Politics

Bangalore, January 14: The Congress and Janata Dal-Secular (JD-S) Friday threatened various types of agitation if Karnataka’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party goes ahead with its plan to suspend some of their legislators for unruly behaviour in the assembly.

The Congress, the main opposition party in Karnataka, said all its assembly members might quit if eight of them are suspended for their behaviour during the trust vote as sought by Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa in October last year.

Gandhinagar, January 14: The two-day Vibrant Gujarat Summit that concluded with much fanfare here Thursday presented three striking facets that catapult both the state and its Chief Minister Narendra Modi to another league.

If it is rare for 60 of India’s top industrialists, representing companies that command the bulk of market capitalisation, to share the dais at a single event, it is even rarer when they commit investments worth hundreds of billions of dollars to one state — in a matter of a few hours.

New Delhi, January 14: Expelled Samajwadi Party leader Amar Singh on Friday accused his former party of carrying out what he called a “murderous attack” on Rahul Gandhi during the young Congress leader’s recent visit to Uttar Pradesh.

In his latest blog, Amar Singh has made apparent references to Samajwadi Party president Mulayam Singh Yadav and his bete noire Azam Khan and given vent to his ire against the two without naming them.

Amar Singh has accused them and the party of using and then discarding him when the purpose was served.

Srinagar, January 14: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah today said the admission of a Hurriyat leader on the killings of his two colleagues is an eye-opener for separatists who should now involve in a dialogue with the Centre to resolve Kashmir issue.

“This is an eye opener for all and time has come to stop all kinds of bloodshed in Kashmir and (they should) play a pro-active role to solve Kashmir issue through dialogue,” Abdullah said at a function here.

New Delhi, January 14: The Congress on Thursday reacted cautiously to the criticism of telecom minister Kapil Sibal by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) and the Public accounts Committee (PAC) for his strong attack on the country’s apex auditor for its findings on the 2G spectrum scam. “A procedure is going on. CAG’s view-point has been presented. Government’s view is also in public domain and the PAC has a view on it…With all three views now in public domain, let appropriate bodies decide,” party spokesperson Abhishek Singhvi told reporters.

New Delhi, January 14: Expelled Samajwadi Party leader Amar Singh on Friday accused his former party of carrying out what he called a “murderous attack” on Rahul Gandhi during the young Congress leader’s recent visit to Uttar Pradesh.

In his latest blog, Amar Singh has made apparent references to Samajwadi Party president Mulayam Singh Yadav and his bete noire Azam Khan and given vent to his ire against the two without naming them.

Amar Singh has accused them and the party of using and then discarding him when the purpose was served.

Srinagar, January14: Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front chairman Mohammad Yasin Malik today said the BJP’s plan of hoisting the tricolour at Lal Chowk here on Republic Day will set the entire subcontinent in flames.

“When BJP was in power, it started peace initiative not only with Pakistan but the Kashmiri leadership as well at their door steps. Now they are bent upon hoisting a flag in Lal Chowk to set the entire subcontinent on fire,” he said.

Kolkata, January 13: Former Team India captain Sourav Ganguly, who found no takers at the recent IPL IV auction, was a victim of “dirty politics”, a West Bengal minister today said.

“Dirty politics played was by the private players during the two-day IPL player auction in Bangalore’ recently,” Urban Development Minister Asok Bhattacharya alleged.

“It’s most unfair for a player of Sourav’s stature.

Throughout his career he had been a victim of conspiracy, otherwise he could have turned up for another couple of years for the country,” the minister said.

New Delhi, January 13: Expelled Samajwadi Party leader Amar Singh today called on senior BJP leader L K Advani and discussed his demand for carving out a separate state of Poorvanchal from Uttar Pradesh, among other issues.

Singh said there was no political motive behind his meeting with Advani.

“Advani has given his support to the cause of Poorvanchal,” Singh told reporters here.

Sources said Singh met Advani at a recent book launch and sought a meeting to which the latter agreed.

Chennai, January 13: AIADMK General Secretary J. Jayalalithaa Thursday charged the Congress with being ready to destabilise every constitutional authority in the country for the sake of its ally, the DMK.

Rewa, January 13: Blaming policies of successive Congress governments for the plight of the poor, BJP president Nitin Gadkari today said that the amount of money involved in the second-generation mobile telephony spectrum and Commonwealth Games scams was enough to eradicate poverty.

“Due to the wrong policies of the successive Congress Governments since independence, and the corruption, the poor in the country are becoming poorer,” Gadkari said while addressing the Antyodaya Mela here.

Srinagar, January 13: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah Thursday again asked the Bharatiya Janata Party to halt its Kashmir yatra intended to culminate in hoisting the national flag at Lal Chowk, the historic city centre here, on Republic Day Jan 26.

Addressing a public meeting in the Zainakadal area in the old city, he said that after hoisting the national flag in Lal Chowk in 1992, the party has again embarked on hoisting the tri-colour at the same place after 19 years.

New Delhi, January 13: The Congress Thursday refused to comment on criticism of Communications Minister Kapil Sibal by the government auditor and by Public Accounts Committee (PAC) chairman Murli Manohar Joshi.

