Tuesday political grapevine forecast

POLITICAL GRAPEVINE SNIPPETS

for Tuesday publication

thanks
R Rajagopalan

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

Tuesday at 1400 hours in Supreme Court ,continuation of arguements on prayer of

CBI inquiry into P Chidambaram role in 2G. Also 2G PMO notes by 

first by P P Rao, second is Dr Swamy and finally Prashant Bhushan.

It will end up around 1630 hours.

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P Chidambaram spent 15 minutes with Sonia Gandhi, while Pranab Mukherjee 

discussed for 45 mts. What message does it convey?

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Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh reaches New Delhi at 2030 hours on Tuesday.

Hectic back to back meeting scheduled from Wednesday morning,

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PM priorities from Wednesday, on 2G, Telangana, PMO notes, Kudankulam to meet 

Tamil Nadu all parties delegation . Later DMK team  to meet him on Kani release

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Dr Subramanian Swamy to produce more crucial documents taken out from Foreign Investment Promotion Board

where Telenor etc.... too sensitive and sensational.

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ends

SONIA REBUFF LEAVES P CHIDAMBARAM HIGH AND DRY

http://epaper.mailtoday.in/showtext.aspx?boxid=3342500&parentid=59085&issuedate=2592011#.Tn6uVqFGkVQ.email

SONIA REBUFF LEAVES PC HIGH AND DRY

By Kay Benedict in New Delhi

PM and Pranab hold crisis meeting in New York on 2G while the Congress chief has no time for Chidambaram THE home minister P. Chidambaram on Saturday found himself left high and dry with the Congress president Sonia Gandhi declining to grant him an audience. Party circles interpreted Sonia’s disinclination to meet Chidambaram before discussing the issue with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and finance minister Pranab Mukherjee as his growing isolation in the faction- ridden Congress. The PM and the finance minister will return from the US on Tuesday. Sources said Sonia, who has taken a dim view of the latest twist in the 2G row, would discuss the ramification of the controversy with the Big- 3 and then formulate a strategy to counter the Opposition attack. The rebuff appeared to be a sudden reversal of fortunes for Chidambaram as only two days ago the PM and the Congress had gone all out to shield him from the Opposition’s onslaught, giving the impression of unity within. The present crisis is a fall- out of the finance ministry’s memorandum to the PMO sent early this year, which said that as the then finance minister Chidambaram could have prevented the controversial 2G spectrum allocation. The memorandum was accessed through an RTI application and filed before the Supreme Court. Pranab Mukherjee didn’t help matters when he confirmed in Washington that the finance ministry did send the memo to the PMO. Soon after the finance ministry’s memo dated March 25, 2011, which was vetted by Pranab Mukherjee, suggesting that Chidambaram and former telecom minister A. Raja had jointly determined the price for 2G spectrum hit headlines on Wednesday, the home minister spoke to the Prime Minister New York over phone and offered to quit. Singh, however, reposed full faith in Chidambaram and told him to wait till his return. A section of the Congress leadership believes that Chidambaram is likely to resign when the PM returns to the Capital. They feel that the finance ministry’s note was a direct attack on the then finance minister Chidambaram for his role in the spectrum scam. A Congress politician, who is closely following the 2G spectrum issue, said Chidambaram should take responsibility of the content of the controversial note. “ This is the only note which implicates someone. All the other notes had some points that could be defended. Someone at the top, either the PM, who asked for the note, the finance minister, who sent the note or the home minister who has been implicated in the note should take responsibility,” the Congress leader said. A party source said the question of the home minister’s resignation would arise only if the Supreme Court directed the CBI to probe his role in the scam. However, he could step down on moral grounds. Officially, the party defended all three — the PM, Pranab and Chidambaram and insisted that the matter is sub judice. Besides, the JPC too investigating the scam. Strongly backing Chidambram, AICC general secretary Digvijay Singh said the RSS had made the home minister a target for speeding investigations in the terror cases involving people from the Sangh Pariwar. There was concern in party circles that with senior BJP leader L. K. Advani launching his anti- corruption rath yatra next month, the BJP would utilise the fresh controversy to intensify its campaign against the UPA government. Both the party and the government continued to face intense Opposition fire. The Opposition persisted with its demand for the scalp of the home minister for the second day on Saturday. The BJP and the CPM meanwhile upped the ante suggesting that the PM himself is answerable. fresh controversy buffeted the government after the publication of a letter written by the former telecom minister Dayanidhi Maran to the PM seeking dilution of the policy. While none in the party doubts Chidambaram’s personal integrity, many of his colleagues both in the government and the Congress have ego hassles with the lawyer- economist. Chidambaram’s position was weakened by a belligerent BJP that launched its sharpest ever attack on the government on Saturday. The saffron party fielded its senior leader Yashwant Sinha to announce that the home minister belongs in “ Tihar jail in the same cell as A. Raja” while the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh too is “ complicit” in the scam. Armed with the finance ministry’s March, 2011 office memo, the BJP were certain that they had come within striking distance of felling the mighty Congress minister. Sinha left no doubts on that score. “ It is quite clear that Chidambaram and his ministry took a stand in the allotment of spectrum policy in the beginning and completely went back on it later. At the same time, they have taken a laughable stand in the Supreme Court arguing against any investigation in Chidambaram’s role in 2G despite vast evidence of his complicity,” Sinha said. “ We have no doubt he belongs to the same cell as A. Raja. The PM at the same time is protecting Chidambaram. He is entirely complicit in the steps taken by the then finance minister ( Chidambaram) in the entire 2G scam. He ( PM) is entirely complicit,” he asserted. AICC general secretary Digvijaya Singh went out of his way to back the home minister. “ Chidambaram is a man of integrity and competence, there is no question of any allegations against him. If there have been losses to the Centre on account of 2G spectrum allocation, it should also be not forgotten that the NDA government had changed the policy of allotment of telecom circles through competitive tendering introduced by the late Narasimha Rao government,” he said. He said if BJP’s logic is followed then they ( former BJP ministers) should also go to Tihar jail for changing the policy. Another AICC general secretary said the finance ministry’s memo was a routine communication and the Opposition was making a mountain out of a molehill. Sources said Mukherjee himself would clarify once he returns to Delhi. “ There was nothing wrong if a formulation by an official on the issue was sent by the finance ministry to the PMO. Any ministry has every right to formulate an opinion on an issue. Opinions are given. The finance minister did not send the forwarded letter. Of course, he did not stop the letter from being sent to the PMO. He should not have even stopped it,” the sources said. WILL PC RESIGN? A section of Congress leaders believe that Chidambaram will resign when the Prime Minister returns to the Capital. Singh, however, reposed full faith in him

