New BJP leaders arrogant: Jaswant Singh

JAIPUR, March 23: Miffed BJP leader Jaswant Singh likely to file his nomination as independent candidate from Barmer in Rajasthan on Monday. Upset over denial of ticket, former Union Minister and BJP veteran Jaswant Singh on Sunday said he has decided to contest the Lok Sabha elections as an independent from the Barmer seat and will file his nomination papers on Monday.

Jaswant Singh is upset for being denied ticket from the seat.

The BJP dumped his candidature and fielded Sonaram from the seat, who had recently joined the party.

Jaswant Singh said that he sees a kind of arrogance in the tone of BJP leaders.

He added that he was not furniture that he can be shifted from one place to another.

The former Minister in the NDA's Atal Behari Vajpayee government was willing to contest from his home seat of Barmer, saying it would be his last Lok Sabha Election.

Earlier, Senior BJP leader Sushma Swaraj made it clear that the decision of not fielding senior leader Jaswant Singh from Barmer constituency of Rajasthan was not taken by the party's Central Election Committee.

Speaking to media in Bhopal Sushma said that she was pained at denial of ticket to the Party veteran.

In what could stoke fresh controversy in BJP after the row over L K Advani's ticket, the party replaced his loyalist and sitting MP Harin Pathak with actor Paresh Rawal from Ahmedabad East Lok Sabha seat.

In the list of fresh nine candidates announced on Saturday, Rawal's name figured for the Ahmedabad East constituency, a seat being earlier considered for Narendra Modi himself.

Jaswant should accept party's 'no' for ticket: Jaitley

NEW DELHI, March 23: As a sulking Jaswant Singh is set to contest from Barmer as an Independent after being denied a party ticket, BJP leader Arun Jaitley on Sunday said he should accept the party's 'no' with a smile after being showered with privileges and positions and that his loyalty is at test.

Jaitley's apparent criticism of Singh's move to contest as an Independent comes a day after his party colleague Sushma Swaraj Sushma said she was "pained" at the denial of ticket to Singh, which highlighted the differences in the party at the top.

"Membership of political party is a privilege. It is also an act of self oppression where personal views and ambitions are subjected to collective wisdom of the party. At times, the party may flood leaders with privileges and positions. On other occasions, the leader may have to take 'no' as an answer to his desires," Jaitley wrote on his website.

He said the politician or leader denied a ticket must accept the decision with a "smile".

"This becomes a test of his loyalty and discipline. Restraint and silence are always a preferred option. Over reaction may prove be a transient storm in a tea cup. Silence is always dignified and more gracious," he said in an apparent reference to Singh without naming him.

Jaitley, contesting from Amritsar seat, said in election season, many political persons desirous of being candidates succeed in getting a party nomination, but many more get left out.

"A political party is built upon the support of millions of political workers who have sacrificed their time and energy without ever aspiring to hold elected office. What does a politician do when after a successful political career the party is unable to accommodate him once? That is when his discipline and political loyalty are to be tested," Jaitley wrote.

Upset over denial of ticket, the former Union Minister today said he has decided to contest the Lok Sabha elections as an Independent from the Barmer seat and will file his nomination papers on Monday.

Singh, however, is not resigning from the party yet and said he would consult his colleagues before taking that step. Earlier too, Jaitley and Swaraj had given divergent views regarding the decisions of the party.

When Swaraj had opposed the entry of Karnataka leader B Sriramalu, Jaitley had said that "relatively marginal issues" of who is in or who is out are diverting the attention from the core issues of governance.

Swaraj, who had opposed the entry of Sriramalu - leader of Karnataka's BSR party - into BJP, had made her criticism known publicly by tweeting.

"Relatively marginal issues such as declaration of candidates, particularly who is in and who is out, cannot be allowed to dominate the political agenda in the BJP. These issues divert the attention from the core issues of governance," Jaitley wrote the next day on his website.

Turmoil in BJP over Advani’s bid to shift to Bhopal

NEW DELHI, March 19: BJP appeared to be bracing for fresh turmoil in the run-up to Lok Sabha polls after L K Advani expressed disinclination to seek re-election from Gandhinagar in Narendra Modi-ruled Gujarat.

Although the central leadership turned down the request and sought to put a lid on the matter by announcing Advani's candidature from Gandhinagar, the party leadership was keeping its fingers crossed. According to late-night reports, Advani has indicated that he would rather wait for the party central election committee to respond to his request to contest from Bhopal.

Advani's desire, conveyed to BJP chief Rajnath Singh on Monday, to switch constituencies came as a surprise to the party because of his consistent public stand that he would fight only from Gandhinagar: the constituency which he has won since 1991. He had stated this as recently as on February 28 when the party announced its first list of candidates.

The decision of the central election committee came after day-long drama that seemed to bring to the fore the bitter resistance of a section in BJP to Modi's leadership. The saffron senior kept away from the deliberations on the ground that his candidature was under discussion even as reports swirled through the day about his reluctance to contest from Gandhinagar.

After the committee's meeting, senior leaders Sushma Swaraj and Nitin Gadkari met Advani to convey the party's decision. General secretary Thawarchand Gehlot soon announced the decision to signal that the nomination for Gandhinagar, so far as the leadership is concerned, was a closed chapter.

Yet, there was wariness about what Advani might do, with party circles speculating whether the Madhya Pradesh unit may recommend him for the Bhopal seat.

Amid growing uncertainty, Modi had a meeting with RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat at the Sangh's Jhandewalan office in the capital. Several assumptions were being put forward in party circles for Advani's desire to move away from Gandhinagar after having often emphasized his closed links to Gujarat, saying his family had settled there after moving from Karachi and it was home.

