday blamed Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the rejection by President Pranab Mukherjee of a bill for approving...
Shekhawat moves out of Vice President’s residence
By IANS
New Delhi : Former vice president Bhairon Singh Shekhawat Monday shifted into Rajasthan House in the capital as the bungalow allotted to him is being renovated.
His shift enables his successor Mohammad Hamid Ansari to move into the Vice President's residence. Ansari is currently staying at Haryana Bhavan.
Shekhawat resigned from the vice president's post soon after losing the presidential elections to United Progressive Alliance (UPA) candidate Pratibha Devisingh Patil last month.
Efforts on to resolve India’s political crisis
New Delhi, Aug 19 (IANS) Crisis managers were at work Sunday to find a way to resolve the political deadlock over the India-US nuclear deal as the Left parties appeared ready to give Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's government time to work out a mechanism to address their concerns.
Senior Left leader Sitaram Yechury Sunday met Congress leader Pranab Mukherjee who, along with senior leaders A.K. Antony and Ahmed Patel, is trying to hammer out a compromise formula.
Dirty charges pepper Karnataka divorce
By IANS
Bangalore : Caste-dominated Karnataka politics is set to hit its nadir as the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) severed its ties with the ruling coalition partner Janata Dal-Secular (JD-S) Saturday, leading to charges and counter-charges.
Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy of JD-S, who refused to honour his word to vacate his seat for BJP on Oct 3 as agreed 20 months back, Saturday launched a campaign to discredit Deputy Chief Minister B.S. Yediyurappa of BJP.
"Yediyurappa wanted to join JD-S and he was satisfied with a ministership," he told Kannada TV channels.
BJP, JD-S efforts face hurdles from Congress, Prakash
By IANS
Bangalore : The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Janata Dal-Secular (JD-S) Monday paraded 126 supporting legislators in front of Karnataka Governor Rameshwar Thakur to convince him to invite the combine to form a new ministry, but a rebel JD-S leader and the Congress tried to block their moves.
Hours before the legislators' parade, senior JD-S leader and former home minister M.P. Prakash met Thakur and urged him to reject their claim as his party's support to the BJP was "illegal and invalid".
Mamata dares CPI-M, seeks CBI probe into convoy firing
By IANS
Kolkata : Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee Monday demanded a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the alleged firing on her convoy in Nandigram Sunday.
Reacting angrily to the comments of the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) leaders that she was faking a firing on her car, Banerjee said: "Let the CBI probe the matter to find out the truth. There was firing from a house on us and the bullet was of .303, which is used by the cops."
Shutdown hits normal life Kerala on 51st formation day
By IANS
Thiruvananthapuram : A shutdown called by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Thursday to protest the alleged callous attitude of the central government towards railway development in Kerala affected normal business on the occasion of the state's 51st formation day.
Justifying the call for a shutdown on the day of President Pratibha Patil's visit to the state, BJP's state unit president P.K. Krishnadas Wednesday said his party had announced plans for the shutdown a month ago.
Global disaster reduction meet in Delhi
By IANS
New Delhi : At least 48 countries will participate in a two-day conference on disaster risk reduction starting here Wednesday.
"The second Asian Ministerial Conference on disaster risk reduction will begin in the capital from Nov 7. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will inaugurate the two-day conference, while Congress president Sonia Gandhi will deliver the keynote address," said U.N. Panjiar, secretary for border management in the home ministry.
Mid-life crisis hits Karnataka politics but state moves ahead
By V.S. Karnic
Bangalore, Nov 5 (IANS) Karnataka turned 51 on Nov 1 with the state politics and administration in a state of paralysis. But all other aspects of life are on track, some even on fast track.
Unperturbed by the mid-life crisis that has hit the state's political parties and placed the administration in a limbo, Airbus president and chief executive Thomas Enders and Cisco chairman and CEO John Chambers were in the IT hub announcing major plans for India and its IT capital Bangalore.
Andhra speaker ‘walks out’ of assembly
By IANS
Hyderabad : In a rare show of protest against unruly members, Andhra Pradesh Speaker K.R. Suresh Reddy Wednesday walked out of the assembly and said he was adjourning proceedings until all parties assured him cooperation in running the house.
Suresh Reddy, who is known for his tactful handling of difficult situations, lost his temper when members of the main opposition Telugu Desam Party (TDP) rushed towards the podium to voice their protest against their deputy leader T. Devender Goud being told to cut his speech short.
Ballia gives Mayawati’s social engineering a jolt
By Sharat Pradhan, IANS
Lucknow : The rout of the Bahujan Samaj Party's (BSP) Brahmin nominee against the Samajwadi Party rival in the Ballia Lok Sabha by-poll has given a severe jolt to the much hyped "social engineering" that put BSP chief Mayawati in power in India's most populous state Uttar Pradesh last year.
Brahmins, who live in large numbers in Uttar Pradesh compared to other states, gave Mayawati's essentially Dalit outfit a boost in the May 2006 assembly elections, helping the BSP to ride to power on its own strength.
Jharkhand welcomes centre’s decision on delimitation
By IANS
Ranchi : Jharkhand government has welcomed the union cabinet's decision not to implement Delimitation Commission of India's (DCI) recommendation to reduce the number of tribal seats in the assembly and parliamentary constituencies of the state.