indian cabinet meet in usa?

23 Sept 2011

PM HAS ENOUGH MINISTERS IN US TO HOLD CABINET MEET

From Our Delhi correspondent

NEW DELHI: At least a dozen union ministers, including Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, are abroad and some more are slated to be off to attend conferences abroad in the coming days. To be honest, each one of them is abroad on business and not for pleasure.

A joke in the capital is that the PM, who is now in New York, can very well convene an emergency meeting of the Union Cabinet to discuss the crisis at home created by the letter bomb hitting Home Minister P Chidambaram. He won't have any problem of the corum. There are already seven ministers in the United States and the corum requires a minimum of six.

While Foreign Minister S M Krishna is with him in New York to hold bilateral meetings on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly session, Mukherjee in Washington to address the India investment forum has three other ministers by his side: Commerce and Industry Minister Anand Sharma, Power Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde and Renewable Energy Minister Farooq Abdullah.

Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad is also in the US attending the UN meeting on non-communicable diseases. On Tuesday, he attended a round-table of the health ministers of the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) nations.

Tourism Minister Subodh Kant Sahay went off to a 3-nation tour of the CIS (Commonwealth of Independent States) on Wednesday, the day the PM and Mukherjee took off separately for the US. CIS consists mostly of the nations that were part of the erstwhile Soviet Union like Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, etc.

While Anand Sharma is busy attending the US-India economic opportunities and synergy summit in the US, his junior Jyotiraditya Scindia is off to Zimbabwe to promote investment and trade links. Human Resources Development and Telecom Minister Kapil Sibal went off to Finland to address a summit on information and network security and then landed in Estonia to sign a couple of agreements.

###

AICTE SAYS MANY FAKE INSTITUTES IN DELHI AND MAHARASHTRA

M'RASHTRA, DELHI LEAD WITH 75 FAKE INSTITUTES

From Our Delhi correspondent

NEW DELHI: Beware of taking admissions in business management and
other technical institutions, particularly in Maharashtra and Delhi
that have the highest such fake institutes having no recognition and
flaunting bogus affiliation with distant universities to hoodwink the
gullible.

The All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), the government
body that grants recognition to the courses in management studies,
engineering, information technology, pharmacy, architecture, hotel
management and catering etc., has warned that the degrees and diplomas
awarded by the unrecognised institutes are of no worth, specially if
the candidates seek the government jobs.

Maharashtra and Delhi have 75 fake institutes each as the students can
check from the AICTE's website <www.aicte-india.org> that has
tabulated 348 such institutes enrolling students in large number an
playing with their future.

Andhra Pradesh comes next with 52 such institutes having no
recognition, followed by West Bengal 34, Uttar Pradesh 30, Karnataka
26, Haryana 17 and Tamil Nadu 14.

According to the AICTE officials, this kind of institutes lure
students with glossy brochures claiming to offer degrees through a
tie-up with some central or state university recognised by the
University Grants Commission (UGC) and boasting in-campus recruitment
by the big companies even before they complete their courses.

The officials say students should know that a university approved by
UGC or AICTE can offer technical programmes only to its students and
cannot extend them to other private institutes. They say the AICTE is,
however, helpless in curbing the mushroom growth of such institutes as
it can only notify which institutes are recognised and authorised and
which are not recognised and hence illegal.

The AICTE has been forwarding the list of the bogus institutions to
the state governments, advising them from time to time to ask the
district administration and police to take action against them. The
last such advisory was issued at its instance by the Human Resources
Development Ministry on May 2.

###

POLITICAL GRAPEVINE SNIPPETS

HEARSAY one liners

New Delhi political grapevine snippets

By  R Rajagopalan

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2G type scam to explode Private Secretary of a Union Minister of Congress 1994 IAS of

Manipur is being monitored by an investigative agency.

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New look to PMO. Grand welcome reception to young faces headed by Pulok Chatterjee in October.

