Modi unveils Start-up India action plan with slew of measures

NEW DELHI, Jan 16: Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced on Saturday a three-year income tax holiday, an inspector raj-free environment and a Rs 10,000-crore fund in a string of incentives to support start-ups in the country.

Speaking to a galaxy of entrepreneurs from India and abroad at the Vigyan Bhavan, the Prime Minister offered capital gains tax exemption and a self-certification scheme in respect of nine labour and environment laws besides a three-year exemption from inspections.

The Start-Up India initiative by the BJP-led NDA government is crucial for the country struggling to revive industry and create jobs needed to absorb about 10 million people joining the workforce every year.

The list of goodies the Prime Minister dished out was long: a single point “start-up India” hub for clearances, new intellectual property protection for start-ups with 80% lower patent fee, a credit guarantee scheme for them, exemption from capital gains if the money is invested in a new start-up, and no tax on profits for the first three years.

Modi struck the sweet spot right in the beginning of his speech at the launch of the Start-Up India Action Plan, saying that a lot can happen if the government did not meddle. He then went on to list a number of financial, fiscal, regulatory, and monetary incentives to make life easier for start-ups.

India, which has the third-largest number of start-ups globally, will also support the ventures by removing the criteria of experience and turnover for bagging government procurement contracts, he said.

Somewhere in between, Modi said what every entrepreneur loves to hear more than anything else. “We understand that to build a large and successful corporation, you cannot escape failure. Failures will happen. I want to promote those who have the courage to fail.”

Therefore, he will make it easier for founders to exit their companies, responding to concerns that though it is difficult to start a company in India, it is almost impossible to shut one. “Those who run from water will never learn to swim. You have to drown once to be able to learn to swim.”

The Prime Minister will also encourage start-ups in government purchases, which now have rigid qualifications based on experience and turnover.

“Turnover will rise if they get an opportunity. Experience has to begin somewhere. We are seriously looking to give relief on those, without compromising on quality. Nobody should be denied an opportunity because he is new.”

As the packed Vigyan Bhawan erupted in applause at his announcements, Modi used the opportunity to exhort everyone to use Twitter and Facebook to put pressure on those who were stalling work in Parliament.

Accept our demands, GST will be passed in 15 minutes: Rahul Gandhi

MUMBAI, Jan 16: Congress vice-president on Saturday said that the Goods and Services Taxes (GST) bill will be cleared in just 15 minutes once the Modi government accepts the conditions set by his party.

Gandhi also attacked Centre’s ambitious start-up mission, saying there is a contradiction in pushing for start-ups and being “intolerant”.

He said the RSS has a very “rigid vision” for India and that start ups require free movement of ideas.

During an interaction with management students in Mumbai, Rahul accused the Modi dispensation of not taking on board the concerns of the opposition on GST.

A “compromise with the government is possible on GST and it is by sitting across the table, but the government is not willing to do so,” said Rahul, a Lok Sabha MP. “The day the conditions are accepted, we will pass the GST (in Parliament). It will take just 15 minutes,” he said. “We don’t want a GST where there’s no cap on taxes. We want a limitation on the maximum tax that can be charged. Also, dispute resolution must be fair and neutral. I don’t think its wrong of us to say that,” Rahul said while explaining the conditions put by Congress to back GST.

Asked about roadblocks in implementation of GST bill, he said, “It was Congress which brought in the GST legislation. The BJP then stopped GST in Parliament for seven years. Jaitley then did not allow it to pass.

Narendra Modi, as CM of Gujarat, did not allow GST to pass.” “Jaitley doesn’t have to tell me GST is good. I know its good,” he said.

The constitutional amendment bill to usher in the single tax regime in the country has been stuck in the Rajya Sabha where the BJP is in a minority. The government wants to roll out GST from April 1 and hopes that a consensus will emerge for its passage in the budget session of Parliament that will begin in the second half of February.

Asked about the prospects of start ups, Rahul said, “The ruling dispensation, particularly the RSS, has a clear idea on what the world should look like. They have a vision for India which in my opinion is a very rigid vision. This country requires flexibility, openness and movement of ideas.” “There’s a huge contradiction in saying I want start ups but I will be intolerant,” the Congress leader said.

“You will fail on the economy and start up front if you are intolerant,” he said. “Start ups require free movement of ideas. If I say you are a woman and your place is in the kitchen, I am curbing your freedom,” he said.

He also charged that the BJP categorises people. “The BJP has categories: There’s a Hindu for them, a Muslim for them, a woman for them. I don’t categorise. That’s the difference between us and them,” he said.

The Congress vice-president later undertook a foot march from suburban Bandra to Dharavi in the metropolis to raise the issue of electricity tariff hike, with a large number of party supporters joining his padyatra.
MRCC president Sanjay Nirupam and former MP Priya Dutt were among the Congress leaders who accompanied Gandhi during the foot march.

