02-18-2007, 04:54 PM (This post was last modified: 02-18-2007, 05:50 PM by Husky.)
Don't know where this latest bit in the UPA's dramedy-before-elections goes.
Sonia and her government thinks its high time for garnering some sympathy (which could translate into votes) for their queen. So everyone can once again go 'Aww poor Sonia - remember the bereaved widow of Rajeev'.
Press Trust of India (ensuring this worthless bit of news is reproduced everywhere)
Posted online: Sunday, February 18, 2007 at 1529 hours IST
Updated: Sunday, February 18, 2007 at 1534 hours IST
Almora, February 18: A man carrying a country-made pistol <b>was arrested shortly before an election rally by Congress President Sonia Gandhi</b> here on Sunday, prompting police in Uttarakhand to sound a red alert in the state.
(That means Sonia had not yet even come to the place where this gun-carrying person was.)
Kedar Singh was arrested while trying to sneak into the venue of the rally in the hilly township just before Gandhi addressed the gathering at about noon, Almora's Superintendent of Police Satish Kumar Shukla said.
A red alert was sounded across Uttarakhand, particularly in Haldwani and Dehra Dun where Gandhi is to address rallies during the last leg of her campaign to drum up support for the state's ruling Congress ahead of assembly polls later this month.
Shukla said Singh was being interrogated. Initial reports said Singh had identified himself as a resident of nearby Bageshwar district. "We are verifying reports regarding his identity," Shukla said.
Security around the venues for other rallies to be addressed by Gandhi was tightened with dog squads and anti-terrorist squads being deployed there.
Sources said no changes had been made in Gandhi's itinerary following the incident.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->Yes, please. Tighten security and ensure anti-terrorist squads guard the foreign tyrant. Meanwhile said foreign tyrant and her christoislamicommunist dictatorial government have done nothing for our national security but undone all anti-terrorist measures. The many hapless Hindus killed in their own homeland don't count. But Sonia - well, she's special. She's a christo, worth zillions of Hindoos. So deploy those anti-terrorist squads.
Poor little wannabe-saint Sonia. A person with a gun was found in the place where she was <i>yet to come</i> for her rally.
But 'evil' BJP leaders being stoned to death, or blown up in their officiating buildings - well, those evil communalists deserved it, didn't they, for thinking their pagan selves could rule their Hindu-majority country? And those evil Hindu women and children who were burnt to death by the islamis in the Godhra train event.
Oh no, none of what they went through compare to poor Sonia's scare just now.
So let's all have a moment of silence to feel for Sonia's not-anywhere-near-dangerous encounter.
It's quite possible the above story will be spread on the English news channels in India and repeated until everyone thinks a thousand Indians with guns were there. Crosscutting regularly with Sonia's face will make it seem like they were both at the same place/same time. Psecular Indian media is capable of anything. Can't rule out even such low-level stupidity.
Press Trust of India
Posted online: Thursday, February 08, 2007 at 0912 hours IST
Phagwara, February 8: An unauthorised <b>youth</b> was <b>caught</b> standing <b>with a bouquet</b> in the high-security ring of Congress President Sonia Gandhi, now in Phagwara for campaigning in Punjab assembly polls, police said.
A group of persons were allowed to stand in a queue for receiving Gandhi before she climbed to the rostrum for addressing a party poll rally here, they said.
The media was kept quiet away from that high-security "D" area.
The name of the smartly-dressed youth, identified as Aman Mittal from village Lambra, was not in the list of receivers of Gandhi. When someone noticed it, the youth was caught and handed over to the police, they said.
However, <b>he was later let off as he was said to be mentally instable</b>, they added.
Upinder Sharma, SHO, City Police Station, when contacted on Wednesday night, said a complaint had been registered in this regard and "if required, the person would be summoned after a probe".
<b>Police said on July 25, 2004 the youth had claimed himself to be a PA of Gandhi and enjoyed administrative hospitality here.</b>
But he slipped out of here when authorities got wind of his impersonation and he was nabbed by then Bathinda SSP Kapil Dev.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Sonia: "Eewww. What's that little Hindoo with the bouquet doing in my vicinity." (Calls to her christo Indian servant clique - Margaret Alva, Ajit Jogi or whoever has her favour now and asks them to remove Hindoo)
"Take that thing away. How dare some Hindoo come near me!" (Shrieks and calls security)
The boy seems to be some deluded Sonia Gandhi fan, going by the bouquet amd the statement "Police said on July 25, 2004 the youth had claimed himself to be a PA of Gandhi and enjoyed administrative hospitality here."
Yeah, we all know who's in charge. Sonia can't be PM, but since Il Papa in Rome must have Sonia in charge, she has a newly created special position: she controls the Indian PM. Don't ya know, the Vatican wrote the book on how to subvert democracy. It's merely India's turn now.
Pattern matching for school kiddies:
If MMS is the PM, and Mr Abdul Kalam is the President... Then what the heck is Sonia?
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Don't know where this latest bit in the UPA's dramedy-before-elections goes.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Just to create interest in rallies or to show media because police are checking crowd so less people are showing up for rally.
In Punjab, her rallies were complete disaster, even paid crowd never showed up, either they were too drunk or drugged or just preferred to have good time somewhere else.
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Aman Mittal from village Lambra,<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
F.Y.I
Lambra is Jalandhar suburb. Majority of this village are "Mohan" brahmins.
