Congress membership to drop sharply

27 Oct 2009

CONGRESS MEMBERSHIP TO DROP SHARPLY


By Jal Khambata


NEW DELHI: The ongoing Congress membership drive for holding the party elections early next year may show its total strength slump sharply. An irony is that the party's strength nosedives in a year of electoral trumps, thanks to a new rule inserted by heir-apparent Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi.

The rule that requires pasting of photograph on the membership form will automatically eliminate lakhs of bogus members that partymen used to enroll to qualify for various organisational elections.

Only an active member of the party can take part in the elections and one becomes so by enrolling at least 25 primary members. In the past, one would just copy names and addresses from the electoral rolls and deposit the requisite membership fee on their behalf to get qualified as an active member.

Even now the membership is just Rs 3 per head and that too for three years period of 2009 to 2012 and anyone could have easily deposited Rs 75 to become eligible for polls as an active member.

The new rule introduced by Rahul is, however, forcing the partymen to engage into a real membership drive, amid murmurs that it will be difficult for the members at the village levels to have their photographs ready for pasting on the membership form.

Some of the state units are already pestering the AICC headquarters to relax the rule, lest the total membership nosedives, making it very difficult for the party to explain where its lakhs of members have vanished.
Their contention is that the large number of farm workers, day labourers and women have either lack of time or no inclination to get themselves photographed.

The party sources say the rule, however, may not be waived, particularly because Rahul Gandhi is behind it as he thinks this alone will ensure revival of an inner-party democracy and end of the power brokers dictating the party outfits at various levels.

They say Rahul Gandhi is keen to reform the party from within. An effort in this direction has been already taken by him in his capacity as the incharge general secretary to ensure elections at all levels in the Youth Congress and the National Students Union of India (NSUI).

The Congress membership form for the period 2009-2012 calls for a self-declaration, with the member undertaking to wear certified khadi, shun alcohol and disproportionate assets, and work for socialist, secular and democratic goals.

###

RAJNATH MISTAKENLY CROSSES SWORD WITH RSS CHIEF

27 Oct 2009

RAJNATH MISTAKENLY CROSSES SWORD WITH RSS CHIEF


Despatch is from
Jal Khambata


NEW DELHI: Provoked by RSS chief calling for the BJP undergo a "surgery" or even "chemotherapy" provoked its President Rajnath Singh on Tuesday to assert that such an opinion can come from no one except a "madman."

The mistaken tirade against the hard-hitting remarks was mounted by Rajnath Singh without even first finding out as to who made the remark. He was, however, not repenting on learning that the remarks had come from Sarsanghchalak Mohan Bhagwat.

"Not at all, who says that," he shot back when reporters asked him to react to the BJP needing chemotherapy that amount to saying cancer was eating into the party.

He went on to further react angrily when asked whether the the morale of party workers is low because of repeated poll failures. He shot back: "Our morale is high. Who is saying like this?"

Rajnath, however, did not take back his comments on learning that the unsavoury remark on the state of the BJP had come from none else but RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat in the course a Press conference in Jaipur on Tuesday.

In reply to a question, Bhagwat had said: "....whatever surgery, medicine, chemotherapy is essential, it has to be diagnosed by them (BJP)."

The BJP sources said Rajnath Singh was only defending the party and meant no disrespect to the RSS chief. He did not know the sarcastic remark came from the RSS chief as otherwise everyone knows Rajnath Singh always consults him on all important matters concerning the party, the sources affirmed.

Even while they asserted that Rajnath Singh was not at all taking on the RSS chief, the latter already holding consultations with the BJP top guns since after the party's defeat in the Lok Sabha elections for revamp of the party may not take such reaction lightly.

Rajnath Singh has another three months to go until January when his term ends with election of the new President, but his latest spat with the RSS chief, no matter mistakenly, may hasten his exit much earlier.

Political observers say there should be no surprise if he is pressurised to quit now and hand over the baton to one of the vice-presidents to run the party's show until the organisational elections take place.

They say so far the RSS pressure was on veteran party leader Lal Krishna Advani to step down as the leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, but that pressure may now shift to Rajnath Singh because of his silly folly.

At his Press conference in Jaipur, Bhagwat refuted a suggestion that the RSS was responsible for the sorry state of affairs in BJP. ""If they (BJP) need any organisational help, if they ask for it, we will provide them help," he said while clarifying that the RSS otherwise does not interfere in the party's day-to-day affairs.

Nor did he get into the controversy raging over the prolonged defiance before ultimate resignation of former chief minister Vasundhara Raje as leader of opposition in the Rajasthan Assembly. It is for BJP and its leadership to tackle it, he remarked.

The RSS chief also refused to be dragged into the controversy of "Marathi manoos," an issue raked up by Shiv Sena as also its breakaway group of MNS, stressing that the Hindutva means taking all together.

"Every Indian belongs to India. There are various languages and religions which have their own identity. Hindutva for us is considering them as part of one (entity) and we do not believe in things like Marathi pride," he added.

