At BJP meet, Narendra Modi's advice is go big on campaign against FDI in retail

Surajkund, Haryana: At a meeting of 300 top BJP leaders, Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi intervened in a debate on foreign direct investment in retail today to suggest that the party take the issue to the village level and offered a systematic plan to negate the Congress' "reforms are back" campaign. He suggested that the party hold more than 5000 public meetings across the country to highlight the BJP's objections, 10 in each Lok Sabha constituency. The Gujarat CM also suggested the BJP emphasise to traders and farmers that the Centre's decision to allow big foreign chains like Walmart to set up shop would affect them adversely.

Party spokesman Prakash Javadekar later said the BJP will counter the government's decision to allow 51 percent foreign equity in multi-brand retail by pointing out that 100 percent FDI in back-end operations in the food processing industries has been allowed for a decade, but has yielded very low investment.

The argument will be part of an economic resolution that the BJP's national executive, the party's decision-making body, will finalise and pass. The BJP leaders are meeting over three days in the picnic town of Surajkund near Delhi to give shape to the party's strategy ahead of elections in states like Karnataka, Gujarat and  Himachal Pradesh, where it is in power.
The first brainstorming session today has also thrown up a plan for 100 rallies across the country to bring back the focus of people to corruption to maximise the BJP's campaign against the Congress-led UPA government, framed in recent months by a series of corruption scandals, and newly fragile after its biggest ally, Mamata Banerjee, quit the coalition over new economic reforms.

BJP leaders are of the view that the party should keep up its pointed attack on Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. Mr Javadekar said Dr Singh's recent address to the nation justifying the economic reforms was disappointing for the people, who were expecting some relief from harsh measures his government had announced. "The prime minister keeps referring to the economic reforms started by him in 1991 but the Congress and its policies have been responsible for the economic mess the country is in today," the BJP spokesman said.
 
In the morning, the BJP's general secretary Ravi Shankar Prasad said, "The government isn't working; it is unable to manage allies and blames the Opposition for all that is wrong." He also said that instead of tackling the corruption within, the government uses the CBI to target political opponents. "An extension counter of the CBI should open at the Congress office," he said.

The three-day meeting of the  BJP's national executive will be followed by a gathering of the BJP National Council, which has 1,200 members, and will formally adopt a resolution to pave the way for a second consecutive term as party president for Nitin Gadkari.

While Mr Gadkari and  other senior leaders like LK Advani are present at the national executive meeting in Surajkund on the outskirts of the capital, Karnataka heavyweight BS Yeddyurappa has skipped the session, opting to enrol for a three-day course with the Art of Living Foundation in Bangalore, headed by spiritual guru Sri Sri Ravi Shankar. His party no doubt wishes fervently that he finds the inner peace that the Foundation promises.

For close to two years now, since he was forced to quit as the Chief Minister of the BJP's only government in the South, Mr Yeddyurappa has been in perma-rebel mode. He threatens repeatedly to split the BJP - a warning that has teeth, given his extensive following among local leaders.In July last year, he chose his successor when corruption charges ousted him from office. A year later, he asked that his replacement be removed, and deftly delivered his new favourite, Jagadish Shettar, to the Chief Minister's office.

With elections in Karnataka just months away, Mr Yeddyurappa's absence from this week's three-day brainstorming session does not bode well for the BJP.

Will Amit Shah's bail be cancelled? Supreme Court verdict likely today

New Delhi: The Supreme Court is expected to give its verdict today on cancelling the bail of Amit Shah, former minister and close aide of Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi, in the 2005 Sohrabuddin Sheikh fake encounter case, and whether to shift the trial to Mumbai.

The CBI had petitioned the court for cancellation of Mr Shah's bail on the grounds that he may try to influence witnesses in the case.

Sohrabuddin and his wife Kauser Bi were allegedly abducted by the Gujarat's Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) from Hyderabad and killed in a fake encounter near Gandhinagar in November 2005.

Mr Shah was arrested by the CBI on July 25, 2010 and had spent over three months in Sabarmati Jail in Ahmedabad. He had to quit the Modi government in July last year after having been slapped with kidnapping and murder charges in the fake encounter killing. Mr Shah is currently out on bail but has been barred by the Supreme Court from entering the state. In an election year, how critical is his return for the BJP and Mr Modi in particular?

The party leaders don't want to say on record but they admit that the absence of Amit Shah could mean trouble for the Chief Minister. He is considered not just an important strategist for the party but a crisis manager for Mr Modi.

Post-2002, Mr Shah played a key role in Mr Modi's political planning. He also ensured the BJP's growing clout in the milk cooperatives that were traditionally Congress held.

"It's fine that Mr Modi himself is a strategist, but Shah has ensured party's immense strength in cooperatives, cricket associations and urban municipal corporations. That's why his absence could prove a big hurdle for Mr Modi during elections," said Ganshyam Shah, a political analyst.

But what comes as another blow to Mr Shah's supporters is the CBI filing a chargesheet against him in Tulsiram Prajapati case and his imminent arrest which could mean his political isolation. The Opposition hopes to draw electoral mileage out of this.

"One minister is behind bars for riots, another finds himself in the middle of a fake encounter. It's clearly an embarrassment for the BJP," said Congress spokesman Manish Doshi.

The CBI had said that Mr Prajapati was a witness in the Sohrabuddin case and his killing was part of a larger conspiracy in which Mr Shah, as the then head of the state administration, was involved.

Mr Shah's supporters want him to reclaim his clout in state politics which has of late seen domination by another aide of Mr Modi, senior minister Anandiben Patel. But faced with arrest, it's clearly tough times for Amit Shah, the once powerful politician of Gujarat.

