Kaun Banega Next Prez

[Guest]

<!--emo&--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin.gif' /><!--endemo--> <span style='color:purple'><span style='font-size:21pt;line-height:100%'>The newly formed UNPA may have described Congress president Sonia Gandhi’s choice of Ms Pratibha Patil as the presidential nominee as “a joke played on the nation”, but here is a village ready to take the ‘joke’ seriously. People of Malcha village, now settled in Haryana, claim to be the original owners of the land on which Rashtrapati Bhawan stands and say their community deserves the top post.
Ravinder Khurana
New Delhi</span></span>

[Guest]

<!--emo&:roll--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/ROTFL.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='ROTFL.gif' /><!--endemo--> <!--emo&:cool--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/specool.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='specool.gif' /><!--endemo-->

[Guest]

There is the view that if Pratibha Patil steps into the highest office, we will have two ''schizophrenics'' running the country. One (Pratibha) who claims to hear dead babas voices in her head, and another one (Sonia) who claims to hear "inner voices.''

Whether or not our call centers do booming business, our mental institutions certainly will.

[Guest]

<b>BJP to EC: Direct Pratibha to disclose wealth</b><!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin--><b>SC to hear petition for cancellation of Patil's candidature</b>
Meanwhile, troubles seem to be plaguing Pratibha from all fronts. On Tuesday, the Supreme Court is all set to hear a petition seeking to cancel her nomination papers.

The petition filed by advocate Manohar Lal Sharma was mentioned on Monday before a bench comprising Justice Tarun Chatterjee and Justice P K Balasubramanyan.

In the petition, the advocate has referred to the allegations against Patil and her family members for cancelling her nomination papers.
<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->

[Guest]

<!--emo&:clapping--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/clap.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='clap.gif' /><!--endemo--> This is getting really exciting! Going to be a nail-biting finish!

<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin--> Pratibha holds office of profit: PIL

Shuja-ul-Haq | New Delhi

Petition in HC seeks her disqualification

<b>After facing charges of involvement in a series of irregularities committed by her relatives and her several trusts, sugar factory and bank UPA presidential nominee Pratibha Patil is now confronted by the ghost of Office of Profit. A petition filed in the Delhi High Court on Monday claimed that Patil was ineligible to contest the Presidential elections as she was still holding an Office of Profit.</b>

<b>"Patil is still holding the post of Managing Trustee of the Shram Sadhna Bombay Trust at Government Colony, Bandra East, Mumbai,</b>" states the petition filed by Sanjay Tiwari Ujjala on behalf of his NGO Indraprastha People.

The petition states that the trust is the controlling and supervising authority for Shram Sadhna Trust College of Engineering and Technology, Bomgori, Jalgaon and comes under the control and supervision of the Government of Maharastra. Based on these allegations the petition states, "Thus Smt Patil is still holding an Office of Profit under the Government of Maharastra, which is in clear violation of Clause 12 of rules and regulations."
<b>
The petition has sought the court's attention towards the point that if Patil is elected as President of India thousands of people who have lost their money in "her" bank (Pratibha Mahila Cooperative Bank) will never get justice, as there is no provision in the constitution to file a suit against the President.</b>

"Muktabai Sugar Mill and the employees of the same would have no way to get justice after such incarnation," said the petition while drawing the court's attention towards the plight of the employees of the mill and the bank once run by Patil.

Praying to the court to issue a set of directions to Election Commission of India to disqualify Patil as a candidate from presidential elections Ujjala has also filed a separate petition in the High Court making Chief Vigilance Commissioner and Ministry of Home Affairs respondents. In the second petition he has asked for an enquiry on the allegations against the UPA nominee.

The petitioner states that he had sent a letter to the CVC on June 30 praying for an enquiry into the allegations made against Patil. In the complaint letter sent to the CVC the petitioner had mentioned about Patil's involvement in the Pratibha Mahila Sahakari Bank at Jalgaon, Maharastra.