###

-- 

SINCERE SONIA GANDHI REMEMBERS MOTHER IN LAW INDIRA AND MAKES BED STILL

26 Oct 2009

SONIA STILL MAKES BED FOR INDIRA GANDHI!


Indira Gandhi is dead and gone for 25 years ago, but still Sonia Gandhi occasionally readies her bed to remember fondly the daily ritual of taking care of her beloved mother-in-law's comforts.

Saturday evening, Sonia Gandhi spent three hours from 5.30 arranging the late former prime minister's bedroom in the Indira Gandhi Memorial here. During the period, she did not take any calls as she went around dusting the room on her own.

A day before, she had visited the place with her daughter and made an inventory of the changes she felt necessary in Indira Gandhi's bedroom to tidy it up for her forthcoming birth anniversary on November 19.

Memorial staff say Sonia Gandhi makes trips to the place on Safdarjung Road where she lived with her mother-in-law for umpteen years. She arrives mostly in the evening after the visitors' hours are over and takes personal interest in everything displayed in the memorial. If some day she wants to come early, the memorial is shut for public for the sake of her security, the staff added.

###

new delhi corridor gossips

26-10-2009

NEW DELHI POLITICAL GRAPEVINE SNIPPETS

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sam Pitroda appointment as Advisor to Prime Minister with Union Cabinet Status-  was a rude shock to DMK Union Minister A Raja. Brief given to Sam Pitroda is  to get "Innovation, Information and Infrastructure." Sam Pitroda wanted Union Ministry of Telcom and Information Technology to brief him on measures taken on e-governance. Pitroda

will not suggest on spectrum, e-governance and innovative technologies in Telecom. Issues relating to "3G" is now likely to be quietly given to Sam Pitroda. Sam will also be poking his nose into Surface Transport, Shipping and Petroleum.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

CPM Comrade Sitaram Yechuri is the Chairman of the 

Standing Committee of Parliament of Union Ministry of Civil Aviation. Recent meeting discussed about "Air India in Red" Suggestion from  Chair was let there be a recommendation from this committee to 'de-merge" Air India, to its old style

"Indian Airlines and Air India" Back to square one. And Yechuri is serious that CPM will raise demerger  in Parliament

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A Union Minister recently travelled to Nepal and Cairo

by a Special Aircraft ignoring the austerity circular issued

by the PMO. Quietly the Minister asked a PSU to bear

the bill. An RTI activist applied for the exact amount paid

for the aircraft. 

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

On the day of CBI raiding the Telecom Ministry officials

there was a jubiliation in the mindset of one  Union Minister

belonging to DMK while the rest of six DMK Union Ministers hung their 

faces of shame. Now there is a fast regrouping of the DMK 

Ministers and MPs - to dance to the tunes of deputy chief minister MK Stalin. 

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Shashi Tharoor Union Minister flagged off an Indian locomotive  

train to begin revival of Benin railways in Africa. Tharoor was 

so rash that when he  waved green flag so enthusiastically 

 that flag came off its pole! Another insult to the Flag,

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Jairam Ramesh Union Minister sprang a surprise by asking

 Department of  Environment and Forest to compile the file

 notings of his three predecessors from DMK T R Baalu, 

A Raja and Raghupathi  on the various issues including 

that of Mullaiperiar Dam. With these inputs Jairam Ramesh 

plans to write a long letter in Tamil to Chief Minister

Karunanidhi, turning the table against DMK Ministers slept

on sensitive issues. DMK-Congress alliance is on rock 

not only on 2G spectrum but also on "water Dam issues" joked 

a Jayalaitha MP in Delhi.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

ends

A study reveals 50% of Maharashtra MLAs are criminal background

From: Anil Bairwal <abairwal@gmail.com>
Subject: [National Election Watch news] Press release: recent election results- 50% MLAs in Maharashtra, 17% in Haryana, 5% in Arunachal have pending criminal cases; several cases of murder, dacoity, kidnapping & extortion
To: national-election-watch@googlegroups.com, national-ew-news@googlegroups.com
Date: Friday, 23 October, 2009, 5:45 PM

Dear Friends,

Here is the analysis of result of recent elections. Attached are two files-
1.  Press release and high level analysis of the newly elected MLAs from three states
2. Full criminal and financial details of the newly elected MLAs


HIndi Press release will be shortly uploaded on our website http://www.adrindia.org

50% MLAs in Maharashtra, 17% in Haryana, 5% in Arunachal have pending criminal charges against them according to self sworn affidavits

15 cases related to murder, 22 related to dacoity and kidnapping, 6 of extortion and lot more just on Maharashtra MLAs

More than 50% of assembly crorepati in all 3 states

Number of women MLAs very low in all states

Mr Julio Ribeiro, Prof Jagdeep Chhokar, Dr Nani Bath and others of National Election Watch vouch to continue to fight for cleaner politics

Please go through the document for further details.

Thanks & Regards

Anil 

---
Anil Bairwal
011 6590 1524
+91-99993-10100
National Coordinator
Association for Democratic Reforms
http://www.adrindia.org

CBI raids private players on 2G spectrum allocation

CBI RAIDS AT 10 PRIVATE COMPANIES PREMISES ON

2G SPECTRUM ALLOCATION.