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PMO Officials hosting a farewell dinner to TKA Nair on 3rd October. He served Dr Singh for 7 years .

TKA Nair was also PS to PM AB Vajpayee

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TKA Nair being eased out as Principal Secretary to Dr Manmohan Singh on October 3rd. 

Pulok Chatterjee to take full control of PMO

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

Tamil Nadu Government has filed a case in Chennai High Court against a close 

relative of a Union Minister. 

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Cabinet Secretariat is concerned over a complaint against a Secretary to Government

of India who attends office in inebriation He is also visiting his relative in Tihar Jail. 

Staff car log book revealed secret visits.

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ends

HEARSAY

HEARSAY

for publication on Wedensday

September 21, 2011

Thanks

R Rajagopalan

New Delhi

----------

Six Union Ministers are in New York on 

Friday. Dr Manmohan Singh to stay in USA

for 5 days. Should not Singh convene 

a Union Cabinet meeting in USA.

----------

DMK Chief Karunanidhi pens a three pages

handwritten marked personal a letter to

Sonia Gandhi. Kanimozhi in Tihar for four

months is a political vendetta.

-----------

DMK MP Kanimozhi screams and faints at CBI court, 

WIll I ever get freedom? 120 days have not hugged my

son Aditya. Emotional scenes in court when  mother

wiped out tears of Kanimozhi.

-----------

Will LK Advani write to Jayalalitha for ADMK delegation

to greet his anti Corruption Rath Yatra? 

----------

V Narayanaswamy Minister in PMO to seek appointment

with Jayalalitha as directed by Dr Manmohan Singh

on Kudankulam nuclear project. First time a Congress

Union Minister calling on Jaya in Fort St. George 

secretariat.Do not entertain too much political interpretation

in this first meeting between Congress and ADMK leaders.

--------

Narendra bhai Modi wrote a "Big thanks' personal letter

to Jayalalitha soon after ending his fast

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3 Yatras- in October. Union Home Ministry has

security concerns. Once bitten twice shy from

Anna Hazare, Baba Ramdev and LK Advani

PC wants Home Secretary to oversee Yatra

security/protections

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Vyalar Ravi, Gulam Nabi and Anand Sharma

smiled signaled by winkling eyes and tapped

shoulders on the continued presence of junior

minister Jayanthi Natarajan in Union Cabinet 

--------

ends

BJP TEAM REPORT ON LAND SWAP WITH BANGLA DESH PUT GOVT IN TIGHT SPOT

13 Sept 2011

LAND SWAP WITH BANGLA DESH TO PUT GOVT IN SPOT

From Our Delhi correspondent

NEW DELHI: The land swap deal signed with Bangladesh during the Prime Minister's Dhaka trip last week may not be easy for the government to implement as it requires an amendment in the Constitution and the main opposition Bhartiya Janata Party will not be game for it.

Shrouded in secrecy, the deal is suspected to have ceded 10,000 acres of land to Bangladesh in the name of peace with the neighbour. All that was made public is that India gave 55 enclaves on the border to Bangladesh in return for 111 from it. The number of enclaves given away on platter are just half the gain, but their total area is much bigger, the critics allege.

Since most of the border land so ceded is from Assam, an agitation has already begun in the state with the opposition AGP trying to make capital out of it by putting in the dock Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi as party to the deal since he was part of the delegation that accompanied Dr Manmohan Singh to Dhaka for signing various agreements. It accused Gogoi of breaching trust of the people of Assam.

Asking the government to make public full details of the deal, specifying the areas ceded, the BJP has set up a study group headed by Rajya Sabha deputy leader S S Ahluwalia to examine it by consulting the stake-holders, including MPs, MLAs, Panchayat representatives and concerned citizens and submit a comprehensive report at the earliest.

BJP Vice-President Bijoy Chakraborty, secretary Muralidhar Rao and three MPs --Kabinder Purkayasth, Rajiv Pratap Rudy and Chandan Mitra-- are members of the group.
Shri Sarbonand Sonval former MP and Member, National Executive, BJP will function as the coordinator of the group and Shri Mission Ranjan as Co-Coordinator.

Since the deal involves ceding of land to a foreign nation, it requires Parliament's approval with voting by the two-third MPs through a constitutional amendment. It is not for the first time that some land is ceded to Bangladesh. Back in September 1958, India had signed an agreement, ceding Berubari in West Bengal to then east Pakistan and the procedure adopted then will have to be followed this time too.

The President had referred the matter to the Supreme Court for its opinion on how the agreement could be implemented. A Constitution Bench of eight judges held that it requires Parliament's endorsement. It ruled that "the agreement amounts to cession of a part of the territory of India in favour of Pakistan and so its implementation would naturally involve the alteration of the content and the consequent amendment of Article 1 and of the relevant part of the First Schedule of the Constitution, because such implementation would necessarily lead to the diminution of the territory of the Union of India. Such an amendment can be made under Article 368."

Following the Supreme Court's observation, Jawaharlal Nehru got the Constitution's Ninth Amendment passed to implement the India-Pakistan agreement. Dr Manmohan Singh will have to follow the same route and if he fails to get the amendment passed, the agreement with Bangladesh can become invalid.

