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Congress leaders want CBI probe into past cases involving BJP, JD(S)

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Photo: IE

Photo: IE

Bengaluru: The Congress legislators on Wednesday unanimously urged Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to hand over to the CBI for investigation certain issues and cases that have occurred during the BJP and JD(S) rule in the past.

A list of 11 issues and cases, including the accusation of receiving Rs 150 crore kickback from mine owners against JD(S) leader H D Kumaraswamy, rape case against H Halappa, the Padmapriya suicide case and the BBMP fake bill scam, was circulated at the Congress Legislature Party meeting chaired by Siddaramaiah at the Vidhana Soudha.

Another list of three cases that were handed over for CBI probe in the last two years by the Siddaramaiah government was also circulated. These are the Soujanya murder case, irregularities in the Ramanagar-Channapatna Urban Development Authority and Mandya Urban Development Authority.

Many legislators, including Energy Minister D K Shivakumar, chief whip P M Ashok, P M Narendraswamy, Pramod Madwaraj and A Manju, said the government should pay back the Opposition in the same coin, by ordering a CBI probe into the cases of the past.
Shivakumar said the ruling party should effectively counter the Opposition by raising issues and cases of the past. Manju said the BJP and the JD(S) had politicised the IAS officer Ravi’s case. The issues that have been listed are fit for CBI investigation. But the BJP and the JD(S) governments in the past had refused to hand them over to the federal investigating agency despite the Opposition demand, he said.

Earlier, Siddaramaiah explained the circumstance that forced his government to hand over the Ravi case to the CBI. Opposition parties, the BJP and the JD(S), targeted the government, he said.

The chief minister, however, did not react to the demand from the legislators to hand over the list of 11 cases to the CBI.

Some legislators also took exception to the ministers for not properly defending the chief minister in the Ravi case. Some ministers behaved as if they did not belong to this government. They were least bothered about the issue and made no effort to counter the Opposition. Some ministers give prominence only to the Opposition party leaders and neglect the ruling party MLAs. Action should be taken against such ministers, Ashok is learnt to have said.

Rajarajeshwarinagar MLA Munirathna demanded that the government recommend a CBI probe into the accusation that he had kept hundreds of BBMP files at his residence. The Lokayukta had subsequently raided his residence.

The chief minister turned down the demand for increasing the legislators’ annual area development fund to Rs five crore from Rs two crore.

(Agencies)

No snooping on Rahul, it is 'transparent profiling': Jaitley

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Rahul-Gandhi

New Delhi: Government today countered the Congress charges of snooping on Rahul Gandhi saying it was making a “mountain out of what is not even a molehill” as information collection was part of a transparent security profiling used on 526 VIPs, including Sonia Gandhi and former Prime Ministers.

Responding to charges of snooping and spying on political opponents by Opposition Congress and SP in Rajya Sabha, Leader of the House Arun Jaitley said the police has been collecting such information since 1987 on VIPs operating out of Lutyens Delhi through a profoma form as part of security profiling.

The proforma, which was revised in 1999, has been used to profile former prime ministers H D Dewa Gowda, I K Gujral, Manmohan Singh and Atal Bihari Vajpayee. The same was also used to profile Congress President Sonia Gandhi in October 2004, 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012, the Finance Minister said.

Pranab Mukherjee, before becoming the President, was profiled in 2001, 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2012, while senior BJP leaders L K Advani and Sushma Swaraj, Ahmed Patel of Congress, CPI(M)’s Sitaram Yechury and Sharad Yadav of JD-U were also profiled, he said.

“526 persons have been profiled using the present form,” he said, adding this was part of “transparent, security profiling and not associated with any kind of snooping or sypying.”

“It is not that it has been started in the last 8 months,” he said and proposed to sit with Leader of the Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad to go through the 526 forms filled during the previous UPA rule.

On the proforma seeking information on shoe size, colour of eyes and other such information, Jaitley said former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi was identified by his shoes after his assassination.

Security needs and profiling should be left to security experts and “we should not attempt to become one”, he said, adding “the issue raised is making mountain of what is not even a molehill.”

Jaitley said the practice of security profiling started in 1987 under Congress rule.