The union cabinet Thursday decided not to implement the DCI recommendations for five states, including Jharkhand. The DCI had proposed that the number of seats reserved for schedule tribes in the state assembly be reduced from 28 to 21. It also wanted to reduce the number of reserved Lok Sabha seats by one.
Kerala loses stalwart politician Baby John
By IANS
Kollam (Kerala) : Former Kerala minister and Revolutionary Socialist Party (RSP) leader Baby John passed away here Tuesday morning. He was 87.
The veteran leader, who died of his respiratory ailments at a private hospital here, is survived by his wife, two sons and a daughter.
John began his political career as a member of the Congress and was a minister under five different chief ministers - C. Achutha Menon, K. Karunakaran, A.K. Antony, P.K. Vasudevan Nair and E.K. Nayanar.
Poll officials discuss revision of voters’ lists
By IANS
New Delhi : Chief electoral officers (CEO) of all states reviewed poll preparations and revision of electoral rolls at a meeting Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) N. Gopalaswamy called here Thursday.
Election Commission sources said the CEOs discussed the revision of electoral rolls in the states. Gopalaswamy has shown his concern over faulty preparations of electoral rolls and failure in revising them from time to time.
Afzal was detained, not arrested in 2001: BJP
By IANS
New Delhi : The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Friday stoutly denied Congress charges that Afzal Guru, the main accused in the Dec 13, 2001, terror attack on the Indian parliament, was arrested two days before the attack and let off when the party was in power.
Replying to the Congress charge, BJP spokesperson Ravi Shankar Prasad said here: "In 2001, he was once again rounded up for interrogation by the Jammu and Kashmir police but not formally arrested."
Bhattacharjee wants houses built for not-so-rich
By IANS
Kolkata : West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee Wednesday harped on water harvesting facilities in all new buildings while urging real estate companies to build homes for the not-so-rich as well.
Inaugurating east India's largest real estate exhibition "Realty Expo 2008" at the Science City grounds here, he said: "There should be both water harvesting and solar energy tapping facilities in the new buildings."
Some projects in the new township of Rajarhat here have already come up with such initiatives, he said.
UPA meet on women’s reservation bill after March 20
By IANS
New Delhi : The ruling United Progressive Alliance (UPA) will try to evolve a consensus among its partners to bring a bill that guarantees 33 percent seats for women in parliament and state assemblies.
The UPA will convene a meeting of its allies on the issue after March 20 when parliament takes inter-session break, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh told the Rajya Sabha Wednesday.
"Parliament will be dispersing March 20 for the inter-session recess. Soon after that I will hold this meeting," Manmohan Singh said.
Mamata art wows Maneka
By IANS
New Delhi : Trinamool Congress leader Mamata Banerjee is known to many as a fighter. But her colleague in the Lok Sabha, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Maneka Gandhi, has discovered the finer side of the feisty Banerjee - her beautiful sketches.
Sonia to address farmers’ rally in Maharashtra
By IANS
New Delhi : With the Congress competing with its allies to claim credit for the Rs.600 billion farm loan waiver, party president Sonia Gandhi will address a series of farmer rallies in Maharashtra Monday.
She is expected to address public rallies in Osmanabad in Marathwada region and Sangli in western Maharashtra.
Gujarat BJP legislator booked under Arms Act
Vadodara, March 23 (IANS) Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) legislator Madhubhai Shrivastava is in trouble again. The lawmaker from Vadodara in Gujarat, who was accused by Best Bakery case key witness Zahira Sheikh of intimidating her, has been booked under the Arms Act.
City police inspector R.B. Lashkari registered the case late Saturday night against Shrivastava, who is also chairman of the Baroda Dairy.
CPM warns govt against military collaboration agreement with US
By IRNA
New Delhi : Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPI-M) General Secretary Prakash Karat has warned the United Progressive Alliance government against going ahead with the Military
Collaboration Agreement with the United States and losing the country's stature of a non-aligned nation.
Seven Ministers inducted into Indian Cabinet
By APP
New Delhi : The Indian Cabinet was expanded on Sunday when seven Ministers took oath of office.
M S Gill, Jyotiraditya Scindia, former Chief Election Commissioner, Jitin Prasada, V Narayanasamy, Rameshwar Oraon and Santosh Bagrodia and RJD MP Raghunath Jha were among the new Ministers who took oath.
M S Gill, who was elected to Rajya Sabha from Punjab on a Congress ticket, has been made Minister of State with independent charge.
Suspended Orissa assembly woman marshal sues newspaper
By IANS
Bhubaneswar : A suspended woman marshal of the Orissa legislative assembly, who accused the house speaker of sexual harassment last month, Wednesday filed a Rs.50 million defamation suit against an Oriya newspaper for publishing an allegedly objectionable report.
Gayatri Panda filed a suit against Pabitra Mohan Samantaray, editor of Oriya daily Paryabeskyak and its printer and publisher Budhadev Mohapatra, in the Court of Civil Judge (senior division), Bhubaneswar, her lawyer Arup Chand told IANS.