Many in the party felt the attempted switch was meant to signal his autonomy of Modi and to emphasize that he could win from any constituency of his choice. With Madhya Pradesh already playing host to Sushma Swaraj, who represents Vidisha and whose equations with Modi are seen as tense, the desire to move to Bhopal was also suspected to be an attempt to raise a parallel axis vis-a-vis the ascendant troika of Modi, party chief Rajnath Singh and leader of opposition in Rajya Sabha Arun Jaitley.

Party circles have for some time sniffed an effort to set up MP chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan as a counterpoint to Modi. The tussle in the party over Modi's projection as PM candidate saw Advani suggesting that Chouhan's performance as CM surpassed Modi's as Chouhan had turned around Madhya Pradesh which, unlike Gujarat, was a BIMARU state.

Some in the party also saw the move to shift constituency as reflective of Advani camp's fear that his campaign may be subverted by workers who may look to proactively scuttle any post-poll trouble for Modi. Although Modi camp would have ensured that Advani won comfortably to ward off the charge of sabotage, workers remain apprehensive of the intent of Modi's opponents in the party.

Fearing that Advani's shfit to Bhopal could be projected as another instance of senior leaders being humiliated under the Modi-Rajanth dispensation, the official faction had swung into action to dissuade Advani soon after he conveyed his keenness on Bhopal. The Gujarat party recommended just Advani's name for Gandhinagar on Monday. On Tuesday, former party MP from Gujarat Vijay Rupani publicized the state unit's insistence that the party veteran stick with Gandhinagar.

Sources close to the leadership saw the sudden change in Advani's preference as underscoring the tenacity of the resistance that Modi faces from "determined hold-outs". In recent weeks, Swaraj openly opposed the decision to re-admit Karnataka leader B Sriramulu. She not only tweeted her reservations but followed that up with another tweet after Sriramulu joined the party.

But just as it has firmly overruled the protests of senior leaders like M M Joshi who had to make way for Modi in Varanasi, the ascendant BJP leadership does not seem ready to cater to Advani's bid to shift to Bhopal.

The meeting of the election committee saw several attendees emphasizing the point that the Gujarat unit had unanimously endorsed him as the candidate for Gandhinagar.

Whether Advani, having "recused" himself from the meeting on the ground that it would be improper for him to participate in the deliberations when his name was under consideration, will insist on having his way despite the decision remains a tricky question.

However, the way the battle of wits ends will be shaped by what stance Chouhan takes, particularly whether Sangh uses its leverage with him to nip any trouble from the Madhya Pradesh unit.

New govt won't be stable, says AAP leader Kejriwal

NEW DELHI, March 19: The new government at the Centre will be unstable and elections will be held again within two years, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief Arvind Kejriwal told a television channel on Wednesday.

In a live interview with ABP News, Kejriwal said no political party would get a decisive mandate this summer. The AAP leader, however, was hopeful that his rookie party would win 100 of the 543 seats in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections.

Amid talks of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) having an edge, Kejriwal once again singled out BJP's prime minister nominee, Narendra Modi, and accused him of spreading false propaganda. Hours after Congress leader Salman Khurshid questioned the "clean chit" given to Gujarat chief minister Modi by a lower court in the 2002 riots, an ABP News tweet quoted Kejriwal as saying, "Narendra Modi (is) a person mwith blood-stained hands..." Kejriwal, who looks set to take on Modi in Varanasi, told ABP News, "The country is faced with a grave threat.

I will tell the people of Varanasi that the country will be in peril if they elect Modi... We have to save this country." The nation has its eyes fixed on Varanasi, which goes to polls on May 12. Preparing the stage for a big battle, Kejriwal has announced he will take on Modi, the BJP candidate from the holy city, if the local people give him the permission. "There is no Modi wave. People are angry," Kejriwal told ABP News.

The 49-day Delhi chief minister cited his recent visit to Gujarat, and told the channel that the state was plagued by corruption and the tall claims of development were not true. Kejriwal accused the Gujarat government of taking land from farmers and giving plots to big industrialists, and "closing down 60,000 small-scale industry units in 10 years". The AAP leader also expressed doubt about the formation of a stable government, playing down the poll prospects of the Congress and the BJP. He said the 17th Lok Sabha might be a stable one.

"No party would get majority in LS polls. New govt would be unstable. Elections would take place again after 1-2 years," an ABP News tweet quoted him as saying.

Kejriwal added his "political assessment" after conducting rallies across the country indicated the AAP would win 100 seats.

Kejriwal, however, admitted people still asked him why the AAP government resigned in Delhi in haste following a deadlock in the House over a controversial anti-graft legislation. Faced with a volley of criticism for his recent attack on the media, Kejriwal defended his tirade, saying a section of 'paid' journalists is weakening the "fourth pillar of democracy".

Rahul Gandhi slams clean chit to Narendra Modi in 2002 Gujarat riots

NEW DELHI, March 17: Hitting out at Narendra Modi, Rahul Gandhi has demanded "legal accountability" for the "clear and inexcusable failure" of governance during the 2002 Gujarat riots and dismissed talk of clean chit to him as "politically expedient" but "far too premature".

Contending that Modi was answerable on moral grounds as Chief Minister, the Congress' chief campaigner said, "beyond that there should be a legal accountability for the clear and inexcusable failure of governance under him".

Gandhi was answering a question during an interview to PTI on BJP's contention that Modi had been given a clean chit by the Supreme Court-appointed SIT and the courts and, therefore, he had nothing to answer for or apologise for about the post-Godhra riots.

He replied, "As you know, the SIT report had been seriously questioned by a number of credible experts. Grave flaws have been pointed out in the functioning of the SIT. The acceptance of the flawed SIT report by the lowest court has not yet been subjected to judicial scrutiny by higher courts.

