No grand alliance in UP? SP rules out tie-up with RLD, to ally only with Congress

LUCKNOW: Hopes of a 'maha gathbandhan' against the BJP in Uttar Pradesh were dashed on Thursday with the Samajwadi Party ruling out any alliance with the Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD), but asserting a tie-up with the Congress+ .

"We will forge an alliance only with the Congress. We will not ally with the RLD+ . No talks are going on with them (RLD). We will contest from over 300 seats (out of 403)+ and the Congress will be there for the rest of them," SP national vice-president Kironmoy Nanda said.

As regards finalisation of candidates, he said, "SP has finalised its candidates for the first and second phases (of the upcoming polls). Now, it is up to the Congress to decide on their nominees."

Nanda said the details of the seats would be announced by SP national president Akhilesh Yadav.
The decisions regarding forging an alliance and seats were taken at a marathon six-hour meeting held by Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav with senior SP leaders today.

Sources said RLD wanted more seats than what SP was ready to part with.

Source:-Timesofindia

No grand alliance in UP? SP rules out tie-up with RLD, to ally only with Congress

LUCKNOW: Hopes of a 'maha gathbandhan' against the BJP in Uttar Pradesh were dashed on Thursday with the Samajwadi Party ruling out any alliance with the Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD), but asserting a tie-up with the Congress+ .

"We will forge an alliance only with the Congress. We will not ally with the RLD+ . No talks are going on with them (RLD). We will contest from over 300 seats (out of 403)+ and the Congress will be there for the rest of them," SP national vice-president Kironmoy Nanda said.

As regards finalisation of candidates, he said, "SP has finalised its candidates for the first and second phases (of the upcoming polls). Now, it is up to the Congress to decide on their nominees."

Nanda said the details of the seats would be announced by SP national president Akhilesh Yadav.
The decisions regarding forging an alliance and seats were taken at a marathon six-hour meeting held by Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav with senior SP leaders today.

Sources said RLD wanted more seats than what SP was ready to part with.

"After the alliance with the Congress, we will get an absolute majority in the state and Akhilesh will become chief minister again," Nanda asserted, adding that the SP will release its poll manifesto soon.

Talks with the RLD, sources said, failed as it wanted more seats but the SP was not ready to oblige.

"We wanted the seats of our choice but there was no agreement on it," RLD spokesman Anil Dubey later said.

Source:-TOI

Risk of war in Middle East without Iran nuclear deal: Obama

"With this deal, we have a chance to resolve the challenge of Iran trying to get a nuclear weapon peacefully. Without it, we risk yet another conflict in the Middle East," Obama said in his address to the Veterans of Foreign Affairs in Pittsburgh.

"In the debate over this deal, we're hearing the echoes of some of the same policies and mindset that failed us in the past. Some of the same politicians and pundits that are so quick to reject the possibility of a diplomatic solution to Iran's nuclear programme are the same folks who were so quick to go to war in Iraq and said it would take a few months.

"We know the consequences of that choice, and what it cost us in blood and treasure. So, I believe there's a smarter, more responsible way to protect our national security. And that is what we are doing," he argued.

"Instead of dismissing the rest of the world and going it alone, we've done the hard and patient work of uniting the international community to meet a common threat. Instead of chest-beating that rejects even the idea of talking to our adversaries, which sometimes sounds good in sound bites but accomplishes nothing, we're seeing that strong and principled diplomacy can give hope of actually resolving a problem peacefully," Obama stated.

Source: World News 

Congress, AAP step up demand for resignation of four BJP women Ministers

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje are embroiled in a row over extending help to tainted former IPL boss Lalit Modi while HRD Minister Smriti Irani faced trouble with a Delhi court taking cognizance of a complaint against her for allegedly misrepresenting educational qualifications in her election affidavits. Maharashtra minister Pankaja Munde is the fourth Minister caught in a row.
   
Sharpening its attack on BJP after the emergence of a document backing Lalit Modi's immigration application in the UK which purportedly bears Raje's signature, the Congress said the party should ask the Chief Minister to step down as it can no longer "continue to defend the indefensible".
   