BJP for subsidised food grains to poor
By IANS,
Bhopal : The Bharatiya Janata Party Saturday called upon the central government to provide subsidised food grains to the poor across the country since the 'have nots' are reeling from ever increasing prices of essential commodities.
Addressing a huge gathering on the launch of the Mukhya Mantri Annapurna Yojana (Chief Minister's subsidised food scheme), senior BJP leader Venkaiah Naidu said that it was a boon for the poor families and the other states as well as the central government should introduce this scheme in the entire country by amending the constitution.
Congress MP asked to explain allegations
By IANS,
Jammu : The Congress party Tuesday demanded from its MP Madan Lal Sharma an explanation about his "false and unwarranted" remarks that Congress president Sonia Gandhi had been asked to pardon Jammu and Kashmir Speaker Tara Chand and former state party unit chief Peerzada Mohammad Sayeed for their alleged involvement in a sex scandal.
The Congress high command refused to accept Sharma's verbal denial that he had not mentioned the name of Sonia Gandhi, and asked him to give in writing what he had said and the context in which he had spoken.
West Bengal minister flays Gurung
By IANS,
Kolkata : West Bengal minister Ashok Bhattacharya Thursday called Gorkha leader Bimal Gurung "incompetent" after the latter vowed to work for a Darjeeling state come what may.
Urban Development, Municipal and Hill Affairs Minister Bhattacharya criticised the way Gorkha Janamukti Morcha (GJM) president Gurung attacked him and the West Bengal government.
"GJM is exploiting the emotions of the Gorkha community to achieve political power," the minister told IANS. "As for Bimal Gurung, he is an incompetent leader and knows nothing.
PM’s package for Kashmiri Hindus won’t work, says Farooq
By IANS,
Jammu : Former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister and National Conference leader Farooq Abdullah has challenged Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's vision and package for the return of Kashmiri Hindus to their homes in the valley.
"It cannot happen, whatever be the package, unless there is a resolution of Kashmir crisis," Abdullah told a gathering of prominent citizens, most of them Kashmiri Pandits or Hindus, in Jammu late Friday evening.
The Prime Minister's package, he said, would not work. "That is for sure."
Bodies await autopsy, Gujjar agitation spreads
By Sahil Makkar, IANS
Bayana (Rajasthan) : The decaying bodies of 37 Gujjars, who died last week, are still lying at four places awaiting autopsy and cremation on the sixth day Wednesday of the largely rural community's agitation for affirmative action. Life also remained crippled in several towns across this western Indian state of Rajasthan with highways and roads blocked.
UPA-Left meet ends, showdown averted
By IANS,
New Delhi : India's ruling coalition and its Left allies Wednesday averted a showdown by ending a key meeting over the India-US nuclear deal saying they will meet again "in due course".
External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee read out a brief statement at the end of talks between the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) and the four Left parties that support Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's government.
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.
We have the numbers, IAEA only after trust vote: government
New Delhi, July 10 (IANS) The government Thursday expressed the confidence that it has the numbers to prove its majority in parliament and reiterated it will face a floor test before finalising the India-specific safeguard agreement with the IAEA.
Talking to reporters, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Vayalar Ravi said: “It was unfortunate that Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) general secretary Prakash Karat accused the government of hiding things from the people.”
Let not fear guide us, Rahul tells MPs
By IANS,
New Delhi : Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi Tuesday urged the members of parliament not to allow fear to lead them as he said energy security was vital in eradicating poverty from India.
Participating in the debate over the trust motion moved by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi said nuclear energy was essential to make a country a leading world power.
NDA, JVM for Koda’s dismissal, fresh elections in Jharkhand
By IANS,
Ranchi : A delegation of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and the Jharkhand Vikas Morcha (JVM) Monday met Jharkhand Governor Syed Sibte Razi and demanded the dismissal of the Madhu Koda government and fresh elections in the state. The governor has summoned Koda Monday afternoon.
Left strike gets poor response in Himachal
By IANS,
Shimla : The 24-hour shutdown Wednesday called by Left trade unions against the central government's policies evoked a poor response in the Bharatiya Janata Party-ruled Himachal Pradesh.
Markets, business establishments, schools and colleges were open across the state. Inspector General of Police S.R. Mardi said the situation was peaceful.
Jayalalitha elected AIADMK general secretary again
By IANS,
Chennai : Former Tamil Nadu chief minister J. Jayalalitha was unanimously elected general secretary of the AIADMK for a record sixth term here Wednesday as her supporters welcomed the announcement by bursting firecrackers and distributing sweets.
Speaking to journalists after being elected, Jayalalitha felt there was no immediate need to move a motion of no-confidence against the DMK government.
"While I may look at the possibility later, personally I feel that there is no need to do so since this government has already lost the confidence of the people," Jayalalitha said.
BJP Chief’s apology remark political gimmick: WPI
By TCN News,
New Delhi: Welfare Party of India has termed the BJP’s willingness to apologise to Muslims as mere “political gimmick” and said that it lacked clarity and credibility.
Azad, Chidambaram’s son in Congress fourth list
New Delhi: The Congress released its fourth list, of 50 candidates, for the Lok Sabha polls, fielding Ghulam Nabi Azad from Udhampur in Jammu...