Jolt for BJP in MP civic body polls, Cong gains

BHOPAL, Dec 27: The BJP suffered a huge setback on Saturday losing five out of eight urban civic bodies to the Congress in elections held on December 22. After the Ratlam Lok Sabha seat last month that the Congress snatched from the BJP, this is the second big win for the grand old party, which has been out of office in Madhya Pradesh since December 2003.

Elated Congress officials claimed they'd stopped the saffron juggernaut after Ratlam, and followed it up with winning five municipal councils. The BJP had held seven out of eight of the urban bodies that polled - the only one it didn't have was Bheraghat that remained with the Congress.

The BJP retained Mandsaur, Sehore and Shahganj urban civic bodies, suggesting its continuing sway over urban areas. In the five semi-urban areas and small towns of Dhamnod, Orchha, Majhauli, Bheraghat and Shajapur, it lost - two of these by narrow margins: Orchha by 96 votes and Majhauli by 474.

National Herald case: Sonia, Rahul get bail; Congress in combative mode, targets PM Modi, BJP

NEW DELHI, Dec 19: In a major relief to Congress president Sonia Gandhi and party vice-president Rahul Gandhi, the Patiala House court on Saturday granted bail on personal bonds of Rs 50,000 each to them in connection with the National Herald case filed by BJP leader Subramanian Swamy. All the other accused also received bail in the case without any conditions.

Sonia, Rahul, Motilal Vora, Oscar Fernandes and Suman Dubey appeared before a metropolitan magistrate in Patiala House Courts complex here and got bail.

Co-accused Sam Pitroda got exemption from personal appearance on medical grounds.

Shortly after the bail was announced, the grand old party engaged in a political battle, attacking Prime Minister Narendra Modi for "targeting his opponents" and terming Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Subramanian Swamy his "stooge."

The top two Congress leaders appeared at 3 pm before Metropolitan Magistrate Loveleen in the Patiala House courts in the case filed by Swamy.

The party rallied behind its leaders with former prime minister Manmohan Singh and party's leaders in the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge and Ghulam Nabi Azad present in the court. Sonia Gandhi's daughter Priyanka Gandhi Vadra was also there.

Congress workers had been thronging the party's central office on 24, Akbar Road since morning to express solidarity with the leaders. They later expressed their joy at the two top party leaders getting bail.

Shortly after returning from the court, both the Gandhis accused Modi of seeking to bend his opponents and said they were not afraid and will fight back. The BJP hit back, terming the Congress as closely linked with "corruption."

Kapil Sibal, who appeared on behalf of the Congress leaders, told reporters that the court rejected Swamy's plea to impose restrictions on the travel abroad of Congress leaders.

"We moved an application on behalf of all the accused for grant of bail. The court was kind enough to grant bail without conditions except for furnishing security in the sum of Rs 50,000 on behalf of each of the accused which were furnished," he told reporters after the hearing.

Congress leader AK Antony gave surety for Sonia Gandhi while Priyanka Gandhi gave surety for her brother Rahul Gandhi.

The court fixed the next date of hearing for February 20 at 2 pm.

The Delhi High Court this month dismissed the Gandhis' plea to quash the summons issued to them by the trial court on June 26, on Swamy's complaint about "cheating" in the acquisition of Associated Journals Ltd., which published the National Herald newspaper, by Young India Ltd., "a firm in which Sonia and Rahul Gandhi each own a 38 percent stake".

Sonia and Rahul Gandhi disembarked a few metres before the court premises and walked inside amid tight security.

Sonia Gandhi later said she appeared before the court with a clean heart as a law-abiding citizen should do. "The laws of the land apply to everyone without fear or favour. I do not have slightest doubt that the truth will come out," she said, and also made a reference to her mother-in-law Indira Gandhi who had fought cases against her and returned to power in 1980.

She said the "present central government is deliberately targeting its political opponents and misusing central agencies".

"No one among us is going to be afraid. Our fight against them will continue. Our struggle to preserve our ideals and for the interest of the poor will continue," she said.

Rahul Gandhi accused the Modi government of making false accusations against Modi's opponents to bend them. "He wants a Congress-free India. We won't let that happen."

Earlier, Azad accused Modi of backing Swamy in his complaint, while party colleague Randeep Singh Surjewala termed Swamy "a stooge" of Modi.

Swamy rubbished the allegations, while BJP leader Muqtar Abbas Naqvi said his party had nothing to do with the case.

"National Herald is yours. Corruption is yours. BJP has nothing to do with all this," he told the media.

India, Pakistan NSAs hold breakthrough talks in Bangkok

BANGKOK, Dec 6: India and Pakistan agreed on Sunday to a constructive engagement on bilateral issues after marathon meeting between the national security advisers of both countries in Bangkok, reviving the possibility of a thaw in frosty ties.

The closely-guarded four-and-a-half hour long meeting between NSA Ajit Doval and his Pakistan counterpart, Nasir Janjua, also paved the way for external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj’s Islamabad for a regional conference on Afghanistan on December 8 and 9.