"I am of the opinion that after what has now been made public, there is absolutely no scope left, no face left for BJP to manoeuvre and defend its leadership," it said.
  
"There cannot be two laws in this country. One for common citizens and one for high-ranking BJP officials. Therefore... I think it is in the best interest of the state and also of BJP to ask the chief minister to put in her papers as soon as possible," Rajasthan Congress chief Sachin Pilot said.
   
Congress staged twin protests at Jantar Mantar and outside its headquarters and demanded the immediate resignation of Swaraj, Irani and Raje.
   
The protesters also tore an effigy of Irani and placards inscribed with messages that mocked the "farce" of her academic qualifications and warned the government against "toying with education".
   
Scores of AAP workers staged a protest outside Irani's residence demanding her resignation.
   
Congress's Delhi unit chief Lalit Maken accused the prime minister of "inaction" in the wake of the raging controversies involving his party leaders.

Source: Latest News

Why Government not making any efforts to bring Lalit back, asks

The Congress also termed as 'condemnable' the reported allegations against President Pranab Mukherjee that he, as Finance Minister in the then UPA government, spearheaded the party's 'revenge' politics against Lalit Modi.

"Allegations against the President are condemnable. What the government is doing to bring him back? Why red corner notice has not been issued to him?

"Why the government has not approached the Supreme Court to cancel passport issued to Lalit Modi?" Congress spokesman Meem Afzal asked, noting that till yesterday, Lalit Modi had been targeting former Finance Minister P Chidambaram and now he has trained his guns on the President.

Afzal attacked the government and the BJP alleging that they were 'shielding' External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje.

Questioning the 'silence' of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the matter, Afzal asked whether PM Modi would break his silence only when he would be the target of attack by the former IPL chief, a fugitive and economic offender. The government will have to say what action is being taken against the tainted cricket administrator, he added.

According to reports, the former IPL chief has accused Mukherjee of spearheading Congress' 'revenge' politics against him for Congress leader Shashi Tharoor's resignation.

"It was clear even before Tharoor resigned that Congress was furious over my decision to reveal Tharoor's ownership interest in the Kochi bid," Modi had said in his plea to the UK authorities while seeking permission to stay as a representative of an overseas business.

Modi also blamed Mukherjee for engineering the Enforcement Directorate's probe against him in retaliation to Tharoor's sacking as Minister of state for External Affairs, the reports stated.

Source: Latest News

PM Modi greets Rahul Gandhi on his birthday

Prime Minister Narendra Modi extended birthday greetings to Rahul, who thanked him for the wishes. After many years, Rahul will be in the national capital on his birthday and Congress workers have made elaborate arrangements to celebrate the occasion.

However, scores of Congress workers celebrated the birthday of party vice-president Rahul Gandhi with fanfare bursting crackers and raining flower petals outside his residence here.

Rahul's mother and Congress president Sonia Gandhi drove to his 12, Tughalq Lane residence, outside which a large gathering of Congress workers, led by Jagdish Sharma, celebrated the occasion with cutting cake and singing in praise of Rahul's leadership.

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Never used office to enrich myself, family or friends: Former PM Manmohan Singh

In a scathing attack, Singh said institutions of democracy are under threat and the entire edifice of the welfare state is now being dismantled in the guise of promoting faster economic growth.
   
"As far as I am concerned, I can say in all humility that I have not used my public office to enrich myself, to enrich my family or my friends. And still the BJP government keeps on harping on this theme of corruption because it wants to distract the attention of the people to non-issues," he said in a hard-hitting speech at an event here.
  
His comments came in the wake of former TRAI chairman Pradip Baijal's allegations that Singh had warned him of harm if he did not cooperate on 2G telecom licenses.

Baijal, who was probed for several years in connection with the 2G spectrum allocation scam case, also claimed that the CBI wanted him to "implicate" Arun Shourie and Ratan Tata in the case.

Source: Latest News

Sonia wielded real power as 'extra-constitutional' authority during UPA regime: PM Modi

Dismissing the Congress President's accusation that NDA government was showing "obstinate arrogance" in Parliament and that it was a government by "one person", Modi said, "Perhaps, she is referring to the fact that earlier extra constitutional authorities were the ones really wielding power".
   