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin--><b>NSCN-K puts Cong in a spot - âImkong paid us Rs 5 lakhâ</b>http://telegraphindia.com/1070220/asp/northeast/story_7413888.asp
- H. CHISHI
Kohima, Feb. 19: Nagalandâs worst-kept secret tumbled out today when the NSCN (Khaplang) claimed to have received a âdonationâ from the Congress, thanked it for being generous and conjectured that the party was courting it with an eye on the elections next year.
The Khaplang groupâs âministry of financeâ issued a statement conveying its gratitude to the Congress for the Rs 5 lakh received through the leader of the Opposition, I. Imkong Ao. It did not mention any date.
<b>Kughalu Mulatonu, the outfitâs chaplee kilonser (finance minister), then made an even more sensational statement. He said the donation might have been made in anticipation of âhelpâ in winning the Assembly elections, slated for early next year</b>.
<b>âThe money could be to play the buy-and-win game for the coming elections,â Mulatonu said</b>.
He claimed that Imkong was trying to court the Khaplang faction to âconsolidateâ his position. âThe chaplee ministry is grateful to I. Imkong Ao for assisting the Ao region (unit of the outfit) with Rs 5 lakh,â the militant leader added.
The leader of the Opposition could not be reached for his comment on the NSCN (K)âs claim.
For the ruling Democratic Alliance of Nagaland, it is most certainly payback time. Accused by the Congress of being partial towards the NSCN (Isak-Muivah), chief minister Neiphiu Rio and his colleagues can be expected to use the NSCN (K)âs statement as political ammunition against the party.
The NSCN (K) had written to legislators from Mokokchung district last year, seeking Rs 1 lakh each. One of the legislators later leaked a copy of the letter to the media.
The letter explained that the money collected from the legislators would be used to âreorganise our Ao regionâ, disbanded after the 2003 public uprising against the outfit.
Several leaders from the Ao region defected to the NSCN (I-M) in the wake of the uprising in Mokokchung. Since then, the Khaplang groupâs relationship with the Ao community has been tenuous at best.
More recently, the NSCN (K) accused industries and commerce minister Khekiho Zhimomi of pocketing a huge amount of money meant for its coffers. It said the minister embezzled money from the Transport Subsidy and Industry Development Fund.
Zhimomi refuted the allegation.
<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
http://www.expressindia.com/fullstory.php?newsid=81910
<b>Curbing the Press</b>
<b>AP Govt withdraws order</b>
Posted online: Friday, February 23, 2007 at 1604 hours IST
Hyderabad, February 23: Facing strong protests from the media and the Opposition, the Congress government in Andhra Pradesh has withdrawn a controversial order on filing defamation cases against the media if they publish or telecast "baseless and false news items that are defamatory in nature."
The Government Order issued by Chief Secretary J Harinarayana on February 20 authorised the Commissioner of Information and Public Relations to file defamation cases through special public prosecutor and initiate legal action against publishers and editors.
<b>Invoking sub-section 4 of the Section 199 of Criminal Procedure Code, the order gave sweeping powers to the Information Commissioner to go ahead with prosecution proceedings against publishers and editors for carrying news items that are "defamatory in nature to the government."</b>
The order also envisaged appointment of special public prosecutors under section 24 (8) of the CrPC to file cases in the relevant courts and the expenditure incurred for conducting the prosecution would be met by the respective departments connected with the case.
The move came against the backdrop of the state government's battle with media baron Ch Ramoji Rao, the owner of the largest circulated Telugu daily "Eenadu" and Etv channels, which have been carrying stories critical of the ruling party.
As the issue evoked wide protests from the Opposition and media organisations, Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhar Reddy on Friday announced in the Assembly that the GO had been cancelled.
although just a blog, I am somewhat surprised that IBN has allowed the criticism. Is Sonia Gandhi a dictator?
----
But why do I ask if the Congress is a dictatorial party? The question is what is dictatorship. In simple terms something that someone wants to do not giving a damn about the realities or the consequences. That's exactly what the Congress wants to do in UP. Or should I say Sonia Gandhi wants to do with Mulayam Singh Yadav. The Congress president wants Mulayam ejected out of his chief ministers chair in UP. Whatever be the cost.
It's a rivalry that is almost a decade old. Circa 1998. Lok Sabha elections over. Sonia Gandhi goes to Rashtrapati Bhavan with her team of advisors. She is beaming. She thinks she has kept the Gandhi tradition alive of ruling India. On her way out of Rashtrapati Bhavan, reporters ask her, " Madam are you confident of becoming the Prime Minister?" Pat comes the reply, " Of course, we have 272, and we expect more." It's a dialogue, which she has lived to regret. Because in exactly 24 hours since she claimed that she had the majority in Lok Sabha to become the Prime Minister, Mulayam Singh Yadav had thrown a spanner in her attempts. Having promised to support her initially, he realised he couldn't be seen to supporting a Videshi Bahu. From then on, the Samajwadi Party and the Congress have been sworn enemies.
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<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Mistakenly ordered to gag media's voice: AP Govt
Order gagging media's voice, a mistake: AP Govt
Agencies | Hyderabad
In the wake of widespread criticism across the country, Andhra Pradesh Government today wanted to save its face by saying that the issuance of the government order on filing defamation cases against the media was a mistake.
"Issuance of the GO was a clear violation of the business rules," a statement released by the Special Commissioner of Information and Public Relations said.
Appropriate action would be initiated against the officials concerned for issuance of the order, it pointed out.
