Varun pips Rahul in MP fund spend

LUCKNOW: It's a battle of brothers. And younger cousin Varun Gandhi appears to have the upper hand, at least when it comes to funding the development of his constituency. Spending nearly 78% of his MP local area development scheme (MPLADS) funds for Pilibhit, Gandhi has emerged the highest spender among MPs from UP.

In contrast, Congress scion Rahul Gandhi was able to utilise less than 6% of funds allocated to him for development of Amethi under MPLADS.

Even Varun's mother Maneka Gandhi pips her sister-in-law Sonia Gandhi on this count. Although Rae Bareli MP has done much better than her son with 41.78% utilisation of funds, she is much behind Maneka, the Aonla MP, who spent 71.5% of her fund. Fund utilization under MPLADS is not all that was found wanting. In Uttar Pradesh, MPs also seemed to have been ineffective in getting sanctioned works completed.

In Amethi, for instance, though Rahul Gandhi recommended 11 projects in 2009-10, not a single of them could be completed by February 2010. In Pilibhit, Varun Gandhi fared a little better. He recommended 39 works, of which 33 were sanctioned. However, only one project could be completed by the end of January 2010.

Is it a crime to talk against black money & corruption? – Gadkari asks PM

Nitin Gadkari wedged a severe attack on Manmohan Sing
over his statements during the meet with select editors

New Delhi, June 29 (News Bharati) : The BJP president Gadkari today launched a scathing attack on Prime Minister Manmohan Singh over the views aired by him during his interaction with select editors, terming him as “failed” economist. Taking strong objection to the PM’s remarks on Baba Ramdev & Ramleela ground incident, he asked the PM, “is it a crime in India to talk against black money & corruption?” Also referring to the fuel price hike, he quipped that the congress government does not want the common man to live.

The BJP president, reacting to the Prime Ministers select press meet on Tuesday, said that the quandary the government is currently in, is of its own making.

Addressing a press conference in New Delhi, Nitin Gadkari took strong exception to PM’s allegation that the Opposition is ‘not cooperating’ and instead alleged that the government did not consult them before starting parleys with the civil society over Lokpal bill.

He said, “We were not taken into confidence and now when they are in a fix, they remember us and accuse us of noncooperation.”

Gadkari said that the BJP will take a stand (on the Lokpal Bill) after it is tabled in Parliament.

Referring to PM’s statement that the Ramdev episode was unfortunate but unavoidable, Gadkari said, “Is it a crime to talk against black money and corruption? When the people, by and large, had not taken single stone in their hands, then why did the police attack them? Is this good for democracy?”

He quipped further, “The PM should explain why such an action was taken. Government ministers go to the airport to escort Ramdev and within four days your people call him thug? Now they say that same will happen with Anna Hazare. The Prime Minister and Sonia Gandhi should explain what type of democracy they want in the country,” the BJP president added.

On the issue of the government’s perceived failure to check rise on prices of essential commodities, Gadkari said, “The economist PM has failed in the examination.”

Referring the recent fuel price hike, Gadkari said the move was unwarranted for, and could have been avoided. He said that the LPG prices should not have been hiked as the prices are exorbitant & are going out of reach of the common man.

He opined that inflation is high because of wrong economic policies of the government. “Rs 70 thousand crores worth of food grain is rotting. Why can’t the government distribute it to the poor?” he asked.

(Readers can access the official transcript of Prime Minister's talk with the select editors by clicking here.)

Fuel price hike to manage fiscal deficit

New Delhi: Opposition BJP on Monday alleged that though oil companies were making profits, the government had increased the prices of diesel, cooking gas and kerosene to keep in check its fiscal deficit which is “going awry due to high corruption and faulty economic policies”.

“The government has reasoned that these prices were increased as international crude prices were increased, due to which Indian oil companies were losing money and the loss due to subsidy was becoming unbearable.... But the tax collected last year by the petroleum sector was . 1,35,000 crore and the total subsidy is only . 40,430 crore,” senior BJP leader Murli Manohar Joshi said.

Joshi argued that even after the tax share of states — which roughly amounts to . 55,000 crore — is factored in, the government would still be saving . 40,000 crore and hence the contention that it is suffering a loss is “incorrect”.

The senior BJP leader, who is also chairperson of Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC), said decreasing Customs duty — announced by the UPA government along with the last hike — has nothing to do with crude oil prices as it is determined by the formula of 80% of import price and 20% of domestic price.

