09-12-2006, 01:23 AM
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin--><b>Cornered Arjun tries to settle scores with Soni </b>
Pioneer.com
Yogesh Vajpeyi | New Delhi
On Monday, the Congress scored another self-goal on the Vande Mataram issue. A day after the party establishment sought to snub him by asserting that September 7 had no association with the national song, HRD Minister hit back saying he had nothing to do with the date for celebrating its centenary.
HRD Minister Arjun Singh on Monday made it clear that he was not the one who had decided to observe September 7 as the centenary of Vande Mataram. "I did not arrive at that date," Singh told reporters when asked who was responsible for deciding the date for the centenary. He, however, gave a clear hint that the decision came from the top itself.
Sources close to the HRD Minister pointed out that the HRD Ministry had merely forwarded a letter on the "centenary" celebrations from the Union Culture Ministry headed by Ambika Soni, a former Congress spokespersons who is considered close to the Congress president.
The final decision to celebrate the centenary of the adoption of Vande Mataram as the national song was also approved by a national committee headed by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh that was constituted in May this year to chalk out programmes for several events.
Congress sources say Singh is interpreting Congress general secretary Janardhan Dwivedi's remarks about the mistake in selecting the date as a part of a concerted campaign against him by a section of party leaders close to Congress president Sonia Gandhi.
Caught in the middle, Congress spokesman Abhishek Manu Singhvi on Monday indicated that the party wished to totally dissociate itself from the Vande Mataram celebrations. "It was a mistake. We have admitted it and are sorry for it," he told mediapersons.
He not only endorsed the challenge to historicity of September 7 but also sought to rubbish the centenary celebrations by the All India Congress Seva Dal near the party's national headquarters that day as "a routine event" to downplay Sonia's absence.
Asked why if the date had nothing to do with Vande Mataram did the UPA Government issue a circular to all Chief Ministers advising singing of Vande Mataram on September 7, Singhvi said the chapter was closed.
The Congress spokesman faced rough weather when some mediapersons objected to his attempt to pass the buck and informed him that not only a number of AICC organs but many State units of the Congress had also celebrated 100 years of Vande Mataram on September 7.
"I have told you it was a mistake. We have admitted our mistake. What more do you expect from us," Singhvi asked
<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
What is this date fuss now????
Pioneer.com
Yogesh Vajpeyi | New Delhi
On Monday, the Congress scored another self-goal on the Vande Mataram issue. A day after the party establishment sought to snub him by asserting that September 7 had no association with the national song, HRD Minister hit back saying he had nothing to do with the date for celebrating its centenary.
HRD Minister Arjun Singh on Monday made it clear that he was not the one who had decided to observe September 7 as the centenary of Vande Mataram. "I did not arrive at that date," Singh told reporters when asked who was responsible for deciding the date for the centenary. He, however, gave a clear hint that the decision came from the top itself.
Sources close to the HRD Minister pointed out that the HRD Ministry had merely forwarded a letter on the "centenary" celebrations from the Union Culture Ministry headed by Ambika Soni, a former Congress spokespersons who is considered close to the Congress president.
The final decision to celebrate the centenary of the adoption of Vande Mataram as the national song was also approved by a national committee headed by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh that was constituted in May this year to chalk out programmes for several events.
Congress sources say Singh is interpreting Congress general secretary Janardhan Dwivedi's remarks about the mistake in selecting the date as a part of a concerted campaign against him by a section of party leaders close to Congress president Sonia Gandhi.
Caught in the middle, Congress spokesman Abhishek Manu Singhvi on Monday indicated that the party wished to totally dissociate itself from the Vande Mataram celebrations. "It was a mistake. We have admitted it and are sorry for it," he told mediapersons.
He not only endorsed the challenge to historicity of September 7 but also sought to rubbish the centenary celebrations by the All India Congress Seva Dal near the party's national headquarters that day as "a routine event" to downplay Sonia's absence.
Asked why if the date had nothing to do with Vande Mataram did the UPA Government issue a circular to all Chief Ministers advising singing of Vande Mataram on September 7, Singhvi said the chapter was closed.
The Congress spokesman faced rough weather when some mediapersons objected to his attempt to pass the buck and informed him that not only a number of AICC organs but many State units of the Congress had also celebrated 100 years of Vande Mataram on September 7.
"I have told you it was a mistake. We have admitted our mistake. What more do you expect from us," Singhvi asked
<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
What is this date fuss now????