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| Advani counters Congress attack on corruption INDORE, Nov 22: In an apparent bid to counter Congress’ tirade against BJP on Judeo issue, Deputy Prime Minister L K......more Advani
blames ULFA for INDORE, Nov 22: Deputy Prime Minister L K Advani today blamed banned ULFA for violence against Biharis in Assam...more Panic-stricken
Biharis GUWAHATI, Nov 22: With reports of renewed attacks pouring in from different parts of Assam, panic-stricken Biharis...more Nail-biting
poll battles on RAIPUR, Nov 22: Chhattisgarh is all set to witness close multi-cornered contests in almost all the 90 constituencies even as...more |
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Probe ordered into Amarmani’s visit to CM Secretariat LUCKNOW, Nov 22: The Uttar Pradesh Government has ordered a high-level probe following a CBI missive that jailed....more BJP
promises NEW DELHI, Nov 22: BJP today promised statehood to Delhi, anti-conversion law....more AMBIKAPUR (CHHATTISGARH), Nov 22: Launching a scathing attack on Chhattisgarh Chief Minister, Prime Minister.....more Outer
Delhi’s 21 seats NEW DELHI, Nov 22: Boasting of being part of the country’s largest Parliamentary constituency, outcome of polling in 21......more |
Advani counters Congress attack on corruption INDORE, Nov 22: In an apparent bid to counter Congress’ tirade against BJP on Judeo issue, Deputy Prime Minister L K Advani today raked up the Bofors scandal saying the people have not forgotten the scam. "Will the people forget the corruption of Quattrochhi," he said addressing a press conference before embarking on a poll campaign in Khandwa, Khargone and Ujjain districts. Advani was referring to Italian businessman Ottavio Quattrochhi, who is an accused in the Bofors pay-off case and is said to be close to the Gandhi family. Taking a dig at the Congress for its allegations of corruption against the BJP, Advani said veteran socialist leader Jaiprakash Narayan had described the Congress as "the fountainhead of corruption". "That party (Congress) is today levelling charges of corruption against the BJP which had joined hands with other parties in the 1970’s to fight against corruption," he said. The BJP leader said the Congress had no issues in the polls on "governance", therefore, it was levelling charges against his party. Defending former Union Minister Dilip Singh Judeo, who is facing bribery allegations, Advani said that he himself tendered his resignation and demanded that the Prime Minister order a CBI probe into the charges. The charges of corruption were also levelled against a particular party, but that party’s leader defended it by saying that "corruption is a global phenomenon", Advani said. Highlighting the BJP’s "endeavour to fight corruption at various levels", the Deputy Prime Minister said that the party had introduced five bills in the monsoon session of Parliament of which three were om making polls more transparent. These included making provisions for open voting in the Rajya Sabha polls and also for giving tax exemption to companies making a donation with a cheque in the party fund among others. BJP has even brought a bill to check the menace of defection and also on the issue of the size of the ministry, he said. (PTI) |
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Advani blames ULFA for tension in Assam INDORE, Nov 22: Deputy Prime Minister L K Advani today blamed banned ULFA for violence against Biharis in Assam saying the militant outfit was indulging in such acts as it had lost ground among the people. "I think ULFA is responsible for the tension among the people (in Assam) as it has lost the people’s support," he told reporters here. He said the tensions erupted as the news of attacks on train passengers in Bihar reached Assam. Meanwhile, at least nine Bihari labourers were today shot dead by ULFA militants in Tinsukia district of Assam taking the toll in the week-long anti-Bihari violence in the state to 43. Advani apppealed to political parties to exercise restraint (Sanyam Se Kaam Lein) in the matter. He did not rule out the involvement of foreign element behind the violence, but added that it was the result of an "unfortunate" incident which sparked the mayhem against the people belonging to a particular region. Advani advised people not to talk on the lines of "regionalism" (Prantiyta), "narrow mentality" (Sankirnta) and state (Pradeshikta) and also "disapproved" of related incidents in Maharashtra without naming the Shiv Sena. He said that his party in Maharastra is discussing the matter and would take appropriate steps against it. Observing that the violence had caused major damage to the country (Bahut Bada Ahit Hua Hai), he said the centre has has sent army in Assam and paramilitary forces in Bihar and was providing the required assistance to both the State Governments. (PTI) |