The letter had also mentioned that members of Patil's family, who were on the board of the bank, were involved in irregularities. Aggrieved by the unresponsive attitude of the CVC, Ujjala had chosen to knock on the doors of the court. "Unfortunately the respondents have not taken any actiont. The respondents are not entertaining the complaint nor are they paying any heed to the same," alleges Ujjala in the petition against CVC. While praying for directions to the Government the petition states that the respondents were bound to take action as per law on the allegations made against Patil. <!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->

[Guest]

<!--emo&--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin.gif' /><!--endemo-->

<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin--> Congress orders speech therapy for Pratibha

Nidhi Sharma | New Delhi

..as she leaves party red-faced over her remarks on different issues
<b>
After her many 'foot-in-mouth' utterances, the Congress is not taking any chances with its presidential candidate Pratibha Patil's public statements. Before she embarks on her nation-wide campaign, Patil is being tutored by Congressmen on what to say when.
</b>
Back in Delhi for the scrutiny of her nomination papers, Patil is on a three-day crash course on what issues to broach during her presidential campaign. The Congress party has taken two places on South Avenue - numbers 9 and 11- for Patil. While 9 South Avenue is her office, the other is her residence. It is here that she is being coached by senior Congressmen. Her brief is simple: Steer clear of controversial issues.

According to party sources, Patil's tuitions started last week. Congress leaders like Motilal Vora were involved in the exercise. Now, trained spokespersons like Abhishek Manu Singhvi and Jayanthi Natarajan are doing the job. Natarajan is accompanying Patil on the campaign trail.

Patil's remarks on purdah and her statement about a divine "visit" by the Brahmakumari sect founder had left the Congress red-faced. On the back foot after media exposes on several scams involving her cooperative bank and sugar mill, the Congress is treading carefully. A senior leader said: "She has to begin by taking them into confidence. The party MLAs and MPs have to feel
involved in the presidential elections. So she has been asked to thank them for giving her the honour and showing confidence in her. She would also talk about women and politics."

On her first day of campaigning in Chennai, Patil made the first remark about the allegations made against her. Sources said that this was a part of a well planned strategy. She has begun with short and crisp denials and would gradually become more aggressive.

Though Patil has been asked to refrain from directly attacking her rival Bhairon Singh Shekhawat, she would aggressively hit out against the Opposition's allegations. Patil is likely to play party president Sonia Gandhi's favourite card - woman candidate.

Patil would actively embark on her presidential campaign on Thursday. She would start with Trivandrum and Pondicherry. On Friday, she would address party MPs and MLAs in Bangalore and Hyderabad. She would return to Delhi on the same day and then on Saturday visit Srinagar. Patil is likely to cover Chandigarh after Srinagar and then go to Simla on July 8. The first phase of campaign will end on July 9 at Gandhinagar.

She would cover Goa, Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan after this. Her itinerary is being drafted by Vora and Suresh Pachauri. <!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->

[Guest]

This is terrible, now they have to teach her how and when to speak? terrible What a choice? She is not only a lap dog but untrained one <!--emo&--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin.gif' /><!--endemo-->
Can't believe they have to teach her normal courtesy like "Thanks" or Shukriya not Dhanyavad.

[Guest]

<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin--><b>Ms Patil obfuscates </b>
The Pioneer Edit Desk
Nation needs answers, not bluster
Politicians with a low integrity quotient have mastered the art of brushing aside charges that bring into question their commitment to probity in public life - they simply describe the allegations as "false, malicious and baseless". The public outrage and outcry that usually follow disclosures of wrong-doing by those who wield political power tend to fizzle out as media loses interest and moves on to another story involving another individual. And, public memory being notoriously short, few remember the misdeeds of politicians by the time elections are held. Neck-deep in allegations of financial irregularities committed by a bank, a sugar factory and other institutions with which she has been involved till recently, Ms Pratibha Patil, the UPA-Left's choice for the office of the President of India, has adopted the time-tested means of deflecting criticism by describing the charges as "false, malicious and baseless". She has also slyly suggested that the documented stories of gross abuse of power that have been appearing in newspapers every day and featuring on prime time television, and which put a huge question mark on her credentials as a suitable candidate for the presidential race, as meant to "tarnish" her image. Had it not been for the fact that Ms Patil may get elected to office because the numbers in the electoral college are stacked in her favour - which is no measure of popular approval - we could have scornfully laughed away her pathetic attempt to rubbish the news stories that threaten to denude the President's office, to which she aspires, of its prestige and dignity. That a potential President of India may have been involved with a bank that robbed its honest depositors to favour her kith and kin; that Ms Patil's sugar factory may have tried to defraud the Government of its dues; and, that she may have silently used her political connections to reap financial benefits from what are claimed to be social service trusts which have received Government largesse, raise serious questions that must be answered, and answered now.