<b>The Chief Secretary J Harinarayana has been asked to inquire into the controversial order and submit a report within three days as to how the order was issued without the knowledge of the Chief Minister's office.</b>
The government withdrew the controversial GO No 938 on February 23, three days after it was issued.
<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Yeah right. It was issued without Samuel Reddy's knowledge!! How can a govt order by issued without CM's consent? If Samuel had any shame, he would resign accepting responsibility for his govt. Ofcourse he has no shame, being a congressman and all.
Media is beating Congress from all direction, HT's Vir Singhvi now want NDA back and Sushama Swaraj as I&B minister, now he is saying we were wrong, we want Sushama Aunty back. <!--emo&--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin.gif' /><!--endemo-->
Samuel is lying and making others scapegoat. Makes me sick.
Cong hates Big B ad-ding value to SP
ibnlive.com
Posted Saturday , February 24, 2007 at 22:14
AD-DING VALUE: In the ads, Bachchan says that contrary to popular belief, UP has a very low rate of crime.
New Delhi: The fact that Bollywood superstar Amitabh Bachchan is going all out to campaign for Samajwadi Party by glorifying its governance in Uttar Pradesh has the Congress vexed.
The party on Saturday sought the Election Commission's interference in banning advertisements that feature Bachchan extolling Mulayam Singh and the Samajwadi Party.
"Amitabh Bachchan is using harsh words and indulging in false propaganda in the ads," PTI quoted state party president Salman Khursheed as saying.
In the series of advertisements carried out in print and electronic media, Bachchan says that contrary to popular belief, the state has a very low rate of crime.
"Uttar Pradesh mein hai dum, kyunki jurm yahan hain kam," he says. The ads goes on to highlight the achievements of the Mulayam Singh Yadav government.
And the Congress, which is surely not amused, demands the EC should take action against the Samajwadi Party for sponsoring such advertisements. The party has also submitted a memorandum to the Chief Election Commissioner.
It isn't just the Congress, fellow film star and Jan Morcha leader Raj Babbar on Saturday alluded that it did not behoove the great film star to act as the state's "brand Ambassador" despite the Nithari killings.
New Delhi: On the eve of the crucial Uttar Pradesh elections, ads featuring superstar Amitabh Bachchan have been giving the Congress sleepless nights.
And worried about big damage to it poll prospects, the Congress on Tuesday moved the Election Commission, seeking an urgent ban on all advertisements which feature superstar Amitabh Bachchan and glorify governance in Uttar Pradesh.
The Samajwadi Party Government of Mulayam Singh Yadav has been discretely using these Bachchan ads to score browne points highlighting the achievements of the state under its regime.
On Tuesday, Congress president for UP, Salman Khursheed, demanded that the EC should take action against the Samajwadi Party for sponsoring such advertisements. "Amitabh Bachchan is using harsh words and indulging in false propaganda in the ads," he said.
In a series of advertisements carried out in print and electronic media, Bachchan has been highlighting the achievements of the Mulayam Singh Yadav government. "Uttar Pradesh mein hai dum, kyunki jurm yahan hain kam," the latest advertisement says.
The Congress has also submitted a memorandum to the Chief Election Commissioner, he said.
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ITALIAN MADAM and her national A** LICKERS called CON(gress) men were happy when the the SCUM WOMAN was sending IT men to AB or trying to unseat JAYA BADHURI. The ITALIAN GARBAGE AND her LOW life SCUMs in national newspapaers can attack anyone with any LIES but when AB is cmapaigning for MULYAM (he is a real SCUMBAG too but it is prerogative of AB to campaign for him) , the CON men are running to the EC. What a COMEDY?? <!--emo&:flush--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/Flush.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='Flush.gif' /><!--endemo--> <!--emo&:flush--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/Flush.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='Flush.gif' /><!--endemo--> <!--emo&:flush--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/Flush.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='Flush.gif' /><!--endemo-->
The ruling Congress party was heading for defeat in polls in Punjab and Uttarakhand on Tuesday. The Bharatiya Janata Party looks set to form the government in Uttarakhand winning around 34 of the 68 results declared. In Punjab the Shirmonai Akali Dal, SAD-BJP combine bagged 67 of the 116 declared results. Congress spokesperson Ambika Soni attributed price rise to the defeat while Sonia Gandhi speaking to NDTV said that the results were along expected lines, whatever that meant. Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday termed the NDA's poll victory in Punjab and his BJP's win in the Uttarakhand elections as a rejection of the Congress-led UPA for its "soft stance" on national security and inability to control inflation. In his reaction to the poll results Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said the results were not a referendum against UPA. Manmohan Singh was reacting to Arun Jaitley's remarks that this was the "beginning of the end" for the Congress in a "string of victories" to come.
While detailed analysis of the polls based on vote share will have to wait, some quick observations from Offstumped on the results.
In both Punjab and Uttarakhand the trend is clearly against the Congress without doubt. This flies in the face of exit poll after exit poll and news analyses in the mainstream media which talked of cliffhangers and nailbiting finishes. The results were no close encounters they were made out to be. However the rather slender majority in Punjab and the BJP finishing just at the half way mark in Uttarakhand is indicative that there was no landslide in favor of the NDA. The exact vote shares will reveal how strong the swing away from the Congress was or in favor of the NDA but that will have to wait.
There is however a larger message that has kind of been hovering in the background and has found an echo in this election and this has to do with the fate of the two principal national parties - the congress and the BJP.