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Panic-stricken Biharis continue to leave Assam GUWAHATI, Nov 22: With reports of renewed attacks pouring in from different parts of Assam, panic-stricken Biharis have started to leave the State as the situation became tense after today’s killings. "Enough is enough and as every day there are killings it has become dangerous for us to stay here", Munna Bhai, who has been working as a cart-puller in Guwahati city for more than 20 years, said. The Guwahati Railway Station resembled a refugee camp for the beleagured Biharis as they thronged the counters in search of that elusive ticket for safety. "There is absolutely no point in staying back for livelihood as our lives are at stake now and now I will try my luck elsewhere", Munna along with his two-year-old son and his wife said at the railway station. While a section of Biharis staged a peace rally by using more than ten trucks through the city today, others were only interested in getting train tickets. "I am prepared to even stand all way back to Bihar if granted permission to enter any of the trains", Ruksana Begum, who lost her husband in the massacre, said. "I am not safe with my grown up daughter and she is my only concern now", Begun said wiping tears from her eyes. The NF railway spokesperson said that there was rush for tickets in the Bihar-bound trains from Guwahati and its suburbs. There was a huge demand for tickets for destinations in Bihar, particularly Katihar, Kishanganj and Patna, she added. The spokesperson, however, said "we cannot identify the travellers who are to us just passengers and not Biharis or Assamese". Another railway official said that the number of Assamese travelling from Guwahati in trains passing through Bihar had "come down considerably probably due to fear of reprisal in Bihar". Some Biharis, however, are against leaving Assam. "There is no point in leaving the state which has been our homes for years together and effort should be made to bring back the confidence", said Murali Mishra who participated in the truck peace rally today. Accusing the government of not doing enough to restore peace, he said now it was the turn of the people of both communities to ensure that peace prevailed. Meanwhile, the Army has staged flagmarches to instill confidence among the people and posted additional pickets in Bihari-dominated areas of the state, official sources said. (PTI) |
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Contentious issues eclipse people’s problems in Chhattisgarh RAIPUR, Nov 21: Even as Chhattisgarh gears up for its first-ever assembly polls since the state’s formation, contentious issues dominate the election campaign, clouding real problems being faced by the masses. Though the ruling Congress, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) maintain that development is their principal poll plank, issues such as the row over Chief Minister Ajit Jogi’s caste credentials besides cases pending against him, the graft scandal involving former Union Minister of State Dilip Singh Judev, conversions and corruption have overshadowed the campaign. In an apparent bid to tap regional sentiments, the mainstream organisations are also raising the emotive factor of ‘Chhattisgarhi Asmita’ (pride) and also the demand for according ‘language status’ to the Chhattisgarhi dialect. Despite naxals belonging to the Peoples’ War (PW) and Maoist Communist Centre (MCC) being active in almost half the 16 districts, political outfits appeared to be cautious about taking a stand. Parties contesting the hustings are explaining away extremism as a ‘socio-economic’ problem and promising that steps would be taken to solve it. The Congress, the BJP and the NCP fielded their candidates from all 90 constituencies while the Bahujan Samaj Party put up its nominees in 54. Aspirants of the Communist Party of India, CPI (Marxist), Samajwadi Party, Gondwana Gantantra Party (GGP), Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) and Chhattisgarh Mukti Morcha (CMM) are also among 817 candidates in the fray for the December 1 polls. "Our core issue is development. To retain power, we’re banking on development initiatives taken up during the past three years," says Mr Jogi. "Through these efforts, my Government has been successful in building confidence among people that the new state, rich in natural wealth, has all the potential to develop," he told UNI. "We’re seeking a positive vote," the Chief Minister said, adding that the pace of development would have been much better if the BJP-led national democratic alliance Government at New Delhi cooperated and extended timely assistance to the state. Chhattisgarh Congress committee spokesman Shailesh Nitin Trivedi said that the Centre’s continued neglect of this state was a poll issue. Even three years after Chhattisgarh’s formation, New Delhi is still silent over the demand for according special status to the state, he said adding that the BJP-led Government also sat over a Rs 1,430-crore action plan for socio-economic development of tribal areas to tackle the naxal menace. "The BJP is also not saying that development didn’t take place. They are trying to mislead the people, alleging that there was corruption," he added. While the BJP is raising development as the principal election issue, the main opposition party’s perception varies. "New Delhi extended all possible help but it did not percolate to the ground level," said Union Minister of State for Mines Ramesh Bais. "We’re trying to impress upon the people that single party rule at the Centre and within the