The same procedure was followed in the acquisition of the Goa, Daman and Diu territories in 1962 through the 12th Constitution amendment and that of Sikkim in 1975 through the 36th Constitution amendment and will be required to merge into Indian territory the enclaves conceded by Bangladesh and remove from its territory the land ceded to Bangladesh.

Though the BJP held back its stand while asking the government to put the deal with Bangladesh on paper, its senior leaders say the the party was opposed to any surrender of the Indian territory from the beginning and hence no question of supporting the deal in Parliament.

###

VOTERS UNMOVED BY 24 HOURS TV NEWS CHANNELS

13 Sept 2011

VOTERS UNMOVED BY 24-HOUR NEWS CHANNELS


NEW DELHI: That is the finding of a research in the United States and it may be equally true in India where the TV news channels recycle the same news again and again. The research carried out by Michigan State University says oversaturation of Washington news via 24-hour news channels and the Internet may be why stories focusing on Washington debate have little to no effect on public opinion polls.

The research says politicians who use the media to get their message out have little influence on the voters who are more apt to be swayed by news stories about grassroot protests and local events.,

"What this says is that maybe politicians can't use the bully pulpit to influence public opinion through the news media as much as many people thought they could," says Prof. Corwin Smidt in the study published in Public Opinion Quarterly.

Smidt looked at media coverage of two national issues—gun control in 2000 and health care reforms in 2009—and in both cases found that stories focusing on Washington debate had little to no effect on public opinion polls, possibly due to oversaturation of Washington news via 24-hour news channels and the Internet.

But news coverage of protests seemed to strike a chord. For example, coverage of the Million Mom March in 2000, designed to rally support for stricter gun-ownership laws, was highly influential in shaping public agenda. News stories chronicling high-profile gun crimes also were influential in opinion polls, although less so than protests.

Smidt didn’t look at why the news media covered certain stories, but rather how the public reacted. While some believe the news media sets the public agenda, he says that may not necessarily be the case. "The news media are still the gatekeepers—in that if they don’t cover something we probably won’t hear about it—but everything they cover does not have the same effect. It actually may be the storyline within the news that provokes opinion."

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mamta affronts pranab da

13 Sept 2011

MAMATA AFFRONTS PRANAB DA

NEW DELHI: In an affront to Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has refused to relieve an IAS officer he wanted as his private secretary in what appears to be fast soiling relations between the two since differences cropped up over Teesta river deal with Bangladesh.

Mukherjee had sought transfer of the 38-year old Saumitra Mohan, a 2002 batch IAS officer posted in Birbhum district as the collector, to the Centre to fill the vacancy caused by promotion of his present private secretary Manoj Pant, also a West Bengal cadre IAS officer of 1991 batch.

Since his son Abhijit was elected to the Assembly from Birbhum, Mamata suspected that Mukherjee wants to reward the collector with a central posting for helping Abhijit in the elections and hence she rather issued orders transferring Mohan to Darjeeling.

Pant, who has already completed his central tenure and who can not continue as the minister's private secretary since after his promotion, is being sent to the World Bank as the deputy secretary to Executive Director M N Prasad, who takes over the post in December from Pulok Chatterjee returning to Delhi to head the PMO as principal secretary to the PM.

###

who will be acting Prime Minister next week?

12 Sept 2011

WHO WILL BE ACTING PM NEXT WEEK?
By R Rajagopalan
NEW DELHI: Who will be performing responsibilities of the Prime Minister during Dr Manmohan Singh's one-week absence from India next week to attend the United Nations General Assembly session in New York? He will be flying out on September 21 and will be back on September 28.

Both Dr Manmohan Singh and Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee are flying out to the United States around the same time as otherwise the latter has been performing the PM's duties during his absence as a de facto No 2 in the Cabinet. Mukherjee is going to Washington to attend the 2011 annual meetings of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund slated from September 23 to 25.

Dr Manmohan Singh will be nominating one of the Cabinet ministers in writing to coordinate on his behalf on any matters requiring urgent decision and chaired the Cabinet and other Cabinet committee meetings that may be necessary.

Though it is a formality, he may like the decision taken at the highest political level and may even approach Congress President Sonia Gandhi, recuperating since after return here last week after a surgery in New York, to decide the name. The issue figured in the Congress core committee meeting he chaired last week, but it was left to him to decide the name in consultation with Sonia Gandhi.

It can be either Home Minister P Chidambaram or Defence Minister A K Antony. The PM would have right away picked up Chidambaram as it is usually the home minister who performs such duties. However, not this time unless Sonia approves.

The PM's dilemma arises from the fact that Sonia Gandhi had last month grafted Antony and not Chidambaram or any other minister from the government in the 4-member caretaker team she formed to run the party when she flew out for the surgery.

In the past, it has been always Pranab Mukherjee who took over responsibilities of the PM and chaired the emergency Cabinet meetings, be it during Dr Manmohan Singh's heart surgery or his foreign trips, including one to Bangladesh last week when the bomb blast at Delhi High Court rocked the nation.

###

Arvind Kejriwal will defeat P Chidambaram, Kiran Bedi will drounce Kapil SIbal

Dear News Editors:

Below are the highlights of the STAR News-Nielsen survey done after Anna Hazare called off his fast last week. The survey was done across 28 cities. Attached are the detailed survey findings.

Regards,

Abhijit Das,

Senior Executive Editor.