He said the government did not want its fiscal deficit — pegged at 4.6% — to go up and so was increasing petroleum prices to prevent any impact on total tax collection.

Source: TNN 28th June 2011

PM's post should not become fiefdom of a family: Advani

New Delhi, June 26 - Terming it 'sad' that the Congress has become the 'fiefdom of a single family', Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader L.K. Advani Sunday said the office of prime minister is 'reserved' for a 'nominee' or a member of the Nehru-Gandhi family.

'Prime ministership of a great democracy like India should not be allowed to become the jagirdari of a family,' Advani said in his blog.

'Sadly, the Congress today has become the fiefdom of a single family. The office of prime minister is reserved either for the nominee or a member of the Nehru family,' he added.

'India is paying a heavy price because of a prime minister nominated by the Congress president,' he added.

'And now the demand has arisen from within the Congress Party that a scion of the Nehru family should take over the prime ministership,' Advani, a former deputy prime minister, said.

He was referring to voices in the Congress once again saying that Congress chief Sonia Gandhi's son Rahul Gandhi fits the bill as the next prime minister of India.'Our country cannot afford continuation of the misrule that UPA represents,' he added.

Source: News Bharati

Remembering Emergency days

On 25 June 1975 President Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed, upon advice by Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, declared a state of emergency under Article 352 of the Constitution of India, effectively bestowing on her the power to rule by decree, suspending elections and civil liberties.

RSS which were seen close to opposition leaders, and with its large organizational base was seen potential for organizing protests against the Government, was also banned along with the others. Police clamped down on the organization and thousands of its workers were imprisoned.

The RSS defied the ban and thousands participated in Satyagraha (peaceful protests) against the ban and against the curtailment of fundamental rights. Later, when there was no letup, the volunteers of the RSS formed underground movements for the restoration of democracy. Literature that was censored in the media was clandestinely published and distributed on a large scale and funds were collected for the movement. Networks were established between leaders of different political parties in the jail and outside for the coordination of the movement.

'The Economist', London, described the movement as "the only non-left revolutionary force in the world". It said that the movement was "dominated by tens of thousands of RSS cadres, though more and more young recruits are coming". Talking about its objectives it said "its platform at the moment has only one plank: to bring democracy back to India".

During the Emergency, Police clamped down on the organizations and thousands of their workers were imprisoned, many opposition leaders were jailed, freedom of press was suspended and powers of the judiciary were curtailed.

Opponents had long made allegations that Indira's party, Congress, had practiced electoral fraud to win the 1971 elections. The Gandhian socialist Jayaprakash Narayan had been agitating in Bihar for a change in provincial government, and increasingly sought to direct popular action against the Central Government through satyagrahas.

Narayan and his supporters sought to unify students, peasants, and labour organisations in a 'Total Revolution' to nonviolently transform Indian society. Indira's party was defeated in Gujarat by a coalition of parties calling itself the Janata Party (People's Party), and even faced an all-party, no-confidence motion in Parliament.

The Government used police forces across the country to arrest thousands of protestors and strike leaders. J.P. Narayan, Raj Narain, Morarji Desai, Charan Singh, Jivatram Kripalani, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Lal Krishna Advani, Satyendra Narayan Sinha and other protest leaders were immediately arrested.

Kashmir problem : Nehru family's special gift to the nation

New Delhi : Terming the Kashmir issue as a 'gift of the Nehru family', the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Thursday warned the Congress-led central government of a nationwide agitation if any 'compromise' was made on the issue.
Speaking here on a day when the two-day foreign secretary level talks between India and Pakistan began in Islamabad, BJP leader L.K. Advani said the party had information that the government was in a mood to make a compromise on the Kashmir dispute.
'We also get information time to time that an unofficial agreement has been done. The BJP is spread across the country, if any type of compromise on Kashmir is done and they try to turn the clock back to the situation before 1953, a nationwide agitation will take place which no one can imagine,' Advani said.
Advani blamed former prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru for creating the 'Kashmir problem'.'Our countrymen should know that the Kashmir problem is Nehru family's special gift to the nation,' he said.
'Our country has paid an incalculable price for Nehruji's failure to settle the Kashmir issue once and for all in India's favour at the time of partition. Nehruji's blunder was totally avoidable,' he added.
Party spokesperson Nirmala Sitharaman said that Pakistan needed to convince India that it was against terrorism. 'Pakistan needs to convince us that they are earnest about controlling cross-border terrorism. They are also not giving us enough reasons to believe that they will bring the perpetrators of 26/11 to justice,' Sitharaman said.
'As a result, having a composite dialogue with Pakistan itself is worrying and to have to avoid terrorism in total as part of agenda of their talks is very worrying. What is that they are trying to achieve through the process of this dialogue,' she asked.
The BJP spokesperson also said that it will be 'talk for talk's sake' unless terrorism features on the agenda. Two-day talks between Indian Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao and her Pakistani counterpart Salman Bashir began in Islamabad Thursday.
The two top diplomats held discussions on peace and security and confidence building measures (CBMs) across the Line of Control in Kashmir. The second and third round of talks on Jammu and Kashmir and promotion of friendly exchanges will take place Friday.
Source: News Bharati, 24 June 2011