"The specific allegation and evidence pointing to Mr Modi's responsibility in the 2002 riots are yet to be adequately probed. Any talk of his having been given a clean chit may be politically expedient, but is far too premature. There are many unanswered questions. There is a lot more the country needs to know," he said.

Will marry when I find the right girl: Rahul Gandhi

NEW DELHI, March 17: Rahul Gandhi's marriage plans have been a perennial topic of speculation but he says he would tie the knot only when he finds the "right girl".

"This is a question that comes all the time, all the time. Right now I am engaged in fighting the elections. Unfortunately I have not been focused on private life," he replied when asked during an interview with PTI as to when he intended to get married.

"Is it two years from now, one year from now?" he was asked.

"When I find the right girl," said the 43-year-old Gandhi scion.

Question: That means you have not found the right girl?

Rahul: When I find the right girl, I will get married.

The Congress vice-president, a pet lover, was asked about his other hobbies.

He replied to say that he read quite a bit, "too much non-fiction" and "too much about things related to my work" — history, geography, political affairs...a lot about the middle east, Afghanistan, Pakistan and China.

Gandhi said he did not watch as many Hindi movies as his sister Priyanka does. But he came away disappointed often with the mainstream movies of Hollywood.

He has no favourite actors or actresses. "I appreciate a good performance."

Congress will get 200+ seats; Poll surveys joke: Rahul

NEW DELHI, March 15: Rahul Gandhi on Saturday dubbed poll surveys predicting that Congress could get just 100 seats in Lok Sabha polls as "joke", and said opinion polls are "not the law" and there is no question of Narendra Modi and BJP coming to power.

Holding a 'Google Hangout' with party workers, the first such interaction by any Congress leader, Gandhi also hit out at the main Opposition party over reports of an internal war within BJP over candidatures of senior leaders including Modi.

"The talk of 100 seats is a joke and you have to understand that... the entire campaign of the Opposition is to demoralise you. If you are not demoralised, we shall smash them.

"If you do not have a doubt in your mind, we are getting 200 plus seats. The entire game is to demoralise the Congress workers, to create doubts in their mind," Gandhi said replying to a question on what would Congress do after polls if it gets about 100 seats.

"First of all we fought in 2004. Every single opinion poll said we are going to get thrashed. Congress won that election. In 2009, every single opining poll said we are going to get thrashed. We doubled our tally".

"We are now fighting a third election. They always say Congress will not do well. Let us not start with the assumption that opinion polls are the law. We have to fight a strong election," Gandhi seeking to dispel the notion that Congress out down in dumps and enthuse the cadres to go out in the field and propagate UPA government's achievements.

Asking the partymen from different parts of the country "not to fall in the Opposition trap", Gandhi said Congress is a party which believes in revolution while the BJP symbolises conservationism and status quo.

"If you look at our Opposition, every single candidate is decided by one man. Their senior leaders are saying that every single candidate is decided by one man. They are heading in one direction and we are heading into entirely another direction," Gandhi said extolling the primary initiative of the party to select candidates.

To a query as to how Congress should fight the communal forces if Modi and his party come to power, Gandhi said, "we are going to win the next election. Therefore, BJP coming to power, their leader coming to power is a non-question."

Delhi: Danish tourist raped 15 times, reveals report

NEW DELHI, March 16: “I was ravaged at least 15 times, there were so many men. I stood under the shower for four hours after I went back to the hotel,” a 51-year-old Danish woman — allegedly gangraped in the heart of the Capital in broad daylight — had told the police in her initial statement.

The statement, two months after the gruesome incident, shows the tourist had initially named more suspects — seven to nine — than the six people police chargesheeted later.

“Initially, she claimed there were seven to nine men involved,” said a police official. “Later, after she sufficiently settled down, she told us seven people had assaulted her,” he added.

A tourist guide from Copenhagen, the woman was allegedly gangraped a short distance from Connaught Place on the afternoon of January 14. She was walking to her Paharganj hotel from the National Museum when she encountered the alleged assailants drinking at the Railway Officers Club. She stopped and asked them for directions. The men subsequently pinned her down, robbed her and proceeded to rape her.

The incident drew international condemnation with many questioning if India was safe for female tourists.

Within hours of the case being reported, the police had rounded up two local ‘vagabonds’ and followed it up with more arrests.

In early February, the police formally chargesheeted six people — Mahender alias Ganja, Mohammad Raja, Bajji, Arjun, Raju and a juvenile whose identity cannot be revealed. All of them are ‘vagabonds’ frequently migrating from one part of Delhi to another, and are currently in judicial custody at Tihar jail.

Rahul Gandhi compares Modi to Hitler

BALASINOR, March 11: Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi compared BJP prime ministerial candidate and Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi to Adolf Hitler saying that the German dictator believed whatever decisions he took and executed were the best.

The Congress leader was addressing a massive rally in Balasinor in central Gujarat, which is traditionally a Congress stronghold.

"There are two types of leaders. One who meets with people, visits their homes like Gandhiji did and understands them and their problems. Such a leader is humble and has no arrogance, like Gandhiji," he said.

"There is another type of leader: Hitler, who believed there was no need to learn from the people. Whatever happened in Germany was done by Hitler and the people had nothing to do with it," he said, adding that such leaders only talk and claim credit for everything.

He claimed that the Congress party had leaders of the first kind who understand people's desires and how the state of Gujarat had managed to grow with efforts and hard work put in by the men and women of the state.

Gandhi did not take Modi's name, but left no room for doubt when he raked up the Gujarat CM's bid to project himself as the people's "watchman" in New Delhi.

"India doesn't need a security guard, people of the nation need their rights."

He accused the state of snatching away land from farmers, a charge that has been levelled against the Modi government by Aam Aadmi Party leader Arvind Kejriwal as well.