Ms Patil cannot just seek to brush the charges under the carpet and pretend to be an innocent victim of canards and calumny. The fact of the matter is that the various exposés about the business enterprises with which she has been involved have tarnished her image. To restore the sheen, Ms Patil must come clean and if the media reports are, as she claims, "false, malicious and baseless", then she must respond to them point by point. So long as she is unable to do so convincingly, she will be perceived as someone who has cut far too many corners for personal aggrandisement. Such politicians may be well-suited to serve as Cabinet Ministers in a Congress Government and Governors when the Congress is in power at the Centre, but they are unfit to become the custodians of the Constitution of India; nor are they fit to shoulder what Ms Patil has described as "the inspiring responsibility of the office of President". Addressing DMK legislators and MPs in Chennai on Sunday, Ms Patil said if she were to be elected, it would be a "significant moment for India". She couldn't be farther from the truth: If in the 60th year of its independence, India is to be saddled with a President who has failed to disprove shocking charges that implicate her in scams and scandals, then it would indeed mark a significant turning point for public life in this country: It would signify the end of morality and ethics in politics. <!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->

[Guest]

<!--QuoteBegin-Mudy+Jul 2 2007, 05:26 PM-->QUOTE(Mudy @ Jul 2 2007, 05:26 PM)<!--QuoteEBegin-->a lap dog
[right][snapback]70714[/snapback][/right]
<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Mudyji, be sensitive to strIlinga, femanine gender, of the UPA candidate. rashtrapati vs rashtramAtA. lapdog Vs <!--emo&--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin.gif' /><!--endemo-->

[Guest]

Nugget-
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin--><b>Not about women’s power</b>
Sir—Apropos the ongoing debate over the antecedents of the UPA-Left combine’s nominee for the office of President, it may be recalled that during the fourth presidential election in 1967, Manohara Holkar tried her luck as an Independent candidate to become the first woman President of India. But she did not get a single vote; Zakir Hussain was elected to the office and became the first Muslim and third President of India.

The second woman presidential candidate was Gurcharan Kaur, who took on VV Giri in 1969 and finished fifth among 15 contenders. Kaur got 940 votes and Giri won with 401,515 votes, becoming the fourth President of the country.

Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed was elected the fifth President in1974; Giani Zail Singh, the first Sikh to hold the office, was the seventh President; KR Narayanan was the first Dalit to become President; and, APJ Abdul Kalam, whose tenure is about to end, is the third Muslim to become President.

From the mixed results above, it is clear that a given candidate’s social identity — in terms of his or her religion, caste or gender — has never been the qualification that determined the outcome of a presidential election. Ms Pratibha Patil’s gender is a post facto justification of ‘women’s empowerment’. Had the ruling alliance been serious about women’s empowerment through the tokenism of nominating a woman candidate for the office of President, there were more capable women with clean records within and outside the ruling parties to choose from.
Chandra Vikas Srivastav <!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->

[Guest]

<!--QuoteBegin-Bodhi+Jul 3 2007, 03:02 AM-->QUOTE(Bodhi @ Jul 3 2007, 03:02 AM)<!--QuoteEBegin--><!--QuoteBegin-Mudy+Jul 2 2007, 05:26 PM--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Mudy @ Jul 2 2007, 05:26 PM)<!--QuoteEBegin-->a lap dog
[right][snapback]70714[/snapback][/right]
<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Mudyji, be sensitive to strIlinga, femanine gender, of the UPA candidate. rashtrapati vs rashtramAtA. lapdog Vs <!--emo&--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin.gif' /><!--endemo-->
[right][snapback]70716[/snapback][/right]
<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Sorry Bodhiji,
It should be Lap Bitch . How nice <!--emo&--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin.gif' /><!--endemo--> <!--emo&--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin.gif' /><!--endemo-->

<b>Sign of proud nation, India</b>
Head of Country - Lap Bitch
PM - Moron, well trained and tamed lap dog
Ministers - Rapist, murders, petty thief, Dacoits, low life.....
Person who is managing whole show is from Italy.
How nice <!--emo&:clapping--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/clap.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='clap.gif' /><!--endemo-->