Compromise on Kashmir will spark nationwide stir: BJP

IANS | New Delhi June 23, 2011: Terming the Kashmir issue as a "gift of the Nehru family", the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Thursday warned the Congress-led central government of a nationwide agitation if any "compromise" was made on the issue.

Speaking here on a day when the two-day foreign secretary level talks between India and Pakistan began in Islamabad, BJP leader L.K. Advani said the party had information that the government was in a mood to make a compromise on the Kashmir dispute.

"We also get information time to time that an unofficial agreement has been done. The BJP is spread across the country, if any type of compromise on Kashmir is done and they try to turn the clock back to the situation before 1953, a nationwide agitation will take place which no one can imagine," Advani said.

Advani blamed former prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru for creating the "Kashmir problem".

"Our countrymen should know that the Kashmir problem is Nehru family's special gift to the nation," he said.

"Our country has paid an incalculable price for Nehruji's failure to settle the Kashmir issue once and for all in India's favour at the time of partition. Nehruji's blunder was totally avoidable," he added.

Party spokesperson Nirmala Sitharaman said that Pakistan needed to convince India that it was against terrorism.

"Pakistan needs to convince us that they are earnest about controlling cross-border terrorism. They are also not giving us enough reasons to believe that they will bring the perpetrators of 26/11 to justice," Sitharaman said.

"As a result, having a composite dialogue with Pakistan itself is worrying and to have to avoid terrorism in total as part of agenda of their talks is very worrying. What is that they are trying to achieve through the process of this dialogue," she asked.

The BJP spokesperson also said that it will be "talk for talk's sake" unless terrorism features on the agenda.

Two-day talks between Indian Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao and her Pakistani counterpart Salman Bashir began in Islamabad Thursday.

The two top diplomats held discussions on peace and security and confidence building measures (CBMs) across the Line of Control in Kashmir. The second and third round of talks on Jammu and Kashmir and promotion of friendly exchanges will take place Friday.

Dr Mookerjee sacrificed life for nation: BJP

Jammu, Jun 23 PTI, 23rd June: Paying tributes to Syama Prasad Mookerjee on his 58th death anniversary, state BJP today said that he sacrificed his life in Jammu and Kashmir for the cause of nation.

"We pay tributes to Dr. Mookerjee today. He was leader instrumental in abolition of permit system in Jammu and Kashmir and sacrificed his life in the state for the cause of nation," BJP state president Shamhser Singh Manhas said while addressing a function today.

After independence, while citizens could visit any part of the country, Jammu and Kashmir had a permit system, he said. "Any one willing to visit this state had to obtain a permit from the administration. Dr Mookherjee launched an agitation against this and declared to enter J&K without permit," he said.

In 1953, he along with other nationalist leaders, entered the state and was arrested, he said adding that, after a few days of his arrest, Dr Mookherjee died under mysterious circumstances at Srinagar.

Trust gone, UPA’s doom in next poll is inevitable

By GVL Narasimha Rao
IN the life cycle of elected governments, a time comes when the public support decisively swings from one of enjoying inherent trust to one in which people have lost implicit trust. In case of some governments, this happens very rapidly and in some others, it takes a very long time as was the case with the Left Front in West Bengal which had an uninterrupted reign of 34 years.

Usually, a major decision or action precipitates this dramatic shift of public perceptions about an elected government. In Left ruled West Bengal, the agitation in Singur provided the stimulus. In the case of the UPA government, the midnight crackdown on Baba Ramdev’s supporters – after meekly acquiescing to him and rolling out the red carpet at Delhi airport – has provided that spark.