CBI on Friday continued "raids spree" against the offenders of

2G spectrum allocation, but this time it is a mixed.. Ten private

companies who were in auction. The scare amongst the private

players are that the CBI might continue to do it for next four days.

To maintain a momentum in media.. this exercise is on said a 

senior DMK MP.

Unforeseen panic was visible  in the Sanchar Bhavan in Delhi

the headquarters of Telectom Ministry. None of the officers

above joint secretaries to government of india were ready to

talk to anyone on 2G.

new delhi corridor gossips

23-10-2009
NEW DELHI GRAPEVINE SNIPPETS

R RAJAGOPALAN

DELHI

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Union Ministry of Petroleum on Tuesday officially organised a Yagyna

to scare the devil and evil forces, and at one pm, a brahmin-bhoj was 

organised in  Sashtri Bhavan.Reason, three suicides in two months 

in the corridors of Union Ministry of Petroleum.One dead body was found

in toilet of Petroleum Ministry last month. A woman officer committed suicide

due to personal distress. Many employees applied tilak on their forehead

A fire mudpot was taken around all the chambers except Petroleum Secretary

office. The black smoke made employees to feel free that 'bhoots were driven out"

of Petroleum Ministry.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Rajya Sabha has a unique facility unlike Lok Sabha. And that is

simultaneous Tamil translation, which was introduced a year ago,

at the directions of Chairman Hameed Ansari. This is a great help to

MK Azhagiri Union Minister. In the ensuing Winter Session of
Parliament, many can expect MK Azhagiri to reply questions

in Tamil. Mouthwatering for AIADMK MPs who are now preparing

to cross question Azhagiri on fertiliser import scam, which will now

rock the Winter Session.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Austerity drive. Recommendation from the Department of Expenditure

to all the Secretaries is to desist extensions to panels/commission/

committees keeping the expenditure in view. This has put many

senior secretaries in tight spot. A former Cabinet Secretary 

(72 years) has been given one more year extension to 

complete his report. Though many interim reports were since

submitted. He has a chambers, official car, secretariat and 

frequent visits to many state capitals to suggest air connections.

There are 15-20 former top civil servants who have crossed the

age of 70 are holding up to their positions. It is a political 

decision to remove- a difficult one as  these retired officials are

- friends of many former Prime Ministers and present.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Vice President Hameed Ansari remarked with a pinch of anger

commented "Can't you have a Hindi web site - or a link to the 

CIC web site a translation of the RTI act in Hindi? Angry Ansari

said this at the valedictory function of the Right to Information

seminar organised by the Central Information Commission.
Officials of CIC are too concerned and are coming out with

a web site in Hindi by end of this month.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

ends

BJP admits defeat because of not speaking in one voice

22 Oct 2009

BJP ADMITS DEFEAT BECAUSE OF NOT SPEAKING IN ONE VOICE

By Jal Khambata/R Rajagopalan

NEW DELHI: Conceding defeat in the Assembly elections in all three states "with all humility," the Bhartiya Janata Party on Thursday attributed it to the discordant voices from the party disheartening its cadres and supporters.

"I am conveying expectations of cadres and supporters that we will have to speak in one voice," party spokesman Ravi Shankar Prasad told a Press conference here, stressing the urgency of "ek swar, ek soor" from the party to quickly pull out of the second poll shock after the Lok Sabha elections.

He said the party will have to undertake an "honest analysis" of its shortcomings and introspect by taking a complete stock of all factors. No question of shutting eyes to the reality, he affirmed.

Prasad also sought to reject BJP Vice-President Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi putting blame on the electronic voting machines (EVMs) manipulation for the party's defeat. Asked to comment on Naqvi's contention, he skirted the question, stating that he was expressing the party's view as its spokesman.

He added that senior BJP leader Lal Krishna Advani had once asked the Election Commission to address the technological apprehensions expressed about the EVMs. The Election Commission has, however, examined and rejected all objections to use of the EVMs and the BJP respects its decision, Prasad said.

MNS DAMAGED PROSPECTS: Giving an initial analysis of the results at the party headquarters here, he said the BJP-Shiv Sena combine would have ousted the ruling Congress-NCP alliance but for the MNS of Raj Thackeray, a rebel nephew of Sena supremo Bal Thackeray, denting its prospects.

The first reports received from Maharashtra show the MNS damaging the BJP-Shiv Sena combine in more than 50 seats that would have made the difference in the poll result coming in its favour to stop the hat-trick of the rival Congress-NCP alliance, Prasad claimed.

He said MNS was not only winning 12 seats but it damaged prospects of BJP and Shiv Sena in at least 40 to 45 seats and the number may be still more, not less, when the full details of results are available.

Asked if the BJP will consider aligning with the MNS in future, Prasad shot back that his party has fundamental differences with the kind of politics played by MNS chief Raj Thackeray. No question of drifting away from the Shiv Sena, which is the BJP's oldest ally for the last two decades, he affirmed.