From: NDTV

Maharashtra irrigation scam: Whistleblower names BJP chief Nitin Gadkari

New Delhi: In a new twist in the irrigation scam in Maharashtra, that is the root of the political crisis in the state, one of the whistleblowers has named BJP chief Nitin Gadkari for trying to suppress it. The whistleblower, Anjali Damania, has been instrumental in blowing the lid off the Rs. 72,000 crore scam.

Speaking on NDTV, Ms Damania said that when she met Mr Gadkari in August at his Worli, Mumbai home, he told her to not push too hard to expose the scam. Earlier, without naming Mr Gadkari, Ms Damania had said that 'the opposition party chief' told her "we help Pawar and he helps us, can't do anything in this scam". She claimed to have met the BJP chief three times, once in Delhi in June 2011 and twice in Mumbai, in August 2011 and August 14 this year.

The BJP's Prakash Javadekar, who was also on NDTV, called it "rubbish". "Anyone can make allegations, it doesn't mean anything," Mr Javadekar said.


Ms Damania claimed that she had an SMS with her, sent to Mr Gadkari, right after the meeting, expressing her disappointment with his stand on the issue. Mr Javadekar dismissed this as well, saying that anyone can send SMSes. Mr Gadkari too has denied meeting her.

The BJP is in opposition in Maharashtra, whose Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar has been accused by political opponents and activists of being involved in the scam, when he was water resources minister.

Ms Damania was one of the two whistleblowers who dug out the scam after her farmland that was with her for more than decade was taken over by an irrigation project, that eventually turned out be a dud.  

BJP national executive meeting today; focus on UPA's 'misgovernance'

Surajkund (Haryana): The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will hold its national executive meeting in Surajkund in Haryana today where it is expected to formulate its strategy on the current political and economic situation in the country. The event will be followed by a two-day National Council meeting, starting on September 27.

During the three-day deliberations, the BJP is expected to focus on "misgovernance" by the Congress-led UPA government and highlight recent scams including the allocation of coal mines, 2G telecom spectrum and the 2010 Commonwealth Games, as pointed out by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG).

The meeting will start with BJP president Nitin Gadkari's address. Apart from its top leaders, chief ministers and deputy chief ministers from NDA-ruled states, 300 delegates are also expected to attend the party National Executive, while 1,200 will attend the BJP National Council meet.

BJP Vice President Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said the party top brass. including LK Advani, Nitin Gadkari, Sushma Swaraj, Arun Jaitley, Murli Manohar Joshi, Rajnath Singh, Venkaiah Naidu and others, will give a final shape to its proposed roadmap against UPA's "corruption and misgovernance".

The party is also expected to discuss its prospects in the forthcoming assembly elections in Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Tripura, Meghalaya, Nagaland and Karnataka and strategise its poll campaign.

After the day-long National Executive on September 26 and National Council on September 27 and 28, a rally will be held on September 28.

The party meet comes at a time when the UPA has seen the exit of the Trinamool Congress from the coalition over the issue of FDI in retail and a hike in diesel prices, something that has seen opposition parties gunning for the Congress.

"People of this nation who are opposing the policies of UPA and have taken to the streets to expose corruption and scams indulged by it are doing constructive service to nation. They expect that they continue to do scams and corruption and we praise it and showers petals on its corrupt ministers.... They will not sit quietly," Mr Naqvi said on Tuesday.

Form: NDTV

FDI in retail: Mamata Banerjee-less UPA will need Mulayam Singh Yadav on its side, why he may oblige

New Delhi: Mulayam Singh Yadav, crucial to the survival of the UPA government, is making the Congress squirm.  He co-starred with Left leaders today in a massive protest in Delhi against the new reforms introduced by Dr Manmohan Singh. Like the Left and the BJP, the Samajwadi Party chief is also against opening India's vast retail sector to foreign super-chains and has attacked them publicly.

Mr Yadav walked to a police station with Left leaders like Sitaram Yechury and Prakash Karat to court arrest.  But he pointed out that he  did not share a stage with BJP leaders.  I am supporting the government to stop communal forces. BJP se hamara koi vaasta nahi hai (We have no relationship with the BJP)."

Sources say that the regional powerhouse has indicated that he is not ready to be a part of attempts to bring down the government and force mid-term elections. Like the Left and the BJP, the Samajwadi Party chief is also against these reforms and has attacked them publicly. That doesn't mean that the Samajwadi Party won't cash in on the government's new vulnerability.

"Don't take our support for granted," Ram Gopal Yadav, a senior party leader and Mr Yadav's brother, warned earlier this week.  The UPA is in a minority after its biggest ally, Mamata Banerjee, quit the government over last week's decisions to raise diesel prices, reduce the amount of subsidised cooking gas for households, and allow foreign giants like Wal-Mart to set up large retail outlets in India.  Mr Yadav's party has 22 MPS, three more than Ms Banerjee. But his party has said it will not join the government, and that it will decide in the next few weeks whether to continue external support to the coalition. 

In fact, Ram Gopal Yadav, said clearly that the party was prerparing its list of candidates for the 2014 elections, which is when they are due. But remarks like those - and there have been many - are political swagger that belie careful calculations. "Let the Congress get some wisdom," Mulayam Singh had said yesterday. "What have they given the people apart from corruption and rising prices?" he asked.

But behind the scenes, sources in the Congress say that back-channel talks with the Samajwadi Party chief are showing results. After initially announcing that the party would meet today to decide whether to continue support to the UPA, the session has been deferred. Samajwadi Party sources say that their leaders are worried that the Congress' decline could strengthen the BJP and that may bring Narendra Modi to power.

