Rahul Gandhi will make a good PM: Digvijay

NEW DELHI, June 16: With Rahul Gandhi set to turn 41 on Sunday, there is a renewed clamour for him to take the top post in the country with AICC general secretary Digvijay Singh on Thursday saying he had "all the qualities and capabilities" required to become a "good" prime minister.

Singh, while backing Rahul for prime ministership, said no leader expresses the desire to become the prime minister and the issue depends on the prevailing circumstances.

Singh told reporters that the young leader was "quite mature" with a sound understanding of social and political issues, and qualities of head and heart to strike rapport with people.

The comment has revived the Rahul Gandhi-for-PM call after a break since the Congress first family snubbed senior partymen for making such statements. Rahul himself has refused to speak on the issue, maintaining that he was happy working to strengthen the organization. As AICC general secretary, he is incharge of frontal outfits Youth Congress and NSUI.

Singh, who is in charge of party affairs in Uttar Pradesh which has put him in close touch with Rahul, dismissed queries on who among Mayawati, Mulayam Singh Yadav or BJP leaders could be termed his rival. "He competes with himself, not with others," Singh said.

He rubbished the Opposition charge that Rahul was more into theatrics. "Rahul works with the courage of conviction. He works with commitment and confidence," Singh said.

Indian Govt committed to draft strong and sound Lokpal Bill by June 30

NEW DELHI, June 16: The Government on Thursday said that it is committed to draft a strong and sound Lokpal Bill by June 30 to fight corruption and also made it clear that it will not succumb to threats.

Amidst hardening of positions by both sides, government made it clear that it would come out with a "strong and sound" draft of Lokpal bill by June 30 irrespective of whether civil society activists cooperate.

Shortly after press conference by Hazare and his team, ministers in the drafting committee P Chidambaram, Kapil Sibal and Salman Khurshid hit back at the civil society, making it clear that the government will not succumb to threats.

"You cannot threaten and negotiate at the same time...This is not the way forward...The government is not going to get diverted by abuses and slander," HRD Minister Kapil Sibal said at a press conference in New Delhi on Thursday.

Home Minister Chidambaram said, "I don't think anywhere in the world, fasting is the way to draft a bill."

He asserted that many of the demands of the Hazare team cannot be accepted because a structure parallel to the government cannot be allowed.

"We cannot create a parallel government outside the government that controls every action of the government. We have serious differences on the issue," Sibal said.

Chidambaram maintained that the basic features of the Constitution cannot be altered and political processes have to be respected.

"Laws are made by Parliament. Congress is not the only elected party. There are other parties. One has to respect the political processes... There is a gap between what is desirable and what is possible," he said.

Affirming the government's commitment to bring an effective Lokpal Bill, he said "once Parliament passes it, the vast majority of countrymen would say good job has been done."

On demands for conferring upon 11-member Lokpal powers to initiate departmental proceedings against bureaucrats, Sibal said "how can a government wantonly pass over that power."

He said if these powers were transferred to the Lokpal, government servants would be loyal to it and not government.

"We said we oppose this change to the basic structure," Sibal said adding that these were the elements of discussion at the meeting of the Joint Drafting Committee which cannot be construed as "decisions" as alleged by Hazare's team.

Chidambaram also dismissed the demand for a referendum on Lokpal Bill saying that the Constitution does not provide for such a measure and wondered whether a legislation can be put to such a vote clause by clause.

The ministers cautioned against making the Lokpal an all powerful body wondering what controls can be applied if the Lokpal or its officials go corrupt.

On the contentious issue of bringing the Prime Minister under the purview of the Lokpal, Chidambaram said there could be many possibilities including doing so with "clearly carved out exceptions" or after the person demits office.

"There is no decision. It is a matter of discussion," he said.

Noting that the Prime Minister was the lynchpin in a Parliamentary democracy, Sibal said if allegations were levelled against the PM that would make him defunct till the investigation.

"In the meanwhile, you have destroyed the credibility of the institution. They may think of Prime Minister as an individual. We think of Prime Minister as an institution and we want to protect that institution," he said.