He said a lot of political significance lies in the MNS leaders telling TV channels on Thursday that their party can think of giving support to the Congress-NCP if it fell short of a clear majority.

FRACTURED HARYANA VOTE: In Haryana, Prasad said the ruling Congress had advanced the polls with claims of a clean sweep by capitalising on the Lok Sabha results could not get a clear mandate and that shows the voters were not satisfied with its rule.

He said the BJP won four seats and came second on eight others. He said the party had to break away from former CM Om Prakash Chautala's Indian National Lok Dal because of the pressure of its state leaders.

As regards Arunachal Pradesh, Prasad said the party was able to bag three seats despite a setback from its former MP and national secretary Kiran Jijju and seven of its nine MLAs defecting to the Congress. He said the UPA allies like Trinamul Congress and NCP showed distrust in the Congress in Arunachal Pradesh y contesting separately and winning five and four seats respectively.

###

cbi search at Sanchar Bhavan HQ of union minister A Raja

0.2009

CBI CONDUCTS SEARCHES TODAY IN THE OFFICES OF DoT

IN SANCHAR BHAWAN

Central Bureau of Investigation registered a case on 21.10.2009 against unknown officials of Department of Telecommunication and unknown private persons/ companies and others U/s 120-B IPC r/w 13(1)(d) of Prevention of Corruption Act.

It has been alleged that there had been serious irregularities in the award of Unified Excess Services Licenses to private companies. As per information received, there was criminal conspiracy between certain officials of Department of Telecommunication (DoT) and private persons/ companies and others in order to award licenses to these companies by putting a cap on the number of applicants against recommendations of Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) and by awarding licenses to private companies on first come first serve basis on the rates of 2001 without any competitive bidding.


Today, searches have been conducted by CBI for collection of incriminating documents in the Wireless Planning Cell (WPC) and in the office of Deputy Director General (Access Services), Sanchar Bhawan, Ashoka Road, New Delhi.


Searches are still going on.


*******

 

Harsh Bhal
ADG (M&C)& Spokesperson CBI
Tel : 24361156

BANKING FACILITIES THROUGH MOBILE PHONES PLANNED

20 Oct 2009


BANKING FACILITIES THROUGH MOBILE PHONES PLANNED


NEW DELHI: Plans are afoot to enable the common man use mobile phones for banking transactions like deposits, withdrawals and payments, and that too without the need to open a conventional bank account or have a credit or debit card.

Though aimed at benefiting those not covered by the banking channels, sources say mobile transactions are ought to be cheaper than conventional banking and that will open up their use by all from the comforts of sitting at home.

A high-level meeting of top 15 bureaucrats has been convened here on Thursday by Cabinet Secretary K M Chandrasekhar to work out the modus operandi.

Various issues impacting the use of mobile phones as a tool for improving the people's access to the financial services are proposed to be sorted out by a small sub-committee that may be constituted following this meeting, a top government source disclosed.

The Department of Information Technology (DoIT) has prepared a presentation for the meeting on various contours of the plans to help it decide how to move forward in putting the mobile banking plan into operation. 

FEASIBLE: In a background note prepared for the meeting, the department says the feasibility of mobile transactions has been already established by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) by permitting them past one year and the telecom operators are confident of providing robust solutions for access using ordinary mobile phones.

It says the RBI's initiatives taken in October 2008 and April 2009 to allow mobile wallets and mobile accounts limiting goods purchase up to Rs 10,000 and funds transfer up to Rs 5,000 may, however, simply end up as an added channel for already banked customers, instead of reaching out to crores of unbanked population.

The note, therefore, lays stress on creating a mechanism that places the essential banking service within the reach of the common man. It says such a mechanism will, however, have to fit into several regulatory domains like telecom, banking, payment system supervisors and anti-money laundering agencies.

PENETRATION: Mobile phones are the only service that has exceeded expectations and broken conventional barriers to penetrate the poor, both in the urban and rural areas. There are already 42 crore mobile phone users in the country and their number is going up by 1.2 crores every month.

As against only 34.1 per cent urban poor and 26.8 per cent rural poor with monthly income of less than Rs 50,000 have bank account, those now possessing the mobile phones is quite large, almost 40 per cent, and that is why the government thought to link up the mobile phones with the financial services that otherwise remain a pipe dream for the poor.

Sources said the plan is part of the UPA Government's e-governance vision cleared by the Union Cabinet in May 2006 to make "all government services accessible to the common man in his locality, through common service delivery outlets and ensure efficiency, transparency and reliability at affordable costs to realise the basic needs of the common man."

They said reaching out banking services to the poor is an important part of that vision to be carried out not only through 2.50 lakh e-kiosks or common service centres (CSCs) but also through other mediums like mobile phones that the deprived can easily reach.

Taking specific note of the stupendous growth in the mobile sector, the DoIT is taking proactive steps to include the mobile phones as an important channel for delivery of the government services. It refers in this regard a research report of November 2007 that says there were 2.6 crore households who have mobile phones but no bank accounts.