I have been keeping tabs on public opinion for several months now and the extensive ground level feedback that we have gathered shows that the midnight crackdown on Baba Ramdev’s fast was the turning point and turned the supporting masses against the Congress led government at the Centre.

Admittedly, it has taken many years in office and many scams in its wake to pierce the credibility of the Congress led government at the Centre. And, once the credibility of a regime is eroded, it is impossible to regain it. Rajiv Gandhi government never recovered from the Bofors scandal that broke out just two years after he won a landslide victory in 1984 and faced a humiliating defeat in 1989. Similarly, PV Narasimha Rao’s government never recovered from a series of scandals – securities scam, JMM scandal, Sukhram’s telecom scam, Urea scam, etc. –that led to its devastating poll defeat in 1996.

It is instructive to study how the governments in the past tried to recover ground when they were confronted with extremely adverse situations. Indira Gandhi imposed emergency in 1975 following Allahabad High Court’s verdict declaring her election to Lok Sabha as void; Rajiv Gandhi’s associates forged documents purporting to show that his principal challenger VP Singh had a secret bank account in a foreign bank in St Kitts; VP Singh himself unleashed the anti-quota stir by implementing the Mandal Commission recommendations in 1990; PV Narasimha Rao raked up years old Hawala scandal to fix political rivals in 1995 etc.

Circa 2011, the Congress party facing an unprecedented crisis over corruption charges can be expected to do all that the past governments have done and much more to survive politically. But the UPA presently has a serious problem at hand.

First, it faces a multitude of scams and myriad issues like black money, corruption, price rise etc. With every passing week, new scams are coming out of the closet. Undoubtedly, 2G is one scam that has damaged the UPA government the most. The scale of the loot and its brazen manner has had a devastating impact on the public. Curiously, the 2G scam which has claimed many top leaders of the DMK hasn’t yet reached the Congress’s doorstep. The manner in which the Congress Party stymied the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) probe led by the BJP’s Murli Manohar Joshi and the tardy functioning of the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) probing the 2G scam have aroused suspicions about the Congress Party’s motives and involvement.

Second, unlike in the past when governments faced one major scam and a clearly identified political rival, the Congress Party is faced with a barrage of attacks from an active judiciary, a demanding civil society led by popular Anna Hazare and Baba Ramdev, a rejuvenated opposition, vigilant media and statutory institutions like the CAG. Despite the Sonia Gandhi led Congress party’s best attempts to emasculate high offices of the Prime Minister, President by appointing pliable individuals to these venerable institutions, the Congress Party has not been able to avoid public scrutiny as other institutions of the government have turned their heat on the government.

True to its habit, the Congress Party will attempt some drastic actions to regain its lost credibility. It will unleash vendetta against opposition leaders and attempt to show that all those arraigned against the Congress are corrupt. It will create and exploit every opportunity to rake up non-issues to divert public attention.

It may even resort to dividing the electorate on caste, communal or some other lines to minimise the electoral damage. This may actually backfire on the Congress Party that traditionally has had a wide appeal across various caste and other groups. Yet, a desperate Congress Party may make some cynical moves to get out of the corruption rut. Attempts to link activists like Anna Hazare with the RSS are a part of this cynical strategy.

Take my word: Nothing will help restore the present government’s credibility. Let me explain this from my experience as a poll analyst for two decades. When a government enjoys public trust, all its actions are generally seen from a positive perspective. And, when a government is seen to be inherently untrustworthy, all its actions become suspect. All actions of the Manmohan Singh government will henceforth be viewed from a negative perspective due to the credibility crisis that envelopes it.

The Manmohan Singh government, despite enjoying a parliamentary majority is a lame duck government. Whether it lasts the full term or dies a premature death will depend on its political survival strategies. For sure, in the public mind, it has already lost its mandate. Its defeat at polls, whenever they are held, is an inevitability that stares it in its face.

The moot question is who will benefit from a declining Congress. In the absence of a single national icon in the political arena leading the movement against corruption, the electoral gains will be distributed among various parties. A past master in vilifying its opponents, the Congress Party has mounted a counter attack against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and it is difficult to refute that it has dented the BJP’s public image to some extent. When Vajpayee and Advani led the BJP in the 90s, there was a yearning among people for change and the BJP filled that vacuum. That space is now occupied by apolitical Anna Hazare and Baba Ramdev. To reclaim that space and to capitalise on the mood for change, the BJP needs to project an image and a leadership that elevates the party among the public.