NRAI to be introduced in next parliament session: Menon

CHENNAI, June 10: The tabling of a Bill to establish an independent Nuclear Regulatory Authority of India in the monsoon session of Parliament will pave the way for a significant expansion of the country’s nuclear power programme, National Security Adviser, Shiv Shankar Menon, said on Friday.

Presenting the Lifetime Achievement Award instituted by the Department of Atomic Energy to N. Srinivasan, Mr. Menon said the Bill would create the Nuclear Regulatory Authority of India as an independent and autonomous organisation on nuclear issues.

Noting that the pioneering contributions of scientists like Mr. Srinivasan had taken India’s nuclear power programme to a stage where “we can hope to achieve bigger and better” and be ambitious in goals for the future, Mr. Menon said the world was now ready to work with India on terms of equality.

Hailing India’s nuclear power programme for its “outstanding safety record in 335 reactor years of operations”, Mr. Menon said nuclear energy remained a safe, secure and economical source of clean energy.

“NRAI will be similar to Atomic Energy Regulatory Board, but it will function outside the control of the Atomic Energy Commission. But, we don’t know whether it will function directly under the Prime Minister,” a senior official of the Department of Atomic Energy, said

Mr. Menon later left for Sri Lanka along with a team of Ministry of External Affairs’ officials, including Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao.

He is scheduled to meet Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakasa in Colombo on Friday. Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa had urged Mr. Menon when he called on her on Thursday, to take up the Lankan Tamils issue with Mr. Rajapakasa during the meeting.

Meanwhile, Atomic Energy Commission chairman Srikumar Banerjee said the first reactor at the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant would go critical by August this year.

Asked why Kudankulam reactors were missing many deadlines for going critical, he said, “There were some issues with the cable layout. There was some fault in the cables. By August this year, the first reactor should go critical and by March 2012 the second reactor should go critical.” “Fuel from Russia is not the problem. We have already got the fuel and it is in Kudankulam,” Mr. Banerjee said.

Police action against Ramdev unfortunate but there was no alternative: Manmohan

NEW DELHI, June 6: Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said the government is very serious about fighting corruption but there is no magic wand and further reiterated that police action against Ramdev was very unfortunate and there was no alternative.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today gave away KC Kulish International Award for excellence in Media and journalism instituted by the Hindi daily.

Singh further said that the issue of paid news is a serious concern.

He said such irresponsible reporting lowers the dignity attached with journalism.

Singh said their coverage should not induce speculations that can prove detrimental for the society.

"I am confident that people concerned with the media will try to remove lacunae in the coming days," he said.

Talking about the challenges before the media today, the Prime Minister said that in the fast-changing world, everybody should strive to ensure that no instability and tension is created in society.

"Media, especially language media, has the duty to ensure that our separate identity, values and culture remain intact while taking steps to make the country modern," he said.

"It is the duty of all kinds of media to promote constructive debate on those issues which are important for all our countrymen, especially those socially and economically backward", he added.

Yoga guru, BJP trying to destablise govt: Cong

NEW DELHI, June 6: After a barrage from the Opposition, civil society activists and the BJP over the midnight police action, the Congress on Monday hit back, saying yoga guru Ramdev and the saffron party were trying to destabilise the UPA government.

“Satyagraha is a tool to fight injustice not to pressurise the government,” said Congress secretary Janardan Dwivedi about the yoga guru’s anti-graft protest that ended abruptly after the police crackdown.

“A satyagrahi does not run away stealthily wearing women's attire. Satyagrahi is always ready to sacrifice his life. Such a person is being compared to Mahatma Gandhi and Vivekananda,” Dwivedi said

Dwivedi alleged that Ramdev has been a mere instrument used by the RSS and the BJP who are looking for the best means to destabilise the UPA government.

“After tolerating UPA-I and two years of UPA-II, they (BJP) are very uneasy about how to spend three more years (in opposition). Therefore, they are trying to spread chaos and anarchy in whatever manner they can,” he said.

The Congress leader also took a jibe at BJP leaders, who sat on a day-long fast at Rajghat protesting the police action.

“Some people are sitting on fast at Rajghat. What is this satyagraha, where a senior leader of the party dances with colleagues. These are those people, whose ideology led to the creation of Rajghat Samaadhi before time. Gandhiji wanted to live for 125 years. But Rajghat came into existence much before (that) because of their ideology,” he said.