Ministers, ‘spiderman’, IIM graduate file nominations in Mumbai
Mumbai : An assortment of candidates ranging from a union minister to an IIM graduate, a celebrity hotelier and 'Spiderman' Friday filed their nominations...
UMF backtracks after supporting ‘Modi Bhakt’ for Lok Sabha
By TwoCircles.net Staff Reporter,
Hyderabad: United Muslim Forum of Andhra Pradesh, an umbrella group of religious leaders, has backtracked from its controversial decision to support Lok Satta party chief Jayparakash Narayan from Malkajgiri Lok Sabha seat.
Supreme Court to hear petition against Modi for using the word “Iman” in his...
By TwoCircles.net staff reporter
New Delhi: Supreme Court of India will hear a writ petition against Narendra Modi for using the word “iman” in one...
Will there be a surprise end to Modi’s tale?
By Saeed Naqvi,
If this election campaign is to be remembered like a suspense drama, it must have a surprise end.
What a roller coaster it...
After LS polls, long road ahead for AAP
By Gaurav Sharma,
New Delhi : Four seats in its debut parliamentary elections is surely a good beginning for the fledgling AAP, but not winning...
Mystery of PMO’s vanishing Twitter followers
By Prasanto K. Roy,
On May 20, four days after the Congress party and its ruling alliance conceded the mother of all mandates in three decades to the Narendra Modi-led Bharatiya Janata Party, the Twitter handle of the Prime Minister's Office, @PMOIndia, vanished mysteriously.
Telangana drowns in wild celebrations
By IANS,
Hyderabad : Telangana erupted in joy Friday, hours after the Rajya Sabha approved a bill for separate statehood to the region.
Political parties and...
Tug of war in Himachal Congress over ticket
Shimla : A tug of war is on in the ruling Congress in Himachal Pradesh over the party's candidate from the Hamirpur seat, the...
Congress dismisses exit polls
New Delhi : The Congress Tuesday dismissed the exit polls which predicted the party's worst defeat in the Lok Sabha elections, saying the pollsters...
President’s address is high on BJP’s rhetoric: SDPI
By TCN News,
Bhopal: The Social Democratic Party of India, (SDPI) has termed the President’s joint address to Parliament which spelled out the BJP’s Narendra Modi led NDA Government’s agenda of priorities as high on rhetoric. It is up to the government to prove that the plans are rather done than promised. The address is more or less a compilation of election slogans and the BJP election manifesto and the party is bound to implement them.
Opposition slams Mayawati’s move for reservation to Muslims
By Faisal Fareed, TwoCircles.net,
Left demands probe into farmer suicides
By IANS,
Kolkata : West Bengal opposition leader Surya Kanta Mishra Monday demanded a probe into the farmer suicides in the state and compensation to the families of such farmers.
Sanjiv Bhatt is the witness of the ‘gory’ tale of Gujarat, not an accused!
Bhatt seeks beefed-up security cover as he feels heightened threats to his life
By Sayema Sahar,
Expectations from Mamata’s budget: Muslims want education, homes
By Zaidul Haque, TwoCircles.net,
My father was not complicit in Babri Masjid demolition: PV Narsimha Rao’s son
By Mohd. Ismail Khan, TwoCircles.net
Trinamool ministers to hand over resignation letters at 3 p.m.
By IANS,
New Delhi : The Trinamool Congress ministers are to hand over their resignation letters to the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) at 3 p.m. and after that meet President Pranab Mukherjee.
Nitish, Lalu crackers missing this Diwali
By IANS,
Patna : Bollywood stars have replaced Bihar's politicians in the firecracker market in the state this Diwali.
Bihar opposition leader gives up security
By IANS,
Patna : Bihar's opposition leader Abdul Bari Siddiqui has given up his security personnel and urged the government to deploy them to maintain law and order.
Sukhbir Badal wants Modi to stop drugs inflow into Punjab
Chandigarh : Two days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi mentioned about the acute drug problem in Punjab in his 'Mann ki Baat' programme on...
Tripura: CPI-M women members at record number
Agartala : The strength of women members of the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) in Tripura rose to a record 26 percent against 12...
Mulayam Singh Yadav again shifted to ICU
Gurgaon : Samajwadi Party chief and parliamentarian Mulayam Singh Yadav on Tuesday was again shifted to Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of Medanta - The...
Amar Singh compares Raj Thackeray to Hitler
By IANS,
New Delhi : Samajwadi Party general secretary Amar Singh Friday called Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray a "Hitler" for orchestrating attacks on north Indians.
Releasing the list of candidates for the Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Jammu and Kashmir assembly elections, Amar Singh said: "What Raj Thackeray has been doing is what Hitler did in Germany."
"Both Hitler and Raj Thackeray are mentally ill persons," said the Rajya Sabha MP. "This is terrorism. This can be destructive to the integrity of India."
‘Emergency booths to come up in case of Pakistani firing’
By IANS,
Jammu : Emergency polling booths would be set up for about 30 polling stations in two assembly segments of Jammu and Kashmir, which are close to the Line of Control, "if there is any incident of firing from across" the border, an official said Wednesday.