One has to rewind back to the 2004 general elections to better understand this. In the run upto the general elections while there were hints of the BJP not doing well, the congress was practically written off in analysis after analysis. The exit polls and the opinion polls were full of mixed messages to be of any practical use. Then came the results and the subsequent shocker for the NDA. The big surprise however was the emergence of the Congress as the single largest party a few seats behind the BJP. The media euphoria that followed the much hyped "sacrifice" by Sonia saw a series of analyses that for the first time started to contribute to the "Brand Sonia" myth. What started with eulogies on her "supreme sacrifice" soon turned to praise on how "sonia steered" the congress towards victory. The reality of 2004 however was drowned in this euphoria and since forgotten. A more careful analysis of 2004 would tell us that it was not so much "Sonia steering" but the BJP's state level alliances letting it down. 3 key states made the difference - TN with DMK switching over, AP with Naidu getting white-washed and Maharashtra where the Shiv Sena hurt big time.
Since 2004 the nation has seen 3 waves of assembly elections. The first wave was in 2005 with Bihar, Jharkhand and Haryana going to the polls. In Bihar and Jharkhand "brand sonia" was hardly in play as "brand lalu" started to fade. The next wave was in 2006 with Kerala, West Bengal and Assam going to polls. "Brand Sonia" saw Kerala slip away, Bengal having the best showing ever by the Communists and Assam despite a high turnout saw a motivated anti-congress vote splintered away to hold the Congress but with support from outfits like the AUDF that owed their existence to the anti-congress vote. The 3rd wave and current wave in 2007 has seen "Brand Sonia" blame away inflation for Punjab and Uttarakhand slipping away and Manipur in play with support from other outfits.
So in summary since the "mythical victory" of 2004 "brand sonia" has done nothing to the Congress. In fact with the exception of Haryana where the pendulum swings wildly on anti-incumbency every term, the only election where "brand sonia" had an impact was where "Sonia" herself was contesting. From local polls in UP to Mumbai which were hyped up with Sonia campaigning, "brand sonia" did little to make an impact.
Offstumped had earlier in the year pointed out that the only poll with good news for the Congress in 2007 was perhaps already out and this was the Yogendra Yadav manufactured fictitious opinion poll which reported Sonia as the most popular leader. But for the media types who have been manufacturing and promoting "Brand Sonia" the hard reality for the Congress is the Nehru-Gandhi dynasty is no longer an election winner. This despite the able aiding and abetting by known Sonia Spin meisters like Vir Sanghvi, Pankaj Vora and others who have been on the ball to defend Sonia whenever she has been challenged be it on the Office of Profit Issue, the issue of President's rule in Uttar Pradesh or now on the Quattrochi issue.
Which brings us to the question, if one were Arjun Singh and one were passed over by a bureaucrat with no known electoral base for the nation's top job all at the insistence of "brand sonia", one must be wondering why exactly is "brand sonia" allowed to lord over the remaining vestiges of the congress party when in election after election the brand is turning out to be more myth than reality ?
This takes us directly to the message for the BJP in these 3 waves of elections. The days of national elections based on national issues dominated by national parties are over. If the BJP must do well in the Center it must focus on its states. It must not lose sight of its state level alliances and must get its act right in all the states where it is in power. The media may continue to obsess over the confusion in its national leadership and there maybe some opportunities lost in parliament to pind down the UPA on national issues, but those have little bearing when it comes to election realpolitik. So rather than worry about defending itself to the national media the BJP must focus on turning out its base and keeping its allies in good humor to get the arithmetic to work its way.
Offstumped Bottomline: The message from the elections is clear for the Congress. Brand Sonia is more myth than reality. It does not provide any insulation against a motivated opposition campaign nor is it any insurance against anti-incumbency. In fact the value of the brand is highly questionable and the likes of Arjun Singh must rethink their continued indulgence of the Nehru-Gandhi family at the cost of the Party itself.
posted on Tuesday, February 27, 2007 9:48 PM
If a leader is not capable of attaining an inspirational mode, he can neither inspire nor generate confidence. Casteist leaders may occupy high positions, at best, they may achieve positional greatness which vanishes with the loss of position
It is a known fact that the Congress and the UPA are led by none other than Sonia Gandhi who hardly has any leadership qualities. The capacity to visualise and anticipate is a must without which success is bound to elude any leader. It is true for all spheres.
Usually, I frown on caste-based political parties but those who develop linkages with caste-leaders at micro-level and manage their contradictions must be given due credit in a democracy. The same applies to managing caste equations. Whatever one might say, caste is a reality because of traditional loyalty of the people to caste identities. In a democracy, caste equations have played big roles whether one may like it or not.
But if a leader is not capable of attaining an inspirational mode, he can neither inspire nor generate confidence. Casteist leaders may occupy high positions, at best, they may achieve positional greatness, which is different from intrinsic greatness. Positional greatness vanishes with the loss of position but intrinsic greatness remains intact even after the loss of position. Coming to political sphere, a visionary leader may attain height of a statesman. He rises above narrow-considerations and people admire him as leader. Dil chhota to dal bada nahin ho sakta. Dil chhota aur dal bada is a consideration of great magnitude. At that height, value system plays a great role.
India needs a visionary leader of high moral integrity if it aspires to emerge as a dominant power in the world affairs aiming at harmonising the humanity and curbing clashes prevailing over half of the globe. This week newspapers carried two stories. First, the economic survey 2006-07 which said that the GDP, after lapse of two years attained the tempo created by the NDA Government.