Maintaining that he had given a notice under Rule 267 to suspend business so as to take up the issue, Azad said in his 35 year career, including as a top security protectee, he had not seen such a proforma for security profiling.

Rahul Gandhi, he said, has been a SPG protectee right since his father Rajiv Gandhi became Prime Minister and it was beyond comprehension why Delhi Police was only now collecting such information like his shoe size, colour of hair, habits, his associates, friends and aides.

After an Assistant Sub-Inspector of Special Branch of Delhi Police visited Rahul Gandhi’s 12 Tughlaq Lane Residence on March 2, two senior officers had again visited his place on March 14 to gather information on his aides, Azad said.

Charging the government with snooping and spying on political opponents, he said the government was “resorting to threats, coersion and pressure to quell political dissent”.

“If you raise voice, the Central Government can use any measure,” he said demanding that Home Minister Rajnath Singh should come to the House and explain.

Last year there were reports of NDA government minister’s telephone being tapped, he said, adding since BJP assumed power in May 2014, religious and political freedom have been curbed. “The Delhi Police action is against privacy and against democracy,” Azad said.

K C Tyagi (JD-U) said the security profiling has “never been heard of” and demanded a discussion on invasion of privacy as well as corporate and political espionage.

Naresh Agarwal (SP) alleged that one lakh telephones were being tapped everyday without requisite permission and warned that the privacy of individuals should not be challenged.

(PTI)

Chhattisgarh govt order allowing employees to join RSS kicks up a row

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Controversy on the order erupted because the Chhattisgarh Civil Services (Conduct) Rules, 1965 prohibits a government employee from taking part in politics

Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh

Raipur: Chhattisgarh government has kicked up a controversy with a notification that allows its employees to join RSS and attend ‘shakhas’, evoking sharp criticism from the Congress which today demanded its immediate withdrawal.

The BJP-ruled state revoked the ban which was imposed during undivided Madhya Pradesh, barring government employees from participating in RSS’ activities, Special Secretary, General Administration Department, DD Singh said.

The order in this connection was issued by the department on February 23. It said, “as far as Rule 5(1) of Chhattisgarh Civil Services (Conduct) Rules 1965 is concerned, its restriction does not apply to RSS.”

Slamming the Government decision, Congress said, “This is a blatantly illegal order. RSS is clearly a political organisation and also firmly believes in the establishment of Hindu Rashtra which is against the Constitution of India.”

“How can a government servant swearing allegiance and faith to the Constitution be a member of an organisation which is against the basic principles of the Constitution,” said Congress spokesman Sandeep Dikshit in Delhi.

Another spokesman Randeep Surjewala said, “It is a blatant attempt to politicise government servants and an attack on the Constitutional scheme of independence of bureaucracy. Chief Minister Raman Singh’s desperation to seek lost political ground will have catastrophic results for impartiality of administrative set up and delivery of citizen services. Indian National Congress strongly condemns such ludicrous decisions and demands immediate withdrawal of the government order.”

Former Chief Minister Ajit Jogi said, “It is an unconstitutional move. It will indoctrinate government servants. They will go to shakhas and will no longer remain impartial.”

In Raipur, T S Singhdeo, Leader of Opposition in Legislative Assembly, said, “The order dilutes the difference between government and a political party. RSS has been claiming to be a social-service apolitical outfit but everyone is well aware of the fact that they are running the BJP from backdoor.”

“Hence, association of government employees with such organisation will harm the democratic process,” he said

The Chhattisgarh Civil Services (Conduct) Rules, 1965 prohibits a government employee from taking part in politics.

“No government servant shall be member of, or be otherwise associated with any political party or any organisation which takes part in politics nor shall he take part in, subscribe in aid of, or assist in any manner, any political movement or activity,” it said.

(PTI)

Congress to hold 'Zameen Wapsi Andolan' against Land Ordinance today

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zameen-wapasi

New Delhi: Demanding the withdrawal of the BJP government’s Land Ordinance which is being considered as anti-farmer, the Congress on Wednesday will hold a protest rally called ‘Zameen Wapsi Andolan’ at Jantar Mantar.