Top officials flew in using commercial airlines for the carefully-calibrated meeting at Bangkok’s Novotel hotel and described the event as “very engaging, discussing every issue threadbare” but sources said the proposed India-Pakistan cricket series in Sri Lanka was not on the agenda.

“The discussions covered peace and security, terrorism, Jammu and Kashmir and other issues, including tranquility along the line of control. It was agreed to carry forward the constructive agreement,” said a joint statement issued after the event.

The meeting came days after a brief huddle between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Pakistan counterpart Nawaz Sharif in Paris on November 30, after which officials were instructed to find an amicable way to break the diplomatic impasse.

The joint statement showed New Delhi was willing to walk the extra mile and not limit NSA-level dialogue to just terrorism as was agreed after Modi and Sharif met earlier this year at the Russian city of Ufa.

The two sides were “willing to engage and focus on convergences” with “no confrontation” and no dossiers were exchanged, sources said.

“Discussions were held in a candid, cordial and constructive atmosphere. They were guided by the vision of the two leaders for a peaceful stable and prosperous South Asia”, the statement said.

Experts said the mention of Jammu and Kashmir would give Sharif some cover from domestic opponents who had criticised the Ufa meeting after the “core issue of Kashmir” wasn’t reflected in the joint statement.

India’s position that the NSAs should meet before other engagements has also been met, but the Opposition may criticize the NDA for inconsistency in foreign policy.

“The NSA-level talks is in continuation of the implementation of the joint statement signed by the two prime ministers at Ufa,” BJP spokesman GVL Narsimha Rao said.

Congress spokesman Tom Vadakkan described the meet as a “forward movement but said due diligence and calibration should be inbuilt. “Issues such as terrorism fomented from Pakistani soil and repatriation of fugitives protected by the Pakistani establishment to meet the judicial process in India should dominate any such talks. Engaging with Pakistan is important for peace in this sub continent,” he said.

Foreign secretary S Jaishankar and Prime Minister’s special envoy on counter-terrorism, Asif Ibrahim, were present in the meeting with Doval. Sources said the two sides are also willing to engage each other to address the larger security issues in the region like the rising threat of the jihadist terror group, Islamic state.

In his recent visit to the US, Pakistan army chief Raheel Sharif had briefed his American interlocutors about the steps Pakistan was taking against extremism.
Janjua’s background as an army commander and a confidant of Raheel Sharif helped the two sides engage meaningfully as he had the approval of the Pakistan establishment.

The breakthrough came after months of hostility following the last-minute cancellation of NSA-level talks in August. While India accused of Pakistan from running away from the talks, Islamabad alleged New Delhi was ‘concocting terror incidents’ and raking up ‘non issues’ meeting with separatist Hurriyat leaders.

Swaraj had then accused Pakistan of raking up the Kashmir issue against the ‘spirit of Ufa’. But Kashmir was discussed on Sunday.

NSA meeting in Bangkok ‘grand betrayal’ by Modi govt: Congress

NEW DELHI, Dec 6: Congress on Sunday termed the secret meeting of National Security Advisors of India and Pakistan in Bangkok as a “grand betrayal” of the Modi government and reflection of “flip-flops” over its Pakistan policy.

“It’s a grand betrayal. It’s a betrayal of everything that this government has ostensibly, publicly espoused,” Congress leader Manish Tewari said.

Asked about the meeting between NSA Ajit Doval and his Pakistani counterpart Nasir Janjua in Bangkok, Tewari said this is absolutely “crowning glory” after two sides had engaged in mutual blame game earlier resulting in cancellation of talks.

“If you look at the track record of this government over the past 18 months, their Pakistan policy has been an extravaganza, a somersault, flip-flops and 180-degree U-turns and this is absolutely the crowning glory,” he said.

After the verbal calisthenics that one witnessed between the foreign minister and the then NSA of Pakistan Sartaz Aziz, now suddenly without any provocation, without explaining to the country as to what has changed between September, 2015 and December 2015, the government decides to re-engage and that too in Bangkok, he said.

Tewari said if the talks were so essential, government should have explained the rationale behind it and held it either in New Delhi or Islamabad.

“If you felt that engagement with Pakistan is so essential, then the correct way to do it would be to stand up, explain the rationale and say that we have been making mistake after mistake in calling off the engagement with Pakistan and therefore, we are now going to persist with the broad spectrum engagement ,” he said.

On its part, BJP supported the NSA talks saying that it was in the spirit of Ufa statement by Prime Ministers Narendra Modi and Nawaz Sharif.

“The spirit of the Ufa statement is exactly what we are seeing in play here...we have seen that the last two opportunities have not been translated into direct talks. The first between the foreign secretaries and the second one being just after Ufa between the NSAs, that got cancelled out. So, I think we need to see it in that context,” BJP spokesperson Nalin Kohli said.