“A constitutional body is looking into the (Sibal’s) remarks. All stands are there. No doubt that an appropriate body will look into it,” Congress spokesman Abhishek Manu Singhvi said here.

New Delhi, January 13: Expelled Samajwadi Party leader Amar Singh today accused his former party of carrying out what he called a “murderous attack” on Rahul Gandhi during the young Congress leader’s recent visit to Uttar Pradesh.

In his latest blog, Amar Singh has made apparent references to Samajwadi Party President Mulayam Singh Yadav and his bete noire Azam Khan and given vent to his ire against the two without naming them.

Amar Singh has accsued them and the party of using and then discarding him when the purpose was served.

New Delhi, January 13: With both Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan and Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi’s comments on coalitions, the Congress Thursday clarified that alliances were “a reality” and the party did not think they were unworkable.

“In an ideal world, no one wants coalition… It involves a certain degree of give and take. It does not mean coalitions are not to exist, are unworkable or should not be there,” Congress spokesman Abhishek Manu Singhvi said here.

Mumbai, January 13: The Bharatiya Janata Party and the Shiv Sena here Thursday said the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) would collapse soon as “its 100 sins are over”.

“This government will collapse any time now… its 100 sins are over,” former Lok Sabha speaker Manohar Joshi, a senior Shiv Sena leader, told reporters referring to the tussle between Congress and NCP (Nationalist Congress Party) following the remarks of Congress scion Rahul Gandhi.

Lucknow, January 13: Janata Party president Subramanian Swamy Thursday said if he is made the public prosecutor in the 2G spectrum case, he will get former communications minister A. Raja “jailed within four months”.

Speaking to reporters, Swamy, who has filed a complaint holding A. Raja as an accused in the 2G spectrum scam, said: “If I am made the public prosecutor, I will get A. Raja jailed within four months from the date I am given the permission (to be prosecutor).”

Raja has filed an application in the court to be made public prosecutor in the case.

Over 2700 MoUs worth over Rs 15 lakh crore were inked in just one day in Gujarat as part of the 5th edition of the Vibrant Gujarat Global Investors’ Summit on Wednesday. That is a record and has made other states gawk in wonder and envy.

Many have attributed this to Chief Minister Narendra Modi’s ‘magic.’ Well, what exactly is this magic?

Lucknow, January 13: BSP MLA Purushottam Naresh Dwiwedi, who is accused of raping a minor Dalit girl in Uttar Pradesh’s Banda district, is absconding while two of his aides have been arrested in connection with the case, officials said today.

“Rajendra Shukla and Surendra Neta, who are co-accused in the rape case of the minor girl were arrested in Banda district yesterday after an FIR was filed against them,” they said.

However, the MLA and another aide and co-accused Ravan Garg are absconding and a search on to nab them.

New Delhi, January 13:An NCP leader today lashed out at Rahul Gandhi for his reported comments blaming coalition politics for the price rise forcing the Congress and his own party to initiate an urgent damage-control exercise.

“Congress party is the principal party in the UPA and any statement of the leader of that party should reflect humility and not arrogance,” NCP General Secretary and spokesperson D P Tripathi told a press conference here.

New Delhi, January 13: Five years after courting controversy for praising M A Jinnah, senior BJP leader L K Advani still seems to be haunted by it as he remarked that he had “personally” experienced what the Pakistan founder would have gone through by advocating for a secular state.

“I personally have experienced what referring to Jinnah as a person who basically wanted a secular state with a Muslim majority….,” Advani said, leaving his statement incomplete but giving enough hint as to what he meant to say.

New Delhi, January 13: The two words that came from the NCP made evident the degree of rage that AICC General Secretary Rahul Gandhi managed to invite from his party’s alliance partner, a day after remarking that coalition dynamics was making it tough for the UPA government to check prices.

Hyderabad, January 12: The internal crisis in Congress over the party MLAs supporting former MP Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy has derailed development activity in Andhra Pradesh, state BJP president G Kishan Reddy alleged today.

“You (Congress) fight among yourselves. We have no objection. But due to your failures, the development activities have been derailed. It seems they are trying to impose President’s Rule in the state. The state Governor meets Sonia Gandhi and Congress core committee members. Is it correct?” he told reporters here.

Kolkata, January 12: Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee Wednesday asked her party-run Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) board to bring sex workers and their children under a mediclaim policy.

“Sex workers have taken up their profession out of necessity to make a living. There are many who hate them. But this is not fair. Often these women do not get access to medical treatment. So they need medical insurance,” Banerjee said at a KMC programme in the city’s southern outskirts.

New Delhi, January 12: Differences cropped up in the ruling central coalition on the sensitive issue of price rise after the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) Wednesday reacted sharply to Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi’s reported remarks that coalition constraints were behind the high food inflation. The Congress maintained he had been misquoted.

Gandhi reportedly made the remarks in Lucknow Tuesday.

The Congress clarification that Gandhi had been misquoted came at the party’s official briefing within minutes of the NCP conveying its displeasure.