"Is stealing land from the poor considered safeguarding their interests? Is that what a watchman does?"

"Taking away farmers' lands without any compensation is chori (theft), not chowkidari," he said.

Taking on Modi's development claims, the Gandhi family scion said Gujarat was shining only for a few industrialists, who prospered at the expense of common men in the state.

"Gujarat is shining, but only for a handful of people. It is not shining for the poor or the women."

He also lambasted the BJP's prime ministerial candidate for taking credit for the success of Amul and for appropriating the legacy of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel and Mahatma Gandhi.

On Modi's pet project, the proposed statue of Sardar Patel, Gandhi said building a statue was fine, but people must know more about him before doing it.
"You should be educated yourself to talk about Sardar Patel."

He added, "Gujarat has given us Mahatma Gandhi and Sardar Patel. They are not two people, there are ideologies. They (BJP) say they will erase the Congress, then why don't they ask who made the Congress. It was Gandhi and Patel together."

Gandhi said the BJP's problem was anger.

"They are filled with anger, hatred. Congress is all about love."

Nine-phased LS polls to start from April 7, counting on May 16

NEW DELHI, March 5: The high-stake Lok Sabha elections pitting Narendra Modi against Rahul Gandhi with a number of other PM aspirants thrown in will be held between April 7 and May 12 on nine days, the highest number of phases so far.

Counting of votes in all the 543 constituencies involving an electorate of 81.4 crore will be done on May 16, Chief Election Commissioner V S Sampath announced today at a press conference releasing the election schedule.

Assembly elections will also be held simultaneously in the states of Andhra Pradesh, including Telangana region, Odisha and Sikkim.

Flanked by Election Commissioners H S Brahma and S N A Zaidi, Sampath was at pains to explain the difference between nine polling days and phases saying the whole process from today to counting of votes on May 16 will be over in 72 days, three days less than it took in the last elections.

The Model Code of Conduct for parties and governments comes into force with immediate effect, he said.

Calling it yet another milestone in the history of Indian democracy, Sampath appealed to political parties and candidates to uphold the democratic traditions of the nation by maintaining high standards of political discourse and fair play in the course of their election campaigns.

The first polling day on April 7 will cover six Lok Sabha constituencies in two states--Assam and Tripura--while the second on April 9 will cover seven constituencies in five states--Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram and Nagaland.

11 parties join hands to counter Congress, BJP

NEW DELHI, Feb 25: Pushing further the efforts to firm up a Third Front at the Centre, 11 non-congress and non-BJP parties are meeting in New Delhi on Tuesday.

The idea is to push a Third Front-led government at the Centre as a credible alternative to a Congress-led or a BJP-led coalition.

Senior leaders of CPI (M), CPI, SP, JDU, BJD, AIADMK and Asom Gana Parishad will deliberate upon the idea of forming the 'third front'.

According to reports, Tuesday's meeting comes nearly a week after the top leaders of the non-Congress, non-BJP parties met to chalk out a common strategy and decided to convene a meeting at the end of the current Parliament session.

Rahul accuses BJP of practicing politics of blood

DEHRADUN, Feb 23: Rahul Gandhi accused BJP of practicing politics of blood by pitting one religion against another and one caste against another to come to power at any cost, escalating the Congress attack against the opposition party.

The Congress Vice President also said that UPA government was trying to bring anti-graft ordinances after the opposition blocked the passage of these bills in Parliament.

"It (BJP) practices politics of blood. They don't see anything but power... power at any cost. They can pit communities and castes against each other, they won't hesitate in spilling blood if they find it necessary to usurp power. " Rahul said at a rally at the Parade Ground in Dehradun on Sunday.

On the contrary, Rahul said Congress believed in mitigating the pain of people even if it may fall short of expectations at times and that it alone has the farsighted vision that can set the country firmly on the path of development.

In a frontal attack on the BJP's prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi, he said the Gujarat Chief Minister was speaking about corruption even though he never appointed a Lokayukta in his state and did so only after a judicial order.

"There is still one man in Gujarat who does not come under Lokayukta. All others are under it but not that man", he said in an apparent reference to Modi.

Hitting out at BJP for not cooperating with government in the passage of pending anti-corruption bills in Parliament, he said, "There are six anti-corruption bills. I spoke about them in media. Our leaders spoke to their (BJP) leaders. They kept silence... The government is ours. We are trying to push those bills in the form of ordinances."

He tore into Modi for his pitch for "Congress-free" India and invoked religious texts and figures like Gita, Koran and Buddha among others to imply that Congress represented the idea of a secular India which could not be removed.

"We are speaking about thoughts. Their leader says obliterate Congress... They should read Gita. They don't. It says work for others with humility... Buddha could not be eradicated. Nor could Ashoka and Akbar... Congress cannot be erased. We will fight. We will win. We will form government," he said.

"They (BJP) don't see Yeddyurappa in Karnataka. They don't see corruption in Gujarat, in Chhattisgarh, in Madhya Pradesh... They don't talk about the disabled, women and youth. All they say is make our man Prime Minister. It will take care of everything," he said.

Gandhi said Gujarat was developed due to the efforts of its women, small businessmen and traders, STs and youth and Congress believed in empowering these sections of society while BJP believed in dividing people.

He also underscored Congress' pro-modern credentials by recalling that it was the then prime minister Rajiv Gandhi who ushered in computers in India and said BJP led by its senior leader Atal Bihari Vajpayee, who later became PM, vehemently opposed it.

"Rajiv Gandhi spoke about computers. The biggest BJP leader who later became prime minister said India does not need it. It will destroy farmers... Now they (BJP) claim they brought telecom revolution. They have no vision. They have no idea about what India needs," he said.

On the issue of one rank one pension, Gandhi said the UPA government has fulfilled the long pending demand of armed forces.