Mr Yadav's party has often justified its support to the UPA as its contribution to ensuring that the "communal forces" of the BJP are restrained.  Uttar Pradesh's large Muslim population is a crucial votebank for the Samajwadi Party. The BJP has been dithering over whether to pick Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi as its prime ministerial candidate for the next general election.  Mr Yadav wants to impede any plans that could help Mr Modi's ascension to the national centrestage.

There's also the fact that Mr Yadav's rival, Mayawati, has made it clear that she is firmly on the UPA's side for now.  Since her humiliating defeat in Uttar Pradesh earlier this year - Mr Yadav's son, Akhilesh, powered the campaign and his party's victory and is now chief minister-  Mayawati has found it expedient to team with the UPA on important policies.  Though her party is opposed to FDI in retail, she is not participating in today's bandh or strike.  She has 21 Lok Sabha MPs, just one less than Mr Yadav, and like him, she guaranteed her support to the UPA in a letter to the President when the government was formed.  Even if Mr Yadav kills his support to the government, she can keep it in power. Mr Yadav is unlikely to take any move that would allow her that sort of prominence at the centre.

If that looks like a win-win for the Congress and the government, it will have to consider the fact that Mr Yadav could turn into a tougher opponent of reforms. He warned the government of a "bigger agitation" along with other parties if there is no rollback of its reform decisions. And he knows that with the Trinamool exiting, the Congress' options of allies to support it are also shrinking.

Mr Yadav's decision is important not only for the Congress' future, but also for the way the BJP will plan its next steps. The main opposition party reportedly feels that till the SP decides to ditch the Congress, the BJP will not be in a position to take political advantage of the situation. As long as Mr Yadav keeps the UPA safe, any move to seek a special session of parliament or pushing for a confidence vote to test the UPA's strength could well back-fire.

(with inputs from Agencies)

BJP keen on special Parliament session to corner government on FDI

New Delhi: With the Trinamool Congress deciding to quit the United Progressive Alliance (UPA), the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) sees an opportunity to corner the ruling coalition and is planning to demand a special session of Parliament to discuss the issue of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in retail but its key ally Janata Dal (United) is not in favour of this move.

The BJP says it feels the government will not last its full term till 2014 if the Trinamool Congress goes ahead with its decision to exit the UPA.

Senior party leader L K Advani said his party would like a special session to be convened to discuss this issue, holding that the government has committed a "breach of trust" of Parliament.

The party, however, said it will consult its allies of National Democratic Alliance (NDA) after tomorrow's nationwide agitation against FDI in retail and diesel price hike before firming up its position.

"Yesterday's development has destabilised the present government. It is only a matter of time that it will collapse. The present government cannot last its full term till 2014. Anything can happen before that," Mr Advani told Press Trust of India.

He said since the then Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee had promised in both houses of Parliament that the decision on FDI in retail would not be taken before evolving a consensus with all stakeholders, the government had committed a "breach of trust of Parliament".

"The promise had been made to both houses of Parliament by the then Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee that we will not bring FDI in retail until a consensus is evolved with all stakeholders including all political parties and all Chief Ministers. Therefore, we hold that the announcement of FDI in retail is a breach of trust of Parliament," Mr Advani said.

He said "therefore, we would request for convening of a special session of Parliament. We will make a formal request to the President for the special session after the September 20 nation-wide bandh called by us."

Asked whether there is a need for convening a special session of Parliament, JD(U) leader Sharad Yadav said there is "no need" for it as it will not solve any problem.

BJP spokesperson Prakash Javadekar said "our leader L K Advani has said that we can demand a special session of Parliament on the issue as the Prime Minister had promised on the floor of the House that this is an era of federalism and if we bring FDI in retail, we will try and build a consensus before".

"We in NDA will decide on whether to convene a special session of Parliament... We will decide at the NDA meeting after tomorrow's nationwide bandh," he said. 

Did Nitish Kumar just put NDA on notice? His comment suggests he's up for grabs

Patna: With the UPA government reduced to a minority after Mamata Banerjee's withdrawal, political alignments are shaping and reshaping themselves virtually by the hour. And regional parties are looking at pushing their agendas and demands in the politically uncertain situation. Though it is the Congress which is in most pain right now, the Bharatiya Janata Party-led NDA got a bit of kick in the shins as well.

It came from Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar, who said that his party, the Janata Dal (United) was willing to support whoever gave the state special status. "Whoever supports special status for Bihar, we will support them at the Centre," Mr Kumar said.

His party, which is in alliance with the BJP in Bihar, has 22 MPs in Parliament, three more than the exiting Trinamool Congress. He said that Bihar, which has 40 Lok Sabha seats, will play a lead role in deciding who comes to power next.
 And if Mr Kumar indicated his party was available, the Congress suggested it was available. "Several states including UP, Bihar need special packages, so we will have to discuss," Congress General Secretary Digvijaya Singh told NDTV. He also said that Mr Kumar had "proved" his secular credentials several times, while pointing out that he was the Railway Minister during the Godhra riots in 2002.

But JD(U) chief Sharad Yadav, who is also the NDA convener, made light of Mr Kumar's remark. "I speak to Nitish Kumar three times a day... He is usually three-four places ahead of me so what can I say about what he has said... there is nothing of the sort," he said.

The BJP, which leads the NDA coalition, of which Mr Kumar's JD(U) is a key constituent, downplayed the latter's remark. "You misunderstood what he (Nitish Kumar) was saying. He was taunting the Congress as there was a request for special assistance earlier. There is nothing more to it," said BJP spokesperson Prakash Javadekar.

Earlier this year, the Centre rejected the 'special status' tag for Bihar which would entitle the state to large loans, major tax concessions, financial packages, infrastructure development, and a concerted effort by the Centre to boost private investment in Bihar. Mr Kumar's administration says that when Bihar was bifurcated in 2000, it lost a significant part of its natural resources to the new state of Jharkhand. In retaliation to the Centre's refusal, Mr Kumar began his Adhikar Yatra (Rights March) from Bettiah in West Champaran district today. It will culminate on November 4 with a rally in Patna, the first since in the state capital in nearly seven years.