Dwivedi did not spare even Anna Hazare, terming him as a mask being used along with Ramdev by some people for playing selfish politics.

Dwivedi also tried to dispel reports of an apparent disconnect between the government and the Congress, emerged in the backdrop of reports that Congress president Sonia Gandhi was critical of Saturday’s police action.

“As far as policies and social issues are concerned, the party takes a decision. So far as legal and official action and decision is concerned, they are taken by the government,” he said.

BJP, CPM flays PM’s remarks

The BJP and CPM on Monday criticised Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for his statement justifying the police crackdown on Ramdev’s supporters and alleged his comments were “inhuman” and did not do “much credit” to his government.

“The statement of the prime minister vindicates the BJP’s stand that it seems the unleashing of midnight terror on innocents was orchestrated by the PM and his office in consent with 10 Janpath,” BJP spokesman Rajiv Pratap Rudy said reacting to Singh’s remarks on the police action at the venue.

Intruder brandishes shoe at Dwivedi, held

NEW DELHI, June 6: There was high drama at the Congress headquarters on Monday when an intruder masquerading as a journalist tried to hit the party's media chief Janardan Dwivedi with his shoe just after the leader had attacked RSS for propping up the yoga guru to spread anarchy.

This is the second time in recent memory that a shoe has been hurled in protest in the media hall at Congress headquarters, the first being in the run-up to 2009 Lok Sabha polls when a journalist with a known Hindi daily lobbed his sneaker at home minister P Chidambaram to protest his defence of Congress leaders accused of Sikh riots.

Dwivedi, who is the head of the media department and came for the routine press briefing on Monday, was responding to queries after his initial remarks against RSS when a lanky person never seen before in the press ranks stepped up to the dais with a shoe in his hand and demanded "you have to reply". A surprised Dwivedi raised his hand to stop the intruder before the press corps pounced on him in anger. AICC spokesman Manish Tewari was by the side of his boss.

The culprit was handed over to the police. A black bag left behind by him triggered panic but was later found to contain some clothes and papers.

Collecting himself after the brief commotion, Dwivedi said the incident proved his opening statement about the RSS and called it pre-planned. AICC general secretary Digvijay Singh, who was in his room adjoining the briefing hall, rushed to his colleague and accused the Sangh Parivar for the incident. "The antecedents of this man should be thoroughly inquired. This man showed the RSS training in violence," he said.

No one had an inkling of what was to come but the person, identified as Sunil Kumar, caught everyone's attention by the way he stood to the right of the dais, ignoring the chairs. He even asked a question in a theatrical fashion, as if the query was to grab the attention of the gathering by pretentiously looking at the rest of the journalists. The question though was highly flattering for Congress, saying the party had no problems from issues like Ramdev because BJP was highly marginalized and the government was without any opposition worth the name.

The AICC media chief later said the shoe hurling was pre-planned and the flattering question for Congress was aimed to hide his links "to them".

The issue, while putting the spotlight on general secretary Dwivedi who does not brief the press on a regular basis, also raised questions about the easy access possible during media interactions. Party sources said they were considering issuing passes to reporters on the Congress beat to ensure that no undesirable elements took advantage of the open-door policy for the press.

Government working on formula for Ramdev

NEW DELHI, June 2: As the deadline for Baba Ramdev's promised hunger strike on the issue of black money drew near, the Union government continued to work on a formula that would make the yoga guru abandon his threat: “Baba Ramdev must be made to feel he has achieved something through his campaign,” said ministerial sources.

They added that “on Friday, at the next round of talks, he will be told about the government's intentions to deal with the key issues [on corruption] that he has raised, possibly with a time frame.”

But, at the same time, there was a determination in the government that if it failed to persuade Baba Ramdev through dialogue, it would have to consider tough action to make him abandon his hunger strike plans. With memories of the Anna Hazare fast still raw, the government does not want to take any chances.

Indeed, on Thursday, the Baba Ramdev issue continued to engage the attention of both the government and the Congress: in the evening, the Congress core group, the party's apex decision-making body, of which both Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress president Sonia Gandhi are members, met to discuss ways of defusing the situation.