In its last year the GDP growth was 8.5 per cent, which is poised at 9.2 per cent this year. Economic indicators like foreign exchange reserves, exports, industrial production has put the economy in the fast lane. However, on employment and prices front, there emerges a gloomy picture. Inflation is not going to blink, admitted the survey. The Finance Minister said, he doesn't have a magic-wand to check rising prices.
It is here that the leadership faces challenges and its mettle is tested. In case of the Congress lead UPA Government, it is Sonia who drives the Congress from the front and backseat drives the UPA Government without knowing the art of driving the party or the Government. From the time Sonia took over the Congress, it is on the decline. She could not keep the party united because of her ambition to become PM, exploiting Gandhi-Nehru charisma. When the party split, stalwarts like Sharad Pawar, PA Sangma left. She failed to stop the split in Kerala; rather she created a situation for it. In Karnataka the party suffered a debacle in 2004 and went on the ruinous path.
Bihar and UP units were almost vanquished during her incumbency. The myth of Sonia magic created by party-people and the friendly media exploded time and again simply due to the fact that she is not a leader material. She does not have any vision except the 'vision' of launching Rahul to become the next Prime Minister of India. Till date she has not succeeded in it, for she could not find an appropriate launching pad. She confided this while talking to a political Kolkata businessman and a family friend.
Now let us come to the second story. The Congress debacle in the Assembly elections of Punjab and Uttarakhand. The debacle is more against the UPA Government than against ND Tiwari and Amarinder Singh Governments. Both are men of substance. ND Tiwari was an important member at the Centre. He has run many Central Ministries and the UP Government successfully. But he too was cut to size by Sonia, despite his unflinching loyalty to her personally. She runs the party and the Government through a small coterie, operating from a din.
A leader who does not promote capable leaders can't lead the party to success. She has promoted Christian leaders to the extent possible in places like Kerala, Andhra and Karnataka. She uses people and then throws them out. Natwar Singh and Tiwari are prime examples. After acquiring power in 2004 she adopted the path of vote-bank politics of minorityism at the cost of national interest. It is bound to boomerang on the Congress itself.
In the forthcoming elections we may see Congress meeting the Punjab fate in UP, Delhi, Gujarat, Goa and Himachal. At present the Congress is a ruling party in Assam, AP, Pondicherry, Himachal and Delhi. It is coalition partner in J&K, Jharkhand, Maharashtra and Goa. We'll see a different political picture in 2008.
<!--QuoteBegin-Husky+Jan 26 2007, 07:21 PM-->QUOTE(Husky @ Jan 26 2007, 07:21 PM)<!--QuoteEBegin--><!--QuoteBegin-Viren+Jan 27 2007, 01:02 AM--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Viren @ Jan 27 2007, 01:02 AM)<!--QuoteEBegin-->The siege of grievance concoction<!--QuoteBegin--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->But soon, a banker writing a loan cheque will have to take into account the borrowerâs religious practice. For, according to a report in The Economic Times, the government has asked the Indian Bankerâs Association to earmark a part of total loan disbursement for members of minority communities. On January 9, the banking division under the Finance Ministry told the IBA to set aside 15 per cent of priority sector lending in all categories for this segment. IBA in turn has asked member banks to furnish details of loans to minorities. This is the latest of the innovative communal initiative from the Manmohan Singh government.
<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
UPA directive will impact entire India - something even Emperor Aurangazeb could not do during his life time!!
[right][snapback]63587[/snapback][/right]
<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->...
What's happening in India now is merely a bribe at a national-level: the unethical, low means was formerly restricted to missionary terrorists who did it covertly (when there was no camera on) is now used by the 'Indian' government to do the same, openly.
All these monetary benefits will only last until majority is christoislamic, at which point the new laws will be scrapped (besides, it wouldn't make sense economically to start favouring very large masses of people).
.............
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->RBI had earlier tried to convince the parliamentary standing committee that the plan was not viable. The banking regulator has time and again been trying to impress upon policy-makers that this may not be the best option to pursue.
The regulatorâs views are grounded in the code of banksâ commitment to customers drawn up in July 2006, announced by Banking Codes and Standard Board of India (BCSBI). It states that ââ<b>banks will not discriminate on the basis of age, race, gender, marital status, religion or disability</b>ââ.
The central bank and the Indian Banksâ Association (IBA) have told the government that <b>banksâ lending practices are based on the borrowerâs creditworthiness and not his caste or creed</b>.
Finance minister P Chidambaram is also not enthusiastic about the idea as bank managements are not in favour of it, a banking source said.
Early this year, the government had sent a letter seeking the opinion of both RBI and IBA on a proposal to earmark 6% of loans to borrowers from minority communities. At present, commercial banks must lend 40% of loans to farmers and small businessmen who constitute, along with a few other categories, the priority sector.
ââWe should not deviate from the basic principles of banking. <b>This proposal is not feasible and not desirable as banks lend on the basis of creditworthiness of an individual. We have communicated this to the finance ministry. Banks do not ask for such information from any customer. Both the FM and RBI share the same view</b>,ââ said a senior IBA official. <!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
03-07-2007, 02:55 PM (This post was last modified: 03-07-2007, 03:00 PM by Husky.)