Over the last few months, the relationship of the BJP and the JD(U) has been disturbed by the chief minister's remarks against senior BJP leader Narendra Modi. Mr Kumar has said that as the largest party in the ensemble, the BJP has the prerogative of picking the coalition's prime ministerial candidate. However, he has warned that he will exit the group if the BJP makes Mr Modi its nominee. 18% of Bihar is Muslim, and their vote is crucial for Mr Kumar. He has stressed that the NDA's prime ministerial candidate must have secular credentials - a thinly-veiled remark against Mr Modi, whose ambitions to move to the national landscape from Gujarat are hampered by the communal riots in his state in 2002.

Hope the Indian housewife rises to the occasion: Ambika Soni on LPG limit

New Delhi: Union minister Ambika Soni  has said in reaction to the restriction of subsidised gas cylinders announced on Thursday night, "I do hope that the Indian housewife will once again rise to the occasion. As a woman, I know how difficult it will be as the Indian housewife has to manage budgets."

Earlier, BJP leader Sushma Swaraj had said, "I wish the woman president of the Congress Party (Sonia Gandhi) had felt the problems of a lady of the house."

After Thursday night's announcement, the government will allow only six subsidised gas cylinders in a year at a cost of around Rs. 400. Any cylinders above that will cost a family Rs. 750.

"As a member of the council of ministers I do realize the imperative of raising prices of commmodities like diesel and LPG, but this tough measure is imperative for growth. Sensex and industry has welcomed as signals in the right direction by the government," Ms Soni said.

She added that tough decision hurt but they have to be taken so that the government has money to spend on social welfare and infrastructure.

She also said that chief ministers could "make the bitter pill more palatable". The last hike in petrol prices of Rs. 7 was softened by states reducing taxes, after protests by allies and opposition parties.
 

Coal scandal: Four coal blocks de-allocated, two assigned by NDA

New Delhi: Up against allegations that the government implemented a coal policy that provided windfall benefits to private players and cost  the country thousands of crores,  the Coal Ministry has decided  today to de-allocate four coal blocks given to companies who did not develop them within the deadlines  specified in their contracts.

The recommendation for revoking these coal permits was made by an inter-ministerial group (IMG) which is studying 58 companies, public and private, who have not made adequate progress and were sent notices in April. The IMG  met representatives of 29 private firms last week to hear their defense. Today's recommendations are the first offered by the IMG since it was set up in July. 

The companies whose coal blocks will be taken away include Castron Mining Limited, Fieldmining and Ispat Limited, and DOMCO Smokeless Fuels Pvt. Limited.

A company named Shri Virangana Steels Limited will lose a portion of the bank guarantee it provided when it filed its application.

Monnet Ispat and Energy Limite  has made substantial progress in the coal block it was given but did not provide a bank guarantee. It  will now have to submit an amount that  equal  to three years royalty within a month or lose it coal block.

Action against defaulters and under-achievers was promised by the government after a report by the national auditor said the government had lost upto 1.86 lakh crores because its coal allocation policy was not transparent. The auditor or CAG said coal fields should have been auctioned. The government responded that earlier laws did not allow for a competitive bidding process, and that the extensive process required to change policy would have hurt industrial development and the economy.

Its defense has been somewhat punctured by the fact that a long list of firms that got coal fields at a fraction of their true worth then failed to begin mining.  While the inter-ministerial group is looking at companies guilty of squatting, the CBI has begun filing cases against firms and their executives who misreported their finances and technical expertise to corner coal blocks.

The coal scandal paralysed the last session of parliament because of daily disruptions by the main opposition party, the BJP, which is demanding the PM's resignation over "coal-gate."

Among revoked coal permits, a firm that appears close to BJP

New Delhi: Among the four firms whose coal licenses have been revoked yesterday by the government is Castron Mining. 

In 1999 when the BJP-led NDA was in power, Castron Mining was given one coal block in Jharkhand. In India,  private firms cannot operate coal mines for commercial use -the coal blocks they get have to feed power, steel or cement plants.

Castron was meant to use its coal block in Jharkhand for an iron and steel project.   Because it has yet to begin mining, its coal license is being cancelled.

Castron's office at Nariman Point in Mumbai is shared by businessman Anup Aggarwalla's BLA Group , which has interests in the power sector. Both companies list the same address on their websites. Mr Aggrawala's firm was allotted two coal blocks in Madhya Pradesh in 1996.

Mr Aggarwala is listed as the co-convener of the BJP's Commerce Cell on the party's website.  In 2009, he was the BJP's candidate for the Rajya Sabha election from Ranchi, but lost.

In June 2012, the businessman was also part of a business delegation to Tokyo led by Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan. 

Mulayam Singh Yadav talks of mid-term polls again, doesn't discount him becoming PM

Kolkata: Mulayam Singh Yadav has sewn up his election game plan in Kolkata and says those elections can happen before 2014. And though he has clearly taken a lead in cobbling together a non-Congress and non-BJP alternative, he insisted today that any Third Front would take shape only after the next Lok Sabha elections.

Mr Yadav has made no bones about the fact that after his party's spectacular showing in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections, he is eyeing a bigger role for his party at the Centre. Asked if he was in the running for being the next Prime Minister, the veteran politician said, "I am not in line, but I am not a sadhu-sant (saint) either.