state would help accelerate the process of development," he said, adding that the confrontationist attitude being adopted by the Jogi Government had affected Chhattisgarh’s interests. For the NCP, headed by veteran leader Vidya Charan Shukla, the main poll plank is to "bring an end to the politics of terror and corruption" besides ensuring planned development. The BJP is also raising the issue of conversion, alleging that Christian missionaries stepped up activities after Mr Jogi came to power. The organisation has promised to strictly enforce the anti-conversion law or amend it to incorporate more stringent provisions. Stung by the recent graft scandal involving Mr Judev, who is spearheading a campaign against conversion, the BJP started trumpeting the issue more vigorously after the former minister alleged that the ‘expose’ was an outcome of a conspiracy by Christian missionaries. After resigning from the union ministry following the scandal, Mr Judeo dashed off a missive to Congress supremo Sonia Gandhi asking her to take a firm stand against conversion of ‘Adivasis’. Demanding that the Congress should implement recommendations of the Niyogi Commission, regarding conversion and activities of missionaries, he said the land, belonging to tribals but purchased by Christian organisations in violation of the land revenue code, must be returned to the original owners. "All these parties are talking about non-issues, ignoring problems being faced by 80 per cent of the state’s populace who live in rural areas," says CPI state general secretary Chittaranjan Bakshi. He added that none of the primary contenders for power were speaking of illiteracy, high maternal and infant mortality rate, non-availability of safe potable water in several districts and unemployment. "Our major plank is development of Adivasi areas in a corruption-free environment," Mr Bakshi said, adding that development work in tribal areas had always been a source of corruption for the past many decades. "We firmly believe that Chhattisgarh’s development isn’t possible without developing tribal areas. The focus of our campaign is the need to generate more employment opportunities and ensure at least minimum wages to workers in the unorganised sector," he added. State BSP president Dauram Ratnakar said that his party’s agenda was empowerment of ‘Dalits’ so that the people behind the plough could get opportunities and participate in the development process. (UNI) |
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Outer Delhi’s 21 seats hold key to power NEW DELHI, Nov 22: Boasting of being part of the country’s largest Parliamentary constituency, outcome of polling in 21 of the 70 assembly seats in outer Delhi hold the key to which party will form Government in Delhi. Realising this potential, both the ruling Congress and main opposition BJP are concentrating on this sprawling constituency spread from south east Delhi to north west Delhi through the south. Having a combined population of Jats, backwards and the migrants from Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Uttaranchal, nearly 30 lakh voters have the potential to decide who will occupy the seat of power in the national capital for another five years. A number of leaders from both Congress and BJP claim a strong base in the Parliamentary constituency but the electoral fortunes of the two parties have been vacillating from one election to another. Of the Congress total of 54 seats in the last 1998 assembly elections, 16 had come from outer Delhi Lok Sabha constituency. BJP had to be content with a mere four even though it had secured 12 seats in the 1993 assembly polls, leaving only six to congress, which brought the saffron party to power. The electorate of outer Delhi reposed trust in BJP again in 1999 Lok Sabha polls, electing its Jat leader Sahib Singh Varma. While BJP will again have to rely on Varma’s support, Congress will depend on the popularity of Sajjan Kumar who had represented the Lok Sabha seat earlier, besides that of state unit president Chaudhary Prem Singh. Prem Singh, a veteran backward class leader who has never lost at the hustings in his traditional Ambedkar Nagar seat, is the strongest candidate fielded by Congress. In an effort to break his successful run, BJP has fielded a fresher Suresh Pahelwan. Among other prominent candidates contesting from the area are Delhi Education Minister Raj Kumar Chauhan from Mangolpuri (SC) seat and Finance Minister M S Saathi from Vishnu garden. Congress vocal leader and Delhi unit spokesman Mukesh Sharma is making a bid to retain his Hastsal seat for the third time against BJP’s Rajesh Yadav. For BJP, its chief whip in the assembly Nand Kishore Garg will attempt a hat-trick from Tri Nagar constituency fighting it out against youth Congress general secretary Anil Bhardwaj. (PTI) Pathak duped CBI into believing