<!--QuoteBegin-Bodhi+Jan 20 2007, 07:12 AM-->QUOTE(Bodhi @ Jan 20 2007, 07:12 AM)<!--QuoteEBegin-->Supreme Court scolds CBI and UPA government. Asks Congress MP from Assam Mani Kumar Subba to prove that he is Indian citizen. Subba is said to be a criminal from Nepal. http://www.jagran.com/news/details.aspx?id=3046464
[right][snapback]63284[/snapback][/right]<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->And now it's certain, as even cnn-ibn was able to make out: http://www.dailypioneer.com/indexn12.asp?m...xt&counter_img=
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin--><b>CNN-IBN nails MK Subba</b>
Pioneer News Service | New Delhi
Channel says he is Nepali citizen; filed false affidavits
A CNN-IBN Special Investigation team probing the roots of Congress MP Mani Kumar Subba has dug up evidence to show that Subba began his lottery business by lying about his place of birth.
As evidenced by the Lok Sabha records, Subba is perhaps the only Member of Parliament to have two different places of birth, a release from the television channel said.
Â
The Supreme Court is hearing a case that has challenged Subba's status as an Indian. Subba has been granted time till April 20 to prove his Indian nationality before the court. Accused of being a Nepali citizen, the special investigation team of the channel said that this suspicion over his nationality, however, did not stop him from becoming a Congress Member of parliament from Tezpur in Assam, the release said.
("Subba has been granted time till April 20 to prove his Indian nationality before the court" Subba needn't worry. Sonia will get him Indian nationality, unless she thinks he's botched everything up for her team.)
Â
<b>Over the years, there have been reports that Subba was, in fact, a murder convict in Nepal, and he was imprisoned from 1971 to 1973 before he escaped to India, the channel release said.</b> "After settling down in India, Subba set up a successful gambling and lottery business, systematically erasing his Nepali past. He even managed to get elected to the August House of Parliament, not once but twice", the CNN-IBN release added.
According to the expose prepared by the channel, the 12th Lok Sabha records Subba's place of birth as Tezpur, Assam and his date of birth being March 16, 1951. But his dossier for the current (14th) Lok Sabha shows his place of birth as Dabgram (Darjeeling) in West Bengal, and the date of birth as March 16, 1958, the expose suggests.
When the CNN-IBN special investigation team went to Dabgram to check the veracity of these records, it found nothing to confirm that it was Subba's birthplace. In Assam, the CNN-IBN team tracked down Karma Kanu, who was Subba's third wife from 1978 to 1991. And Kanu has an entirely different story to tell.
"Hum to pehli baari sun raha hai ye naam. Dabgram to maine kabhi nahi suna hai. Agar vo Dabgram ka hai, to vahan par koi hona chahiye uska. Uska koi rishtedaar nahi hai vahan. (I have heard of this place for the first time. I never heard of this name before. If he belongs to Dabgram, there has to be someone who is related to him)," Kanu is quoted as saying to the channel.
Kanu now lives in Harmoti, a village in Lakhimpur district of Assam. Official documents mention Harmoti as Subba's permanent residence as well.
Â
Kanu met the CNN-IBN team secretly, clearly afraid to talk about Subba. "Jabardasti se to thoda darna bhi pardta hai na. Mein to Assam mein hai. Hai ki nahi? Yahan to koi bhi nahi hai mera (You have to be afraid of people who use force. I am in Assam, you see. And there is nobody here to help me)," she revealed in an interview to the channel.
Â
"In Delhi, when the CNN-IBN team approached Subba, he tried to play down these contradictions", the channel release said, adding "his reaction was recorded on a hidden camera."<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->A liar, a bully (3rd wife is afraid of him), a murderous convict. Just the kind of goon the congress chooses. Congress abounds with such people.
Subba defensive, row in Parliament
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Subba claims to have received education in a school that didn't even exist<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
School records eh? What about Rahul's? Poor Subba left out to dry while Rahul get's apology from Time on his school record!!
Now this Subba is going to sue CNN-IBN. The hits just keep on coming.
What's Manmohan saying in all this? After all it's his Assam constituency.
<b>Preparations for making Mrs. Sonia Gandhi as the next Prime Minister of India</b>
The Pioneer Date: 09.03.07
<b>Sanjay K Jha/ New Delhi: The supporting parties on Sunday night put its seal of approval on Congress president Sonia Gandhi's claim to the post of India's Prime Minister. The formal process of Government formation will now begin once the 14th Lok Sabha is formally constituted on Monday. At a dinner meeting hosted by the Congress president at her residence, 10 Janpath, veteran DMK leader M karunanidhi proposed the name of Ms Gandhi to head the coalition Government at the Centre.</b>
Rashtriya Janata Dal leader Laloo Prasad Yadav and Nationalist Congress Party president Sharad Pawar seconded the proposal. All other leaders present supported it, unanimously electing Ms Gandhi to lead the Government.
The meeting, attended by the leaders of all pre-poll allies of the Congress, the Left and even the Samajwadi Party, also decided to set up a coordination committee and prepare a common minimum programme (CMP). Manmohan Singh and Pranab Mukherjee will prepare a working draft of the CMP, which will be sent to the leaders of the supporting parties for approval.
The meeting also discussed giving a formal name for the alliance but it was decided to first wait for the Left's decision on joining the Government before announcing it. On the question of allies joining the Government, Dr Singh, who briefed the Press, said: "The meeting was primarily called to elect the leader and the other issues will be resolved soon." Most of the parties, including the Left, have already given their letters of support.