And, at a time when the Congress Party is playing a rabidly communal card to woo Muslim voters resulting in a nationwide anger among Hindus, the BJP’s election campaign has to be led by credible leadership from within the BJP and not by co-opting “secular” leaders from the coalition or popular activists from the civil society. After many years, the electoral situation is ripe for the BJP to return to power at the Centre with renewed strength and if it makes the right moves, the BJP’s rise will be as sharp as the Congress’s free fall.

(The writer is a noted poll analyst)

Half of money stashed abroad belongs to Congress: Maneka Gandhi

Bareilly, PTI: BJP MP Maneka Gandhi has alleged that half of India's black money stashed in Swiss banks belonged to ministers, leaders and supporters of the Congress party.
The BJP leader, while talking to reporters last night, also alleged that the Congress had kept CBI in its locker and used the agency as and when it required.
She also slammed the Congress party's attitude towards Baba Ramdev and social activist Anna Hazare, calling it "undignified."
"As money of Congress leaders is stashed in Swiss banks, therefore the party wants to curb every voice being raised against it," Maneka alleged.
Terming Anna Hazare's proposed agitation from August 16 as a "struggle for economic freedom," she said that whatever her party decided at the all-party meet on Lokpal bill, likely to be held next month, would be acceptable.

Chidambaram should be removed: Joshi

New Delhi, June 17 - Moving from 2G to KG, Public Accounts Committee Chairman and veteran Bharatiya Janata Party leader Murli Manohar Joshi on Friday launched a full-spectrum attack on the UPA government and specifically on Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram.

He demanded that Mr. Chidambaram be removed from the Cabinet for his alleged role not only in the 2G spectrum allocation case but also in the “latest” scandal related to gas in which the CAG has alleged that undue favours were shown to Reliance Industries Limited in its Krishna Godavari basin gas operations.

Dr. Joshi cited the draft report of the Comptroller and Auditor-General to demand that the government hold an inquiry into the “unprecedented leak,” adding that the leak could not have been made from the CAG office, and that the Petroleum Ministry must be guilty. It was a “matter of privilege,” he said but did not clarify whether he intended to take it up as a privilege issue.

Since the issue was now in the “public domain,” the PAC would be free to take up the matter even before the CAG completed its report and submitted it to Parliament, he said. “Any member of the PAC can raise the issue at the next meeting,” which would be held later this month.

Dr. Joshi said the Ministry needed to tell the people how long it intended to take before responding to the CAG's draft report. “Why is this delay?”

He wondered why Mr. Chidambaram, who was Finance Minister at the time and a member of the Group of Ministers, had agreed to allow private gas companies to increase the price of gas to $4.20 per British thermal unit against the earlier ONGC selling price of $1.80. The decision to raise the price had benefited the private companies and led to a huge loss to the exchequer.

What was the “formula” for determining the price of petroleum products, he asked. Mr. Chidambaram had not protected government revenues, he had “bungled” the list of the most wanted men sent to Pakistan and “now there was also a question mark on his election to the Lok Sabha.” “I demand that he be removed from the Cabinet,” Dr. Joshi said.

Sources in the BJP suggest that Mr. Chidambaram is being targeted because of Hindutva terror cases against some RSS ‘pracharaks.' Some senior leaders have been trying to assuage RSS fears by telling them they are speaking to Mr. Chidambaram to “sort out the issue.” But the fear is that nothing concrete has happened to let the RSS completely off the hook on these cases.

Dr. Joshi did not spare Manmohan Singh either, saying “as always, the Prime Minister keeps all such issues at arm's length.” He dismissed questions on the propriety of his using the BJP office to address issues related to the PAC's work.