Top Congress brass, including president Sonia Gandhi’s political secretary Ahmed Patel, AICC general secretaries Digvijay Singh, Madhusoodhan Mistry, Ajay Maken, former Rural Development Minister Jairam Ramesh, Salman Khursheed, Jitender Singh, Raj Babbar, Deepinder Hooda, Sushmita Deb, will oppose the bill in public and hold a massive rally at around 12:00 noon.

“Congress is organising a mega rally, ‘Zameen Wapsi Andolan’, to oppose the BJP government’s draconian ordinance that intends to change the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act 2013 passed by the Congress government,” the party said in a release.

The party has also attempted for convergence of farmers from across the country to raise their voice in opposition to the ordinance.

“Senior leaders of Congress will be present to challenge this Ordinance. They will stand up for the 2013 law which was enacted by the UPA government to deliver equitable justice to the poor farmer and to empower the common man,” the AICC said.

Declaring that its opposition to the Land Acquisition Ordinance was non-negotiable, Congress attacked the BJP- led government for introducing the Bill in Lok Sabha on Tuesday to replace the ordinance despite three Union Ministers giving assurances suggesting that all stakeholders would be taken on board.

Party chief Sonia Gandhi at a strategy meeting in Parliament House in the morning yesterday had set the tone for the party’s tough stand on the land ordinance.

(Agencies)

Karnataka: Congress under pressure to replace CM Siddaramaiah with a Dalit face

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Siddaramaiah-Parameshwara

Bengaluru: Though summer is yet to set in, political heat is affecting the Congress party in Karnataka.

Dalits from across the state have come together to lobby for a CM from their community, and are backing Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president G. Parameshwara for the post.

Last week, representatives of at least 30 different Dalit organisations of the state met in Bengaluru to demand CM’s post for Parameshwara.

If reports are to be believed, Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president G Parameshwara’s name has been floated by his supporters as the likely successor to Siddaramaiah.

Reports also suggested that Siddaramaiah is well aware of the forces backing Parameshwara and he is also in no mood to offer any powerful slot to the latter.

After Parameshwara’s shocking defeat in 2013 Assembly polls, he was forced to concede CM’s post to Siddaramaiah.

The Dalit groups have also planned a massive rally in Bengaluru on April 14 to press for their demand. The day coincides with Dr BR Ambedkar Jayanthi.

According to some media reports, Parameshwara is expected to lead a delegation to New Delhi shortly to meet the party high command.

(Agencies)

Rahul Gandhi seeks leave from Congress to reflect on 'recent events'

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Rahul-Gandhi

New Delhi: Ahead of the crucial AICC session expected in April, party vice-president Rahul Gandhi has desired to reflect upon “recent events” and the future course of the party.

Party sources said Sunday night he has “requested Congress president Sonia Gandhi for some time to reflect on recent events and future course of the party”.

He believes that the direction that the party adopts at the upcoming AICC session will be of crucial importance for its future and he wishes to prepare for it, the sources said.

Rahul has been “granted a leave of absence for a few weeks after which he will return and resume his active participation in the affairs of the Congress party”, the sources added.

The Congress has been performing badly at the hustings, which started with the Lok Sabha elections last year and continued in the assembly elections in various states including Delhi recently.

The debacle in Delhi, where Congress failed to get even one seat in the 70-member House, was more stunning as the party had ruled the state for 15 years till December 2013.

The AICC session is expected in early April and media reports have suggested that Rahul could be made the party chief on that occasion.

(PTI)

Trinamool win Bongaon LS seat, state ruling parties triumph in bypolls

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Trinamool Congress Chief and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. (File/PTI)

Trinamool Congress Chief and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. (File/PTI)

Kolkata/Chennai/Hyderabad/Panaji/Itanagar/Mumbai: West Bengal’s ruling Trinamool Congress retained the Bongaon Lok Sabha seat, while the BJP bagged two assembly constituencies in bypolls covering six states that saw the triumph of the states’ ruling parties and a poor show on the part of the Congress.

Apart from Bongaon, six assembly constituencies had gone to the hustings Feb 13. In the vote count, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) won two, and the Trinamool, AIADMK, Telugu Desam and Congress triumphed in one assembly seat each.

