Sibal for consensus to fight Naxals, terror

Jalandhar: Terming the Naxal menace and terrorism as two sides of the same coin, Union Minister Kapil Sibal on Sunday said all political parties should work in tandem to save democracy.

"The country is increasingly facing the menace of red terror and terrorism and all the political parties should come together and form a consensus on the issue," the HRD minister said.

Naxalism is another form of terrorism and is spreading its roots in many states of the country, Sibal said adding that it has to be destroyed and for this a political unity is necessary, the minister said.

He called for a national consensus on the issue. "At one hand, Opposition parties call for an action against the threats faced by the nation and when we brace for some action we don't get support in the Parliament," Sibal said.

Suspended Telangana MPs to boycott LS on Monday

Hyderabad: Congress MPs from Telangana region, who were suspended from the Lok Sabha last week for disrupting the proceedings, have decided to boycott the House on Monday.

"We will boycott the House tomorrow. We will announce our next course of action on Wednesday," Congress MP Madhu Yashki Goud told PTI on Sunday night after a meeting of party MPs.

In an unprecedented action, eight Congress MPs from Telangana were suspended last week for four days from Lok Sabha for disrupting the house. Their suspension ends on Monday.

Fake arms deal case: Court jails Bangaru Laxman, says shun 'sab chalta hai' syndrome

New Delhi: A Delhi court sentenced former BJP president Bangaru Laxman to four years in jail in the 2001 fake arms deal case. Bangaru has also been imposed with a fine of Rs one lakh. Bangaru was convicted for taking a Rs one lakh bribe to push a defence deal in a sting operation 11 years ago.

The court came tough on corruption and said in its judgement, "Time to shun the sab chalta hai syndrome." Holding that "corruption is worse than prostitution" as it endangers the whole society, Special CBI Judge Kanwal Jeet Arora turned down 72-year-old Laxman's plea for leniency saying "we have to shun this attitude of 'sab chalta hai,' where nothing moves without illegal gratification."

Laxman was taken to Tihar Jail, shortly after he was sentenced. His counsel said they would move the high court to challenge his conviction and sentencing.

PTI Photo

The court also imposed a fine of Rs one lakh on Bangaru, who had been caught on camera accepting the money in his chamber in the party headquarters and had to quit as its president shortly after the sting expose which had created a huge political storm.

This is the first instance of a national party president getting convicted and sentenced to a jail term in a corruption case for accepting a bribe in his office chamber in the party headquarters in 2001. By accepting the bribe, Laxman had kept his personal interest above the national interest "ignoring the security of soldiers" who put their lives in danger while fighting for the nation, the court said.

Don't lecture us on morality: BJP tells Congress

Nagpur: Countering Congress' jibes at BJP in the wake of conviction of former BJP president Bangaru Laxman in a bribery case, the party on Saturday said the Congress has no moral right "to lecture them on morality".

"Congress should not lecture us on morality," party spokesman Prakash Javadekar told reporters. Former BJP president Bangaru Laxman, who was found guilty of accepting a bribe by a Delhi court on Friday, has been sentenced to four years in jail and fined Rs one lakh. He has been convicted under the Prevention of Corruption Act for misusing his office and for attempting to influence another public official.

Speaking on the issue, Javadekar further said Laxman now has the option of approaching the higher judiciary, which he will do.

Criticising the CBI, Javadekar said "The way the probe agency has shown quickness of action in this case, it should also show the same pace in the alleged corruption cases like the 2G scam, Commonwealth Games and the cases involving the then Finance Minister and incumbent Union Home Minister P Chidambaram."

On the cricket maestro Sachin Tendulkar's nomination to the Rajya Sabha, Javadekar said it could not be an alternative to conferring the Bharat Ratna award on him. "The BJP would like to welcome him (Tendulkar) in the Upper House. But we will stick to the demand of conferring the highest civilian award Bharat Ratna on him. His nomination can not be an alternative to that award," he added.

CBI charges Ramadoss in a corruption case

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New Delhi: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has filed a chargesheet against former union health minister Anbumani Ramadoss and nine others in a Delhi court in a corruption case.