Source: Newsbharati Date: 6/18/2011

Swamy alleges Sonia’s travels facilitated by hostile countries; her sisters got 2G money

Mumbai, June 16 : Congress batter Subramanian Swamy is at it again. In a letter written to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on November 24th last year, Swamy has alleged that the travels of Sonia abroad are being facilitated by the countries hostile to India & few dubious corporates based in Dubai. He has further alleged that Sonia’s two sisters Anushka & Nadia have received not less than sixty percent of kickbacks of the 2G scam money, which is approximately 18 thousand Rupees.
Interestingly, it is learnt that Prime Minister’s office has not replied to the letter till today, nor it has denied the allegations. Sonia’s travels abroad by private jets provided by foreign companies, has become a subject of hush hush discussions in Delhi’s political & Babu circles recently. Just when the public opinion in the country is growingly angry over the issue of black money & the agitations of Baba’s & Anna’s are hounding the government over the issue, disappearance of Sonia & Rahul from public vision is again adding to the hush hush gossip. It has been alleged by many in Babu & political circles that Sonia & Rahul were on Europe tour at the exact time of the Baba Ramdev’s Satyagraha, that too with a private jet provided by a foreign company. Government has not reacted & nor denied the allegation yet.
It is being pointed out by her detractors that the silence alone of the authorities in the congress & govt. is enough to smell the rat.
In the letter to the prime minister, Swamy has pointed out that using private planes to travel abroad is against the DGCA rule. Instead of using state or any public carrier traveling by private jets itself raises suspicions. He has alleged that Sonia & family is being facilitated by agencies of hostile countries - including Pakistan - in Dubai. Swamy has accused the Sonia’s European family has got hold of the ill-gotten money from India. He also pointed to the suspicious travel patterns of the Sonia's family, saying, “The frequent travel of Sonia Gandhi and her immediate family to Malaysia, Hongkong, Dubai and parts of Europe including London requires to be probed under the law.”
He has also appealed to Manmohan Singh that it is high time to ‘take a stand on the crucial issue when evil is permeating in the country in the form of terrorism, religious conversion and demographic infiltration.’

(Source: News Bharati)

BJP questions Mamata silence on graft, Ramdev

Kolkata, June 15 (IANS) Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Nitin Gadkari Tuesday questioned Trinamool Congress chief and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's silence on the corruption issues and the crackdown on Baba Ramdev's protest.
'Why is Mamataji quiet on the various issues of corruption in last one year? You are also part of the UPA. You have not raised any objections on these issues,' said Gadkari while addressing a party programme in Kolkata.
The Trinamool Congress is the largest partner of the UPA after the Congress party and Banerjee has also held the post of railway minister in the union cabinet.
The Congress is an important ally of the Trinamool Congress-led government in West Bengal.
Gadkari also questioned Banerjee's silence on the issue of crackdown on Baba Ramdev's fast at the Ramlila Ground.
'I want to ask why Mamataji is quiet when Baba Ramdev was beaten up at the Ramlila Ground. If you are quiet, people will think that you supported it,' said Gadkari.

Won't allow Emergency, Congress a fascist party: Gadkari

IANS, June 15th, 2011 Kolkata: Describing the crackdown on Baba Ramdev's hunger strike in New Delhi as the Congress party's "fascism", Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Nitin Gadkari Wednesday called the ruling party as one of "mother and son", and said the BJP would not allow Sonia Gandhi's ploy to impose Emergency in the country.
"The incident which happened at the Ramlila Ground is Ravan Lila. The crackdown on Baba Ramdev's fast programme reveals the restlessness of the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance government. What happened is fascism and cannot be tolerated. The BJP will not tolerate it," said Gadkari while addressing party workers here.
"What kind of atrocity is this? Old people, children, and women were beaten up as they demanded the return of black money stacked in foreign countries. The Congress talks about the non-violent movement of Gandhiji and this is what you get when you conduct a non-violent movement," said Gadkari.
"Earlier, the Congress had imposed Emergency. The people of the India still remember that black chapter. I want to say that if Soniaji (Congress chief) tries to move away from the path of democracy and tries to impose Emergency, we will not tolerate it," he said.
Gadkari called the Congress "a party of mother and son" and said that except the Gandhis everybody in the Congress party are "servants" of that family.
"This Congress party is a party of mother and son. Everybody in this party, except the Gandhis, are servants of this family. Nobody is a leader except a Gandhi, others are servants. They are ordered by their madam (Sonia Gandhi) to serve and they serve," said Gadkari.
"It is as if from a womb of a prime minister another prime minister is born. A son of leader will be a leader, a son of a minister will be a minister. We have seen Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi now we are seeing Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi. Then again, we will see some other Gandhi," said Gadkari.
Gadkari also took potshots at union finance minister and Congress stalwart Pranab Mukherjee, saying that he can become a prime minister of India someday but he can never adorn the post of Congress president.
"Pranab-da has a wish of becoming the prime minister of India. He may get that post someday but he will never become a Congress president because that post is reserved for a Gandhi only," said Gadkari.