Days after failing to open its account in the Delhi assembly polls, the Congress saw its candidates forfeit their deposit in both the Bongaon parliamentary and Krishnaganj assembly seats in West Bengal, was unable to open its account in Andhra Pradesh legislature, and bit the dust in Maharashtra and Goa.

All the seats including the Bongaon Lok Sabha constituency went to the parties which were in power in the respective states.

In West Bengal, the embattled Trinamool got relief by emphatically retaining both the parliamentary and the assembly seats.

In Bongaon, Trinamool candidate Mamatabala trounced her nearest rival Communist Party of India-Marxist nominee and former state minister Debesh Das by over 2.11 lakh votes.

The Bongaon bypolls, necessitated by the death of Trinamool MP Kapil Krishna Thakur, assumed extra significance for the ruling party after state minister and Kapil Krishna’s brother Manjul Krishna quit his post and joined BJP in the lead up to the election.

The BJP, which has been gaining ground in the state, finished second at Krishnaganj, pushing the CPI-M to the third spot. In Bongaon, the CPI-M narrowly succeeded in retaining the second position after a close battle with the BJP.

The Congress candidates lost their deposits and came fourth in both the seats.

In Nadia district’s Krishnaganj, Trinamool candidate Satyajit Biswas won by over 37,000 votes against his nearest rival Manabendra Roy of the BJP.

The Trinamool vote share dropped two percent compared to last year’s Lok Sabha polls, while the BJP’s vote almost doubled.

The twin electoral success boosted the Trinamool, which is also battling internal strife with one-time second-in-command and general secretary Mukul Roy distancing himself from the party.

Trinamool supremo and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee described the twin victories as a “miracle”.

In the Maharashtra, BJP candidate Tushar Rathod, son of Govind Rathod, whose death last October necessitated the bye-election, won the Mukhed Assembly seat by defeating his nearest Congress rival Hanumantrao Patil Betmogrekar by 47,248 votes.

The BJP also tasted success in Goa, where Sidharth Kunkolienkar won the Panaji bypoll, defeating his nearest rival Surendra Furtado from the Congress by 5,368 votes.

The bypoll was held after the elevation of sitting legislator and former chief minister Manohar Parrikar to the union cabinet last November.

In Andhra Pradesh, the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) retained the Tirupati seat.

Riding on the sympathy wave, M. Suguna of the ruling party won the by-poll caused by the death of her husband M. Venkatramna, defeating Congress nominee R. Sreedevi by over 1.16 lakh votes.

All other candidates including Sreedevi of Congress lost their deposit.

The Congress had no representation in the assembly. It drew a blank in general elections held in May last year as people vent their ire on the party for bifurcating the state.

The Congress’ consolation win came from the north eastern state of Arunachal, where its nominee Nyamar Karbak defeated his nearest BJP rival Bai Gadi by a margin of 119 votes in a five-cornered contest from Liromoba constituency.

Tamil Nadu’s ruling AIADMK retained the Srirangam assembly constituency with a huge 96,000 plus margin margin over archrival DMK.

AIADMK candidate S.Valarmathi polled 151,561 votes while DMK’s N.Anand secured 55,045.

The assembly seat was earlier held by former chief minister J.Jayalalithaa and the bye-election was necessitated following her disqualification after her conviction in a corruption case and sentence of four years in jail.

In a statement issued in Chennai, Jayalalithaa thanked the voters of Srirangam for electing her party’s candidate.

(IANS)

Karnataka growth rate at 14.3%, highest compared to all south Indian states

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Photo: IE

Photo: IE

Bengaluru: Countering charges of various opposition parties, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has asserted that Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) has at 14.3 per cent in 2014-15 against the target of 14.5 per cent.

Replying to a debate on the motion of thanks to governor’s address, Siddaramaiah said that Karnataka’s growth was best compared to all other south Indian states. Reeling out statistics, he said the total revenue collection till January has already reached 80% and they are set to cross 100% by March.

He also said the Congress government has cleared about 54,500 crore investments in the high level committee in 21 months of it’s compared to 44,000 crore of BJP’s five year rule. He said the hero moto corp shifted to Andhra Pradesh lured by incentives and not because Karnataka delayed them facilities.