Immediately after that, Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee convened a discussion on the issue with Cabinet colleagues A.K. Antony, Kapil Sibal, Pawan Kumar Bansal and Subodh Kant Sahay for what was described as a “review” of the situation. While Mr. Mukherjee and Mr. Antony are also members of the Core Group, the other three — along with the finance minister — are members of the government's negotiating team on the Baba Ramdev issue.

Internally, the government is exasperated with the turn of events — especially as many of Baba Ramdev's demands are impossible to fulfil, nor are any of them possible to deliver on immediately. One point that is rankling is the fact that Baba Ramdev had sought permission from the government to hold a yoga camp for 20 days at Delhi's Ramlila Grounds from June 4 — now, as government sources said, he is “using” that venue “against the government” by making it the site of his threatened hunger strike.

Sonia launches mother-child healthcare scheme

MEWAT (Haryana), June 1: Concerned over the high maternal and infant mortality rate in the country, the Indian Government on Wednesday launched an ambitious national programme to provide free services to pregnant women for deliveries and neo-natal care, if needed, up to a month after birth.

The facility will be available to all women in government health institutions in both rural and urban settings, and is expected to benefit over one crore women annually.

Launching the Janani-Shishu Suraksha Karyakram, a Central scheme sponsored by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare from Mewat — a predominantly Muslim area in Haryana here, Sonia Gandhi, chairperson of the United Progressive Alliance, said the UPA government had always tried to give women their dues, Constitutionally and legally. "If 50 per cent of the population lags behind, a Nation cannot progress," she said, while admitting that the government was aware of the difficulties faced by women in proving their talent due to social barriers.

"It is our duty to realise the talent of our women and take measures for their progress," Ms. Gandhi said, while describing as unfortunate the high maternal and infant mortality rate in the country. She said the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM), launched in 2005, had improved the overall healthcare facilities in the urban settings, the new programme would focus on pregnant and lactating mothers and their new-borns. "Even blood will be provided free of cost under the scheme," she said.

Speaking of the UPA's policy of inclusive growth, Ms. Gandhi said Dalits, minorities and economically backward sections of society had equally benefited from the government schemes.

The scheme has been launched in view of the difficulty being faced by pregnant women and parents of sick newborns along with high out-of-pocket expenses incurred by them on delivery and treatment. The scheme, drafted after all States approved of it, will provide free services to pregnant women, including normal deliveries and caesarean operations and treatment to sick new borns (up to 30 days after birth) in government hospitals, community health centres and primary health centres. The present initiative supplements the cash assistance given to pregnant women under the Janani Suraksha Yojana and is aimed to mitigate the burden of out-of-pocket expenses incurred by the families.

The free facilities will include delivery including C-section, drugs and consumables, diagnostics, special diet during stay in the health institution, free provision of blood, exemption from user charges of all kinds, transport to and back from health facility after 48 hours and transport between facilities in case of referral. A child will also be entitled to free treatment and transportation up to a month after birth.

Speaking on the occasion, Union Health and Family Welfare Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad said more than Rs. 1,100 crore had been provided for drugs, diet and ambulances under the National Rural Health Mission during 2011-12. He said 67,000 women in India die every year due to pregnancy related complications and 9 lakh children died within the first four weeks of life. These deaths can be prevented, he added.

India firm on N-energy plans, says PM

NEW DELHI, May 30: Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Tuesday reiterated India's commitment to nuclear power when he said in the presence of German Chancellor Angela Merkel that India must make use of nuclear energy to meet not just its energy needs but also emission targets. A day after Europe's economic powerhouse Germany decided to phase out all its nuclear power plants by 2022, Singh asserted that safety norms for India's reactors were going to be world class.

Germany's decision followed a review of all its nuclear reactors in the light of the Fukushima disaster earlier this year. "One thing which is quite clear is that if India is to meet its emission targets, then nuclear energy along with renewable sources of energy is a combination which we need,'' Singh said while addressing a joint press conference with Merkel.

"We will make every effort to ensure that safety norms in generation and utilization of nuclear power are world class, but we must have the option to make use of nuclear energy, together with the heavy reliance on coal which is inevitable for quite sometime, to come in our country,'' he added.