BJP demands greater compensation for 'willing' Singur farmers

Kolkata, June 14 (IANS) After the West Bengal assembly Tuesday passed the bill to return land to "unwilling" farmers in Singur, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) demanded greater compensation for those who had willingly given their lands.
"We welcome the government's move to introduce the bill. But what will be the fate of the so-called willing farmers, who were also coerced to give up their plots and take compensation. The government should look into the issue and arrange for greater compensation to those farmers," senior BJP leader Chandan Mitra said.
The state government Tuesday got the bill passed for reclaiming 997 acres of land at Singur in Hooghly district so as to return about 400 acres to the owners.
Two years of sustained peasant agitation led by Mamata Banerjee's Trinamool Congress had forced auto giant Tata Motors to move to Gujarat to set up the manufacturing plant for their small car Nano.
Mitra accused Banerjee of causing peasant unrest across the country by blocking the land acquisition amendment bill in parliament.
"(Mamata) Banerjee blocked the bill for three years, and since it was denied passage, so much trouble broke out in several places, including Kalinganagar (in Orissa) and Bhatta-Parsaul (Uttar Pradesh)."
State BJP president Rahul Sinha described the government's move to accord recognition to 1,000 madrasas (Islamic seminaries) in the state as "dangerous" and said his party will oppose the move.
"It was wrong on the part of the state government to take this hasty decision. Instead of taking recourse to this communal politics to accord blanket recognition to all these madrasas, Banerjee should have gone through the reports of central and state intelligence agencies. This act might cost us dearly," he said.
Sinha also criticised Banerjee for the "secret" deal she struck with the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM) and demanded that the state government maintain "transparency" by making public the content of the agreement on the proposed Hill Council.
"It is being kept under wraps which areas of the plains will be included in the proposed autonomous council for Darjeeling. There is a lack of transparency. The government must make people known about the agreement," he said.

Congress displaying 'arrogance of power' : Mitra

Chandan Mitra

Kolkata, June 14 (PTI) : Lashing out at Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee for alleging that the BJP and RSS were behind the anti-graft movements of Baba Ramdev and Anna Hazare, senior BJP leader Chandan Mitra today said Mukherjee and his Congress party were displaying 'arrogance of power'.

Mitra pointed out that it was the Congress which had invited Anna Hazare to the drafting committee of the proposed Lokpal Bill and now when a problem cropped up they were shifting responsibility on the RSS and BJP.

'Who went to the airport to dissuade Baba Ramdev from launching his fast-undo-death? When it did not pay off, they started putting the blame on us,' Mitra said.

Bengal BJP criticised Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's decision to recognise 10,000 madrasas

BJP hits out at Mamata's madrasas move
Source: The Hindu: 12th June 2011
KOLKATA: The West Bengal unit of the BJP on Saturday criticised Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's decision to recognise 10,000 madrasas despite reports that Central intelligence had found most of the madrasas, operating along the Bangladesh border, to be “anti-Indian” in nature.
Ms. Banerjee had announced on Friday that though the government would recognise these madrasas there would be no financial assistance to them due to the State's poor finances. Describing it as a “revolutionary decision”, she had said that the madrasas would now be able to avail themselves of various Central schemes, some of which would also benefit them financially.
State BJP president Rahul Sinha in a statement accused Ms. Banerjee of “playing with national integrity” in order to “appease a particular community”. He pointed out that Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram had recently told journalists that activists of the Bangladesh-based terror group Harkat-ul-Jihad-ul-Islami (HuJI) have a strong presence along the international border with a number of madrasas being under their direct control. “The Central government report says that most of the madrasas are anti-Indian,” Mr. Sinha said. Asserting that the BJP welcomed the approval of “real Indian madrasas,” he said Ms. Banerjee could have taken the reports by the Intelligence Bureau as well as Central and local intelligence units into consideration before arriving at the decision.

Scribe's murder very shocking: Gadkari

Mumbai, Jun 11 : BJP president Nitin Gadkari today said the killing of a city-based journalist shows "deterioration" in the law and order in Maharashtra.

"The gruesome murder of the senior journalist is a very shocking incident. Mumbai has lost a brave journalist. I condole his death and condemn the dastardly crime. This incident has shown deterioration of the law and order in Maharashtra," Gadkari said in a statement issued by Maharashtra BJP.