HUGE OPPORTUNITY: Clearly, a huge opportunity waits to be tapped wherein the basic banking services can be extended to the large sections of mobile users who are currently outside the banking network. Sources said establishment of a system for enabling financial transactions using the mobile has, therefore, emerged as a key component of the service delivery strategy.

They point that the mobile transactions will be used by everybody because of the ease of use and as such the proposed plan will also bring a huge volume of transactions under the tax radar, thus becoming a buoyant source of revenue even at marginal tax rates.

Besides, it will also enable tracking of a large volume of small financial transactions which are currently beyond the banking network, sources said.

TRIED AND TESTED: The department's note points out that a number of mobile payment systems have already been tested in India while certain mobile-based payment models have been found hugely successful in the developing countries like South Africa, Kenya and Philippines.

Each model of the mobile-based financial services abroad that was studied by the department is based on the unique local needs of people and prevailing regulatory environment of the country. Some models are driven by banks, others by telecom operators and still others by hybrid models.

A model that is finally evolved and adopted in India will need to realise the objectives of financial inclusion of the common man, fulfilling the Union Cabinet's 2006 vision of reaching basic services to each and every citizen of the country, the sources added.

###

new delhi grapevine snippets

R RAJAGOPALAN

DELHI

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Union Ministry of Petroleum on Tuesday officially organised a Yagyna

to scare the devil and evil forces, and at one pm, a brahmin-bhoj was 

organised in  Sashtri Bhavan.Reason, three suicides in two months 

in the corridors of Union Ministry of Petroleum.One dead body was found

in toilet of Petroleum Ministry last month. A woman officer committed suicide

due to personal distress. Many employees applied tilak on their forehead

A fire mudpot was taken around all the chambers except Petroleum Secretary

office. The black smoke made employees to feel free that 'bhoots were driven out"

of Petroleum Ministry.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Rajya Sabha has a unique facility unlike Lok Sabha. And that is

simultaneous Tamil translation, which was introduced a year ago,

at the directions of Chairman Hameed Ansari. This is a great help to

MK Azhagiri Union Minister. In the ensuing Winter Session of
Parliament, many can expect MK Azhagiri to reply questions

in Tamil. Mouthwatering for AIADMK MPs who are now preparing

to cross question Azhagiri on fertiliser import scam, which will now

rock the Winter Session.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Austerity drive. Recommendation from the Department of Expenditure

to all the Secretaries is to desist extensions to panels/commission/

committees keeping the expenditure in view. This has put many

senior secretaries in tight spot. A former Cabinet Secretary 

(72 years) has been given one more year extension to 

complete his report. Though many interim reports were since

submitted. He has a chambers, official car, secretariat and 

frequent visits to many state capitals to suggest air connections.

There are 15-20 former top civil servants who have crossed the

age of 70 are holding up to their positions. It is a political 

decision to remove- a difficult one as  these retired officials are

- friends of many former Prime Ministers and present.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Vice President Hameed Ansari remarked with a pinch of anger

commented "Can't you have a Hindi web site - or a link to the 

CIC web site a translation of the RTI act in Hindi? Angry Ansari

said this at the valedictory function of the Right to Information

seminar organised by the Central Information Commission.
Officials of CIC are too concerned and are coming out with

a web site in Hindi by end of this month.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

ends

Rajnikant Chief Guest in Goa film festival

20 Oct 2009

RAJNIKANTH LIKELY CHIEF GUEST IN GOA FILM FESTIVAL


NEW DELHI: Tamil super star Rajnikanth(58), who has acted in some 200 movies in nine languages, is tipped to be the chief guest at the 40th International Film Festival to be mounted in Goa from November 23 to December 3.

The Directorate of Film Festival has zeroed on him after considering over a dozen names, but a final decision will be taken at the organising committee's meeting in Mumbai on Monday, in which the Entertainment Society of Goa will also participate.

Sources said the directorate is yet to get consent of Rajnikanth, born in a Maharashtrian family in Bangalore with Marathi as mother tongue but never acted in Marathi films. His real name is Shivaji Rao Gaikwad.

Acting primarily in the Tamil movies since 1975 and also playing the role of producer, screen writer and playback singer, Rajnikanth also acted in films in Hindi, English, Telugu, Kannada, Malyalam and Bengali and had stints also in German and Japanese films. He bagged Padma Bhushan award for his contribution to the film industry.

The government does not want any controversy alike last year when matinee idol Amitabh Bachchan's name as the chief guest was dropped at the last moment and hence the directorate was specifically told to spread its net wide to select only a non-controversial personality.

The Mumbai meeting will specifically review the security issue during the film festival in the backdrop of the bomb blasts in Madgaon as the intelligence agencies have been already warning the government about the terrorists striking in Goa, sources said.

There are political overtones to selection of Rajnikanth as he had offered in the past to canvass for the Congress after a meeting with the then prime minister P V Narasimha Rao in 1975, but siding with DMK in 1976 when the Congress entered into a poll alliance with the AIADMK of Jayalalithaa.