Dawood brother shot at in Mumbai

MUMBAI, May 17: In a brazen shootout that took place outside the residence of underworld Dawood Ibrahim’s brother Iqbal Kaskar at Pydhonie in Mumbai, his bodyguard and driver were injured when two unidentified persons opened fire on Tuesday night. Kaskar survived the attack.

Of the two persons injured in the shoot-out, one person — believed to be Kaskar’s driver Arif — succumbed to injuries, while the other said to be his bodyguard RS Sayed — is undergoing treatment at the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at the nearby State-run JJ Hospital.

Deputy Commissioner (Operations) Rajkumar Vhatkar said: “It is not clear if Kaskar was the target of the attack. We are still investigating the matter. We have detained two people and we are still questioning them”.

There are two versions as what was Kaskar was doing at the time of incident. While one version said that he was standing along with some of his aides in front of his building at Phydhonie, the other said that he and six others were sitting together at the nearby street corner restaurant Delhi Zaika in Pakmodia Street, a Dawood bastion, when the two gangsters fired at them.

The two assailants, who tried to flee the scene after the shoot-out, were nabbed by the onlookers and handed over to the police. The identities of the arrested persons could not be identified at the time of going to the press.

Being seen an apparent attempt on Iqbal Kaskar’s life, the shoot-out — happening as it was after considerable lull – marked the revival of gang warfare in the metropolis.

Kaskar was deported from Dubai on February 19, 2003 along with underworld gangster Ejaz Pathan. On his arrival, Kaskar was booked for the murder of a Customs department informer.

Kaskar and others were accused of constructing twin shopping malls illegally in connivance with BMC officials at the behest of Dawood. They allegedly constructed over 300 shops and 70 storage rooms in the two complexes, though the land belonged to the Public Work Dept and was reserved for a municipal school and garage.

In June, 2007, a special MCOCA court acquitted Kaskar alias Arabsaab of his involvement in the much-discussed Sara-Sahara twin shopping complex case, for “lack of evidence” against him.
Kaskar’s acquittal came on the heels of a city court granting bail to Dawood’s sister Haseena Parkar in a cheating and extortion case.

Rahul Gandhi to inaugurate UPCC convention in Varanasi

VARANASI, May 17: Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi will inaugurate a two-day convention of UPCC at Nadesar in Varanasi on Wednesday, a party spokesperson said.

Spokesperson Subodh Srivastava also said Congress president Sonia Gandhi will address the valedictory function of the convention on May 19 - the second day.

"After convention, a rally will he held in Beniabagh which will be addressed by Sonia Gandhi and AICC general secretary Digvijay Singh, besides other leaders," Srivastava said.

He said before the convention a meeting of newly constituted state executive will be held and it will be chaired by the state party chief Rita Bahuguna Joshi.

Rahul takes UP farmers to PM; Accuses Mayawati of brutalising villagers in name of land acquisition

NEW DELHI, May 16: Expressing his solidarity with the farmers of Utter Pradesh, Congress General Secretary Rahul Gandhi on Monday took a delegation of farmers to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

Rahul said he accompanied the farmers merely as a “facilitator” to highlight their situation. “They wanted to meet the PM, so I facilitated it,” he said. Rahul, who had taken eight farmers with him, said the Prime Minister gave them a “patient hearing”.

The Congress leader went on to list the atrocities, allegedly committed on the protesting villagers by the Mayawati government. He also handed over pictures of burnt bodies and ransacked houses to the Prime Minister. “In a large number of villages in Uttar Pradesh, the government is using oppression, people are being murdered and women raped,” he claimed.

“What I am concerned about is that how are we treating our own people. Most of the people said they are more than happy to give land for development. Most poor people want development in the country and they are ready to sacrifice. The question is how we treat them - do we treat them fairly or we brutalise (them),” Rahul asked.

The agitation in UP against land acquisition has taken a political colour with major parties jumping on the protest bandwagon, accusing Chief Minister Mayawati of harassing farmers. However, Rahul managed to score political brownie points for his party by being the first one to reach the spot, sneaking past an extensive network of policemen to reach the Bhatta Parsaul village.

Rahul Gandhi on Monday said he was hopeful of the Land Acquisition (Amendment) Bill being passed in the next session of Parliament.

“We are committed to the Act. It is a complicated piece of legislation we are working on. We are confident that in the coming session, it will be passed.”