Kohli said the talks were held in Bangkok to avoid the media attention and the excitement that Indo-Pak relationship generates.

“Indo-Pak relationship is subject to an ultra-microscopic approach in terms of the excitement it generates within a whole segment, including the media so perhaps that may be a reason,” he said.

Former J-K chief minister Omar Abdullah welcomed the talks, saying holding them away from media glare can lead to “quiet progress”.

“Good to see India and Pakistan resume the dialogue process,” Omar wrote on microblogging site twitter. “Perhaps this is the way quiet progress will be made away from each other’s capitals and the glare of media driven expectations,” he tweeted.

250 killed as Chennai reels under floods

CHENNAI, Dec 3: Rain shows no sign of letting up in this deluged city and in several coastal parts of Tamil Nadu. Chennai received 34.5cm rain in the past 24 hours. Met officials said the state hasn't been lashed by such a downpour in 100 years.

Several road and and rail links are down, the airport is flooded and essential supplies and rations are running out. There have been complaints of patchy to poor mobile phone service making it even more difficult for people to get in touch with their near and dear ones.

With the water level consistently rising, many residents have taken refuge on their homes' terraces. Along the banks of the Adyar river, flood waters have reached as high as the second floor of housing board colonies. The death toll has reached 251, as per latest reports.

With the airport tarmac under water, all flights remained suspended on Wednesday. The Airports Authority of India (AAI) said the airport will remain shut until December 6.

On Wednesday, the airport's lounges were packed with hundreds of stranded passengers and TV reports said AAI was trying to evacuate them to Tirupati and Bengaluru.

Jolt for BJP as Congress rises again in Gujarat local polls

AHMEDABAD, Dec 2: The Congress made a spectacular comeback in Gujarat on Wednesday, taking control of the rural local bodies in a stunning blow to the BJP in an election seen as a referendum on the ruling party’s state and central leadership.

The setback to the BJP in Prime Minister Narendra Modi and party president Amit Shah’s home state comes barely weeks after the party suffered an embarrassing defeat in the assembly polls in Bihar.

The BJP, however, managed to retain its hold on the urban centres but saw its seat share come down in the face of a Congress resurgence in all six municipal bodies.

A jubilant Congress, which was virtually obliterated from all tiers of the power structure in the state after losing almost every election in the last 12 years, termed its performance a “verdict against the BJP government”.
This was the first popularity test for chief minister Anandiben Patel after she took charge of Gujarat last year as the then chief minister Narendra Modi moved to Delhi as Prime Minister.

The polls had also gained significance in view of the agitation for reservation by the influential Patel community, also known as the Patidars. Elections to the 323 local bodies were conducted on November 22 and 29.

In a virtual role reversal, the Congress walked away with 132 taluka panchayat bodies followed by 73 for the BJP from a total of 231, while it bagged 21 of the 31 district panchayats.

The results of 25 taluka panchayats were still pending.

In 2010, the BJP had won 162 of the 208 talukas, 41 of 53 municipalities and 21 of 24 district panchayats.

In the three-tier local body system, the talukas – known as tehsils in some other states – form the second layer, sandwiched between the district panchayats and village panchayats.

In the urban areas, the BJP retained control over Ahmedabad, Vadodara, Surat, Rajkot, Bhavnagar and Jamnagar municipal corporations, though the Congress put up a tough fight at several places.

The BJP attributed its loss in rural areas to the Patidar agitation.
“The BJP has done work in rural areas. But with the kind of social engineering done by the Congress of late, the results for the BJP are below expectations,” said the party’s state vice-president IK Jadeja.

“This is an overall mandate in favour of the Congress. Even in urban areas, with increased number of seats, we can say the Congress has been widely accepted,” said Gujarat Congress president Bharatsinh Solanki.

In Delhi, senior leader Ahmed Patel, who is political secretary to Congress president Sonia Gandhi, said the BJP government was on its way out in Gujarat after the results.

We are ready to be talked to, not thrown away: Rahul Gandhi on GST

BENGALURU, Nov 25: Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday hit back at the government for blaming the main opposition party for blocking a nationwide goods and services tax (GST), billed as the country’s biggest tax reform initiative.

“We strongly believe in GST,” Gandhi said in Bengaluru. “But we want a cap, not an unlimited tax that is charged to our people.” Gandhi’s comments came a day after finance minister Arun Jaitley said acceding to some of the Congress’s demands, including capping the GST rate at 18% in the law itself, could distort the system.

“We want a GST that suits the country. We are ready to be talked to; not thrown away. We are not trying to stall Parliament for the sake of it,” Gandhi said a day before Parliament meets for its winter session.

The latest round of political brinkmanship has raised fresh questions over whether India’s most ambitious reform move to make the country a unified market is staring at further hurdles.

Gandhi obliquely hinted that the Congress was open to discussion for ironing out the rough edges on key policy initiatives, but felt Prime Minister Narendra Modi wasn’t willing to co-opt the opposition in major decision-making.