The Samajwadi Party had not been invited for the meeting but veteran Communist Harkishen Singh Surjeet's camaraderie with Amar Singh changed the plot at the last minute. Mr Surjeet came in Mr Amar Singh's car along with Lok Dal leader Ajit Singh while the other Left leaders like Jyoti Basu and A B Bardhan came separately.
Repeated queries on why BSP leader Mayawati was not called failed to evoke any response from Dr Singh. Later, one senior leader told The Pioneer that the meeting, in two parts, were meant only for the pre-poll allies and the Left which the Congress wants to be part of the Government. The leader said Mr Amar Singh came with Mr Surjeet and the party had no objection to that.
The Congress leaders, who expect the Left and the DMK to finally join the Government, expressed doubts on the possibility of the SP's participation. "It is difficult to say if both the Congress and the SP will find it convenient to be a partner from within," a senior Congress leader said. He said the SP itself will not find it comfortable in the Government if the Left stays out.
There is another aspect of this dilemma as the SP, which has 38 MPs, will not accept a lesser portfolio and the Congress will not spare an important ministry for it. As far as the BSP is concerned, no decision is expected in a few weeks. The Congress has not forgotten the rebuff Ms Mayawati gave to its leader in the run-up to the election.
How accurate is that report?
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->The Samajwadi Party had not been invited for the meeting but veteran Communist Harkishen Singh Surjeet's camaraderie with Amar Singh changed the plot at the last minute. Mr Surjeet came in Mr Amar Singh's car along with Lok Dal leader Ajit Singh while the other Left leaders like Jyoti Basu and A B Bardhan came separately<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Seems like deja-vu ...
This is from 2004:
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->âI am very ashamed I went there. I should not have gone there. I was not invited (but) Mr Harkishen Singh Surjeet had said âthe venue was Ms Sonia Gandhiâs home and all the forces who were responsible for the day, for the installation of a non-BJP government, were assembling there. âI will go in your car. I will sit with youââ, Mr Amar Singh recalled the CPM leader as saying.<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
<!--QuoteBegin-k.ram+Mar 9 2007, 08:33 AM-->QUOTE(k.ram @ Mar 9 2007, 08:33 AM)<!--QuoteEBegin-->Preparations for making Mrs. Sonia Gandhi as the next Prime Minister of India
The Pioneer Date: 09.03.07
Sanjay K Jha/ New Delhi: The supporting parties on Sunday night put its seal of approval on Congress president Sonia Gandhi's claim to the post of India's Prime Minister. The formal process of Government formation <b>will now begin once the 14th Lok Sabha is formally constituted on Monday.</b> At a dinner meeting hosted by the Congress president at her residence, 10 Janpath, veteran DMK leader M karunanidhi proposed the name of Ms Gandhi to head the coalition Government at the Centre.
<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
this is rehash of the 2004 news. I dont think they reconstitute the lok sabha midterm. They reconvene for a session.
Friday, March 09, 2007 10:39:31 IST
Secularism has many faces, practically all of them distorted. But that is
what contemporary journalism is
As early as 27th December 2006, the Chandigarh-based 'The Tribune' raised
its voice against the government of Andhra Pradesh whose Chief Minister Y.S.
Rajasekhara Reddy has been at war against the media, especially
'Eenadu'. 'The Tribune' then dismissed the behaviour of the Congress
government in Andhra Pradesh as "outrageous" saying that it "shows scant
respect for the institutions that make up a democracy and is a reminder to
all citizens that media freedom must constantly be defended against those
who would like to suppress it for their convenience".Mr. Reddy, the Congress
Chief Minister, had targeted the 'Eenadu' group led by Mr. Ramoji Rao for
launching a series of investigative stories bringing the Reddy government in
bad light, including the one relating to the chief minister's dubious
surrender of surplus land he had come to possess over the years.
*Muzzling the media*
'The Tribune' said that "instead of directly attacking Mr. Ramoji Rao's TV
channels and the 'Eenadu' newspapers, Mr. Reddy chose to take on a group
finance company, Margadarshi Financiers, belonging to Mr. Ramoji Rao for
over three decades. Said 'The Tribune': "With shocking cynicism and
brutality, an attempt was made to discredit the company, in order to cause a
run on its funds", even when the Reserve Bank of India had not shown any
concern about the depositors' money with the company.
'The Tribune' went on to say: "That a state government can launch into this
kind of persecution, simply to harass a newspaper publishing reports
critical of its acts of commission and omission, is nothing but the ugly
pressure of the kind the 'Indian Express' used to experience during the
heydays of Sanjay Gandhi". The Congress chief minister, Mr. S. Rajsekhara
Reddy seems to have been noticed by the overall critical attitude of the
'Eenadu' group towards the Andhra Pradesh government. Pointedly, 'The
Tribune' courageously noted: "It is about press freedom and the powers of
truth, about politicians resorting to desperate actions to deflect the
probing light of inquiry focused by a media group.
The attack on 'Eenadu' shows the press cannot afford to take its freedom for
granted. It has to remain vigilant against direct and indirect threats that
are lurking round the corner." That editorial was written by 'The Tribune'
on 27th December 2006. Two months later, on 23rd February, 2007, the Chennai
based 'The Hindu' ran a story that said that "in an extraordinary move, the
Andhra Pradesh government has issued orders according permission to Special
Commissioner, Information and Public Relations to initiate legal action
against publishers and editors of newspapers/TV channels, which have
published or telecast reports defamatory to the government". The permission
was accorded to the commissioner for lodging a complaint and for filing
defamation cases through a Special Public Prosecutor.