STAR News-Nielsen survey: Congress in Free Fall as BJP gains most from Anna Campaign

New Delhi: Anna Hazare's campaign for Jan Lokpal Bill and his crusade against corruption has given the beleaguered Opposition, particularly the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), a platform to contest the Lok Sabha polls.

A STAR News-Nielsen survey conducted across 28 cities with close to 9000 respondents after Anna ended his fast – has revealed that the BJP would garner 32 per cent of the votes across the country if elections were held tomorrow, while the Congress would manage only 20 per cent. In fact, the BJP has turned out to be the most favoured party across all regions – 40:27 in the north; 20:15 in the east, and 46:15 in the west – barring the south, where 20 per cent respondents still prefer the Congress, while 16 per cent prefer the BJP.

The numbers mentioned above is in stark contrast to the ones that came out in a similar survey conducted by STAR News-Nielsen in May 2011 – before the Anna movement gripped the country’s imagination. Barely four months ago, was the Congress leading the pack with 30 per cent of the vote share while BJP had only 23 per cent. Also, except the west, the Congress was leading in all zones.

In the current Lok Sabha, Congress has 207 seats and BJP has 115 seats.

Anna’s movement, and the way the UPA government handled the situation, seems to have swayed a number of people who voted for Congress during last General election – around 11 per cent of the respondents who voted for the Congress last time now intend to vote for the BJP, while only 5 per cent are switching away from the BJP.

Ministers, not Manmohan to be blamed:

A majority believe that the government misread the situation and bungled by arresting the Gandhian on the morning of August 16. Around 54 per cent of the respondents said that the situation was poorly handled by Congress. The respondents, however, absolved prime minister Manmohan Singh of the blame — 64 per cent said that his senior misters of the UPA regime were responsible for the poor handling of this situation. A majority – 54 per cent – also believe that even Sonia Gandhi wouldn't have been able to handle the situation better.

Not the right time for Rahul:

Even Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi seems to have hit the wrong note with the masses, with 54 per cent of the respondents saying that this is not the right time for Rahul Gandhi to take over as the Prime Minister of the country. If Anna Hazare and Rahul were to face-off in an election tomorrow, 78 per cent of the respondents would vote for the activist, while only 17 per cent would pick Rahul Gandhi over him. Surprisingly, even the youth respondents aged 18-25 prefer Anna over Rahul.

Team Anna in the Parliament!

Throughout Anna Hazare’s campaign, several UPA leaders, most vocally Kapil Sibal, had said that a few thousand people supporting Anna, do not represent a country of 1.2 billion. They even challenged his team members to prove its legitimacy in the elections. But if they were to contest elections against Team Anna members tomorrow, the politicians would be in for a surprise.

In a Kiran Bedi vs Kapil Sibal contest, 74 per cent of respondents in the STAR News-Nielsen survey would vote for the iconic former IPS officer, while Sibal would manage just 14 per cent. Similarly, a contest between Arvind Kejriwal and P Chidambaram would end up in a defeat for the home minister — 58 per cent of the respondents claim they will vote for the RTI activist while 24 per cent would choose Chidambaram.

Interestingly, the Anna campaign has given the country a brand new youth icon. Around 62 per cent of the respondents feel that Arvind Kejriwal, the most vocal member has as the new role model for young India. He has significantly higher approval ratings in north (75 per cent).

Annarchy or anarchy?

Anna’s methods for getting the Jan Lokpal Bill passed drew criticism from various quarters — some said it was against our Constitution, while others accused him of being extremely rigid with his demands. However, the respondents in the STAR News-Nielsen survey have shown an overwhelming support for Anna’s stand, with a staggering 82 per cent saying that the Gandhian’s way of protesting – fast until death if his demands are not accepted – was the right way to force the government. Only 12 per cent disagreed with Anna’s methods, saying that he was blackmailing the government.

Craft of graft

A majority of the people surveyed also believe that the passage Lokpal Bill would be a major milestone in India’s battle against graft. Around 56 per cent of the respondents believe that believe that the government must not dither and pass the Bill immediately and amendments required can be made through subsequent Bills. Also, 53 per cent of the respondents believe that a strong and potent Lokpal Bill would make India a corruption-free country in the next five years. Around 40 per cent said Lokpal wouldn’t do much to end graft.

Respondents however do not lay the blame for corruption on the doors of any particular political party — a third of respondents (75 per cent) believe that all parties are equally responsible for corruption. Another 49 per cent of the respondents believe that feels that giving or accepting bribe is in the fabric of the country and it cannot be stopped by people in India. A similar number — 46 per cent — believe that corruption can be stopped if people unite against it.