“Conversation is important; out of conversation comes a refined perspective. How can one person have all the answers? I want you all to be part of the decision-making process in the country. In the central government today I can say with certainty that there is only one person taking all the decisions,” he said.

“Who is one person to come and say, ‘Listen, I have a vision for you’?” Gandhi said at Mount Carmel in an apparent reference to Modi.

The Congress vice-president has in the past described the Modi-led government as “suit-boot ki sarkar”, implying that the regime is pro-big business at the cost of farmers and the poor.

“Suit-boot is failing completely. There are no jobs being created, the country is not moving,” he reiterated on Wednesday.

Senior NDA ministers have held discussions on the strategy for the upcoming winter session of Parliament with focus on the GST bill. Gandhi said the BJP had not reached out to the opposition.

“Our problem is the BJP doesn’t want to have a conversation. Democracy is about talking. It is not about only listening to what the government says. This is not the way to run a democracy. The approach has to be about reaching out,” Gandhi said.

On the issue of growing intolerance in the country, Gandhi said resorting to violence over cultural differences was unacceptable.

“It disturbs me when a young lady goes to a pub and is thrashed. This is not acceptable. That is something I will contest and fight against. We have FTII students being shut up and not being given a voice, no matter how long their strike goes on for,” he said.

Rahul Gandhi tweets support for Aamir Khan, says government can't abuse those who question it

NEW DELHI, Nov 24: Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday said the government should not "bully or threaten" people who question it as he came out in support of actor Aamir Khan, whose statement on 'intolerance' has triggered a huge row.

"Instead of branding all those who question the Govt & Modiji- as unpatriotic, anti national or 'motivated', the Govt would do better to reach out to people to understand what's disturbing them. That's the way to solve problems in India- not by bullying, threatening & abusing!" the Congress vice-president tweeted.

Rahul's support for Aamir came shortly after Union minister Kiren Rijiju said the actor's remark tarnishes the image of India. "All this debate is misplaced. There are issues which society as a whole needs to come together and address. But to just make a blatant statement that during the NDA rule, the country has become intolerant unnecessarily tarnishes the image of the nation," Rijiju said, adding that records show the number of communal violence incidents have come down since the NDA came to power.

On Monday, Aamir, joining the growing chorus of the intelligentsia against intolerance, had said, "When I chat with Kiran (Rao) at home, she says, 'Should we move out of India?' That's a disastrous and big statement for Kiran to make. She fears for her child. She fears what the atmosphere around us will be. She feels scared to open the newspapers every day. That does indicate that there is this sense of growing disquiet, there is growing despondency apart from alarm."

Aamir had made the remarks at the Ramnath Goenka Excellence in Journalism Awards ceremony in New Delhi in the presence of senior Union minister Arun Jaitley.

Bihar poll results show people prefer harmony: Dalai Lama

JALANDHAR, Nov 14: Terming the incidents of intolerance in India as “occasional acts by a few mischievous people”, the Dalai Lama on Saturday said the Bihar election results had shown that people in a Hindu majority state preferred harmony.

The Nobel Laureate, who was at Lovely Professional University (LPU) here to chair its annual convocation, said this while responding to a question on the increasing intolerance the country.

When asked to elaborate his remarks on Bihar, the Dalai Lama said he wouldn’t comment on Indian politics as he had been the guest of the country for long. “I believe politics should be a technique to serve people effectively and organise people rather than create problems and divide them,” he said. “There may be some mischievous individuals. Some party politics or other interests can be the reason behind unethical happenings. But it should not be taken as the real picture. If I may say so, the Bihar results have shown that a majority of Hindu people still believe in harmony,” he said.

Showering praise on the secular face of India, the Dalai Lama said a few instances should not be taken as a blot on a country that had been practising secularism for more than 2,000 years. “India’s religious harmony is remarkable. And secular ethics have been followed here for more than 2,000 years. I am a Buddhist and Buddhism comes from India. Indians are traditionally our gurus and we are the chelas (followers). The country has recognised secularism not only for all religions but also for non-believers. That’s something unique about India’s secularism,” he said.

About a recent US delegation raising concerns over the freedom of expression in Tibet, the spiritual guru said a few people had raised genuine concerns. “Among Chinese friends also, there are people who have continuously raised this concern. More than 100 articles have appeared in Chinese newspapers that have raised similar concerns on Tibet,” the Dalai Lama said.

The Dalai Lama condemned the killings in the Friday-night Paris terror attack, “Violence is a reaction by short-sighted, out-of-control people. At 81, I believe it cannot be resolved through prayers or government help. We have to begin the change at individual level and then move on to neighbourhood and society,” he said.

Bihar results blow to Modi

PATNA, Nov 8: An alliance of parties led by Chief Minister Nitish Kumar stormed to power in Bihar on Sunday, dealing a heavy blow to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for whom the election was seen as a key test of his popularity.

