Politics

Ahmedabad, February 09:Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) International general secretary Pravin Togadia today said that his organisation would not allow political parties to use Ram temple as an election issue.

“Ram Temple in Ayodhya is not just an election issue. We won’t let it become an election issue,” Togadiya, who was here to launch a calendar on Goddesses of Kashi said.

He was replying to a question about how he saw the use of Ram temple issue by political parties.

“Ram Mandir will be built and that too on the entire 67 acres,” Togadiya added.

Mumbai, February 08: Maharashtra BJP today demanded resignation of Union Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh.

The Rural Development Minister had faced severe criticism from the bench of Justices A K Ganguly and G S Singhvi of the Supreme Court last December for shielding Congress MLA Dilip Sanand’s relatives who are into money-lending, and are facing criminal complaints.

“The Supreme Court has criticised Deshmukh for helping MLA Sanand’s money-lender father. The Congress should immediately seek Deshmukh’s resignation,” BJP’s leader of Opposition in Legislative Council, Pandurang Phundkar said.

Lucknow, February 08: A deputy superintendent of police who was caught on camera cleaning Uttar Pradesh chief minister Mayawati’s soiled sandals has said that he has high regards for her even as his act kicked up a political storm in the state.

The incident took place during the CM’s tour to Naunakpur village in related stories On her majesty’s service: Officer stoops to clean Mayawati’s shoes Auraiya, nearly 110 kilometers from the state capital, on Sunday.

Lucknow, February 08: Apparently with an eye on the assembly elections due next year, the Uttar Pradesh government today presented a tax-free deficit budget for 2011-12 with enhanced provision for schedule caste development.

“The budget size for the financial year is Rs 1,69,416.38 crore and is 10.6 per cent higher than the current fiscal,” Finance and Parliamentary minister Lalji Varma told the assembly while presenting the budget.

For special schemes of Bundelkhand region an additional arrangement of Rs 1,200 crore has been made in the budget.

New Delhi, February 08: In the wake of controversy over S-band spectrum allocation, BJP today accused Prime Minister Manmohan Singh of presiding over “an empire of corruption” and sought his clarification on nine questions regarding the award of the precious resource.

BJP alleged that the allocation of 70 MHz of S-Band spectrum to Devas Multimedia by ISRO’s ANTRIX was another “mega scam” after corruption in Commonwealth Games, 2-G Spectrum, CVC appointment and Adarsh Housing Society.

Srinagar, February 08: Maintaining the use of force would not solve the Kashmir problem, the opposition PDP today said it would organise rallies in the twin capitals of Srinagar and Jammu on February 14 to press for an early resolution of the vexed issue.

“The Kashmir problem cannot be resolved through repression or use of force,” PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti told a party meeting here.

“The PDP will press for an early resolution of the festering problem. In this connection, massive rallies are planned in Srinagar and Jammu on February 14,” she said.

Chennai, February 08: Rejecting charges of irregularities in allotment of land under discretionary quota, Chief Minister M Karunanidhi on Tuesday hit back at Janata Party chief Subramanian Swamy for seeking sanction for his prosecution on the issue, saying he was trying to “twist facts”.

A day after Swamy filed a petition with Governor Surjit Singh Barnala seeking sanction to prosecute Karunanidhi, the DMK patriarch made a submission in the Assembly, saying the discretionary quota was not ‘DMK specific’ and had been in vogue even during the tenures of AIADMK.

Lucknow, February 08: A personal security officer of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati touched a new low when he bent down to wipe her dusty shoes with his handkerchief during her visit to the district.

The incident took place on Sunday when Mayawati was visiting Naunipur village in the district.

On noticing her dusty shoes after alighting from a chopper, PSO Padam Singh, who has been working with her for long and was close to BSP founder Kanshi Ram, started cleaning her shoes.

Puducherry,February 08:Former Chief Minister N. Rangasamy on Monday said that he has filed an application with the Election Commission of India to float a party. “We have proposed All India N. R Congress as the name of the political party,” he said.

New Delhi, February 07: Congress today dismissed as “wild allegations” Janata Party president Subramanian Swamy’s accusations about DMK chief Karunanidhi’s involvement in 2G spectrum scam.

“It’s a matter between two people. I have nothing to comment. But I would like to say these types of wild allegations should not be levelled against anybody. Everyone must keep this in mind,” party spokesperson Shakeel Ahmed told reporters.

He was replying to questions on Swamy’s allegations against Karunanidhi.

New Delhi, February 07: Congress and BJP today lashed out at Mayawati government for the “deteriorating” law and order situation in Uttar Pradesh, saying even Dalits were not safe in the state headed by a person from the same community.

Both the parties were reacting separately to the recent incidents of atrocities against Dalit girls in Fatehpur and Banda districts.

New Delhi, February 07: In the backdrop of the brutal attack on a Dalit girl in Uttar Pradesh, National Commission for Women chairperson Girija Vyas on Monday slammed the state administration and police for their handling of the rape and abduction cases.

Vyas said there were no signs of justice being delivered to the victims and also blamed the police for conducting “shoddy” investigations and implicating innocent persons.