Main Points in Hindi –

सर्वे की सबसे बड़ी बात

अन्ना के आंदोलन से बीजेपी की कांग्रेस पर बढ़त

सर्वे की 10 बड़ी बातें

(1) अन्ना का आंदोलन जहां सबसे तेज़ था वहीं बीजेपी को सबसे ज्यादा फायदा

(2) 54% लोग मानते हैं कांग्रेस ने अन्ना के अनशन को ठीक से नही निपटा

(3) 64% लोग मानते हैं कि हालात से ठीक से न निपटने के लिए प्रधानमंत्री नही UPA सरकार के वरिष्ठ मंत्री जिम्मेदार

(4) 75% लोगों का कहना है कि भ्रष्टाचार के लिए सभी राजनीतिक पार्टियां जिम्मेदार

(5) 54% लोग मानते हैं कि राहुल गांधी को इस वक्त प्रधानमंत्री पद से दूर रहना चाहिए

(6) 62% लोगों का कहना है अरविंद केजरीवाल युवकों के नए नायक बन कर उभरे हैं

(7) अन्ना हजारे, किरन बेदी और अरविंद केजरीवाल – राहुल गांधी, कपिल सिब्बल और पी चिदंबरम पर चुनावों में भारी पड़ सकते हैं

(8) 53% लोग मानते हैं कि अगर मजबूत लोकपाल बिल पास हो तो 5 साल में देश से भ्रष्टाचार खत्म हो जाएगा

(9) 49% लोगों का मानना है कि रिश्वत न लेने और न देने की शपथ खाने से ही भ्रष्टाचार नहीं मिटेगा

(10) 82% लोगों का मानना है कि अपनी मांग मनवाने का अन्ना का तरीका सही था ब्लैकमेलिंग नहीं

धन्यवाद

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JUSTICE SEN CONDITIONAL RESIGNATION LETTER

Subject: justice sen's letter to LS Speaker
Respected Madam, With a very heavy heart and a deep sense of anguish I am
writing this letter to you. I was elevated as a
Judge of Calcutta high court on 3rd December 2003.


Till such time I carried on with my judicial functions no one either from
the Bar or from the Civil Society has raised any complaint regarding my
integrity honesty and competence.


There is no complaint against me even today regarding my conduct as a Judge
while discharging my judicial functions or my conduct as a judge outside
the Court.


I am not guilty of any form of corruption, there is no allegation against
me that I am guilty of passing any order or judgment for extraneous
consideration or that I have abused my power in any way so that my family
or relatives or acquaintances have amassed wealth, but sadly I am still
facing a motion for impeachment.


In every case that has come so far before the Parliament for impeachment
there were serious allegations of misbehaviour as a judge as contemplated
under Article 124(4) read with 217 of the Constitution of India.


However my case is unique and perhaps this for the first time and hopefully
the last that my conduct as a junior Advocate nearly 19 years ago is being
looked into for proceeding with the Motion for impeachment despite a
judgment passed by the Hon'ble Division Bench of the Hon'ble Calcutta high
court clearing me of all charges.


It seems that in the wake of a tsunami like wave that has arisen in this
Country, I am being swept away by such a wave. In the anxiety to take
definitive action against corruption even a Judgment passed by a competent
Division Bench is being completely brushed aside with the remark that the
Hon'ble Judges of the Division Bench have favoured me. Parliamentary Rules
barring discussion in a motion regarding abstract questions of Law which
also involves such discussions in this matter has been given a go bye.
Further, Parliamentary Rules also prohibits moving of a motion in relation
to matter which is subjudice, in this case the main application and the
suit are still pending before the Calcutta High Court. The liberty given to
me by the learned single Judge by an order dated 31st July 2007 is still
available to me. Even then the Motion is being proceeded with.


Respected Madam, it is needless to mention that a Judgment remains a
Judgment, until it is set aside by a Higher Judicial forum. Fair criticism
of a Judgment is permissible but correctness and/or incorrectness thereof
cannot be questioned by any one other than before a higher judicial forum.


Respected Madam, you are perhaps aware of the Charges against me. The first
charge clearly indicates that it is outside the scope and purview of
Article 124(4) read with 217 of the Constitution of India, as the
investigation into the said charge would necessarily be in respect of an
Advocate Receiver and not a Judge in office. The Calcutta High Court is a
Court of Record under Article 215 of the Constitution of India, having
plenary power to punish for offences committed to it. It is needless to
mention that an Advocate Receiver appointed by the Court is an office of
Court and not a public servant.


Therefore only the Court appointing the Receiver has the power to either
punish or exonerate its own officers. In this case my conduct as a Receiver
for committing the alleged offences have been duly examined by a Division
Bench, which has found me not guilty as charged. Even then impeachment
proceeding has been initiated against me.


A Judge is also a citizen of this Great Nation and my fundamental right
guaranteed under Article 14 of the Constitution of India cannot be denied.


The fundamental right guaranteed under the Constitution of India can only
be suspended in a state of emergency under Article 352 of the Constitution
of India. In the instant case it has been argued in support of the Motion
before the Rajya Sabha that in case of larger public interest there is no
binding force of Judicial Order.


Respected Madam, I do not come from a family of Judges or politicians. I
was born and brought up in Assam and came all the way to Calcutta to try my
luck. By the grace of God and the hard work I put in as a Lawyer my name
was suggested for being appointed as a Judge by the senior Judges of the
Calcutta High court who have seen me appearing before them day after day
and arguing matters with honesty integrity and competence.


I had a fairly lucrative practice which I gave up not to amass wealth by
resorting to corruption but to serve the august institution being the
judiciary and consequently the Nation. I have tried to serve in accordance
with oath of office to the best of my ability. Therefore it hurts, when
charges are leveled against me as a Judge.