The alliance bagged almost a three-fourths majority, riding on the support of Yadav and Muslim voters – so-called social engineering -- rallied primarily by his ally Lalu Prasad, who emerged as an unlikely hero from the bitterly fought, month-long election.

The victory resurrects Lalu’s image as a key Opposition leader, giving him a greater say not only in politics in Bihar but on the national platform where he was reduced to a bit player after his party was hammered in the 2014 Lok Sabha polls.

“The face of development-minded Nitish Kumar and the rich vote bank of Lalu won the day for the grand alliance,” said DM Diwakar, former chairman of AN Sinha Institute for Social Studies.

Another major gainer from the vote was the beleaguered Congress party which won in 27 constituencies, according to provisional results published by the Election Commission, in a starkly improved show since the last polls in 2010 when it had bagged just four seats.

But given that Kumar’s Janata Dal (United) won 71 seats to Lalu’s 80, the outcome may see him undermined within the coalition and open to possible turf battles with the wily two-time former chief minister.

The results, though, would be particularly worrying for Modi who had mounted a no-holds barred campaign, addressing some 30 rallies and promising voters billions of rupees in investment to pull the state out of chronic poverty.

Modi’s second straight election setback after losing Delhi earlier this year could galvanise opposition parties ahead of the winter session of parliament, embolden rivals in his own party and hurt his image as a vote-winner going into a string of crucial state polls – Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Kerala, Assam and Uttar Pradesh -- over the next two years.

The defeat in Bihar could also force him to go slow on radical reforms such as overhauling archaic labour laws and land acquisition rules. Moreover, Modi needs to win most of the state elections over the next two years to gain control of the Rajya Sabha if he has to push through his economic reforms agenda.

The grand alliance’s victory is also attributed by many to the rejection of communal politics, driven mostly by a recent debate over whether India was becoming intolerant under the BJP-led government. Modi’s failure to control food prices or bring back slush funds stashed abroad also rankled with voters. Lalu also capitalised on RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat’s remarks seeking a review of the quota policy.

“It was a milestone election in view of the huge resources deployed by the NDA and the results reflected the mood of the nation,” Kumar told reporters.

“People have squarely rejected the attempt to polarise the society with their decisive mandate and at the same time also made it clear that they have immense faith in democracy and want to have a strong Opposition in place at the national level.”

Kumar’s clean image and his projection as chief minister also did the magic for the grand alliance as Kumar is seen as a man committed to development. Several of his schemes, particularly those related to empowerment of women and girls, were popular and received wide appreciation.

As it became clear that Modi had failed to move voters in Bihar with his message of development, Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi tweeted: “This is a victory of unity over divisiveness. Humility over arrogance. Love over hate. A victory of the people of Bihar,” he tweeted.

The Shiv Sena, too, taunted ally BJP by calling Kumar a “political hero” whose win was “necessary” for Bihar.

For the NDA, in addition to the bitter campaign launched by its leaders and more particularly by the BJP, targeting Lalu Prasad and name calling alliance leaders also seemed to have damaged the BJP’s chances.
The party also failed to derive any benefit from the promise of a special Rs 1.25 lakh crore package for Bihar.

Sonia meets Prez over ‘growing intolernace’

NEW DELHI, Nov 2: Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Monday met President Pranab Mukherjee and spoke to him about the atmosphere of “growing intolerance” in the country.

The meeting has come in the wake of a snowballing anti-intolerance campaign in India with dozens of authors and artists returning prestigious awards and opposition leaders and intellectuals accusing the BJP-led government of stoking religious tensions as well as gagging dissenters.

Congress sources said Gandhi deliberated on the issues of alleged “growing intolerance” and “communal tensions” in the country.

On Tuesday, the Congress president will lead a march of party leaders from the Parliament House to the Rashtrapati Bhavan to protest “this rising and disturbing trend”. The delegation will include members of the extended Congress Working Committee (CWC), party office bearers and members of Parliament besides party vice president Rahul Gandhi. A memorandum will later be handed over to the President.

On his part, the President has spoken several times in the recent past against the rising intolerance. “Our country has thrived due to its power of assimilation and tolerance. Our pluralistic character has stood the test of time… Multiplicity is our collective strength which must be preserved at all costs,” he said, inaugurating the golden jubilee celebration of the Delhi high court on Saturday.

The Congress president too has consistently attacked the Modi government, claiming that ever since the Modi government assumed power, intellectuals were being harassed and an effort has been made to stoke communal tensions through rumours in an apparent reference to the recent lynching of a man at Dadri in Uttar Pradesh.

Presenting the 29th Indira Gandhi Award for National Integration to Gandhian social activist PV Rajagopal on Saturday, the Congress chief had said the people of a “particular ideology” were spreading hatred to divide people and that all of this was part of a “predetermined plan” but asserted that her party would not allow “such a diabolical design” to succeed.