[Guest]

<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->प्रत्याशियों के प्रस्तावकों व अनुमोदकों में भारतीय राजनीति की मशहूर हस्तियों के साथ गांव के मुखिया, सरपंच और वकील तक का नाम शामिल है। एक प्रत्याशी ने तो पूर्वोत्तर के विधायकों और सांसदों के फर्जी हस्ताक्षर के साथ नामांकन दाखिल किया था। गौरतलब है कि राष्ट्रपति का चुनाव लड़ने के लिए 50 विधायकों या सांसदों का प्रस्ताव और 50 का अनुमोदन जरूरी होता है।
  दतिया, मध्य प्रदेश के रहने वाले मोहन रामायणी के प्रस्तावकों में दशरथ, राम-सीता, लक्ष्मण, भरत, शत्रुघ्न शामिल थे। नामांकन पत्रों की जांच के बाद निर्वाचन अधिकारी और लोकसभा महासचिव पीडीटी अचारी ने बताया कि इस नामांकन पत्र में अनुमोदक के रूप में लंकापति रावण और मेघनाथ कुंभकर्ण सहित उनके परिवार के अन्य सदस्य शामिल हैं। अनुमोदकों के रूप में सोनिया गांधी, राहुल, प्रियंका, मुलायम और लालू तक के नाम लिख दिए गए हैं।
  प्रतिभा पाटिल और भैरोंसिंह शेखावत के अलावा सिर्फ एक उम्मीदवार ने अपने नामांकन पत्र के साथ पचास प्रस्तावकों और अनुमोदकों के दस्तखत कराए थे। वाराणसी के नरेंद्र नाथ दूबे अडिग के नामांकन पत्र पर राजस्थान, मिजोरम, नगालैंड और उड़ीसा के विधायकों के दस्तखत थे। रोचक बात यह है कि 19 जून को दाखिल इस नामांकन पत्र पर एक दिन पहले यानी 18 जून को इन चारों राज्यों के विधायकों के दस्तखत कराए गए थे। इन सभी विधायकों के नाम तो सही पाए गए, लेकिन दस्तखत फर्जी थे।
http://www.jagran.com/news/nationalnews....d=3519288#
<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->

Several people apart from the two Shekhavats filed the nominations for the highest post.

One needs 50 MPs/MLAs to propose, and other 50 to second the nomination of a candidate. One candidate's form had the proposer's name as Dasaratha, Rama, Sita, Lakshamana and such, while Ravana, Meghanada, Kumbhakaran etc were seconding him. <!--emo&--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin.gif' /><!--endemo-->

Another candidate had a proper list of 50 MP/MLAs in each list. However it was later found that the signatures were forged.

[Guest]

<!--QuoteBegin-LSrini+Jul 2 2007, 05:27 AM-->QUOTE(LSrini @ Jul 2 2007, 05:27 AM)<!--QuoteEBegin-->Good job karan!  <!--emo&:cool--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/specool.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='specool.gif' /><!--endemo-->
<!--QuoteBegin--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin--><b>'I take no responsibility for what Pratibha does'</b><!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->[right][snapback]70689[/snapback][/right]<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->By the Gods!!!!!
India's communists are the greatest liars, hypocrites, bumbling buffoons and villains in the world! I never knew the extent of their total loserness until just now, when I read the interview LSrini posted...

<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->the General Secretary of the Communist Party of India (CPI) A B Bardhan.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->I almost pity the communists. The best person they have on their team is a nitwit of the highest order.

For all their lies on Hindu f*scism, the communazis are the greatest fascistic nazis of them all, nominating a hitlerian terrorist ready to sterilize people for having hereditary diseases. The communist buffoon on being presented with this says he doesn't support such views, but <i>will continue to support the candidature of a villain who supports such views</i>.... Ummm, when someone supports hitler for presidency, it means they're a nazi, Communibrain. Not much more than air in communist heads is there? What losers, without any principle.
All they have is pretty words they love throwing about: 'Union, equality, rights' blablalala. In reality all they know is murder and genocide. Communazism is a vile evil.