his fabricated NEW DELHI, Nov 22: The defence in the 100,000-dollar Lakhubhai Pathak cheating case today told a Delhi Court that the UK-based pickle tycoon had duped CBI into believing a story fabricated by him against former Prime Minister P V Narasimha Rao and controversial Godman Chandraswami. Pathak gave 100,000 dollars to W E Miller, the new York-based frontman of the Godman, to be transferred to the account of Kishore Kamdar - one of Pathak’s pickle distributors operating from Chicago - and that money had nothing to do with any contract which Chandraswami allegedly offered to get him with Rao’s help, Defence Counsel Rajender Singh contended before Special Judge Dinesh Dayal. CBI based the case solely on statements of Pathak, who was a liar as he told the probe agency that he was an Indian citizen when he really was a British national, Singh - the counsel for Chandraswami and his aide K N Agarwal alias Mamaji - said. Taking a dig at the late Pathak, the defence counsel said the businessman was good at cooking up stories as can be seen from some films like ‘Akanksha’ and ‘Gayatri Mahima’ which he produced. Though Pathak sought Chandraswami’s help in selling his brother’s 53 mile-ranch in Texas, US, he never informed his brother’s family about the same, the defence counsel said, adding Pathak had criminal intentions to cheat his brother’s family. Pathak had told Chandraswami that if his brother’s Ranch was sold for USd 25 million, after giving 15 million dollars to his brother’s family, the Godman and he could share the remaining amount, Rao’s counsel Kapil Sibal alleged in the Court. According to CBI, Pathak’s brother wanted to construct a spiritual city called Gandhi ashram at his Ranch but since he could not raise funds for the same, pathak had contacted Chandraswamy who told him that the money for the ashram could be made available from the supply of newspaper and paper pulp in India. Chandraswamy and Rao had assured Pathak that he would be given the contract for the business in India, CBI had alleged. Defence counsel Rajender Singh asked why CBI had not examined Martin Dale (former US President Ronald Reagan’s Legal Advisor) and Suresh Jain (the then MLA and now a minister in the Maharashtra Government) who Pathak said were also allegedly present at hotel Hollorum house in New York where Chandraswami allegedly introduced Pathak to Rao. All this goes on to show that if there is a cheat in this case, then it is Pathak, the defence counsel said. There were 13 prosecution witnesses in the case and one defence witness - California state assembly member dymally. Rao’s counsel Sibal said the first letter allegedly written by Pathak to Rao was received at the Prime Minsiter’s office on January 20, 1995 which was 12 years after the alleged incident. This shows that Pathak’s allegations against Rao were cooked up and were an afterthought, Sibal added. (PTI) NABARD officers body sets up sub-panel on restructuring MUMBAI, Nov 22: The Officers Association of NABARD (National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development) has set up a sub-committee to review the present operating and financial structure of the bank and suggest various measures that need to be brought in for the NABARD to play a major role in the emerging rural economy of India. The sub-committee will submit its suggestions within a month’s time. Revealing nine-point proposals for revitalising the NABARD workforce, National Bank Officers Association president K T Oommen said that NABARD must have its own people as managing director of the bank and no outsider would be allowed. Yesterday, Ms Ranjana Kumar of the Chennai-based Indian bank was appointed as chairperson of NABARD. "We decided to request the Government to appoint the senior most executive director of NABARD as the managing director of NABARD", Mr Oommen said. At present, the senior most executive director of NABARD is Dr K G Karmakar. Though the bank has been playing a major role in microfinancing in rural economy through short term funding, he said that the General Line of Credit(GLC) for such financing given by the Reserve Bank of India(RBI) had stagnated at Rs 6,500 crore at the annual interest rate of 6 per cent. There was no enhancement of the GLC for the past two years while the bank business in short term financing grew significantly. There was also a need to reduce the GLC interest rate to that of half of the prevailing bank rate, he said. The officers association of NABARD which held their central executive committee meeting in Mumbai this weekend, felt that there is an emergent need to frame the bank’s policies and products so as to provide an accelerated growth in the assistance to farmers and rural folk, keeping in view the agricultural situation in the country and also the declining trend in interest rate. In this context, the officers comprising field officers from various regions, suggested that the bank should formulate its own rural credit policy programme every year and redesign its various refinance products to suit the clientele. "Within the overall refinance policies, regional specific modifications is to be effected", said Mr S Chandrasekaran, general secretary of the National Bank Officers’ Association. As the cooperatives and Regional Rural Banks (RRBs) are the main clientele of NABARD purveying crop loans, he said, the present level of refinance needs to be enhanced and the interest rate thereon reduced to ensure that farmers get loan at cheaper rates. In this context, he said that the nabard as an institution must raise its own funds at the prevailing soft interest rates and create separate funds not only to finance its short term credit but also to provide recapitalisation assistance to the cooperatives without prescribing stringent conditions. At the central committee, the officers association also decided to approach the authorities for allowing NABARD to diversify its activities in new areas such as biotechnology, rural insurance and communication by floating separate subsidiaries for funding. (UNI) I would have contested against