In a continuing war of words, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said the Congress had no right to lecture his government on intolerance in the country because the party presided over the 1984 anti-Sikh riots.

“Today is November 2. Do you recall 1984?” he asked a large crowd at an election rally in Bihar ahead of the final day of polling. “Lakhs of Sikhs were massacred in Delhi and across India on the second, third and fourth day of Indira Gandhi’s killing in which serious allegations were made against Congress and its leaders.
Today, on the same day, the Congress party has the cheek to preach on intolerance... The tears in the eyes of the Sikh victims have not yet dried.”

The Prime Minister’s statements came a day after finance minister Arun Jaitley in a social media post described Modi as the biggest victim of the “ideological intolerance” practised by the Congress and leftist thinkers.

Earlier this year, the Congress president had led a march of about 100 leaders from 11 opposition parties – Janata Dal (United), Rashtriya Janata Dal, Samajwadi Party, the Left Front, DMK, Trinamool Congress and others -- to the Rashtrapati Bhawan against the NDA government’s land acquisition bill. The government later withdrew its controversial ordinance on the issue.

Two army jawans killed as Pak violates ceasefire again

SRINAGAR, Nov 2: Two army jawans were killed in a fresh ceasefire violation by Pakistani troops, ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Jammu and Kashmir on November 7.

According to army officials Pakistani troops resorted to unprovoked firing on the LOC in Gurez’s Eizmarg area in North Kashmir. According to sources Pakistani troops fired at many Indian positions with Light and medium caliber weapons including rockets.

According to sources one of the bunkers was hit by a rocket resulting in fatal injuries to two jawans of 160 Battalion of territorial army.
Army sources say the firing started at 12.35 pm in the afternoon and lasted till 1.15 pm.

“Indian army also retaliated and the exchange of fire lasted for over 45 minutes,’’ said an army official.

The ceasefire violation is seen as an attempt to cast a shadow on the upcoming visit of the Prime Minister to the state. Separatists in the state have already announced a counter rally on the day Prime Minister is likely to be in the valley.

The incident is latest in the series of ceasefire violation in the state by Pakistani rangers.

One person was killed and two others injured in Samba and Kathua areas of Jammu in October when Pakistani rangers fired on civilian areas.

Jammu and Kashmir government had earlier said that in the last two years 419 ceasefire violations took place and 203 such incidents happened during this year upto September 18, 2015.

A minister in Mufti Sayeed cabinet had informed the legislative assembly during October’s autumn said that 28 deaths were caused due to border shelling in 2014 and 2015. He said 167 persons were injured, 194 houses damaged, 70 livestock died and 125 livestock injured in such incidents.

Ironically the incident took place on the day a minister in Mufti Sayeed cabinet said that Modi’s visit will defuse border tension. Jammu and Kashmir’s rural development minister, Abdul Haq on Monday expressed hope that the upcoming visit of Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, to the state will help in defusing tensions along the borders, so that people living near Line of Control (LoC) won’t face the brunt of skirmishes between Indian and Pakistani armies.

Modi will visit Srinagar for a day-long trip after inaugurating the 450 MW Baglihar hydroelectric project on the Chenab in Chanderkote area of Ramban district. The commissioning of Baglihar II will increase the state’s power generation to 1,211 MW.

Top LeT leader Abu Qasim killed in encounter

SRINAGAR, Oct 29: Top Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) commander Abu Qasim, mastermind behind several high-profile attacks in the State, was killed on Thursday in a surgical operation in south Kashmir's Kulgam district.

“We have neutralised a top Lashkar commander Abu Qasim during an operation in Khandaypora in Kulgam district in the wee hours today. It is a major success as Qasim was directly or indirectly involved in all major LeT attacks in Kashmir over the past three years,” Inspector General of Police Kashmir S.J.M. Gillani told reporters.

Abdul Rehman alias Abu Qasim, a resident of Bhawalpur, Multan, worked as the divisional commander of the LeT outfit. He was operating in south Kashmir for the last five years.

The IGP said he was mastermind of the Udhampur Attack on the BSF Convoy on 5th of August, in which two BSF jawans were killed and injuring 12 personnel.

He is behind several high-profile militant attacks in the Valley since 2012, which include the Hyderpora attack in 2013 that left eight army personnel dead, attack on the Silver Star hotel frequented by non-locals on October 10, 2012 and the attack on the BSF in Pampore 2013.

A soldier was killed on Wednesday afternoon, as the operation launched by the security forces to eliminate Qasim entered its second day. After a brief encounter with the security personnel of a search operation, Qasim yesterday fled from the gunbattle site, taking advantage of the green cover in the dense forest range.

On Wednesday afternoon, the hiding militants killed a soldier of the army’s 14 Rashtriya Rifles during a firefight in the forest range. The soldier was injured in the firing and succumbed later at the hospital.