<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Karan Thapar: Speaking in the Maharashtra Assembly as health minister on December 10, 1975, Mrs Pratibha Patil said we are thinking of forcible sterilisation of people with hereditary diseases. First of all, do you approve of forcible sterilisation?

A B Bardhan: I don't, I don't, but that doesn't mean I agree with everything she does or says.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->It is clear she was advocating sterilisation of people in her capacity as health minister! And the Red Lying Machine is so tongue tied with all its lies even it finds it hard to continue the usual double-speaking with its forked tongue. Oh the terrorists. These people need to be exposed!

<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Karan Thapar: The one thing that the Communist Party has is moral authority. No longer do you have political influence. Why are you squandering your moral authority supporting a woman who is not fit for the top turf? Why are don’t you admit you made a mistake nominating her?

A B Bardhan: Our moral authority is demonstrated in the fact that we insisted that no communal person or belonging to a communal party, to the RSS and the BJP should be nominated.
(Grief. Is the villain really saying that it's okay she's a nazi as long as she's not 'communal'? Communism is unbelievable, indescribable.)

Karan Thapar: So you can have a potentially corrupt person, instead you can have a woman who stands for forcible sterilisation, or have an orthodox woman who believes in spirits.

A B Bardhan: She has more than 40 years of political career.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd--> <!--emo&:blink:--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/blink.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='blink.gif' /><!--endemo--> So a 40 year career makes it alright for the communazis to nominate their fellow nazi?


Oh, and look at the communibrain naturally responding with the very christo, very biblical "I am not my brother's keeper" <b>twice</b>. Why <i>is</i> it that every communist seems to know christianity so intimately as to immediately and automatically know to respond with a biblical statement at the right time, in the right context? Fascinating, I find.
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->A B Bardhan: You will have to prove that all she did was for her brother, and she is responsible for what her brother did. After all she is not her brother's keeper. If her brother is guilty of any crimes, he should be prosecuted.
[.....]
A B Bardhan: My bother commits some crime, and I’m responsible for it? I’m not my brother’s keeper.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->

Didn't Sonia Gandhi propose Patil as well? She is wanting to bring a fascist maniac in as president? So typical. Will someone tell on Sonia to the international community please? We don't want the kind of hitlerian vipers that the catholic tyrant and the communazis have elected to bite us with! We don't want christocommunist tyranny. We want to live in peace and if any of us have hereditary diseases we don't care - it's okay and fine. We want to live, we don't want to die by nazichristocommunism. We must file a complaint at the UN or somewhere making it known we object to the missionarynazis who carefully select like-minded nazi minions to rule and kill us with...

[Guest]

More on India's head Chor
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin--><b>Pratibha trust diverted capitation fee </b>
Pioneer.com
Navin Upadhyay | New Delhi
To evade income tax, students made to 'donate' to family's other trust
A college in Jalgaon set up by Shram Sadhana Trust, founded by UPA presidential nominee Pratibha Patil, had adopted an innovative way to extract capitation fee. The students were asked to make donations to another of the Patil family's enterprise, Maharashtra Mahila Udyam Trust (MMUT), which in turn channelled the money to Shram Sadhana Trust.

This was apparently done to evade income tax because under the provisions of the IT Act donations to educational institutions do not attract taxation. Pratibha Patil is the managing trustee of the SST, which also runs three hostels and several educational institutions.

The cases goes back to the assessment years 1986-87 and 1987-88, when MMUT had paid donations of Rs 17 lakh to Shram Sadhana Trust for the construction of the College of Engineering and Technology building in Jalgaon.

In 2003, the Income Tax department had filed an appeal before the Income Tax Appellate Tribunal (ITAT) against Commissioner of IT (Appeal)'s order to give exemption to the donations given to Maharashtra Mahila Udyam Trust. The MMUT was registered as a public charitable trust with the Charity Commissioner, Maharashtra.

Contending that the trust was not entitled for exemptions under Section 11 of the IT Act, the IT department claimed that the assessee trust was not engaged in carrying out any charitable activity and the donations paid to it were capitation fee for admission to a college.