Ramadoss allegedly misused his position to give clearance to a medical college in Indore in 2008. According to the chargesheet, Ramadoss, two doctors of the Safdarjung hospital in Delhi, and owner of Index Medical College, Indore are the main accused in the case.

Ramadoss on Sept 28, 2008 gave permission to the college for admissions overruling the Medical Council of India (MCI) that said the college was deficient in infrastructure.

The Health Ministry on same day had told the Supreme Court that permission can't be given because of deficiencies. But on the same evening, Ramadoss overturned his own ministry's stand and gave the permission.

BJP for concerted strategy to handle Maoist violence

New Delhi: Warning that the Naxal situation is getting out of hands, BJP on Sunday asked the Centre to adopt a concerted and unified strategy to tackle Maoist violence.

"Unless we have a concerted and unified strategy to deal with the problem (Left wing extremism) and the best of coordination among the states and the Centre, the situation seems to be drifting out of hands," BJP spokesperson Prakash Javadekar said.

He was reacting to the kidnapping of a District Collector in Chhattisgarh by the Left-wing ultras. Targeting Union Home Minister P Chidambaram he said, "Chidambaram is saying that this is a law and order issue. This is not an issue of one state and it is not a law and order matter. It is a national issue."

Javadekar said the recent spate of Naxal violence indicates a change in their strategy where they are targeting foreign tourists, political leaders in states and government officials.

"This is really a warning for India. It is an attack on our sovereignty and the government must consider in this perspective. It is a multi-state problem," he said, adding that the BJP will raise the issue in Parliament.

India has a very powerful prime minister: Pranab Mukherjee

Washington: Asserting that India has a "very powerful, strong and acceptable prime minister," Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee on Sunday rejected a suggestion from corporate America that a leadership "vacuum" was chipping away at India's investment climate.

"How can I comment on the perception of some organisation or institution," he asked when speking to reporters here when asked about a letter from the US-India Business Council (USIBC) to the White House. "I can only state the fact that there is no vacuum in the leadership of the union government."

"And there is a very powerful, strong, acceptable prime minister," said Mukherjee, who was here to attend the spring meetings of International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank.

Harold 'Terry' McGraw III, USIBC chairman and CEO of McGraw-Hill companies, is reported to have suggested in a recent letter to President Barack Obama's deputy national security adviser Mike Froman that with Indian cabinet ministers busy dousing political fires, powerful bureaucrats were running the show in Delhi.

Capitalism to give way to socialism: Buddhadeb

Kolkata: Known as a pragmatic Marxist, former West Bengal chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee on Sunday sang the old tune, saying capitalism would ultimately give way to socialism.

"Capitalism will give way to socialism. It will create social ownership and usher in the end of class differences," Bhattacharjee, a CPI(M) politburo member, said at a function here to mark the 142nd birth anniversary of Vladimir Lenin.

He, however, did not gave any time-frame for the triumph of socialism over capitalism. "Any time frame for this cannot be predicted," the former chief minister, who had openly wooed private capital to rapidly industrialise West Bengal, said.

He said monarchy lasted in the world for hundreds of years followed by several hundreds of years of feudalism. "Capitalism has also been there for over hundred years and it will also have to come to an end," Bhattacharjee said.

'A million jobs for world's poorest' with UK cash boost for entrepreneurs

Girls sell biscuits and other groceries at the market in Bor, capital of Jonglei state in South Sudan. The UK is backing job creation by entrepreneurs as a route out of poverty. Photograph: Mohamed Nureldin Abdallah/Reuters

The government's attempt to use the private sector as an engine for development will move up a gear this week when the international development secretary, Andrew Mitchell, announces a plan to boost finance to entrepreneurs in some of the world's poorest countries.

Mitchell will tell the spring meeting of the World Bank in Washington that the UK intends to provide funds for a seven-year programme of financial support for banks designed to help 250,000 businesses create almost one million jobs.

Under the scheme, Britain will join the International Finance Corporation (IFC) – the arm of the World Bank that promotes private-sector investment – in creating a new package of support for banks in fragile and conflict-affected countries.

Internal security still a challenge: Prime Minister at CMs' meet

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New Delhi: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Monday said that the issue of internal security remains a big challenge in which the states and the Centre must work together and in harmony. On the controversial issue of National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC), the Prime Minister said that the issue will be discussed on May 5 separately as requested by some Chief Ministers.