SC suggests ban on commercial surrogacy

NEW DELHI, Oct 14: Expressing serious concern over India becoming a top destination for surrogacy tourism, the Supreme Court on Wednesday suggested a ban on commercial surrogacy and directed the government to re-examine the policy to allow import of human embryo.

A bench of Justices Ranjan Gogoi and N V Ramana said various issues related to surrogacy were not covered by any law and the government must take a holistic view and bring in a legislation. In 2013, the Centre issued a notification allowing import of human embryos for artificial reproduction paving the way for foreign couples to bring in frozen human embryos and rent a surrogate womb in India.

"Commercial surrogacy should not be allowed but it is going on in the country. You are allowing trading of human embryo. It is becoming a business. It has evolved into surrogacy tourism," the bench said. But the court didn't stay the notification after the government said a surrogacy bill is in the works to regulate the issue.

Solicitor General Ranjit Kumar said consultation process is on and the bill may be introduced in Parliament in a few months.

The court asked the government to take a stand whether a woman who donates her egg in commercial surrogacy can be said to be the only mother or both surrogate and genetic mother can be said to be mothers of the child.

"Whether commercial surrogacy amounts to renting of a womb and whether commercial surrogacy is immoral and is opposed to public policy and therefore void?" the bench asked the government while framing 14 questions for the Centre to file response.

It asked the Centre to respond whether commercial surrogacy amounts to economic and psychological exploitation of the surrogate mother and whether the practice is inconsistent with dignity of womanhood.

The bench raised question that import of human embryo amounts to commoditization of human life and whether human rights of a surrogate child are violated as such a child would face psychological and emotional problems.

The court said the law is also silent on the fate of surrogate child if the commissioning couple refuses to take child in case he/she is physically and mentally challenged. It asked the government to look into all those issues and incorporate provisions to regulate them in the proposed law.

"We are of the view that Centre should be given a large period of time to consider the matter in its entirety including the necessity of a re-look into the notification and revert to the court on October 28," it said.

According to a 2012 study backed by the United Nations, the estimated turnover of commercial surrogacy business in the country was pegged at more than $400 million a year, with over 3,000 fertility clinics.

The Law Commission in its 228th report suggested that surrogacy should not be allowed for commercial purposes. It said surrogacy arrangement would continue to be governed by contract amongst parties, which will contain all the terms requiring consent of surrogate mother to bear the child, agreement of her husband and other family members for the same, reimbursement of all reasonable expenses for carrying child to full term and willingness to hand over the child born to the commissioning parent(s) among other things.

It had said birth certificate of the surrogate child should contain the name of the commissioning parents and asked the government to bring in law to recognize surrogate child to be the legitimate child of the commissioning parents.

Salman Rushdie hits back at 'Modi Toadies'

LONDON, Oct 13: Acclaimed author Salman Rushdie has brushed off attacks on him for supporting writers protesting against rising intolerance in India, describing his detractors on social media as “Modi Toadies”.

Rushdie, 68, has been targeted on social media since he tweeted his support on Monday for Nayantara Sahgal and other writers who have returned awards or quit the Sahitya Akademi over the literary organisation’s silence on attacks on free speech.

“Here come the Modi Toadies. FYI, Toadies: I support no Indian political party & oppose all attacks on free speech. Liberty is my only party,” the Booker Prize winning author tweeted after a barrage of hate messages.

“Toady” is a term used to refer to a person who behaves obsequiously with powerful people to get their approval.

Sahgal, the 88-year-old niece of Jawaharlal Nehru, was among the first to lodge her protest against the Sahitya Akademi’s silence. Since then, more than 20 writers have either returned their awards or quit the Akademi to protest against the murders of noted rationalists and the lynching of a Muslim man at Bisada in Uttar Pradesh over rumours that he had eaten beef.

Rushdie also said in an interview with NDTV that the silence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and institutions such as the Sahitya Akademi is permitting a new “degree of thuggish violence” in India.

The 68-year-old Mumbai-born author said he wasn’t taking sides between the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the opposition Congress but he believed there was something different unfolding in India.

“...I think what’s crept into Indian life now is a degree of thuggish violence which is new. And it seems to be...given permission by the silence of official bodies, by the silence of the Sahitya Akademi which is what so many of the writers are protesting about, by the silence of the Prime Minister’s Office. Mr Modi is a very talkative gentleman, he has a lot to say on a lot of subjects and it would be very good to hear what he has to say about all this,” he said.

“There are attacks on ordinary liberties, the ordinary right of assembly, the ordinary right to organise an event in which people can talk about books and ideas freely and without hostility. That seems to be in real grave danger in India today,” he said from London.

The latest tweet from Rushdie, whose 1989 novel “The Satanic Verses” was the target of a fatwa for allegedly hurting Muslim sentiments, came after Shiv Sena workers blackened the face of former BJP member Sudheendra Kulkarni in Mumbai for organizing an event to launch a book by former Pakistan foreign minister Khurshid Kasuri.