'The Hindu' published the full text of the order. The order clearly is
intended to punish Ramoji Rao and the 'Eenadu' group of papers in Andhra
Pradesh. That a Congress government should be indulging in this form of
Emergency terrorism has evidently not come to the full notice of the Indian
media which has been â with the exception of 'The Tribune' â remarkably
silent. One does not need a special gag order. There are enough laws on
board to tackle defamation. What the Congress Chief Minister obviously has
in mind is to terrorise Mr. Ramoji Rao into submission.
That the Prime Minister's Office has not so far taken any cognizance of the
matter comes as a surprise. Even more surprising is that the Congress party
seems unaware of what is going on in Andhra Pradesh. Muzzling the media
seems to be the order of the day that even 'The Times of India', usually a
defender of the Establishment was forced to write a strong editorial
(January 8, 2007) against the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting that
said that "there is no place in an open society for a ministry that muzzles
the media by laying down draconian, and often ludicruous, guidelines".
It is in this connection that one is reminded of an article that appeared in
'The Hindu' (2nd July, 2006) in its 'Open Page' that is worth recalling. The
article by one R. Lakshminarayanan noted that "there have been disturbing
trends" in the electronic media also. It said: "There seems to be a shortage
of good reporters. A good many are seen to be not voluble enough and
questions put to people are, to say the least, not courteous enough".
More to the point, the article said: "The most disturbing aspect is the
total insensitivity of the news channels to the visuals they bring on the
screen. If the news is about a violent incident, the visuals must have gory
shots of blood pools, blood soaked clothes, blood-smudged floors and dead
bodies â and these visuals get repeated so many times that one dreads to put
on the channel. It is crudity at its first".
The article further said: "Have you noticed that whenever anything gets said
on Babri Masjid, the background will invariably show the 1991 shots of the
mosque being pulled down by the zealots. Why show these old visuals and
re-open the emotional wounds?" But then, isn't the answer obvious? How else
can one damn the BJP except through such visuals? Luckily for our
secularists there was no photography or tapes in those golden days when
Muslim rulers tore down temple after temple â literally hundreds of them â
for showing. Secularism has many faces, practically all of them distorted.
But that is what contemporary journalism is.
*Utterly indifferent*
That the Congress party can remain utterly indifferent to the brutal
laws being passed by a Congress government in Andhra Pradesh comes as a
shock, but perhaps it shouldn't. Wasn't it the same Congress government that
brought in the Emergency? The voice of truth must be stilled whether it is
that of 'Indian Express' or 'Eenadu'. The media, it would seem, has no
business to inquire into how politicians make fortunes. Making such
inquiries in public interest becomes defamatory.
The Reddy-'Eenadu' controversy needs to be extensively gone into and
discussed, threadbare. There is a law to protect journalists who make
statements in good faith. There are enough laws to handle defamation and
they are open to Chief Minister Reddy to use in all genuine cases. To enact
new and stringent orders is to admit to guilt. Reddy in his more relaxed
moments can reflect on this. If he had a good case, he has nothing to lose.
If he hasn't he will only invite disgrace.
The Stage is set to bring down the congress government within a few months. CPIM has already given the yellow card. DMK has given their second yellow card. Mulayam singh has given the red card.
There is a big failure on the part of the Congress party to go further. They are stuck with their own beings.
If they want to survive they will have to replace or interchange a few immediately
Mr Ahuwallia as adviser
Mr Chidambaram to be the finance minister
Mr Antony to be the minister
also the external minister
There is a big failure to contain the raising prices. Finance minister announced he cannot do anything about it. He has failed though he had done extraordinarily well last year. This year miserably failed.
The economy cannot be containted if people cannot afford to buy things.
inflation needs to be brought under control to think about another term.
UP goes to BJP now! then there is a possibility that BJP would come back again to Delhi with DMK/PMK, and other unusual allies.
At present the economy is not doing fine. As the SEZs are frozen by the Congress government. Many investors are waiting and waiting and may not wait anymore.
The govt is stuck because they could not do liberalisation in full swing nor could bring about development in another full swing nor contain the inflation.
I do not think neither Hon'ble Manmohan nor Hon'ble Finance minister nor any strong voices understood our economy very well. Now the farmers kill themselves tomorrow because of foreign retail investment most of the shop keepers are going kill themselves. I am in favour of liberalisation but the way the present government has taken us into this chaotic situation is wrong.
Remedy is first receive the trust from the allies by interchaning the ministers if they are not able to do their job properly (this is also a philosophy behind the neo-libearlism).
secondly all those who are not brining down their prices such as cement producers tell them that their industries will be nationalised if they do not agree with the government or the government will not provide ores to the companies anymore.
Thirdly control the export of certain goods until the time when no much threat to the prices is there even if they are exported.
Fourthly in case of some goods import the cheap but minimum quality goods from outside.
Fifthly train the people to develop their skills particularly the college going boys make them one or two years voluntary training in Miliatary. Such volunteers can work for the development of this nation. Voultarism is one service aspect that is not used in India for development and sustaining economy.
There are a few suggestions for the government to radical changes
NEW DELHI: A meeting between industrialist Mukesh Ambani and Bharatiya Janata Party president Rajnath Singh on Monday has set off speculation whether he has decided to back the BJP.
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Looks like UPA is losing the support of the backers
--><img src='style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin.gif' border='0' style='vertical-align:middle' alt='biggrin.gif' /><!--endemo-->