"Armed forces were the biggest heroes in the rescue operations during the last year's flash floods in Uttarakhand," he said.

He highlighted UPA's decision to raise the number of subsidised cylinders available to households from nine to 12 and passage of Right to Education and Food bills to argue that Congress was the only party which understood the common man's concerns.

Congress, he said, would now bring a law to ensure health care to everybody. He also reiterated his party's commitment to the passage of Woman Reservation Bill and said India cannot be a super power if its women are not empowered.

"Congress will give tickets to women wherever they can. I am standing with you."

"We gave reservation in local bodies. Now we will give it in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha. We will give it in organisation. India can only be a half super power if women are not given their due," he said.

"We have made arrangements for better representation of women in panchayati raj institutions.

"Efforts are underway to ensure fifty per cent representation to women in Vidhan Sabhas and the Lok Sabha because the Congress is convinced that no development is possible without the women of this country come forward and contribute to it," Gandhi said.

Spelling out basic difference between Congress and its political rivals, Gandhi said while the Congress believes in empowering people, its opponents believe in concentrating power into a few hands.

Describing RTI as a very effective weapon in fighting corruption, he spoke of his role in its introduction and the passage of Lokpal in Parliament.

It is the Congress which has always generated fresh ideas to give a direction to this country and this time again it is the same old party which has a roadmap for development, the Congress Vice-President said.

Targeting BJP's prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi without naming him, Gandhi said there are people with a single point agenda of becoming prime minister.

"They go to people saying make me PM and everything will be fine. However, we have a different approach. We have a definite vision for the development of the country. "We have identified the thrust areas like empowerment of women and employment of youth for overall development," he said.

Noting that arrogance has no place in politics, Rahul Gandhi said only a political party governed by the golden principle of compassion for others can sustain in India.

The young leader said those who want to see the Congress doomed will themselves be demolished in the coming Lok Sabha polls and the Congress citadel will stand unharmed.

"Congress khadi rahegi. Humein mitane wale khud mit jayenge. Hum chunao jeet kar rahenge," he said.

Gandhi talked about projects under way on building a rail manufacturing corridor connecting the four metros which will also pass through Uttarakhand and give employment to lakhs of youth.

He said in his ten-year stint in Parliament he had learnt that politics is all about the ability to feel the pain of others like women do.

Turning his head to the enclosure where most of the spectators were women, especially from remote areas of Kumaon and Garhwal,he said they know this art better because they have to do it on a regular basis.

"They have to suppress their hunger almost daily to feed their children," he said.

Rahul also promised all help for rehabilitation and reconstruction work in calamity-ravaged areas of Uttarakhand.

"The Centre has sent Rs 7,000 crore for reconstructing lives in the calamity-hit areas and and the results will soon be visible," he said.

Earlier, welcoming him Harish Rawat described Rahul Gandhi as the flag bearer of a new India in the 21st century.

Gandhi was also gifted a miniature replica of Kedarnath temple by Rawat and PCC chief Yashpal Arya before he left the podium.

Rahul blames opposition for non-passage of anti-graft Bills

NEW DELHI, Feb 22: As parliament session came to an end, Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi on Friday made a sharp attack on opposition parties alleging their "deceit" had ensured that key anti-corruption Bills could not be passed.

"Those in the opposition have said that they are against corruption and want to fight it. But when the time came to pass the Bills against corruption, they did not support," Gandhi told mediapersons.

He said people were now saying the ordinance route be taken to bring in these anti-graft measures and he had talked to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress President Sonia Gandhi in this regard.

"Let us see if the ordinance can be brought or not. But in a way, the opposition deceived. Opposition ka dhokha hai," Gandhi said.

The Congress Vice President said he had said several times that that action is more important than words and the reality was that the opposition did not extend support when it was time to act to bring anti corruption measures.

"I thought the people in the opposition will support these Bills and India will get a strong anti-graft mechanism. But they didn't do so," Gandhi said.

SC stays release of Rajiv Gandhi killers

NEW DELHI, Feb 20: Supreme Court on Thursday restrained Tamil Nadu government from releasing prisoners and directs it to maintain status quo.

There have been procedural lapses by the TN govt in its decision to release seven convicts in Rajiv Gandhi assassination case, the apex court said.

SC asked the state government to file reply within two weeks and posts the case for hearing for March 6. Appropriate government has power to remit sentence but it has to follow the laid down procedure, the apex court added.

Appearing before a bench headed by Chief Justice P Sathasivam, Solicitor General Mohan Parasaran pleaded for a stay saying the state government should not be allowed to release the prisoners till the apex court decided its review petition challenging commutation of death sentence of three condemned prisoners to life imprisonment on ground of delay in deciding mercy petitions.

The bench, after a brief hearing, agreed to hear the case at length and posted it at 12.40 PM.

The Jayalalithaa government had on Wednesday decided to set free all seven convicts in the assassination case after the apex court had commuted the death penalty of three of them to life imprisonment.

Besides Santhan, Murugan and Perarivalan, who earned a major reprieve on February 18 from the apex court which spared them from gallows, Nalini, Robert Pious, Jayakumar and Ravichandran are the other four convicts whose release was decided by the Tamil Nadu government.

Santhan, Murugan and Perarivalan are currently lodged in the Central Prison, Vellore, in Tamil Nadu and they are in incarceration since 1991.

Nalini, Robert Pious, Jayakumar and Ravichandran, are undergoing life sentence for their role in the assassination of Gandhi on May 21, 1991 in Sriperumbudur. In its petition Centre pleaded that the convicts be not released during pendency of its review petition on commutation of death sentence.

The Tamil Nadu government has set a three-day deadline for itself and also to the Centre over the release of the seven convicts. The Supreme Court had commuted the death sentence of Murugan, Santhan (both Sri Lankan Tamils) and A G Perarivalan on the ground of 11 years delay in deciding their mercy pleas by the Centre.