"Internal security situation by and large satisfactory since February 2011. Threat from terror, left-wing extremism remains and needs constant vigil. We have to deal with them firmly. In Jammu and Kashmir, there has been perceptible improvement in security environment. Situation in north east remains complex," he said.

"Like other internal security matters, we need joint and coordinated efforts to deal with the challenge of terrorism," he added. He also said the number of districts under the integrated action plan to push development has been increased from 60 to 78 across seven states affected by Maoist violence.

The Prime Minister said that the state governments are the primary responders in most internal security situations. "The Centre will continue its support to capacity building and police modernisation efforts by the States," he said.

Mamata Banerjee to skip CM meet tomorrow

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New Delhi: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee will not attend the Chief Ministers conference on Internal Security in the national capital on Monday.

But, sources say she will attend the meeting on the controversial National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC) on May 5.

The reason for her absence at Monday's meeting is not clear as yet. Given the fact that several centre-state issues are on the agenda, the session is expected to be a stormy one.

The meeting gains significance in the back-drop of a series of letters written by the Chief Ministers of various states on issues such as RPF act and reducing the Central Sales Tax among others.

Odisha: Naxals set new deadline for BJD MLA's release

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New Delhi: The Maoist abductors of Biju Janata Dal MLA Jhina Hikaka on Sunday set a new deadline for his release, setting April 18 as the date for the government to meet their demands. The Naxals have demanded the release of 29 prisoners by 5.00 pm on April 18. However, dreaded Naxal Chhenda Bhusanam alias Ghasi is not a part of the list. The information was given to the lawyer of the prisoners.

The Maoists have reportedly promised to release the MLA in the presence of his wife and the prisoners' lawyer, Nihar Patnaik if all their demands are met. Hikaka was abducted on March 24 in the Koraput district.

In a message, a leader of Maoists' Andhra Odisha Border Special Zonal Committee (AOBSZC) set the new deadline of 5 pm of April 18 for release of 29 rebels, Nihar Ranjan Patnaik, a Koraput-based lawyer who fights cases for the Maoists, said.

The Maoists, who had earlier demanded release of 30 prisoners to free the tribal MLA, have also omitted the name of Chenda Bhusanam alias Ghasi, accused of killing at least 55 police personnel, from the list, he said.

I need no visa to go to Mumbai, Nitish tells Raj

Patna/Mumbai: Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Monday remained unfazed over the reported threat by the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) to disallow Bihar divas celebrations in Mumbai, saying no one can stop him from attending the event and he did not require a "visa" to travel there.

"There is no hurdle for me to go there. Can go to any part of the country, don't need any type of visa for that. I am going," Kumar said when asked for his comments on the threat by the Raj Thackeray-headed MNS to block the celebrations.

He said he would give his message to people from Bihar living in Mumbai on April 15 during his scheduled visit to attend a social and cultural programme organised by migrant labour from the state to celebrate the centenary of the creation of the state.

"I will give my message there," he said.

The MNS did not appear to take kindly to Kumar's assertion.

"Raj saheb will make the party's stance on the issue clear at a public meeting at Malegaon on April 12," a senior MNS leader said, adding that Kumar's statement had not gone down well with the party.

Someone in govt read too much into army exercise: Pallam Raju

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New Delhi: Minister of State for Defence MM Pallam Raju has said that "someone" in the government "may have read too much" into the movement of two key army units towards Delhi in January.

Speaking to Karan Thapar on Devil's Advocate, he said that there are protocols that exist where somebody has to be informed or somebody has to be kept in the loop.

Here is the full transcript of the interview:

Karan Thapar: Hello and welcome to Devil's Advocate. How does the government respond to the controversies surrounding the Army and the Army chief – that's the key issue I shall explore today with the Minister of State for Defence, MM Pallam Raju. Minister, let us start with the Indian Express story suggesting that a possible coup in the making was nipped in the bud on January 16-17. The Prime Minister, the Defence Minister and the Army Chief have dismissed the story as alarmist, rubbish and stupid. But the paper stands by it. So are you absolutely certain there is no truth to the story?