Mumbai Congress president, Kripashankar Singh, described the incident as an "attack on democracy" and demanded the state home department bring the culprits to book at the earliest.

Jyoti Dey, an Editor (Special Investigation) of MidDay, was shot dead by unidentified assailants at suburban Powai.

Source: PTI      Date: 6/11/2011

Silence on corruption, black money tarnishing Mamata's image: BJP

Published: Thursday, Jun 9, 2011
Place: Kolkata | Agency: IANS: Questioning West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee’s silence on issues like corruption and black money, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Thursday said her honest image would be besmirched if she does not speak up soon.
“The present ruling party of West Bengal is part of the centre’s ruling UPA (United Progressive Alliance). But it’s a matter of regret that when there is a furore across the country on corruption, black money and scams, Mamata is silent on the issue, just like (UPA chairperson) Sonia Gandhi," BJP vice president Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said.
“This raises questions on Mamata’s honest image. She should not remain silent on these issues. If she does not speak up in the next one or two days, her image will be besmirched,” he said.
As part of the nationwide campaign against black money, corruption and scams, the BJP will organise rallies, and hold public meetings and demonstrations between June 23 and 26, he added.
In West Bengal, the party will hold a symbolic 'chakka jam' programme for 10 minutes from 2 pm June 13.
Big rallies will be taken out across the state June 30, he said.

BJP dharna in Kolkata over crackdown on Ramdev''s rally

Kolkata, Jun 06 (PTI) Protesting against the police crackdown on yoga guru Ramdev and his supporters at the Ramlila maidan in Delhi, BJP supporters today went on a day-long dharna here.
West Bengal party chief Rahul Sinha, secretary Ritesh Tiwari and others were present at the dharna at the Vidyasagar statue in College Square.
Speakers condemned the Centre''s ''undemocratic action'' and said "the police crackdown reminds us of the dark days of Emergency in 1975 when people''s democratic and fundamental rights were drastically curbed.
"We are baffled why the UPA government gave a red carpet welcome to the yoga guru on June two when he arrived in Delhi and why after conceding his demands let loose the police to disperse Baba Ramdev and his supporters on Saturday midnight," the speakers said.
The BJP leaders said that the issues raised by Ramdev were national issues which had to be conceded by the centre.
They alleged that the Prime Minister after assuming office had promised to curb growth of black money but had gone back on his words.
Placards at the venue read ''Sonia Gandhi and PM should apologise'', ''Bring back black money stashed in foreign banks'' and ''Support yoga guru Ramdev in his crusade against corruption''.

BJP targets PM, Sonia for police action against Ramdev

PTI | Lucknow June 05, 2011: Action fascist BJP to observe satyagraha: Gadkari

Condemning the police action to disrupt Ramdev's agitation, BJP today sought to hold Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress chief Sonia Gandhi for it and announced a 24-hour stir across the country to protest it.

BJP president Nitin Gadkari said the "police crackdown" was reminiscent of the Emergency days and alleged that Congress was not ready to discuss corruption issue through democratic means like that period.

"The crackdown by police came on the orders of the Prime Minister and Sonia Gandhi. We strongly condemn it...The Prime Minister and Sonia Gandhi must apologise to the people," Gadkari said addressing a press conference here.

The BJP chief also announced a 24-hour agitation at district level across the country in protest against the "police high-handedness."

Detailing the programme for the agitation, he said the party workers will hold satyagrah at Rajghat in Delhi whether or not government gives permission.

Replying to questions, he said the issue of corruption should not be politicised.

At the same time, he said it was BJP which had raised the issue of black money and corruption first and that it will support the organisations fighting against it.

Gadkari said that a meeting of senior party functionaries would be held in Delhi at 5 pm today after which a satyagraha would be staged at Rajghat from 7 pm onwards.

"Senior leaders including L K Advani, Leaders of Opposition in both the houses (Sushma Swaraj and Arun Jaitley), Rajnath Singh and myself will participate in the satyagraha," he said.

Comparing the police action at the Ramlila ground with the Jallianwala Bagh massacre, the BJP president said that the manner in which the atrocities were committed was a serious matter.

"It is an act of fascist and undemocratic mentality and the BJP will strongly fight against it," he said.

Gadkari said the issue of corruption and black money raised by Baba Ramdev was in the national interest.

"I don't understand that why the government is trying to divert the issue, probably there is fear that if everything comes into open then it may cause embarrassment," he said.