The Samajwadi Party, he said, would fight elections alone. "The Third Front can happen only after the polls. It will depend on the situation," Mr Yadav said. He also refused to say who of the two West Bengal rivals, the Left and Mamata Banerjee, would be part of such a Front, merely stating that, "We will keep good relations with all parties." Mulayam Singh Yadav has for years had political affinity with the Left parties and has joined hands with them on several issues like FDI in retail and the coal allocation scam in recent times.

But the Yadavs, Mulayam and son, Akhilesh, have also indicated during the Kolkata sojourn that they are willing to explore new equations. Mr Yadav said today that he had the greatest regard for Ms Banerjee and described a meeting between her and son Akhilesh yesterday as "very good talks." After the meeting Mr Yadav junior had said, "After coming to Kolkata, I would not have felt good not meeting Didi. It was necessary to meet her." Just a few months ago, the Congress managed to blunt a growing closeness between Mr Yadav and Ms Banerjee ahead of the Presidential elections. Ms Banerjee partners the Congress at the Centre, but that relationship has been at breakpoint for some time now. 

A common political imperative binds Mamata Banerjee and Mulayam Singh Yadav - both would like early elections to consolidate on their big wins in their respective states. In the first flush of victory and from a position of strength they know that they are likely to do much better now than after two years, when the honeymoon period is well over and anti-incumbency factors set in. Ms Banerjee swept the Assembly elections in West Bengal last year; Mr Yadav's Samjawadi Party won UP early this year.     

What Mr Yadav was startlingly unambiguous about today was where exactly he stood in his equation with the Congress, that leads the UPA government at the Centre.

"Let me make it clear, the Samajwadi Party does not support the UPA government. The Samajwadi Party is against communalism. If the Congress is weakening and needs support against communalism, we may provide that support." Not words of comfort for the ruling party which depends heavily on Mr Yadav to bail it out at crucial moments. Mr Yadav's assertion today that "the situation is such there may be elections earlier than 2014," makes it worse.

For three days in Kolkata, where his party is holding a convention, Mr Yadav has appeared determined to prove he's on a different team. Yesterday he had slammed the Congress for financial scams, especially the coal swindle that has forced the government on the defensive amid allegations of entrenched corruption. This after referring to his Samajwadi Party as the opposition on Monday.

That distancing from the Congress continued today when he said that both the national parties - the Congress and the BJP have weakened and are plagued by issues. He said that he would not field a candidate in Congress president Sonia Gandhi's constituency Rae Bareli as a return of favour for the Congress not contesting against his daughter-in-law Dimple in the Kannauj by-election a few months ago, but would not promise the same in Amethi, Rahul Gandhi's constituency. His party colleagues had made things rather awkward yesterday by saying that they saw little political ability in Rahul Gandhi.  Today Mr Yadav wished Mr Gandhi much luck.

(With PTI inputs)

Narendra Modi's election campaign kicks off on Advani's rath today

Ahmedabad: Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi will begin his month-long yatra from the religious town of Becharaji in north Gujarat today, which will cover major parts of the state.

Interestingly, the name of Mr Modi's yatra is Vivekananda Yuva Vikas Yatra, which will begin on the day when spiritual leader Swami Vivekanada made his historic speech at the Chicago Conference of World Religions, 150 years ago.

Billed as a beginning of his electoral campaign, the rath yatra will cover all the districts of the state. Interestingly, Mr Modi will move in the same rath which was used by senior party leader LK Advani during last year's jan chetna yatra.

Mr Modi is seen as a favourite to win yet another election, but this time around he faces numerous issues including the emergence of Gujarat Parivartan Party, led by former chief minister Keshubhai Patel, and also the huge response to Congresses free housing scheme for women which seem to have rattled the chief minister.

Becharji has been chosen as a starting point as Maruti will construct its new car plant near the temple town and the yatra will also talk about development of the state, BJP spokesperson Vijay Rupani said.

The last time Mr Modi undertook a similar exercise was in 2002 when he took out his Gaurav Rath Yatra, ahead of the Assembly polls and after his resounding victory in the post-Godhra riots case. He returned to power with a thumping majority.

(With PTI inputs)

Congress attacks national auditor (CAG), blames it for the wasted Monsoon session of Parliament

New Delhi: Escalating its attack on the Comptroller and Auditor General, the Congress on Monday virtually accused CAG Vinod Rai of working for the BJP. This was the strongest attack yet on the CAG and marks a shift of strategy by the party, which had so far been attacking the auditor on facts and figures. Party spokesperson Manish Tiwari had also said that the CAG was as much to blame for the wasted Monsoon session of Parliament as the opposition.

"What's unfortunate is, CAG is just as responsible for this as the BJP is for Monsoon session washout. It has lead to roadblocks in governance and it has maligned India's image internationally," said Mr Tiwari.

The BJP reacted by calling the Congress' statements "ridiculous, cheap and sad" and said that the party must rise above questioning constitutional bodies and "shooting the messenger".

Resuming its criticism against the Comptroller and Auditor General, whose report pointing to a scam on coal block allocations allowed the BJP to corner the government, a Congress spokesperson said that "history shows the mindset" of the CAG "matches certain parties" and that for one of its reports, opposition leaders called up CAG officials. He also accused the CAG of "misusing its constitutional position". The party had several times earlier said that the CAG had exceeded its brief.

"If you were to go into history, you had a situation whereby a CAG report in 1988 paralysed Parliament. The findings of that report were struck down during the NDA regime. But meanwhile the author of the report became a Member of the Rajya Sabha and was Governor of Karnataka," Mr Tiwari said.

Reacting to a question that the Prime Minister had said that he and the government respected the office of the CAG, the spokesperson said that there was no divide on this between the PM and the party.

The spokesperson said that the CAG's "notional figures" had caused embarrassment for the country and that independent experts had questioned the reports. The government had said that the figures of loss that the CAG has reported in the coal allocation report, as well as the 2G spectrum report earlier, were notional and disputable. The CAG too had changed its figures more than once.