Siding with the Income Tax authorities, the ITAT, Mumbai, in September 2003, ruled that donations to educational institutions could be exempted from taxation only if these were not paid as capitation fee.
.................
link

...............
<b>Pratibhagate -- Novel methods

Done apparently to evade income tax as under IT Act, donations to educational institutions do not attract taxation
Cases date back to 1986-87, 1987-88
MMUT had paid donations worth Rs 17 lakh to Shram Sadhana Trust for college building construction
IT authorities furnished before Appellate Tribunal statement of seven donors who confirmed donations were not voluntary and were given indirectly as capitation fee for admission</b>
<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->

[Guest]

Huskyji, enjoy some more commi© logic:

Communists: Power without responsibility
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Pointing out that the Communist ideology did not permit him from supporting the idea of a nuclear bomb, he dubbed the Indian nuclear programme as 'fascist,' especially as it was detonated when their bete noire, the Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance, was in power.

Hence, according to him, <b>the candidature of Dr Kalam was out of question as he was instrumental in detonating the bomb!</b>
<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Same commies who want nuclear bombs for Iran, China and Pakistan.

<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin--><!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->

[Guest]

<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin--><b>'Well-wishers' question CPM support for Pratibha </b>
Pioneer News Service | New Delhi  link
Leave party brass red-faced
A mystery letter is doing the rounds in CPI(M) circles questioning the party's support to UPA presidential nominee Pratibha Patil, its failure to punish the people responsible for the Nandigram incident, and its deviation from the party's ideological moorings.

The language of the unsigned letter dated June 25, a copy of which is available with The Pioneer, makes it look like an inside job. The issues it has touched upon have created ripples in party circles.

The letter, claimed to have been written by a group of party members, sympathisers and wellwishers, was circulated among the members of the Central Committee coinciding with the party's Polit Bureau and CC meetings.

Making a fervent appeal to the party leadership to review its programmes and policies, the letter said, "We hope that the concerns raised by us are addressed with all seriousness rather than be brushed aside as motivated attacks. We hope the enlightened leadership will focus on the issues raised herein rather than on 'who are behind this letter?'"

Describing the party's support to Pratibha Patil as a "disturbing development", the letter said it has been "the CPI(M) (not the Congress party) that has imposed on the nation a controversial presidential candidate, who is perceived to be unsuitable for the highest office".

Referring to the haste with which the leadership endorsed the name of Pratibha Patil, the letter said, "Had we taken some time to think over the suitability of the candidate for the highest office, would we have not saved ourselves from the embarrassment of supporting a candidate whose credentials appear to be ordinary if not suspect?," the letter said.

"Was this hurried decision to endorse Pratibha Patil's name based on misplaced feminist sentiments?" it added.

Without mentioning the name of CPI, but obviously referring to it, the letter said that it seems the CPI(M) had abdicated the role of the leader of the Left Front and reconciled itself to play second fiddle to a junior partner who is always eager to share every inside deliberation with the world.
...............<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->

[Guest]

<b>BJP digs up Sonia roots in fight for President</b><!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->New Delhi, July 7: The BJP today resurrected Sonia Gandhi’s “foreign origin” to try and counter the <b>Congress’s charge that Bhairon Singh Shekhawat had served British police during the colonial rule and quit only when they left India</b>.

Congress spokesperson Abhishek Manu Singhvi had said: “When people left behind everything to join the freedom struggle, responding to Mahatma Gandhi’s call, Shekhawat thought it fit to be part of the repressive colonial police.”

Shekhawat’s election minder, Sushma Swaraj, today responded:<b> “It doesn’t lie in the Congress’s mouth to speak of the freedom movement after accepting a foreigner as the party president.”</b> <!--emo&--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin.gif' /><!--endemo-->

Asked why she persisted in calling Sonia a “foreigner”, despite the Congress president winning successive Lok Sabha elections and leading her party to victory several times, Sushma told reporters: “I have always said she’s a foreigner. After July 19 (when the new President will be elected), I am open to a debate on this issue.”
<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->

[Guest]

<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin--><b>Left, Congress lose credibility </b>
link
Arun Nehru
The UPA's presidential candidate, Ms Pratibha Patil, is likely to win the election, but we will have a 'tainted' President. Few, if any, in the immediate future will claim credit for selecting her after everyone else was rejected by the Left, even though many of them had merit and ability.<b> Indeed, the Communist parties have committed another historic blunder. </b>

<b>The loyal media gives a secular, non-secular twist to the whole episode, but this will yield little benefit as the public mood is anything but happy at the UPA's choice of the President.</b> There are reports of sugar scams, bank fraud and a murder mystery, with dynastic attachments. Brother, sister-in-law, niece, nephew, etc - all have allegedly benefited from the sugar factory and the bank at the expense of the Government and the poor, the weak and the deprived whose meagre savings have been devoured by family loans. This scandal will not go away and, sadly, in an era of coalition Governments, where governance is being sacrificed by asset distribution among family members and close associates, this is yet another blow to political respect and authority.