Deputy Commissioner of Poonch district Mohammad Afzal Bhat said there were about 30 polling stations in Mendhar and Poonch-Havelli constituencies that "are close to LoC and hence within the firing range".
VHP to launch campaign to protest Malegaon blast arrests
By IANS,
Mumbai : The Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) Saturday said it would launch a campaign to counter what it termed as the government’s conspiracy against ‘sadhus, sadhvis and sena’ (mendicants and military) and to express solidarity with those arrested for the Malegaon blast.
VHP joint secretary V. Abdeo said here that besides sit-in and demonstrations across the country, the VHP activists would send SMSes and e-mails abroad too to air solidarity with the people nabbed for their suspected involvement in the Sep 29 Malegaon blast that killed six.
Voices of dissent over AGP-BJP seat sharing
By IANS,
Guwahati : Voices of dissent are coming thick and fast even as top leaders of the Assam's main opposition Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) publicly maintain that the seat-sharing agreement between the two parties to fight the parliamentary elections is smooth.
There is a bitter tug-of-war going on between the AGP and BJP for at least two parliamentary seats with both parties keen to field candidates.
Church group asks people to vote for secular parties
By IANS,
New Delhi : The Catholic Bishop's Conference of India (CBCI), a prominent church group in the country, Friday asked the people to vote for secular parties and candidates in the upcoming general elections.
"Be true to the letter and spirit of the preamble and the provisions of the constitution of India without any sectarian or party persuasion," a CBCI release here said.
Sparks fly in Tamil Nadu over Sri Lanka
By IANS,
Chennai : Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi Monday did a dramatic U-turn saying the Tamil Tigers were indeed a terrorist group, inviting the charge of being "the number one traitor to the Tamil race" from friend-turned-foe Vaiko.
A day after he reportedly declared that Velupillai Prabhakaran, founder leader of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), was not a terrorist, Karunanidhi claimed that he had been misquoted in the media.
UPA to decide on PM after elections, says Lalu Prasad
By IANS,
Patna : The Congress may be projecting Manmohan Singh as the next prime minister but United Progressive Alliance (UPA) partner Lalu Prasad Tuesday said the grouping's prime ministerial candidate would be decided only after the elections in consultation with constituent parties.
"UPA is a confederation of secular parties and does not belong only to the Congress. We will sit together (after the elections) to chalk out a common minimum programme and in consultation with all our partners select the next PM," Lalu Prasad, head of the Rashtriya Janata Dal, told reporters here.
BJP fighting polls on false issues: PM
By IANS,
Jalalabad (Punjab) : Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Saturday launched a scathing attack on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for making "directionless allegations" on the Congress party and accused it of lying on issues concerning farmers in the country.
BJP ready to go it alone in Maharashtra
By IANS
Nagpur : The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) state unit leadership Friday asked its cadres to be prepared to fight the next Maharashtra assembly elections on their own strength.
JD-S braces for early polls in Karnataka
By IANS
New Delhi : The Janata Dal-Secular (JD-S) Saturday seemed ready to face any eventuality in Karnataka, including possible early elections, after the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) said it was withdrawing support to its coalition with JD-S.
Early Himachal poll catches politicians unawares
By Baldev S. Chauhan, IANS
Shimla : Political parties in Himachal Pradesh, particularly the ruling Congress, have been taken by surprise over the announcement of assembly elections -- over three months before they were due.
With the poll code coming into effect from Wednesday, the announcement has put paid to the ruling party's hopes of announcing sops to woo voters.
Rahul Gandhi inspects Congress headquarters
New Delhi, (IANS) Known for his professionalism and eye for detail, newly appointed Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi Monday visited the party headquarters to inspect the condition of the offices and see first-hand how it functions.
Rahul, who is general secretary in charge of the youth wing of the ruling party, reached the office around 1.40 p.m. and spent almost two hours going through the offices of the Mahila Congress and the Seva Dal.
He also supervised the construction work going on in the AICC complex, which is being readied for the new general secretary.
JD-S keeps coalition partner BJP on tenterhooks
By IANS
Bangalore : The Janata Dal-Secular (JD-S) Sunday kept its Karnataka coalition partner Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) guessing on whether it will support it in Monday's trust vote in the state assembly.
On the eve of the trust vote, JD-S leaders and legislators began a series of meetings among themselves to sort out differences in the party and mount pressure on the BJP to sign the Memorandum of Understanding -- involving a decisive role for the JD-S in running the coalition -- before the trust vote.
Ashok Bhatt is new speaker of Gujarat assembly
By IANS
Gandhinagar : Senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Ashok Bhatt was Friday elected speaker of the 12th Gujarat assembly and was given a talking to by the opposition Congress on the need for neutrality and impartiality in the house.
Bhatt, former health minister, was the only nominee for the post. Minister of State for Home Amit Shah proposed his name and Leader of Opposition Shaktisinh Gohil seconded him.
Budget a recipe for disaster: Yashwant Sinha
By IANS
New Delhi : Former finance minister and senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Yashwant Sinha Saturday termed the union budget 2008-09 as "a recipe for long-term economic disaster".