The party also slammed the BJP for its "doublespeak" on the CAG's report, saying that it was willing to treat as "sacrosanct" the figures when it came to the Congress, but treated them as notional when it came to states ruled by it.

Top cops from BJP-ruled states snubbed by Prime Minister?

New Delhi: Is the breakdown of relations between the ruling Congress and the BJP spilling into newer but volatile territory? In the recently concluded Annual Director General of Police (DGP) conference in Delhi, the customary special interaction between the Prime Minister and select top cops, none of the DGPs of BJP ruled states and several NDA ruled states were invited. After the address at the conference, the Prime Minister's meet with select officers is an old tradition. Usually the Prime Minister spends about 40 minutes with the DGPs. He is briefed by these DGPs on key concerns and an informal consensus is hammered out to deal with the issues.

Sources tell NDTV, that DGPs of Gujarat, Chhattisgarh, Karnataka, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh  were invited for the special-interaction with Prime Minister. Those from Punjab and Odisha too were left out. This despite the fact that during the meet the Prime Minister mentioned the exodus of North-Easterners from Karnataka after the circulation of hate SMSes on clashes between the Bodos and Muslims in Assam.

During the conference, Dr Singh had launched a frontal attack on Maoist front organizations masquerading as Human Rights Groups and even pulled up Maoist affected states like Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand for a poor police to population ratio and vacancies in the state police forces. "Left Wing Extremists affected States also need to improve the police-population ratio, strengthen police infrastructure and equip their police forces with better weapons," Dr Singh said when addressing the conference. On the issue of Islamic terror, the Prime Minister said "we are still in the process of developing capabilities to take pre-emptive action in respect of terrorist threats. Realignment of operational approaches, training of police personnel and more effective collaboration among States and between States and the Centre should form part of our overall strategy." However, regardless of these observations, DGPs from Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand or Odissa weren't invited from the special interaction. Sources also tell NDTV that during the Special Interaction with the Prime Minister, Left Wing Extremism was one of the issues on the table. Director General of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) K Vijay Kumar made a presentation on Maoist menace in the Special Interaction with the PM. And, although, over a dozen young men have been arrested from Bengaluru for being part of a terror module, Director General (DG) Karnataka was left out of the special interaction.

Interestingly, the DGP of Bihar, Abhaynand, did make it to the list for the special interaction. Though Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, is in power thanks to the BJP's support, but the Congress has been making overtures to the JD(U) after Nitish Kumar went public against Narendra Modi's candidature for the Prime Minister's post in 2014. During the recent the past the PM, Congress  President Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi have heaped praise on Nistish Kumar - adding to the speculation that the Congress will like to wean away the JD(U) from the BJP. 

From: NDTV

Nitish Kumar vs Narendra Modi heats up for Gujarat elections

Ahmedabad: In the elections in Gujarat, the BJP will find itself in competition in 100 seats against its own ally, Nitish Kumar's party, the Janata Dal United or JD(U).

"There are some districts where we will contest on our own," said the JD(U)'s Sharad Yadav, in what will be seized by many as the latest installment of tension in an increasingly-unsteady partnership. In the last elections in Gujarat, the JD(U) contested 30 seats. This time, it will put up its own candidates in 100 constituencies. Mr Kumar dodged questions today about whether he will campaign in Gujarat, a move that would pit him against his counterpart there, chief minister Narendra Modi.

In Bihar, Mr Kumar runs the government with the BJP, but his thinly-veiled opposition to Mr Modi has been peaking lately amid discussions about the next general election. Mr Modi, who is up for re-election soon, has prime ministerial ambitions and is often seen as one of the most popular leaders of the BJP. In a series of interviews, Mr Kumar has said that his party will not support any candidate for PM who does not have secular values.

In the last state and general elections in Bihar, Mr Kumar made it clear to the BJP that Mr Modi could not be brought in for rallies and campaigns. 18% of Bihar's population is Muslim, a vote-bank loyal to Mr Kumar.

The BJP has vacillated between talking tough with Mr Kumar, and suggesting that his opinion will be taken into account before the party decides on its choice for Prime Minister. While some leaders have said Mr Kumar's advise and assessment of secularism is not needed, BJP president Nitin Gadkari told NDTV recently that the party has not yet decided on its nominee for Prime Minister.

Over the weekend, the Shiv Sena, one of the BJP's oldest allies, said it favours the BJP's Sushma Swaraj for Prime Minister, a surprise announcement that is likely to add to the much-discussed infighting within the BJP's senior ranks.

From: NDTV

Prime Minister blames BJP for 'wasted session of Parliament'; BJP hits back

New Delhi: After a washed out monsoon session of Parliament, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh slammed the BJP today accusing it of "negating democracy" by not allowing either House to function over the coal block allocation issue.

The BJP hit back to say that the UPA government was "committed to kleptocracy" and that loss of a "few crores" because of adjournments would be more than recovered if coal block licences were cancelled and allotted anew. As has happened every day for two weeks, both Houses were adjourned today, this time till the winter session, without transacting business.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, in a strongly-worded, written message to the nation, tore into the opposition for a "wasted session of Parliament". The statement said that the opposition had made a "mockery of parliamentary democracy" and instead of debating the issues brought up by the national auditor's report pointing to a scam in coal block allocations, "leaders of the opposition saw fit to demand my resignation".

The PM's statement also blamed the opposition for "disabl(ing) the voice of the public" and forcing them to "listen only to the voices in the street, which is not the place for reasoned discourse". He urged "all right minded Indians to stand up... against the forces of anarchy and disruption to secure the foundations of (democracy)..."

