2G scam: Raja 5 days with CBI

New Delhi: The CBI today accused former Telecom Minister A Raja of causing a loss of Rs. 22,000 crore to the exchequer by favouring some telecom firms in award of the 2G spectrum licences and demanded his custody for five days, which a city court granted.


Raja, former Telecom Secretary Siddartha Behura and Raja's former Personal Secretary R K Chandolia, were produced before Special CBI Judge O P Saini a day after they were arrested in connection with the 2G spectrum allocation scam.

Wearing a grey safari suit, the 47-year-old DMK MP appeared cool and composed and greeted the judge with folded hands. His counsel Ramesh Gupta sought time for a privateconversation with Raja, which the judge allowed for ten minutes.

Another milestone in Tamil Nadu's legislative history

The inauguration of the Assembly-Secretariat complex on the Omandurar Government Estate in the heart of the State capital of Chennai marks another milestone in the history of the elected legislature of Tamil Nadu.

The origins of the legislature can be traced back to the Indian Councils Act, 1861. The law restored the legislative power taken away by the Charter Act of 1833. The legislature of the Madras Presidency, which then comprised the present area of Tamil Nadu and parts of what are now the States of Orissa, Kerala, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh, was given the power to make laws for the “peace and good government.”

The Provincial Legislative Council was constituted. It consisted of the Advocate General and four to eight ad hoc members nominated by the Governor to the Executive Council. At least half the members were to be non-officials, nominated for two years. The Legislative Council could not interfere with the laws passed by the Central Legislature. All Bills passed by Provincial Councils required the assent of the Governor-General. Even after that, they could be disallowed by the Queen, to whom they had to be referred. Though the Council was a mere advisory committee for the government in its legislative work, one positive feature was that the public came to know of what went on in the Council, which was till then not possible.

As a result of the Minto-Morley Reforms, a package of constitutional concessions was formulated through the Indian Councils Act, 1909. This raised the strength of the Council from 20 to 50. Elections, though not direct, were introduced. 

No panel on Telangana till normalcy returns: Congress

Controversy over Jyoti Basu's hospital

Congress

core group, which met on Friday on the Telangana issue, has unanimously said that the 'promised' committee on Telangana will have to wait till normalcy returns to Andhra Pradesh.

Sources said that unless law and order situation was under control and there is normalcy, there is no question of appointing a committee. Though the core group agreed on the need for a mechanism for further consultations on the issue of a separate state of Telangana.

The Centre has been mulling the idea of setting up a committee to hold consultations with all stakeholders.

The all-party meeting on Telangana convened by Home

Minister P Chidambaram on January 5 ended with leaders appealing for maintaining peace, harmony and law and order in Andhra Pradesh.

YSR's death shocking, sad: Sheila Dikshit

Delhi Chief Minister speaks about the tragic death of Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YSR Reddy.

BJP: Who will take over from Advani?

Sunday ,August 30, 2009, New Delhi

The RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat has helped the BJP with a roadmap for the party's future. A key part of that roadmap: figuring out who will take over from LK Advani.

At a press conference on Friday, the RSS chief said his approach to the BJP was hands-off, but he was on standby for advice.  That advice was sought just hours later when BJP leaders grouped around Bhagwat for a late-night consultation. Arun Jaitley, Sushma Swaraj, Venkaiah Naidu and Ananth Kumar were given this plan of action.

The Sangh wants Advani to bring in the generation next leaders quickly.  Advani is likely to step down as Leader of the Opposition by the end of the year.  And the Sangh has made it clear that L K Advani's exit, when it happens, should be graceful and respectable.

 So who will take over from Advani?  Sushma Swaraj, currently Advani's deputy in the Lok Sabha, is the frontrunner to become Leader of the Opposition.

General Secretary Arun Jaitley has emerged as the frontrunner to take over as Party President from  Rajnath Singh, whose term ends in January.

Advani meets RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat

 Saturday August 29, 2009, New Delhi




A crucial meeting between BJP leader Lal Krishna Advani and RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat happened on Saturday afternoon amidst reports of a succession plan being mapped out by the Sangh Parivar.
Bhagwat has met several leaders from Arun Jaitley, Sushma Swaraj, Venkaiah Naidu, Ananth Kumar to Murli Manohar Joshi.
However, the RSS and the BJP have both denied that there's going to be any change in the party leadership.
Meanwhile, in his first comments on the turmoil in BJP, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has said that it's not good for the country.
"It (infighting in BJP) is not good. In a democracy, stability in political parties is necessary. If there is instability, it will have an impact on the country," said the Prime Minister.
Earlier, NDTV had learnt that Advani and Bhagwat were likely to discuss the party's future. Sources said Advani's future role in the party was also slated to be discussed.
However, the BJP sources said that leadership change was not discussed in the meeting, adding that the two leaders did not discuss anyone's resignation.
The RSS sources too said that no succession plan for BJP was discussed in the meeting. They also said that these meetings are normal routine meetings.

It was being said that the crucial meeting would likely take up the issue of the role that BJP's gen-next will have in the days ahead. But according to sources, the changes are unlikely to take place soon and may evolve over some months.

What is now expected is that Advani will make way for a new leadership to take over. While all plans for succession are expected to become clearer after the Advani-Bhagwat meeting, everything will unfold only slowly. 

As the BJP grapples with a worsening internal crisis, NDTV has learnt that the RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat has spelled out the BJP's roadmap at his meetings over the past few days with BJP leaders.

Sources have told NDTV that the RSS wants Advani to bring in the generation next leaders quickly.

Sources say the Sangh wants Advani's exit, when it happens, to be graceful and respectable.

Even the RSS refused to be drawn into the controversy. RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat said on the record that the RSS would only advise the BJP, if asked.

The frontrunners in BJP:

• Sushma Swaraj, Advani's deputy in the Lok Sabha could be the frontrunner to don the mantle of the Leader of the Opposition.
• While party general secretary Arun Jaitley has emerged as the frontrunner for the BJP president's post. 
• The present incumbent Rajnath Singh's term comes to end in January next.

BJP defends Advani

LK Advani's former colleagues, Jaswant Singh, Yashwant Sinha, George Fernandes and Brajesh Mishra had categorically stated that Advani was indeed aware of plans to send Jaswant Singh to Kandahar where the Indian Airlines flight IC 814 had been hijacked. But now the party has come out strongly to his defence.

Cash-for-vote scam

BJP may take action against media
Press Trust of India, Saturday August 29, 2009, New Delhi

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) may take legal action against certain news channels and periodicals for showing the 'cash-for-vote' scam as the party's handiwork.
"We strongly denounce reports in a section of media that cash-for-vote scam was a BJP handiwork. Some people have even attacked L K Advani for it. We will not tolerate these things and the party will consider a legal course against such malicious and motivated reporting if needed," BJP spokesman Prakash Javdekar told reporters in New Delhi.
On expelled party leader Jaswant Singh's statement about Advani's involvement in the scam, he said, "He has talked only about the issue of whether the cash bundles should have been shown in the Parliament or sent to the Speaker."
Javdekar said even Samajwadi Party leader Amar Singh also regrets making all out efforts to save the government during the trust vote in July 2008 on the nuclear deal issue.
Singh had on Friday termed as "historical blunder" its decision to support the government at the Centre and said it was disenchanted with the Congress.
"It is ironical that in this country giving bribe and purchasing majority is not a crime but unearthing the truth is viewed as a crime," Javdekar added.