Lucknow, February 07:Congress MP Rahul Gandhi, who planned to visit Kanpur to meet the Dalit girl disfigured by attackers because she resisted gangrape, could not land in the Uttar Pradesh industrial town Monday and instead went to Banda to call on another minor allegedly raped by a ruling BSP legislator, officials said.

New Delhi, February 07: Immediately after announcing his party’s merger with Congress, Praja Rajyam chief Chiranjeevi on Sunday launched a scathing attack on one of the icons of the Congress in Andhra Pradesh YS Rajasekhara Reddy, saying corruption was at its worst in the state during his regime.

He also said the Congress has always been quick in taking action against its corrupt members be it Adarsh housing case or Commonwealth or 2G spectrum scam and gave a clean chit to the Rosaiah and the current Kiran Kumar Reddy governments in the state on the issue of corruption.

Bangalore, February 06: Karnataka Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa, under attack for allegedly amassing wealth, Sunday declared that he had property, cash and jewellery worth crores of rupees, but no accounts in Swiss banks or in any tax haven.

The chief minister said as on Jan 31, he owned 2.5kg gold worth Rs.50 lakh as against 1.6kg he had in April 2008 and 75 kg silver worth nearly Rs.17 lakh (25 kg in 2008) as well as household goods, furniture and electronic items worth Rs.10.45 lakh and a bank balance of over Rs.33 lakh.

Chennai February 06: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi Sunday hit back at his arch rival, AIADMK general secretary J. Jayalalithaa, saying that the state’s debt includes monies borrowed during her regime as well.

Responding to Jayalalithaa’s charge Saturday that DMK’s achievement was increasing the state’s debit to Rs.1,01,541 crore as on March 31, 2011, Karunanidhi, writing for the DMK newspaper Murasoli, said the amount included the “achievement” of her period as well.

Bhubaneswar, February 06: A day after ruling BJD’s women wing chief Pramila Mallik resigned from Naveen Patnaik cabinet over multi-crore Dal scam, opposition BJP today demanded resignation of three other ministers accusing them of being involved in other irregularities.

“We demand resignation of Urban Development Minister Badri Narayan Patra, School and Mass Education Minister Pratap Jena and Steel and Mines Minister, Raghunath Mohanty,” said BJP’s state President Jual Oram.

Bhubaneswar, February 06: A day after ruling BJD’s women wing chief Pramila Mallik resigned from Naveen Patnaik cabinet over multi-crore Dal scam, opposition BJP today demanded resignation of three other ministers accusing them of being involved in other irregularities.

“We demand resignation of Urban Development Minister Badri Narayan Patra, School and Mass Education Minister Pratap Jena and Steel and Mines Minister, Raghunath Mohanty,” said BJP’s state President Jual Oram.

Bhubaneswar, February 06:A day after ruling BJD’s women wing chief Pramila Mallik resigned from Naveen Patnaik cabinet over multi-crore Dal scam, opposition BJP today demanded resignation of three other ministers accusing them of being involved in other irregularities.

“We demand resignation of Urban Development Minister Badri Narayan Patra, School and Mass Education Minister Pratap Jena and Steel and Mines Minister, Raghunath Mohanty,” said BJP’s state President Jual Oram.

Jaipur, February 06: Expelled SP leader Amar Singh today said he accepts that he had acted like a “supplier” for his former party and claimed that he had played a key role in “managing” elected BSP MLAs for forming a government led by Mulayam Singh Yadav.

He also said he favours carving out a separate state from eastern Uttar Pradesh as the region has long been neglected.

Baripada (Orissa), February 06: Jharkhand Mukti Morcha today launched a scathing attack on the Congress-led UPA government at the Centre, accusing it of being a “betrayer”.

“Congress party sought our support for survival. After succeeded in doing so, they conspired against us and betrayed us,” said Hemant Soren, Deputy Chief Minister of Jharkhand and JMM leader.

Lucknow, February 06: Senior BJP leader L K Advani in a major revelation said he had given the names of 26 depositors of black money in a Germany bank to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh way back in 2008.

”The PM took little action despite my information in connection with the black money,” Mr Advani told reporters at the Lucknow airport yesterday.

–UNI

New Delhi, February 05:Amid speculation that he will merge his party with Congress, Praja Rajyam chief Chiranjeevi is expected to meet AICC President Sonia Gandhi tomorrow and hold discussions on strengthening the relationship between the two parties in Andhra Pradesh.

Coming in the backdrop of the agitation for a Telangana state and churnings in state Congress , the meeting is expected to discuss proposals like PRP members being inducted into Nallari Kiran Kumar Reddy Government among others.

New Delhi, February 05:BJP today alleged that the manner in which the names of those having black money in tax havens abroad are being “withheld” and efforts are being made to “shield” ex-Telecom Minister A Raja shows the government has taken up “consultancy or advocacy services” for the corrupt.

Kanpur, February 05: A plane carrying senior Bharatiya Janata Party leaders L K Advani and M M Joshi, JD(U) president Sharad Yadav and others for the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) ‘mahasangram” rally was not allowed to land at Chakeri airport here today due to ”poor visibility.”

”The air traffic control authorities did not allow the plane to land at Kanpur and it was diverted to Lucknow, about 80 kms from here. From Lucknow also, they were prevented to reach Kanpur by road as the Z-plus security provided to them was not available at Lucknow.