"This is a 100 percent political budget. Finance Minister P. Chidambaram announced a loan waiver of Rs.60,000 crore (Rs.600 billion) for farmers but has not stated where this money will come from," Sinha said during a presentation on the budget at the BJP headquarters here.
Apex court refuses to advance Meghalaya trust vote date
By IANS
New Delhi : The Supreme Court Wednesday refused to advance the date set by Meghalaya Governor S.S. Sidhu for the new Congress government to prove its majority on the floor of the state assembly.
Congress leader D.D. Lapang was Monday sworn-in as chief minister even after a combine of parties led by P.A. Sangma, a former Lok Sabha speaker and leader of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), claimed the support of 31 members in the 60-seat legislature.
The governor had given 10 days to Lapang to prove his majority support. The Congress has 25 legislators.
UPA, Left buy time, defer decision on n-deal
By IANS
New Delhi : In an obvious bid to buy time, the ruling United Progressive Alliance (UPA) and its Left allies deferred a decision on whether to go ahead with the contentious Indo-US nuclear deal and their joint panel Monday decided to meet again in April.
Film chamber criticised for suspending Karnataka members
By IANS
Bangalore : Former president of South India Film Chamber of Commerce (SIFCC) and veteran film producer K.C.N. Chandrashekhar Monday criticised the suspension of all Karnataka members from the chamber for protesting Tamil Nadu's water project and termed the action "illegal".
The 180 members from the state were suspended last week during the height of agitation in Karnataka over Tamil Nadu's plans for a water supply project at Hogenakkal waterfall on the border of the two states.
Lalu seeks court permission to go abroad
By IANS,
Patna : Railway Minister Lalu Prasad has requested a special court to release his passport and grant him permission to travel abroad on an official visit in May, official sources close to him said here Wednesday.
Lalu Prasad, an accused in a multi-million rupee fodder scam, filed a petition at the designated court of the Central Bureau of Investigation in Ranchi, the capital of Jharkhand. He sought his passport and permission of the court to go on a weeklong official visit to Singapore and Malaysia from May 12.
Venugopal reinstated; Ramadoss says not a setback
By IANS,
New Delhi : Ousted All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) director P. Venugopal got a major boost Thursday after the Supreme Court reinstated him, almost six months after he was removed following a bitter turf war with Health Minister Anbumani Ramadoss.
The decision of the apex court, which termed "malafide and unconstitutional" the central government law fixing the retirement age of the AIIMS director at 65, triggered a call for Ramadoss' ouster by the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the AIIMS resident doctors, who support Venugopal.
Gujjars gather to block rail tracks in Rajasthan
By IANS,
Jaipur : Agitating members of the Gujjar community in Rajasthan gathered in Bharatpur district Friday to block railway tracks to press their demand for tribal status to facilitate better education and job opportunities even as police fortified the area.
The Gujjar Sangharsh Aarakshan Samiti, which is spearheading the campaign for tribal status, had given a call for a 'rail roko andolan' (stop rail agitation) at Dhumaria station near Bayana, about 170 km from here. Dumaria station falls on the important Delhi-Mumbai rail link.
BJP chief takes dig at Montek on inflation
By IANS,
New Delhi : Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Rajnath Singh Sunday criticised Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia for advising against sacrificing development to contain inflation.`
Referring to the soaring inflation rate, which touched a new high of 8.1 percent for the week ended May 17, Singh told the party's national executive meeting here that the Congress-led government was making "peculiar and painful" statements instead of containing rising prices.
Sonia forms four-member committee to revitalise Congress
By IANS,
New Delhi : Congress president Sonia Gandhi Monday constituted a four-member committee to formulate a strategy for strengthening the organisation and to prepare the party for the upcoming assembly elections and 2009 general elections.
External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee, Defence Minister A.K Antony, senior party leader Ahmed Patel and Janardhan Dwivedi are the members of the committee.
“Thackerays came to Mumbai in search of livelihood”
By TwoCircles.net staff reporter,
Mumbai: Thackerays came to Mumbai two generations ago for jobs, and so have no right to assault those coming in search of livelihood in the city, says an article published in the June issue of the Nationalist Congress Party’s mouthpiece Rashtravadi.
UPA-Left decide to meet again after renewed deadlock
By IANS,
New Delhi : India's ruling coalition and its Left allies Wednesday said they would pursue efforts to end their flaming row over the India-US nuclear deal and meet again "in due course".
After about 100 minutes of talks at External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee's residence, leaders of the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) and its Left allies declared that an expected showdown had been averted.
Mukherjee read out a brief statement after the ninth UPA-Left nuclear committee meeting.
Shutdown cripples life in Chhattisgarh
By IANS,
Raipur : Life in Chhattisgarh was severely hit Thursday as the shutdown called by the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its ally Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) against the cancellation of land allotment to the Amarnath shrine board in Jammu and Kashmir came into effect.
Thousands of bus and train commuters were stranded in various parts the state as baton-wielding supporters of the VHP and BJP enforced the strike from early morning in all the 18 districts. The capital Raipur was the worst hit.