It had also rejected the Centre's submission that there was no unreasonable delay in deciding their mercy plea and the condemned prisoners did not go through agonising experience as they were enjoying life behind the bars.

Gandhi's assassins were convicted by a TADA court in January 1998 and were awarded death sentence, which was confirmed by the apex court May 11, 1999.

TN told not to proceed with release of Rajiv killers: PM

NEW DELHI, Feb 20: Holding that assassination of Rajiv Gandhi was an attack on India's soul, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said the release of his killers would be "contrary to all principles of justice" and the Tamil Nadu government has been told not to proceed with it as it is "not legally tenable".

In a statement in New Delhi on Thursday, he said that no government or party should be soft in the fight against terrorism, an apparent reference to the AIADMK government in Tamil Nadu which has decided to release all the seven convicts in the assassination case after the Supreme Court commuted death sentence of three of them to life imprisonment.

"The assassination of Rajiv Gandhi was an attack on the soul of India," Dr. Singh said in the statement issued soon after the government moved a review petition in the Supreme Court on the "fundamental issues of law".

"The release of the killers of a former Prime Minister of India and our great leader, as well as several other innocent Indians, would be contrary to all principles of justice," the Prime Minister asserted.

He said the Centre has "informed the Tamil Nadu government that their proposed course of action to release the killers of Rajiv Gandhi is not legally tenable and should not be proceeded with."

Govt is moving a review petition in SC on fundamental issues of law arising from the issue.

SC agrees to give an urgent hearing on Centre's plea, will take up the case later on Thursday.

The Congress on Wednesday reacted sharply to the Tamil Nadu government's decision to release the killers of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi.

Congress Vice- President Rahul Gandhi said he was saddened by the decision and asked if a Prime Minister's killers are being released, what kind of justice the common man should expect.

Senior BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad termed the news of Rajiv Gandhi's assassins being treated with compassion as disturbing.

Meanwhile, Minister of State for Home affairs R.P.N Singh has termed the Tamil Nadu govt's decision as extremely unfortunate.

Condemning the Tamil Nadu governments' decision to set free Rajiv Gandhi's assassins, Information and broadcasting Minister Manish Tewari said that the law ministry and the government are taking appropriate steps against it.

Terming the Tamil Nadu government's decision as a judicial process, SP leader Naresh Aggarwal refused to comment any further.

CPI leader D Raja said that the Tamil Nadu government has taken the decision as per the Supreme Court's verdict.

He also said that political parties in Tamil Nadu as well as cross the nation have welcomed it.

Haryana Government is committed to woman empowerment: Hooda

By Deepak Arora

NEW DELHI, Feb 17: The Haryana Chief Minister, Mr Bhupinder Singh Hooda, has said that the State Government is committed to woman empowerment and a number of steps have been taken in this regards. Education of women is at the top among various initiatives.

Mr Hooda was speaking at the function organized to release the book "Affinities India & Korea: Past & Present" at Haryana Bhawan here on Monday. The book was jointly released by Mr Hooda and South Korea Ambassador, Mr Lee Joon Gyu. The book has been brought out by Bhagat Phool Singh Mahila Vishwavidyalaya, Khanpur Kalan and edited by its Vice-Chancellor, Dr (Mrs) Pankaj Mittal.

Vice-Chancellor of BPS Mahila Vishwavidyalaya Khanpur Kalan, Dr Pankaj Mittal, Poland Ambassador Mr Piotr Kłodkowski, Director Centre for India-Asian Studies Prof. Kapil Kapoor, Registrar of the University Prof. Asha Kadyan, Director Korean Culture Centre, Prof. Kim Do Young, Mr Kim Pyoung, Mrs Kamla Devi and a number of eminent scholars from Jawaharlal Nehru University and Delhi University were present on this occasion.

Mr Hooda said that the education of girls started at Khanpur Gurukul with just three girls and the BPS Mahila Vishwavidyalaya was established in August, 2006.

This was like a dream come true for me. I feel happy to see our young daughters getting holistic and job oriented education at the University, which has come to be known as one of the best universities for women’s education in the country. Its unique social initiatives like Centre for Society University Interface and Research (CSUIR), Centre for Indic-Asian Studies (CIAS) and the recently held Women Youth Parliament are really commendable.

Mr Hooda congratulated the Vice-Chancellor of the University, Dr (Mrs) Pankaj Mittal for conceptualizing the International Conference on India Korea relations in July, 2012 and bringing out this important book based on the deliberations of that Conference. The Vishwavidyalaya is also collaborating with foreign universities.

The presence of Ambassadors of South Korea and Poland in this function speaks volumes about the global reach of the University. He said that I have been told that interns from America have also started coming to the University for training. I commend the efforts of the Vice-Chancellor for bringing the University to this level. I hope this book will be helpful in furthering the relations between India and South Korea, which are already having strong bilateral relations.

The Ambassador of South Korea, Mr Lee Joon Gyu, said that he was happy to be here on the occasion of the release of book. Chief Minister, Mr Hooda is a good friend of Korea and under his dynamic leadership, Korea’s partnership with Haryana has made great strides. He commended the efforts of the University for organizing the International Korea-India Relations Conference and bringing out this book, which contains the scholarly papers presented at the Conference. The book, he said captures almost all aspects of Korea-India relationship. This will help the readers to understand the dynamically evolving relations between the two countries.

The Ambassador of Poland, Mr Piotr Kłodkowski, said that he is feeling quite at home here, on the occasion of release of this excellent book. India had been in a position to give message to the world and still India’s ideas have potential to show path to the world. Our two countries are cooperating in a number of areas, he said.