Marx and Lenin are not untouchables: Mamata

Kolkata: Amidst criticism of reported exclusion of Karl Marx and Frederich Engels from the history syllabus of higher secondary text books in West Bengal, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday said her government did not consider Marx or Lenin as "untouchables".

"We do never consider Karl Marx or Lenin untouchables," the Chief Minister said after unveiling an oil painting of former Chief Minister late P C Sen at Assembly lobby in Kolkata.

Stating that she salutes the nationalist movement as well as the Left movement in India, Banerjee said "there should be one's personal likes or dislikes but we cannot discard one while expressing our likes for another."

The Chief Minister's remarks came amidst recommendations made by a syllabus reforms committee for excluding Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels, founders of Marxism, from the history syllabus of the higher secondary text books.

Criticising the previous Left Front government for creating a division in the people as 'us and them', Banerjee said her government felt proud in paying homage to the distinguished and celebrated personalities.

Election Commission writes to Home Ministry to probe Jharkhand Rajya Sabha polls

New Delhi: The Election Commission on Monday decided to write to the government seeking a CBI probe into the events that led to countermand of Rajya Sabha elections in Jharkhand recently.

The decision comes after the Jharkhand High Court asked the Commission to constitute a probe.

Sources in the Commission said a letter was being written to the Department of Personnel and Training for conducting a CBI probe in the RS poll which was countermanded because it was vitiated.

The Jharkhand High Court, while disposing of two petitions challenging the countermanding of the Rajya Sabha poll in the state, had asked the EC to conduct a thorough probe by an independent agency into the events that led to the countermanding of the poll.

The EC had countermanded the poll in the wake of allegations of use of money-power and "horse-trading" of MLAs ahead of the March 30 poll.

Huge cash was seized in Ranchi on the day of polling, after which the poll body concluded "the Commission is satisfied that the current election process for Rajya Sabha election from Jharkhand has been seriously vitiated and cannot be permitted to proceed."

The EC had recommended to President Pratibha Patil for countermand of the poll and rescinding of the notification in this regard, which had already been done.

Gujarat farmers have excelled despite Centre's 'injustice': Modi

Banaskantha: Holding the Union government responsible for the sorry state of farmers and agriculture in the country, chief minister Narendra Modi on Sunday claimed that despite the "injustice", Gujarat farmers have excelled with record agri and dairy production.

"The Central government has ruined farmers and the agriculture sector in the country with its anti-farmer policies. It has also mislead the farmers who will never forgive them," Modi alleged while speaking at a function.

"Despite the Centre's injustice and wrongdoings, Gujarat has achieved record production in agriculture and dairy industry," he claimed. Modi said that it was only Gujarat that has taken the right path for the prosperity of the farmers leading to 11 per cent growth in agriculture against the national average of three per cent.

The chief minister also criticised the UPA government for its policy on export of mutton and said, "On the one hand the Congress in Gujarat is making uproar over cow protection, while on the other hand Central government gives subsidy to export of mutton, while imposing tax on cotton exports."

CBI probing fund transfer charges against Jagan

New Delhi/Hyderabad: After filing a charge sheet against YS Jagan Mohan Reddy for alleged abuse of his official position, the CBI has sent a request to various countries seeking their assistance in probing alleged transfer of funds by the son of former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister, a charge denied by him.

The letter of request, sent through diplomatic channel, alleged that between 2004 and 2009 when YS Rajashekar Reddy was the Chief Minister, his son Jagan and his family allegedly defrauded the public exchequer by way of obtaining several favours from the state government in matters related to issuance of licences and permissions.

Jagan and his family have also been charged in the letter with obtaining favours in matters related to allotment of lands for special economic zones and mining leases to companies which made huge investments in companies floated by younger Reddy at abnormally high rates of premium.

Denying all the charges, Reddy said, "All the investments into my companies have been of sound commerce and have always been complying with the law of the land. The companies, which invested into my companies, have also invested into other blue chip companies in the country."

"There has been no wrongdoing by Jagan Mohan Reddy. So there's nothing to be concerned about. We are sure he is going to come out clean in the end," a statement from the party said and accused the CBI of working overtime with a single-minded agenda to implicate the Kadapa MP in some case or the other.