Pranab opts out, Anand Sharma to attend ARF meet
By IANS,
New Delhi : With a trust vote looming in parliament next week, External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee, who is also a leading political manager of the ruling coalition, has decided to send junior minister Anand Sharma to Singapore to attend a ministerial meeting of the Asean Regional Forum.
Mukherjee was slated to attend the crucial ARF meeting in Singapore July 21-24. But with the government battling for survival after the Left parties withdrew their support last week, he decided to send Sharma for it, official sources said.
Trust vote debate will be for 16 hours
By IANS,
New Delhi : The debate on the trust vote will be held for 16 hours, an all party meeting convened by Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee just before the house met decided Monday.
On Monday, the discussion would begin at 11 a.m. and go on till 1 p.m. before breaking for lunch. After that, the house would meet again at 2 p.m. and continue till late at night. It is expected that the debate will go on for six hours Tuesday before the trust vote that will decide the fate of the Manmohan Singh government.
Left asks DMK to join third front
By IANS,
Dindigul (Tamil Nadu) : Days after announcing withdrawal of support to the ruling DMK, the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) Friday exhorted Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi to join the proposed third front.
"Political equations have undergone a sea change after 2004 and therefore Chief Minister Karunanidhi should weigh his political options more carefully," state CPI-M secretary N. Varadarajan told reporters in the city, 400 km south of Chennai.
Congress stages walkout from Himachal assembly
By IANS,
Shimla : The Congress Thursday staged a walkout from the Himachal Pradesh assembly, demanding restoration of the state administrative tribunal that was scrapped by the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government.
Debating on the bill introduced by the government in the house Tuesday regarding the transfer of pending tribunal cases to other courts, former chief minister Virbhadra Singh said the administrative tribunal had been abolished by the government solely on political lines.
Narendra Modi becomes Gujarat Cricket Association chief
By IANS,
Ahmedabad : Chief minister Narendra Modi was Tuesday elected unopposed as the president of the Gujarat Cricket Association (GCA).
Modi replaced Narhari Amin, who has led the GCA for over a decade.
Amin had stepped down from the post of GCA chief on moral grounds a couple of months back after state home minister Amit Shah accused him of being involved in a financial scandal in the state association.
Shah was set to take over as the GCA chief but at the last minute the chief minister decided to take control of Gujarat cricket himself.
After Nitish, now Modi under attack on land reforms
By IANS,
Patna : After Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, his deputy Sushil Kumar Modi is facing heat on the state government's much-publicised land reforms and Thursday had to clarify that credit cards for farmers would not mean ownership of land for sharecroppers.
A day after an open revolt on the issue in his own Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and calls for his removal, Modi said the government is distributing the Kisan Credit Cards under the guidelines laid down by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and NABARD and in no case would the distribution of cards be tantamount to ownership of land.
Jayalalithaa blasts government over Katchatheevu island
By IANS,
Chennai : Former Tamil Nadu chief minister J. Jayalalithaa Monday criticised External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna over Katchatheevu, a small island ceded to Sri Lanka in 1974 and a source of recurring irritation in ties between the two countries.
In a statement here, the AIADMK leader accused the foreign minister was ignorant of the basic facts about the issue.
Uma Bharti resigns from her own party post
By IANS,
New Delhi/Bhopal: Firebrand Hindutva leader Uma Bharti Thursday resigned as president of the Bharatiya Jan Shakti (BJS), a party she floated four years ago following her expulsion from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). There is talk she may return to her parent party.
Though Uma Bharti has said she was quitting on health grounds, her surprise resignation comes amid speculation she may return to the Nitin Gadkari-led BJP.
Gadkari, the new BJP chief, had earlier expressed his readiness to take back some popular disgruntled party leaders.
Apex court refuses to shield Tiwari
By IANS,
New Delhi: The Supreme Court Monday refused to shield disgraced Congress leader N.D. Tiwari from a judicial proceeding aimed at conducting his DNA test to know if he is the biological father of Rohit Sekhar.
A bench of Chief Justice K.G. Balakrishnan and Justice Deepak Verma declined to accord an early hearing to the former Andhra Pradesh governor's plea to suspend a Delhi High Court order seeking his stand to Sekhar's plea for his DNA test to ascertain the latter's paternity.
Pranab meets opposition leaders ahead of parliament session
By IANS,
New Delhi: Finance Minister and Leader of the House in the Lok Sabha Pranab Mukerjee Monday met opposition leaders L.K. Advani, Sushma Swaraj and Arun Jaitley ahead of the monsoon session of parliament and discussed the constitutional amendments to roll out the Goods and Service Tax (GST) from the next fiscal.
"Pranab Mukherjee met our leaders Advaniji, Sushmaji (leader of opposition in Lok Sabha) and Arunji (leader of opposition in Rajya Sabha) today over lunch and the discussion was on GST," Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) spokesperson Nirmala Sitharaman told IANS.
Yeddyurappa disapproves of Reddys’ Bellary show
By IANS,
Bangalore: Karnataka Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa Friday opposed the 'padayatra' (march) the Reddy brothers and their loyalist, Health Minister B. Sriramulu have started in their stronghold Bellary to counter the opposition's campaign against illegal mining.