Vasundhara JHALAWAR, Nov 22: Claiming that she was no outsider for Jhalawar, Congress candidate Rama Pilot today said that she would have contested against the BJP’s Chief Ministerial candidate Vasundhara Raje anywhere in Rajasthan and claimed that she had tied down her rival. There are a number of reasons for Congress to field her in Jhalawar. "One among these is Vasundhara Raje...I am following party’s wishes... I would have contested against her anywhere," Rama, wife of Congress leader late Rajesh Pilot, told PTI before starting her campaign in the constituency. About the problems of being an outsider in the area, she said "I am no outsider...I have been elected from Haroti (Kota division under which Jhalawar falls)". Rama, who was elected to Parliament from Dausa in 2000 by-elections following her husband and Congress leader’s death in road accident, said she also had the backing of successful five year Congress rule in the state as also her public life including her election to Lok Sabha from the state. On whether she would be able to tie down her opponent, she said "I have already done it...I have tied her on the issues like commendable drought relief work...I am contesting the election on State Government’s successful reform programme and development work". Pilot’s son Sachin, who joined Congress in 2000, said the fact that BJP candidate was from a royal family did not matter in the elections. When asked that he stood better chances aginst Vasundhara than his mother, he said "the issue is not that who should be the candidate...It is the party that matters". Sachin said he had been political activist for quite some time and it was for the party to decide as to when he should enter the electoral fray. Sachin said that he and his mother had visited villages after villages in Jhalarapatan assembly constituency where people have not seen any MP or MLA for years together. Exuding confidence of retaining the seat for Congress, Pilot dismissed the influence of powerful Gujar leader Sujan Singh joining the BJP saying "people also remember my husband who gave Sujan ticket twice". About the BJP’s allegation of corruption against number of Ministers in the State Government, some of whom represent Haroti, she said it was different from Judeo graft issue. "You could not stick such allegations till inquiry was over". Dismissing the suggestions that elections in Jhalarapatan reminded of bellary where BJP had fielded party general secretary Sushma Swaraj against Congress president Sonia Gandhi in 1999 general elections, Sachin said "it will not be Bellary...Congress will win this seat". (PTI) Almost all national parties in fray in Indore district INDORE, Nov 22: Candidates from nearly all national parties are testing their electoral fortunes in the eight seats of Indore district in Madhya Pradesh. A minimum of three national party candidates are present in the poll arena, enhancing the possibility of a division of votes among the main rivals congress and Bharatiya Janta Party. Besides the Congress and the BJP, the Samajwadi Party is the third party to field its nominees on all the eight seats. Convenor of the Central Election Committee of the Samajwadi Party Rambabu Agrawal said the party would win about 30 seats in the state. Party leaders Mulayam Singh Yadav, Amar Singh besides some cine stars would be campaigning for party candidates, he added. The National Congress Party (NCP) is in second position with six candidates followed by republican party and Rashtriya Lokdal having three each, BSP two and CPI, CPI(M), JD, RJD and Shiv Sena one candidate each. In Indore-2 and Depalpur there are seven national party candidates in the fray. Candidates of thbe Congress, BJP, NCP, SP, CPI, BSP and JD besides one independent are trying their electoral luck in Indore-2. The Congress, BJP, NCP, Republican Party, SP, Shiv Sena and Rashtriya Lokdal candidates besides three independents are contesting from Depalpur. Indore-4 has six candidates of the Congress, BJP, NCP, RJD, SP and Republican Party and five independents. There are seven candidates from Indore-3 including that of the Congress, BJP, BSP, NCP and SP and two independents. Indore-4 and Sanwer have the highest number of 11 candidates while Indore-1 has the lowest number of six candidates including three independents. The number of independents has generally been more than the number of party candidates. This time 70 aspirants are in the fray from all eight seats of the district while 69 candidates were in the field in 1998 poll. The number of independents has reduced from the previous elections due to increase in the deposit amount by the Election Commission. There were 150 candidates in 1990 and 157 in the 1993 assembly elections. (UNI) |
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