(Agencies)

Karnataka: Siddaramaiah reverses stand, to fight next election

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Photo: The New Indian Express

Photo: The New Indian Express

Bengaluru: Karnataka chief minister, Siddaramaiah, who had announced in different forums that the previous election was his last in his political career, and had declared his decision never to fight any election henceforth during election campaigning in 2013, has taken a U-turn.

He has now announced his decision to fight the next assembly election in 2018.

‘During the next three years three months, I will continue to be the chief minister of the state and complete my full term. The next election will also be held under my leadership. I have taken this decision because of the blabber of the BJP to free the state and country of Congress. I will bring Congress to power again the state by fighting the next election with the
single aim of rooting out BJP,’ he stated.

Siddaramaiah’s outbursts came while giving reply to the debate held during the last one week at the assembly on Governor’s address on Friday February 13.

The chief minister agreed that he had in the past announced his decision not to fight elections. He said he has decided to fight the election with the sole purpose of edging BJP out of the state.

(Agencies)

Kejriwal discusses Delhi's statehood with Rajnath; AAP receives IT notice

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Delhi CM designate Arvind Kejriwal meets Home Minister Rajnath Singh.

Delhi CM designate Arvind Kejriwal meets Home Minister Rajnath Singh. Photo: ANI

New Delhi: A day after registering a landslide victory in the Delhi assembly election, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief Arvind Kejriwal Wednesday discussed the issue of full statehood for Delhi with Home Minister Rajnath Singh.

Kejriwal, accompanied by party leader Manish Sisodia, had about an half-hour meeting with the home minister at the latter’s official residence.

“We have discussed various issues with the home minister, including the issue of full statehood for Delhi,” Sisodia told reporters.

He also said that the union minister assured them of the central government’s full support, saying that “the party line would not come in between working of the two governments”.

Earlier in the day, the AAP leaders called on union urban development minister Venkaiah Naidu at his office and discussed various issues concerning the national capital.

During this meeting, the issues related to granting of full statehood to Delhi and granting land by Delhi Development Authority (DDA) for building schools, parking and play grounds were discussed.

The AAP leaders also spoke about regularisation of unauthorised colonies in the city.

Kejriwal, to be sworn in as chief minister Saturday at the Ramlila Ground for the second time, is scheduled to meet President Pranab Mukherjee at Rashtrapati Bhavan later Wednesday.

Aam Aadmi Party, Congress served IT notice over funding

The Income Tax Department has served a notice on Aam Aadmi Party seeking an explanation on charges of receiving funds from dubious sources as alleged by a splinter group — a charge that had already been denied by the party.

A similar notice has also been served on the Congress, a party spokesperson said.

The department, that functions under the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) of the ministry of finance, has asked the party to furnish its reply by Feb 16 — two days after Arvind Kejriwal is scheduled to take oath as Delhi chief minister following a stunning win in the assembly polls.

In the run-up to the elections, Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley had alleged that the AAP was caught red-handed in receiving dubious funds from companies that did not have any business, and accused its leadership of adopting diversionary tactics to deflect attention.

He said such donations amounted to Rs.2 crore through cheques of Rs.50 lakh each from four firms.

The Aam Aadmi Party had protested such allegations. “Mr. Finance Minister. Stop throwing muck. Act. Arrest me if i am guilty,” Kejriwal tweeted. “Fin min (finance minister) says we took hawala money. Hawala money in cheques? I dare Fin min to arrest me if we took hawala money.”

He had also written to Chief Justice of India H.L. Dattu and urged him to set up a special probe team to probe investigate not just his party, but also the BJP and the Congress for the Delhi elections.

The Congress party said it has also received a similar missive from the IT Department.

“Yes, we have been served a notice. It is clearly a sign of political vendetta. Let me ask: Why has a similar notice not been served on BJP? Why single us and the AAP out. BJP has also spent crores of rupees on elections,” a party spokesperson told IANS.

At a press conference here last week, the AAP Volunteer Action Manch (AVAM), a breakaway group of the party, had questioned the sources of funding for the Kejriwal-led party and alleged some of it could be sourced to what it described as “fraud” companies.

It said claimed the money donated on the midnight of April 15 last year.

(IANS)

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