"Personally I am opposed to it," Yeddyurappa told reporters, referring to the padyatra the Reddy brothers and Sriramlu launched in Bellary, about 320 km from here, Thursday to whip up support for themselves in the district where the main opposition Congress plans a huge rally Aug 9.
India lags in social progress and tolerance
By Amit Kapoor
For decades, Gross Domestic Product has been used to evaluate the economic performance of a nation. It measures the value of final...
African nationals stage protest against growing attacks
New Delhi : Several African students on Monday staged a protest at Jantar Mantar here against increasing attacks on them and demanded that the...
‘सांप्रदायिक ताक़तें यूपी को सांप्रदायिकता की आग में झोंकने को उतारु’
TwoCircles.net Staff Reporter
लखनऊ : ‘जब भी मोदी का दौरा होना होता है तब प्रदेश में सांप्रदायिकता और सुरक्षा के नाम पर मुस्लिम समुदाय को...
क्या भाजपा का राम मंदिर सच में ‘लॉलीपॉप’ है? या कुछ और
सिद्धांत मोहन, TwoCircles.net
लखनऊ : संस्कृति मंत्री महेश शर्मा ने हाल में भी अयोध्या में 'रामायण संग्रहालय' बनाने का प्रस्ताव लाकर लोगों को चकित किया...
BJP’s Babul Supriyo determined to repay his admirers
By Anurag Dey,
Asansol (West Bengal) : He left a lucrative job at a multinational bank to pursue his first love - singing. And after...
Modi ‘wave’ at India TV Studio, Editorial Director resigns in protest
By TwoCircles.net Staff Reporter,
New Delhi: Qamar Waheed Naqvi, Editorial Director of India TV has resigned in, purportedly in protest of a “staged interview,” with the BJP prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi in Rajat Sharma’s famous programme “Aap Ki Adalat.”
Lok Satta’s alliance with BJP: Gandhi and Ali Brothers?
By Kashif-ul-Huda, TwoCircles.net
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Mushawarat working committee deliberates on national and international issues
Mushawarat delved on the prevailing situation in the country and took notice, in particular, of the growing fascism and communalism.
By TCN News,
New Delhi:...
New minister inducted into Himachal cabinet
By IANS
Shimla : The Virbhadra Singh-led cabinet in Himachal Pradesh was expanded Wednesday with the inclusion of legislator Sujan Singh Pathania.
Pathania, who is a legislator from Kangra district, has been given transport and health portfolios. With this, the number of ministers in the Virbhadra Singh-led Congress government has gone up to 11.
Elections are due in the state early next year.
Shimla : The Virbhadra Singh-led cabinet in Himachal Pradesh was expanded Wednesday with the inclusion of legislator Sujan Singh Pathania.
Pathania, who is a legislator from Kangra district, has been given transport and health portfolios. With this, the number of ministers in the Virbhadra Singh-led Congress government has gone up to 11.
Elections are due in the state early next year.
Demand to recall Washington envoy intensifies
By IANS
New Delhi : Angry MPs paralysed parliament Wednesday morning for the second day, vociferously demanding the recall of ambassador Ronen Sen from Washington for his attack on critics of the India-US civilian nuclear deal.
While both houses resumed their normal functioning in the post-lunch session, considerable time was lost early on as Left MPs joined those from the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and other parties to demand action against Sen, who is considered one of the architects of the path-breaking nuclear agreement.
Snap polls likely after N-deal deadlock: Mayawati
By IANS
Chandigarh : Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati Sunday called upon her party cadres to be prepared for early general elections thanks to the deadlock between the Congress and the Left parties over the India-US nuclear deal.
AICC salutes overseas Indians
By IANS
New Delhi : The ruling Congress party Saturday lauded the "hard work and toil" of millions of Indian workers in West Asia, who have been a major source of remittances to their families in India.
In its omnibus resolution, the All India Congress Committee (AICC) session also congratulated the "initiatives" by the ministry of overseas Indian affairs for the welfare of the Indian workers in West Asia.
A testing time for Congress-DMK ties
By Papri Sri Rakan, IANS
Chennai : With Congress president Sonia Gandhi terming coalition politics in Tamil Nadu as a "challenge", there is speculation here of some shift in the party's alliances in the state.
While the expression of concern by the Congress leadership is seen as a go ahead to the state Congress to take an aggressive stand against the DMK, the Congress is fighting shy of taking on the state's ruling party - yet.
Parliament adjourned following uproar over Nandigram
By IANS
New Delhi : The Rajya Sabha was adjourned for the day while the Lok Sabha was adjourned till 2 p.m. Tuesday following disruption by a determined opposition over the violence in West Bengal's Nandigram.
While the Rajya Sabha was adjourned immediately after it met, the pandemonium continued for 20 minutes in the Lok Sabha before Speaker Somnath Chatterjee was forced to adjourn proceedings.
Congress changes tune again on Sonia remarks
By IANS
New Delhi : In another volte face, the Congress Monday said party president Sonia Gandhi's controversial "merchant of death" remark was not aimed at Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi but was a reference to the "political failure" of the system.
"She was referring to the political failure of a system (Gujarat administration) and its functioning," party spokesperson Shakeel Ahmed told reporters here.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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).
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.
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.