Dr (Mrs) Pankaj Mittal thanked the Chief Minister, Mr Hooda for being kind enough to release the book. He had also inaugurated the International conference on India Korea Relations in July, 2012, which has culminated in this book, Mrs Mittal said.

Mr Hooda gives great importance to the women’s education and this University owes its existence and progress to the support of Chief Minister, Mr Hooda. She also thanked the Ambassadors of South Korea and Poland for being present at the function of the release of this book. She also expressed thanks to Dr Kim Do Young and Mr Kim Pyoung for their presence and for extending cooperation to the university in connection with teaching of Korean language and academic exchanges. Dr Mittal thanked Prof. Kapil Kapoor, the visiting Prof. from JNU and the Director of Indic-Asian Studies Centre, for providing necessary guidance to the Centre. She expressed hope that the book will be of immense value to both the countries for understanding each other and initiating policy dialogues and also to researchers.

Prof. Kapil Kapoor said that this book is the first product of the Indic-Asian Studies Centre of the BPS Mahila Vishwavidyalaya. Very soon two more books will also be brought out. India’s intellectual relations with Asia and East Europe have been strong in the past and there is need to rediscover and reconnect with Asia, he said. This is the inspiration behind the establishment of this Centre.

Prof. Asha Kadyan, Registrar of BPS Mahila Vishwavidyalaya thanked the Chief Minister and the Ambassadors of South Korea and Poland and other dignitaries for gracing the occasion.

Slovenia seeks to strengthen economic ties with Haryana

By Deepak Arora

NEW DELHI, Feb 17: Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Slovenia, Mr Karl Erjavec, has invited the Haryana Chief Minister, Mr Bhupinder Singh Hooda, to visit Slovenia. The letter of Mr Erjavec was handed over to Mr Hooda by the Ambassador of Slovenia, Mrs Darja Bavdaz Kuret at his New Delhi residence on Monday evening.

Chief Minister Mr Hooda had inaugurated Fairwood Smartgreen company, in Gurgaon in November 12, 2013, which is a joint venture of Robotina, Slovenia and Fairwood Group of Companies of India.

In his letter, Mr Erjavec has said that he had discussed with Mr Hooda about the possibilities of economic cooperation between republic of Slovenia and State of Haryana. He had expressed opinion that cooperation between Slovenia and Haryana would be of economic advantage to both sides.

Mrs Kuret said that Slovenia has expertise in the field of renewable energy and can extend all help to Haryana in this field. She also said that Slovenia is gateway to Indian investments and Indian Companies can make investments in various ventures in Slovenia.

She also proposed joint venture in the field of Auto Industry. Mr Hooda said that Haryana is already an Auto Hub. Haryana is the largest producer of passenger cars.

Responding to the invitation, Mr Hooda said that it will be possible for him to visit Slovenia in the month of June or July this year.

On this occasion, Principal Resident Commissioner, Mr P.K. Mahapatra and Media Advisor to Chief Minister, Mr Shiv Bhattia were also present.

Rahul backs 'One-Rank-One-Pension' demand of ex-servicemen

NEW DELHI, Feb 14: Rahul Gandhi on Friday backed the long-pending demand of "One-Rank, One-Pension" for ex- servicemen assuring them that he will make all efforts to ensure it is met at the earliest.

"I am on your side. I understand your concerns. You give your life for the country, I will do all that I can to see that your demands are met," Gandhi told a gathering of 1000 odd ex-servicemen during an interaction in New Delhi.

Gandhi is holding interactions with various sections to get their direct feedback for Congress manifesto for 2014 Lok Sabha elections.

Delegations of ex-servicemen from Haryana, Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh and Punjab met Gandhi and requested him to push for the implementation of the "One Rank, One Pension" (OROP) policy.

'One Rank, One Pension' has been a long-standing demand of the over two million ex-servicemen of India. It seeks to ensure that a uniform pension is paid to the defence personnel retiring at the same rank with the same length of service, irrespective of their date of retirement.

In what could be music to the ears of around 3 million defence pensioners in the country, Gandhi told the ex-servicemen that he does feel that their demand is long over due. He said he would make all efforts to ensure that this long-standing demand that affects ex-servicemen, their families and war-widows, is met at the earliest.

Major Ved Prakash, the chairman of the ex-servicemen department, told that the ex-servicemen also pointed out in the meeting that those working in the armed forces retire early even before their family commitments are fulfilled and hence they should be accommodated in paramilitary forces and government jobs.

The OROP will ensure that retired soldiers of the same rank and the same length of service receive the same pension, irrespective of their date of retirement.

The scheme is estimated to cost Rs. 2,000 crore annually.

Currently, all pre-2006 (the year the 6th pay panel report became effective) pensioners receive lesser pension than not only their counterparts but also their juniors.

Major Ved Prakash said OROP will ensure that these servicemen receive pension on the basis of the pension people are getting in their rank after the implementation of the sixth pay commission.

Arvind Kejriwal resigns

NEW DELHI, Feb 14: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal resigned on Friday night after suffering a defeat in the assembly on the Jan Lokpal Bill and in a political gamble he recommended dissolution of the assembly and holding of fresh polls.

Bringing to an end a 49-day roller coaster ride in power, during which he received bouquets and brickbats in equal measure, the Chief Minister and his cabinet met for one last time when it decided to resign and make the recommendation to Lt Governor Najeeb Jung whose advice against the anti-graft Bill he had defied in the assembly.

Goverment sources told that he has sent his resignation to Lt Governor Najeeb Jung shortly after a meeting of the Cabinet.

Addressing party workers at AAP headquarters, Kejriwal said his Cabinet has decided to recommend dissolution of the assembly and holding of fresh polls.