Fans of Rajni have been egging on him for long to float own political party alike the DMDK floated by another Tamil film star Vijaykanth, who is now a MLA in the Tamil Nadu Assembly.

He is acclaimed to have earned Rs 25 crores for acting in the film 'Shivaji: The Boss" that put him as the highest paid actor in Asia after Jackie Chan. "Bloodstone," an American film with him in the lead role, did not click in the United States but created waves in India.

###  

-- 

JASWANT KNOCKS OUT PHOTOS

20 Oct 2006

JASWANT KNOCKS OUT PHOTO FRAMES OF ALL PAST PAC CHIEFS

NEW DELHI: The ghost of Bhartiya Janata Party seems haunting expelled party veteran Jaswant Singh as he just could not tolerate photo frames of some of its leaders hung in his Parliament office of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) that he heads.

His chamber walls are full of pictures of all the past 49 PAC chairmen, right from the first Chairman W M Hailey in 1921 and 11 other British chairmen.

A selective removal of frames of only those belonging to the BJP would have brought on him the charge of prejudice and so he summoned his secretariat staff and told them to immediately remove all pictures from the walls as they serve no purpose.

The staff was stunned as it is a routine practice in most government offices to have photos or names of all past occupants of the post displayed. None, however, dare argue with the chairman. Jaswant Singh gave no reason for his order, but told the staff that he should not see any photograph in his chamber when he visits next.

Of course, he would have no objection to the picture of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, who was the PAC chairman for two terms twice -- 1069 to 1971 and again from 1991 to 1993. But then there are also pictures of the BJP leaders like Dr Murli Manohar Joshi, Ram Naik and Prof. Vijay Kumar Malhotra.

His secretariat wrote a formal letter to Lok Sabha Secretary-General PDT Achary, seeking his advice on his orders to remove all photographs from his chamber. Achary issued an order on Friday, giving permission to remove them and keep them in proper custody.

The process of removal of the photographs began on war footing on Monday but all could not be removed in just one day as the staff faced the difficulty of unmounting name plate stuck under each photograph and then tie both together lest it becomes difficult to identify who is who if the next PAC chairman desires them remounted on his chamber walls. Jaswant Singh is the chairman just for one year until July 2010.

As an official busy with operation removal said, there are Britishers like Sir Basil P Blackett (6 terms), Sir George Schuster (3 terms), Sir James Grigg (4 terms) and Sir Jeremy Raisman (4 terms) whom no one can recognise by just looking at their pictures unless their name plates are kept together with their pictures.

The only Indian getting the post during the British time was Sir Bhupendra Nath Mitra in 1928 while the last PAC chairmen in a single year in 1946 were Sir Eric Coates, Dr John Mathai and Liaquat Ali Khan. While Liaquat continued in 1947, R K Sharmukham Chetty became the chairman in the same year and continued for a period in 1948 until Dr John Mathai took over and continued in the post in 1949 as well.

Prominent leaders among those occupying the post of the PAC chairman, a key position in the parliamentary system, were R K Khadilkar, R R Morarka, M R Masani, Era Sezhiyan, Jyotirmoy Basu, P V Narasimha Rao, Amal Datta, Narayan Dutt Tiwari and Buta Singh.