Till the very end of the session, the BJP was adamant that the PM resign over the coal scam. It also wants all allocations of coal blocks that the national auditor alleges were made in a non-transparent manner be scrapped. The auditor has alleged a R 1.86 crore loss to the nation because of these allocations made to several private firms, with links to politicians.

The Congress has said a flat no to both demands. The PM said outside Parliament this afternoon, "We have great respect for the institution of the CAG (Comptroller and Auditor General) but we must be ready to debate the findings in the PAC (Public Accounts Committee) on the floor of the House. The Opposition chose not to take advantage of the standard practices in Parliamentary democracy. This is (a) negation of democracy."

In the written address, he added, "I assure all of you that the issues raised in the CAG report are not being swept under the carpet. They will be discussed in Parliament as they should be. Whatever corrective action is necessary will be taken."

The BJP chose the last day of the session to announce that the political formation it leads, the NDA, will now take its protest on the coal issue to the streets.

Party leader Arun Jaitley said, "The UPA is a regime committed to kleptocracy - what we have started in this session will be taken to the people till we are able to restore fairness and some degree of accountability." Minutes before that, his colleague Sushma Swaraj announced that top leaders of the BJP would meet on September 11 to strategise how to take the coal issue to every village.

Justifying the means to an end, she said, "When Parliament ends this way, there is criticism - we are told that there is a loss since the Parliament wasn't allowed to function. In 2G this was the case, but when we look back, licences sold for Rs. 1600 crore is now being sold for a base price that will fetch the exchequer Rs. 1.26 lakh crore. So by losing Rs. 10-20 crore from loss of Parliament proceeding, if we can build pressure on the government, then that is acceptable."

If the Winter Session of Parliament last December, with the 2G logjam and the war over the Lokpal Bill, is one of the worst that the country had seen, this Monsoon Session gives it a tough fight. In the words of Vice President Hamid Ansari: "This session is likely to be remembered for work not done."

Of the 31 bills listed, only six were passed. For much of the session, MPs came to both Houses, shouted, even assaulted each other, took their daily allowances and went home. It is estimated that the repeated adjournments that washed out the Monsoon Session have cost the taxpayer Rs. 10 crore for the two weeks they lasted. Then there was the sight of the BSP's Avtar Singh and SP's Naresh Aggarwal pushing and pummelling each other in the Upper House.  The fight went on in the presence of the Prime Minister and happened as the government was introducing in the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday, a bill to allow reservation in promotions for SC/ST public sector employees; that too has landed in cold storage.

Rajya Sabha scuffle over quota bill: Who said what

New Delhi: The Rajya Sabha today witnessed high drama as a scuffle broke out between Samajwadi Party (SP) and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) members when the government introduced a bill to provide for reservations in promotions for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes in government jobs.

Members of SP were on their feet when the government was asked to move the bill. SP leader Naresh Agrawal moved towards the Well. He was encountered by BSP member Avatar Singh Karimpuri, who grabbed him by his collar to prevent Mr Agarwal from trooping into the Well.

Here are the reactions of various leaders after the incident:

Mayawati, Bahujan Samaj Party chief
The Congress delayed the Bill and did not introduce it in the last session as they wanted their candidate to win the Presidential elections. Now the BJP is not cooperating as they feel that by cornering the UPA government they can win the elections in 2014. I had appealed to the BJP to give importance to quota promotion bill instead of Coal-gate today. But they are being stubborn.

Naresh Agarwal, Samajwadi Party MP
In my 32 years as a legislator, I have not seen such a thing. The BSP MP was being offensive and I was not allowed to speak. This is similar to what happened in the Uttar Pradesh Assembly when there was a BSP govt.

Mulayam Singh, Samajwadi Party chief
This is unconstitutional. The bill was introduced and no one came to know about it. We will go to the people against this. The Congress Party will have to face the consequences then. This is a promotion to make junior a senior and vice versa. They (government) are making a mockery of rules. Are they running the government or making a joke? Is it constitutional to make junior a senior and a senior a junior?

Ravi Shankar Prasad, BJP spokesperson
I urge Ms Mayawati to stand with us on the issue of corruption. There are so many cases of corruption. Please stand with us on the issue of corruption. Social justice is an ongoing battle that has been going on and must go on.

Sharad Yadav, NDA convenor
Our party fully supports the bill for providing reservation for promotion in jobs to the SC/ST. But there are certain issues on which we have different stands from our ally BJP but there is no division in the NDA. NDA is one and will remain intact.

(With inputs from PTI)

Scuffle in Rajya Sabha over promotion quota bill; Govt says no time to pass it in this session

New Delhi: The image of MPs took another blow today with two members of the Rajya Sabha fighting with each other even as a bill to allow reservation in promotions for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes in government jobs was being tabled. The BJP kept up its protest against the government over the coal scam, not allowing the House to function and get the bill passed.

After a meeting called by the Prime Minister to discuss the fallout of the scuffle and the chaos in Parliament, home minister Sushil Kumar Shinde said that there wouldn't be enough time to pass the bill.  Rajya Sabha had to be finally adjourned for the day just after 2pm after the opposition again shouted slogans against the government.

This session of Parliament ends on Friday. However, the bill will stay "alive" for all time since it was tabled in Rajya Sabha, which does not have expiry date, unlike Lok Sabha.

Mayawati blamed the BJP and the Congress for the adjournments and the delays in getting the bill passed and called both parties "snakes" after Mr Shinde said that the bill won't pass in this session. The government reacted by saying that it had done its job by tabling the bill. The SP said that it will continue to oppose the bill, which Mulayam Singh Yadav called "unconstitutional".