My action as an Advocate has not caused prejudice to any one, who is really
interested in the matter. I may have made mistakes as a junior advocate 19
years from now but then who is above making mistakes, no human being is
infallible, but to accuse me of dishonest intention as a judge or otherwise
I firmly repudiate and that is why in spite of being offered V.R.S
(Voluntary Retirement Scheme) in lieu of resignation was not accepted by
me. If I really had dishonest intention I would have taken the easy route
of either resigning or accepting VRS instead of facing the ignominy of
being the first Judge of Independent India to be Impeached.


It is my conviction, which I shall carry till my end, that I am not guilty
as charged. Facts can be presented in either way but when there is serious
lack of evidence which I have repeatedly pointed out; a High Court Judge
cannot be impeached merely on the basis of presumption of guilt based upon
certain error of judgment committed as a junior Advocate more than a decade
prior to his elevation. It seems my conduct as a Judge in carrying out my
judicial functions and out side the court as a judge has become
inconsequential.


In the present mood of the Country, where the Civil Society has raised
their voice against serious issues of corruptions regarding scams involving
hundreds and thousands of crores, my lone voice that I am not guilty as
charged cannot be heard. I wonder, whether my issue is the real issue of
corruption and abuse of power by people in high places or I am being made a
sacrificial lamb in the alter of justice as a showcase to tell the Nation
that at least something has been done to clean the Institution from
corruption.


Respected Madam, certain allegations have been leveled against me in my
absence before the Rajya Sabha that I have mislead the House. I did not get
any chance to rebut such allegations. Considering the fact similar
procedure has been adopted before the Lok Sabha that I will not get any
chance of rebuttal, I would like to bring to your kind attention certain
facts which will prove beyond doubt that I have not mislead the House. The
correct facts are set out in an enclosure to this letter.


Honestly and humbly I apprehend that as Hon'ble Members of Rajya Sabha of
different parties have already expressed their views and I feel that it may
not be reasonable for me to take the time of this August House for my
defense, and also in view of the fact that I am being allotted a fixed time
which I respectfully submit is inadequate, for properly making my
submission before the Hon'ble House and also in view of the fact that I
shall have no chance of rebuttal in respect of the submission that will be
made by Hon'ble members in my absence in House, it may not be proper for me
to take the time of the House further as it appears to be a foregone
conclusion. This apprehension has turned into a conviction by reason of the
fact that some members in spite of expressing reservations to vote in
favour of the Motion but nonetheless have voted as they were morally bound
to support the Motion as they have signed it, and as such I have decided
humbly to submit my resignation to the Hon'ble Rastrapatiji for her kind
consideration and acceptance.


Thanking you


Yours Sincerely


Soumitra Sen

SHAM IN THE NAME OF REVIVING NALANDA HERITAGE

31 Aug 2011


EXCLUSIVE

SHAM IN THE NAME OF REVIVING NALANDA HERITAGE 


By R Rajagopalan/Jal Khambata

NEW DELHI: An ambitious plan of setting up the Nalanda University on the ruins of the ancient Nalanda, a great seat of learning in Buddhist philosophy and statecraft as perhaps the first residential international educational institution from 5th to 12th century off Patna, is besmirched with controversies even before it starts any academic courses.

The Ministry of External Affairs Ministry took over it as its baby since it has been conceptualised as an international university involving the 16 ASEAN countries like China, Japan, Australia, Korea and Thailand and made a sham of it, instead of letting it managed by the Human Resources Development Ministry having experience in the field of education.

It spent Rs 2.11 crores on meetings held by a "mentor group" constituted under the chairmanship of Prof. Amartya Sen in Singapore, Tokyo, New York, Delhi and Gaya to conceptualise establishment of the university and Parliament enacted the law for it in 2010 which was notified on September 22, 2010.

The controversy, however, erupted with the appointment of a "Vice Chancellor-designate" of the new university even before the Act was notified for its establishment and that too at a fantastic monthly salary of Rs 5 lakhs plus, which is more than the double salary of even Delhi University vice-chancellor.

The incumbent, Ms Gopa Sabharwal, appointed through an order issued by a secretary in MEA on the recommendation of the mentor group, is just a reader in the department of sociology in the Lady Sri Ram College here and nothing to do with the Buddhist studies for which the university is to be set up. She did not meet the mandatory qualification set by the University Grants Commission (UGC) for the vice-chancellors of the central and state universities to be distinguished academicians, with a minimum ten years of experience as a professor in a university system.

Questions are being asked as to who authorised the mentor group to recommend name of the first VC of the university and why the ministry accepted the single name without seeking a panel of names required for such an appointment. However, Minister of State of External Affairs E Ahamed flatly denied appointment of any such vice-chancellor of the Nalanda University when asked by a BJP MP Anil Dave in the Rajya Sabha on August 25.

Giving hoots to the government's recruitment rules that require public notice, Dr Sabharwal picked up her friend Dr Anjana Sharma, a collaborator in a book project and an associate professor in Delhi University, as the Officer-on-Special Duty (OSD) on deputation, with gross monthly salary of Rs 3.30 lakhs, which is more than the salary of even a vice-chancellor in India.

Neither anyone in the mentor group nor Dr Sabharwal has any background of Nalanda nor did they consult any Buddhist or Tibetan institutions well-versed with the Nalanda tradition and found nothing wrong in setting up headquarters of the university in a rented building in the R K Puram area of south Delhi in January this year. The Act specifically says the university's headquarters shall be in Nalanda district in Bihar but who cares. Obviously, the Delhi-bred Dr Sabharwal and her OSD Ms Sharma did not want to shift to a backward Nalanda.