Sharply attacking the Congress and the BJP for being in collusion to defeat the Jan Lokpal Bill, Arvind Kejriwal said that people will teach both the parties a lesson in future.

"They tell lie that we are not following Constitution. They want to do corruption. Both BJP and Congress have joined hands. We say eradicate corruption. They say it is unconstitutional.”

"They break mikes and consider it as Constitutional. People will teach them a lesson," he told a large gathering of his supporters outside Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) headquarters.

He said both the parties wanted him to work as per their wishes.

"I was disheartened with what happened in the Assembly yesterday. They wanted us to work as per their wishes. They thought we were new and would ask for their advice in every work we do. But we followed the Constitution and I am ready to sacrifice my life for the Constitution," said Kejriwal, who resigned after introduction of Jan Lokpal Bill was defeated in the Assembly.

During his about half an hour speech, he accused both BJP and Congress of corruption.

"I remember, we were here when Delhi Assembly elections were announced. I remember addressing you from this window. We got 28 seats and we were not sure of making government. We had vowed that we will not take support of either BJP or the Congress.”

"Congress forcefully supported us. We asked the people. They told us to take the support for as many days as possible and deliver the good work," he said.

Following which, we came to power on December 28. Our biggest promise was to pass the Jan Lokpal Bill, a strong anti corruption Bill. Congress had given in writing that they would support the Jan Lokpal Bill, he said.

"When today we tried to introduce the Jan Lokpal Bill in the Assembly. BJP and Congress came together. It has never happened before..."

"They defeated the Jan Lokpal Bill. Why that happened, because three days ago, we had filed an FIR against Mukesh Ambani (RIL chairman). He is the man who runs this country's government," Kejriwal claimed.

"Mukesh Ambani had once said that Congress is his shop and he can buy anything from them and since the last ten years he was running the UPA government," Kejriwal alleged.

"Mukesh Ambani is behind Modi also. From where does Modi get so much money ? Modi moves in helicopters. From where does he get money to conduct such huge rallies? When we raised fingers against Mukesh Ambani, Congress and BJP joined hands", he said.

"They thought that Kejriwal has a small anti-corruption branch and is creating such a nuisance. If Jan Lokpal comes, half of their partymen would go to jail. They thought that we would also raise voice against Sharad Pawar, Kamal Nath," said Kejriwal.

He said both BJP and Congress meet everyday behind curtains to loot the country. "But in the last few days. Their real faces have been exposed. Both of them today did not allow the Bill to be passed in the Assembly," he said.

Both BJP and Congress could not conduct audit of power distribution companies in last five years. We did it in five days. They could not reduce corruption in 65 years, we filed FIRs against corruption done by Sheila Dikshit, Kejriwal said.

"They told us not to do this and do governance. Is governance not about sending the corrupt to jail?," he asked.

Kejriwal said: "I am no one. I am one among you. I have not come here for position. Today as Jan Lokpal Bill could not be passed our government resigned. Our cabinet has recommended that the Delhi Assembly should be dissolved and fresh polls be conducted.

He said his government was working day in and out for the welfare of the people of Delhi with utmost dedication.

"If I have to resign 100 times from the post of Chief Minister, I will...At last I will pray to God that we are small people. Please give us good thought so that we can sacrifice our lives for the good of the country," Kejriwal said amidst applause from his supporters.

Prez gets Rotary's highest award

NEW DELHI, Feb 11: President Pranab Mukherjee on Tuesday got the Rotary's highest award for his leadership in the country's victory over polio.

The award is a recognition for heads of countries or governments who have rendered unique service to the humanity and served the country and its people upholding values reflected in the Rotary's motto 'Service Above Self'.

"Ron Burton conveyed greetings and admiration of Rotarians across the world to Mukherjee for the leadership he has provided and the country's victory over polio," a Rashtrapati Bhavan release said.

The President appreciated the work the Rotary movement is doing worldwide and in India, especially its support to the government for the eradication of polio, it said.

Sonia named chairperson of Cong campaign panel for LS polls

NEW DELHI, Feb 11: Congress president Sonia Gandhi has been made the chairperson of the party's 50-member Campaign Committee for the 2014 Lok Sabha polls in which Rahul Gandhi will be the co-chairman, the party announced on Tuesday.

The announcement came less than a month after the Congress had said that Rahul, the party vice-president, will lead its campaign in the upcoming general elections due in May.

The announcement regarding the posts to be held by Sonia and Rahul in the Committee was made in a statement released to the press by AICC general secretary Janardan Dwivedi.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will be a member of the committee along with several union ministers.

"This meeting of the AICC declares that 2014 election campaign will be led by Rahul Gandhi," a meeting of the Congress Working Committee (CWC) on January 16 this year had said.

This decision which laid to rest speculation on whether Rahul will be the made the Congrress' prime ministerial candidate was incorporated in the omnibus draft resolution which later came up before the AICC meeting the next day for approval.

It was taken at the two-hour meeting of the extended CWC notwithstanding an overwhelming demand for anointing Rahul as the PM nominee ahead of the polls.

However, Congress leaders have also been maintaining thereafter that Rahul's position in the party is number two after Sonia and that the party will be led by the Congress president and the Congress vice-president in the next polls.

Senior ministers AK Antony, P Chidambaram, Sushilkumar Shinde, Ghulam Nabi Azad, Salman Khurshid, Kamal Nath, Anand Sharma and Jairam Ramesh; former chief ministers Sheila Dikshit and Ashok Gehlot and senior party leaders Ahmed Patel, Motilal Vora, Janardan Dwivedi, Madhusudan Mistri, Digvijay Singh, Ambika Soni and BK Hariprasad are among the members of the Committee.

Union ministers Jyotiraditya Scindia, V Narayanasamy, Jitender Singh, Rajeev Shukla, Manish Tewari and JD Seelam also figure in the list.