The two MPs who turned the floor of Rajya Sabha into a wrestling ring belong to the Samajwadi Party and the Bahujan Samaj Party. The SP is opposed to the introduction of quotas in promotion for SC/STs and the BSP is the prime mover of the bill. The SP's Naresh Agarwal and BSP's Avtar Singh were seen pushing each other and exchanging blows even as Minister of State in the PM's Office V Narayanasamy quickly tabled the bill. He later said that he had been expecting some trouble so had not carried any pieces of paper with him. In a similar scuffle during the tabling of the women's reservation bill (which too the SP opposes), a copy of the bill was torn up.

Mr Agarwal sought to justify his action in Parliament by saying that the BSP member was getting "offensive" and not allowing him to speak. His party leader Ram Gopal Yadav defended Mr Agarwal by invoking the scriptures: "It's alright to talk about lowering the dignity but even in Vedas and Puranas... it's written that in emergency everything is justified."

The BJP accuses the government of using this bill to divert attention from its demand that the Prime Minister resign on the coal allocation issue. The BJP is not opposed to the bill but is wary of being seen as helping the government. BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad said that his party was not against social justice but insisted that it will not give up its demand for the cancellation of the allocations of 142 coal blocks which it says is at the root of the "coal-gate" scam. 

From: NDTV

Telangana protests: BJP plans dharna at Jantar Mantar

New Delhi: High drama is expected once again on the streets of the capital today as the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) plans to stage a dharna over the Telangana issue at Jantar Mantar.

Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, Sushma Swaraj, will address the supporters on the issue. Senior party leader LK Advani is also expected to be there.

On Tuesday, drama unfolded at around noon outside the Parliament Street Police Station, less than a km from the highly-fortified Parliament House complex, when hundreds of BJP cadre from Andhra Pradesh tried to march towards the Prime Minister's residence demanding a separate state, forcing police to use water cannons and tear gas shells to quell them.

The protesters marched from Jantar Mantar, where they have been holding an agitation since Monday.

The BJP cadres led by party leader Prakash Javadekar tried breaking the barricades after they were stopped by a large posse of policemen outside the station and even attempted to clash with the police.

The protesters also courted arrest and went inside the station where they raised slogans against the UPA government.

The protesters were demanding the Centre immediately take steps to form a separate state of Telangana.

BJP, the principal Opposition party at the Centre, is supporting the demand for bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh and has accused the Congress of cheating the people of Telangana.

(With inputs from PTI)

Coalgate: CBI books 5 companies, one firm 'linked' to Congress MP Vijay Darda

NEW DELHI: After three months of internal probe, the CBI on Tuesday registered five cases in connection with the alleged scam in allocation of coal mines and conducted searches in nearly 30 places across the country.

After registering five FIRs in court, CBI teams fanned out to nearly 10 cities including Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Patna, Hyderabad, Dhanbad and Nagpur and searched premises of owners of some companies.

The companies named in the FIR by the CBI are Vini Iron and Steel, Nav Bharat Steel, JLD Yavatmal which is said to be linked to the family of Congress MP Vijay Darda, JAS infrastructure of Abhijeet Group and AMR Iron and Steel and their directors and unknown government officials, the CBI said.

The agency, which had registered a preliminary enquiry in June this year, has slapped charges of cheating and suppression of facts against the companies.

When contacted, Vaibhav Tulsyan, whose office and home were searched by the agency for his alleged association with Vini Iron and Steel, claimed he had sold the company to a close aide of the then Jharkhand chief minister Madhu Koda.

"I do not know why the searches are taking place at my office and home. I have sold the company five months before coal block allocations. I was not be the beneficiary allottee. My only fault was that I was the applicant for coal blocks.

"Because of Naxal problem we were not able to run the company, so when Vijay Joshi, who was close aide of former chief minister Madhu Koda, approached us with a good offer, we sold the company to him. At the time coal block allocation, the company was already with Joshi" Tulsyan said.

The company was allocated Rajhara North coal block in Jharkhand. Tulsyan was one of the directors when the application was moved for coal block allocation and he was the signatory on the application.

The agency has also reached the office of JAS Infrastructure and Power Limited in Defence Colony here.

The attempts to contact the Abhijeet group spokesperson failed as his office said he was on leave. The office also refused to part with his contact number. The emails sent to him bounced back.

Congress MP Vijay Darda had refuted allegations that he was part of any scam.

He had stated that neither he was involved in any scam nor he had any partnership with Union coal minister Shri Prakash Jaiswal or Subodh Kant Sahai.

He said if any BJP leader proved that he had been allotted nine coal blocks and got benefit of Rs 25000 crore in nexus with Jaiswal, he was ready to relinquish politics else the person making allegations should leave politics.

The filing of FIRs comes three months after registration of a preliminary enquiry into the coal scam by the agency on the directions of the Central Vigilance Commission.

During the preliminary enquiry, the CBI was informed by the Coal ministry officials that it had issued show cause notices to some of the firms which were allocated the mines for explaining the delay in conducting the mining work.

Some of the firms, which were allocated coal blocks in 2005, were yet to start mining, official sources said.

The CBI had also examined the past areas of operation of some of the companies which were allotted coal blocks in Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh and Karnataka, the sources said alleging some of these firms had been set up only for getting coal blocks allocated and the same was later sublet to other companies at a premium.

CBI coal probe shows its impartiality: Jaiswal

CBI's registering cases against five companies in the coal block allocation scam leaves no room for further questioning on the impartiality of the investigative agency, coal minister Sriprakash Jaiswal said on Tuesday.

"Those who allege CBI works on government instructions, they should answer now, how they feel about the CBI action?" Jaiswal told reporters here, commenting on the development.

Jaiswal's comments come following CBI registered cases against five companies and unknown government officials as part of its probe into alleged irregularities in allocation of coal blocks.

"Please, ask those people who give CBI a bad name when it suits them," Jaiswal said.