The Standing Committee of the ministry says in its report just tabled in Parliament that the Nalanda project was estimated in 2007 to cost Rs 1005 crores and this may have to be revised and the same mentor group has now become the interim governing board of the University. In its very first meeting in February, this board nominated adviser committee to help out and two persons representing India in it are Ms Upinder Singh, daughter of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, and her colleague Ms Nayanjot Lahiri, who are no expert on any aspect of the Nalanda tradition or history.

The Bihar Government has already acquired and transferred 446 acres of land in Rajbir, in the vicinity of the original Nalanda University site, but there seems nobody to monitor whether the new university will be living up to the reflected glory and really built in a contemporary form involving India and other East Asian countries as envisaged in it conceptualisation.

###

NEW DELHI: An ambitious plan of setting up the Nalanda University on the ruins of the ancient Nalanda, a great seat of learning in Buddhist philosophy and statecraft as perhaps the first residential international educational institution from 5th to 12th century off Patna, is besmirched with controversies even before it starts any academic courses.

The Ministry of External Affairs Ministry took over it as its baby since it has been conceptualised as an international university involving the 16 ASEAN countries like China, Japan, Australia, Korea and Thailand and made a sham of it, instead of letting it managed by the Human Resources Development Ministry having experience in the field of education.

It spent Rs 2.11 crores on meetings held by a "mentor group" constituted under the chairmanship of Prof. Amartya Sen in Singapore, Tokyo, New York, Delhi and Gaya to conceptualise establishment of the university and Parliament enacted the law for it in 2010 which was notified on September 22, 2010.

The controversy, however, erupted with the appointment of a "Vice Chancellor-designate" of the new university even before the Act was notified for its establishment and that too at a fantastic monthly salary of Rs 5 lakhs plus, which is more than the double salary of even Delhi University vice-chancellor.

The incumbent, Ms Gopa Sabharwal, appointed through an order issued by a secretary in MEA on the recommendation of the mentor group, is just a reader in the department of sociology in the Lady Sri Ram College here and nothing to do with the Buddhist studies for which the university is to be set up. She did not meet the mandatory qualification set by the University Grants Commission (UGC) for the vice-chancellors of the central and state universities to be distinguished academicians, with a minimum ten years of experience as a professor in a university system.

Questions are being asked as to who authorised the mentor group to recommend name of the first VC of the university and why the ministry accepted the single name without seeking a panel of names required for such an appointment. However, Minister of State of External Affairs E Ahamed flatly denied appointment of any such vice-chancellor of the Nalanda University when asked by a BJP MP Anil Dave in the Rajya Sabha on August 25.

Giving hoots to the government's recruitment rules that require public notice, Dr Sabharwal picked up her friend Dr Anjana Sharma, a collaborator in a book project and an associate professor in Delhi University, as the Officer-on-Special Duty (OSD) on deputation, with gross monthly salary of Rs 3.30 lakhs, which is more than the salary of even a vice-chancellor in India.

Neither anyone in the mentor group nor Dr Sabharwal has any background of Nalanda nor did they consult any Buddhist or Tibetan institutions well-versed with the Nalanda tradition and found nothing wrong in setting up headquarters of the university in a rented building in the R K Puram area of south Delhi in January this year. The Act specifically says the university's headquarters shall be in Nalanda district in Bihar but who cares. Obviously, the Delhi-bred Dr Sabharwal and her OSD Ms Sharma did not want to shift to a backward Nalanda.

The Standing Committee of the ministry says in its report just tabled in Parliament that the Nalanda project was estimated in 2007 to cost Rs 1005 crores and this may have to be revised and the same mentor group has now become the interim governing board of the University. In its very first meeting in February, this board nominated adviser committee to help out and two persons representing India in it are Ms Upinder Singh, daughter of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, and her colleague Ms Nayanjot Lahiri, who are no expert on any aspect of the Nalanda tradition or history.

The Bihar Government has already acquired and transferred 446 acres of land in Rajbir, in the vicinity of the original Nalanda University site, but there seems nobody to monitor whether the new university will be living up to the reflected glory and really built in a contemporary form involving India and other East Asian countries as envisaged in it conceptualisation.

###

dalit leader to submit his own version of lokpal bill

1 Sept 2011

DALIT LEADER TO SUBMIT OWN VERSION OF LOKPAL BILL





NEW DELHI: The Delhi-based Dalit leader Udit Raj will be heading a delegation to Congress MP Abhishek Manu Singhvi's residence here Friday evening to present the "Bahujan Lokpal Bill" to the parliamentary standing committee he heads.

After not succeeding to persuade the government to include his Bill in the discussions on various drafts held in Parliament last Saturday, he wants to show to the standing committee that all three drafts of the government, Team Anna and the National Campaign for People's Right to Information are "incomplete" not taking care of the holistic aspects of corruption.

In a statement on Thursday, he said: "The biggest issue of corruption is the 3000-years old caste system within the Indian societies while three drafts of the Bill do not address the issues of SC/ST/OBC and Minorities."

The Bill prepared by him on behalf of the Dalit Bahujan communities not only seeks to cover monetary corruption, but also "socio-political corruption, education/economic corruption, religions-based corruption and communal-based corruption."

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