###

-- 

dr subramanian swamy on his visit to china

STATEMENT OF DR. SUBRAMANIAN SWAMY, JANATA PARTY PRESIDENT,ON CHINA AFTER HIS FOUR DAYS VISIT TO BEIJING

1. I returned yesterday from a four day visit to Beijing, China, where I had gone to address the Asian African Development Research Institute [AADRI] of the State Council of the Chinese Government on “South Asia and Sino-Indian Relations”. The State Council is the equivalent of India’s Cabinet, and AADRI is its think tank that prepares policy documents for the Chinese government.
2. I also met Mr. Ai Ping, Director General of the International Department of the Chinese Communist Party and had a detailed discussion with him on the current state of Sino-Indian relations and how it could be improved.
3. At present there is possibility that India and China may be sucked into a serious border conflict by miscalculation and self-fulfilling hype. Such a war will end in a stalemate, and damage the economies of both nations.
4. Much of the hostility to India in the Chinese media is seen in Communist Party organs such Peoples Daily and Global Times newspapers. This is claimed to be in reaction to Indian media’s “false anti-China” reporting that Chinese allege is motivated by the Indian government sources. In India much of the hostile anti-China reporting is based on events such as border incursions by China, which events used to sporadically happen earlier but did not come to media’s knowledge and was not reported. These local events, Indian media hold are directed by Chinese government.
5. Both these presumptions are wrong. Hence, the Prime Ministers of the two countries should use the “hotline” set up recently, before the Bangalore BRIC meeting, and clear the air. The two PMs should see to it that media reports do not generate a hysteria in the public, which could spiral into an armed conflict on the border by miscalculation on both sides.
6. Border incursions have been made by units of Chinese internal security armed police and not by Chinese army as reported in Indian media. Moreover, India has now moved a squadron of Sukhoi jets to Tezpur and strengthened Ladakh cantonment. Hence, a rational Chinese strategist would recognize that an armed border attack today will not be of the same result as in 1962.
7. The situation has spiraled because Indian opinion today unfortunately is dominated by the trauma of 1962 and the public perception of a repeat “Chinese betrayal” when in fact 1962 border war was the outcome of the foolishness of Prime Minister Nehru in failing to first develop defence capability before asking the army to “throw the Chinese out”. Our jawans had to fight on the icy hills with tennis shoes. To hide such truths is why the government is still refusing to provide the Hendersen-Brookes Inquiry Report under the RTI.
8. In China too, the people and Chinese media exhibit the same kind of trauma with regard to Japan’s alleged militarism, despite Japan being one of the most peace loving countries today. This is because of the savage invasion and occupation of China by Japan in 1937-45 period.
9. India has accepted [vide agreements signed by Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi in 1988, and by Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee in 2003, thus making this acceptance bi-partisan] that the border has to be negotiated and settled on the ground. At the moment there exists no legal border. Till such a border is negotiated, border crossings by China’s Tibet police and by our ITBP are inevitable. The media should report it, but the people should not get into a hysteria.
10. However, our defence preparedness for a possible Chinese attack should always be up to date, even as our foreign policy should strive for friendly relations with China. India and China will have to create a new global order as two very large and fast progressing countries. We should not allow ourselves to be derailed by micro events but be guided by macro and global perspectives in Sino-Indian relations.
11. I urge Prime Minister Manmohan Singh not to be intimidated by jingoism in the media but to boldy and frankly talk on the hotline, and discuss with visiting Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiaobao in Bangalore next week on how the two nation can moderate the current negative hype, and get back to developing a productive strategic partnership with each other, especially against the common terrorist threat arising from the Taliban ascendancy in Pakistan and Afghanistan, and well as the fragility of the global financial architecture.    

jharkhand

ELECTIONS IN JHARKHAND IN DECEMBER

Election Commission is all set to hold elections to

Jharkhand Assembly in mid of December with

the state governor recommending dissolution of

assembly.

Union Home Ministry officials held a meeting

with the deputy election commissioner in Nirvachan sadan

in Delhi

ends

NEW DELHI ONE LINERS GRAPEVINES --SUNDAY OCTOBER 18, 2009


------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh has cleared two names of Anglo Indians
for nomination to Lok Sabha.Announcement is likely next week.With the election of
15th Lok Sabha nomination of two anglo Indians -  is a constitutional
requirement. Kept it as a closely guarded secret.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sonia Gandhi phoned up LK Advani to greet Diwali while Leader of Opposition
Advani phoned up Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh and wished happy Diwali
What a change of hearts in few months,
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Renaming of NREGS into Mahatma Gandhi Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGREGS)
has brought UPA II a major political trouble. Especially for Tamil Nadu.
Union Govt communications to States in particular to Tamil Nadu is MGR EGS
Jayalalitha is happy with the alphabets MGR.... while DMK Karunanidhi is totally
frustrated.. With "MG R" name coming in.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Pranab Mukherjee told an official briefing that austerity measures might
bring in a total figure of Rs 25000 crores ... to Centre. He also plans to cut
the grants in aid to NGOs.. by fifty percent. That would further add to austerity
Most of the NGOs are run by politicians in the country. They will be more upset
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
ends

BEAUTIFUL CHINA60 PHOTOS CLICK THIS WEB SITE

"China60"

What a beautiful pictures. You may like to view them.

Thanks

R Rajagopalan

http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2009/10/china_celebrates_60_years.html

new delhi grapevine snippets

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

"A Political trick" enacted by K Chandrasekhar Rao the

President of Telangana Rashtriya Samithi is a juicy story.

When KCR arrived in Delhi recently was keen to meet

Sonia Gandhi. And to tell her TRS willingness to rejoin UPA.

But no favourable response from 10 Janpath.

KCR hosted a Lunch to his partymen in Delhi.

Where he compared Sonia Gandhi as a Durga, Goddess

she is the real version of Ma Durga-Jesus and Allah- these

three put together is Sonia Gandhi.

KCR did not get invitation to come to 10 Janpath.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

TKA Nair the Principal Secretary to Prime Minister drove to

the residence of Union Minister of Fertiliser MK Alagiri recently

Grapevine is that Nair was unable to communicate to Alagiri

in Tamil but gave gist in Malayalam accent Tamil.Many bureaucrats

eager to know the reason for a quiet visit.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"RAW" external arm of Indian intelligence outfit, and

internal squabbles have now come up for a legal scrutiny.

CK Sinha an additional secretary in RAW who was overlooked has approached

Central Administrative Tribunal. He isthe brother of former Governor of JK SK Sinha

CAT has since issued notice to Government on CK Sinha petition.