<b>The Left will defend its historic blunder, but it will pay a very heavy price in the future</b>. Millions of poor people take loans from Government banks and other financial institutions. Can they follow the example set by Ms Patil? Accidents take place in politics, but this is a catastrophe and can well result in a resignation as the Opposition and the public dig deeper into the family affairs of the former Rajasthan Governor. <b>This controversy will not go away and while the Congress-led UPA Government has the right numbers, it lacks public credibility and respect. It seems for the first time we will have a "tainted" President.</b>

Politicians like Mr Karan Singh, Mr Pranab Mukherjee, Mr Shivraj Patil and Ms Mohsina Kidwai - the list can include another 20 leaders from the Congress - would have bought dignity and grace to the office of the head of state. The Left, more than the Congress, is responsible for this unfortunate situation. My assessment is that when the blame-game starts, it is the Left that will be held responsible for this catastrophe, as Ms Sonia Gandhi and the Congress stood firm on Mr Shivraj Patil's name till such time it was politically possible to do so. The comrades can claim that "due diligence" was the responsibility of the Congress, but as things stand, it is the Left which vetoed Mr Shivraj Patil and rejected Mr Karan Singh.
................................
As far as the presidential election is concerned, the institution of the President has been sullied. Sadly, the allegations against Ms Pratibha Patil and her family members, based on Government records, cannot be suppressed and will result in legal issues. Though the contours of national politics may result in the UNPA abstaining from voting in the presidential election to protect its minority vote, this will be a temporary reprieve for Ms Patil and her mentors. The attack will come after the election is over and the Opposition parties have a 'gold mine' under their belt, which could be a major issue for all future elections.

<b>The UPA will resist every move to take action but documentary evidence is coming from the Congress itself and there are hundreds of pages of official records on defaults.</b> The Congress and the Left parties have a big problem for future and will eventually blame each other as the situation goes out of control. <b>One wonders how long will the judiciary remain silent on the issue. </b>
The UPA, the UNPA and the NDA will fight for power in the 2009 general election and, sadly for the country, the office of the President will be a major issue. After all, Ms Pratibha Patil has denied the allegations, but given no detailed explanation on the charges levelled against her family members
<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->

[Guest]

<b>Gandhi`s grandsons in race for Vice Presidential poll</b> <!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->West Bengal Governor Gopal Gandhi as also former MP Rajmohan Gandhi are being mentioned in political circles but a section of the<b> Left parties has reservations over Gopal Gandhi in the wake of his statement following the Nandigram incident</b>.

<b>"For the Vice Presidential election, it was decided that we should suggest the name of a person who does not belong to the Congress party," CPI(M) has said </b>in a resolution adopted at its Central Committee meeting last month.

<b>Rajmohan Gandhi had unsuccessfully contested against Rajiv Gandhi some two decades back from Amethi in the Lok Sabha polls. </b>

The names of <b>Mushirul Hasan</b>, Vice Chancellor of Jamia Millia, film maker <b>Shyam Benegal</b> and noted journalist <b>N Ram </b>are also being talked about.  <!--emo&:roll--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/ROTFL.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='ROTFL.gif' /><!--endemo-->

While speculation on the name of CPI General Secretary A B Bardhan is there, it appears unlikely given the fact the UPA-Left Presidential candidate Pratibha Patil is from Maharashtra, Bardhan's home state.

With Patil of the Congress getting the Presidential nomination, a non-Congress candidate is expected to fill the Vice Presidential slot.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->

[Guest]

Remember, Know your Antonia? Now, know your Pratibha. There ain't much of pratibha involved; just run of the mill politician.
A role model for the criminalized polity. http://knowpratibhapatil.com/ headlines: India diminished, Indians disgraced.
Join the campaign. http://www.knowpratibhapatil.com/8/poll/index.php