The drama will now unfold further.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Union Minister of Shipping GK Vasan wants to get back to President
Tamil Nadu Congress Committee as the state elections are likely to be

advanced to April 2010. Minister Vasan does not want to continue as

Union Minister. He conveyed his mind to Sonia Gandhi

and also to Prime Minister. Next Government in Tamil Nadu

shall have Deputy Chief Minister from GK Vasan camp. that is the

secret of his mission install Kamraj regime. This scheme has the

blessings of Rahul Gandhi

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"'Recordable warning" was issued to a 1977 batch IAS officer who was till recently

held post as Additional Secretary in Udyog Bhavan by Central Vigilance Commission.

In CVC internal note to Department of Personnel stated that the said officer has

"pocketed " Rupees 20566 , which the officer received as a cash-back offer

for his flying various destinations on Government duties. Since the CVC has pasted this

on their notice board, interested parties did a mischief of making more photocopies

of this order and pasted on doors of the lift in Udyog Bhavan. None can file a defamation

case as it is CVC internal note.

----------------------------------------------------------------------

ends

From: BAHUKUTUMBI RAMAN <seventyone2@gmail.com>

He retired as Special Secretary RAW and a well known commentator on Security

related issues. Feel sorry for his health, I pray for his speedy recovery. His mail to

me is attached to this blog. You can also wish him on his email id.

Thanks

R Rajagopalan

================================================

Sent: Tue, October 13, 2009 10:05:45 PM
Subject: Hi All

Dr.Jayachandran of the Guest Hospital, a leading urologist of Chennai in whom my brother has confidence, confirmed today that I have developed a cancer of the urinary bladder. He feels that it is only superficial and not deep, but this will have to be confirmed by a biopsy. I will be entering his hospital on the 21st. He will remove through cystoscopy the wart-like growth from the bladder and send it for biopsy. Thereafter, BCG will be injected into my bladder to immunise it. I will be discharged on the evening of the 24th or the morning of the 25th. For six weeks thereafter ---- I will be spending this period in my brother's house--- BCG will be injected into my bladder every week to prevent a recurrence of the growth. Thereafter, once a month and then once every three months. This will have to continue for the rest of my life. He has assured me that my cancer is totally curable and that I can resume normal activities and travel from around Nov.10. That is life. B. Raman

new delhi grapevine snippets

Please react to these snippets

and I appreciate your reply emails

thanks

R Rajagopalan

rajagopalan1951@gmail.com

----------------------------------------------

Priyanka Gandhi administered a shock treatment

to 25 employees of Rajiv Gandhi Foundation (RGF)

with a termination notice. She is keen to bring

youngsters into the programmes of RGF by the

age group between 30-35.

Priyanka Gandhi is a Trustee of the Foundation

and spends three hours each day in RGF

situated opposite of Sashtri Bhavan in Delhi.

Such surprise action was needed primarily

these employees spent with RGF more than

15 years, and who had crossed the age of 70 years.

Sonia Gandhi could not have done this sweeping

action.

Sacked employees were in re-employed in 1993,

after their retirement from Government services.

Priyanka Gandhi is keen to review each of the

remaining 40 employees of the RGF.Bring new thrust

to the RGF

--------------------------------------------------------------------

Possibility of imposing ban on the Sodium Nitrate a

chemical which is now being imported as Fertiliser.

Indian Chemical Council wrote to Union Commerce Ministry

on this issue. Strong plea is from the security agencies

including Intelligence Bureau that Sodium Nitrate is being

used for explosives and being misused by the Import lobby.

These chemicals finds way to militants and terrorists.

Commerce and Fertiliser Ministries are now too scared

and quickly moving the cabinet note to ban Sodium Nitrate

import as fertiliser category. Flurry of activities in Commerce

Ministry after a long dictum form North Block

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

Chhatisgarh Chief Minister Dr Raman Singh has

full praise for the capacity of the Union Home Minister

P Chidambaram in handling the maoists issue without

a fanfare. Chidambaram visit to Raipur really gave a

moral booster to the personnel of para-military forces

Dr Raman Singh compliments Chidambaram and said

in two years the naxalism would be wiped out, if the same

tone and tenor continued by the Union Home Ministry.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Directions of the Prime Minister are quietly circumvented

by the Union Ministers. In his internal notings Prime Minister

said that Ministers should have Officers of Joint Secretary

"status and pay" as the Private Secretaries. Department of

Personnel rejected many requests from Union Ministers.

But without any pinch, the Union Ministers

have got appointed Private Secretaries

as Joint Secretaries in their respective Ministries.

These Joint Secretary status officers do

coordinate the personal staff and put up policy notes to

the Ministers.

---------------------------------------------------------------------

Capital political circle is agog with the

speculation of inducing Jagan Mohan Reddy

son of Dr Y S Rajasekhara Reddy as Union Minister of State

with Independent Charge of Union Ministry of Shipping.

This arrangement is a part of the 'formula' being worked out.

to retain K Rosaiah as Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh

Indications in New Delhi is that GK Vasan the present Union Minister

is being tipped off to get shifted to another portfolio.This

was clearly told to GK Vasan that Jagan Mohan Reddy has

to be "adjusted". And the portfolio will be so reorganised amongst

the Congress quota. Shipping is with Congress..

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

ends