He went on to say that power was now "wielded only by constitutional means". "If the charge is that we are working through constitutional channels and not listening to any extra constitutional authorities, then I plead guilty to that charge," PM Modi said.
    
The  Prime Minister spoke about the attacks on him by Sonia and Rahul Gandhi, the Land Acquisition and GST Bills, criticism of his foreign tours, "concentration" of power in PMO, reforms and a wide variety of other topics in an interview to a news agency.
  
Hitting back at Rahul for his "suit-boot ki sarkar" jibe, Modi said the Congress had not been able to "digest" its crushing defeat in Lok Sabha polls even after one year.

Source: Latest News

Congress will continue to oppose Land Bill: Jairam Ramesh

Ramesh also dubbed as "totally rubbish" the claim of Prime Minister Narendra Modi that under the 2013 Act, it will not be possible to acquire land for hospitals, schools and roads among others and clarified that there was no bar on acquiring land for government, including defence projects.

"We are against the amendments made in the 2013 Land Act by the Modi government through Ordinance without calling an all-party meeting, despite the fact that it was passed with the consent of all parties," he told reporters here.

"In the current scenario, it is impossible for this Bill to get passed in the Rajya Sabha as the SP, BSP, JD(U), TMC, DMK and even NDA allies like Shiv Sena and Akali Dal are opposed to it," the senior Congress leader said.

The Congress is opposing these amendments on five grounds, he said.

Elaborating further, he said the Bill dilutes the consent clause of securing consent of 80 percent farmers for acquiring land for private companies and 70 percent for projects to be implemented on PPP (Public, Private Partnership) mode.

The present Bill dilutes provisions of Social Impact Assessment for private projects to check the practice of acquiring land for a government project and handing over to private players after sometime, he said.

Source: Latest News

Congress, AAP protest in Lok Sabha over Moga molestation incident

Raising the issue in the Zero Hour, Ravneet Singh Bittu (Congress) demanded that the transport company running the bus should be suspended like Uber was in Delhi and took a swipe at Union minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal, who was present and whose family runs the service in Punjab.

Bhagwant Mann (AAP) also spoke on the matter but Speaker Sumitra Mahajan disallowed him after he too mentioned Kaur's name.

"Don't do politics over such a incident. This is very wrong. Where are you taking this issue?" the Speaker told Bittu when he attacked the ruling clan in the state.

"You want to do politics or you are with the girl," Mahajan said, pulling up Mann, who came into the Well in protest.

Bittu said Kaur had jumped to the state government's defence on Wednesday when Rahul Gandhi raised the issue of farmers and she should speak on this "shameful" issue as well.   

The Lower House had earlier in the day seen protests from Congress and AAP over the incident in Moga area.

Members of both the parties from Punjab stormed the Well of the House denouncing the Akali Dal-BJP government in the state over the law and order situation.

Source: Latest News

Farmer suicide: Congress demands FIR against PM Modi, Kejriwal

"A case abetment of suicide should be lodged against the central government and the state government... The two persons who can be held most responsible for the suicide are Prime Minister Modi and Chief Minister Kejriwal," party spokesperson Satyavrat Chaturvedi said at the AICC briefing here.

His remarks drew a volley of questions from media persons who sought to know the justification of his demand and asked whether former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and former Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar can also be held accountable for suicide of farmers in the country when they were at the helm of affairs.

"The suicide happened in presence of the Chief Minister and (personnel of) Delhi Police, which is under the control of the central government... The Prime Minister did nothing to prevent it. Then who else is responsible for it?" he asked.

To repeated questions as to how can the Prime Minister be held responsible for the suicide and how logical it is to demand registration of FIR against him, the Congress leader argued that he is responsible for "creating a situation that led the farmer to commit suicide. Who else (is) responsible for it? He should be held responsible legally as well."

"The Prime Minister is particularly responsible for this incident as the situation that has led to it is continuing for months. The Prime Minister did not take the steps, which he should have taken. Investigation must take place, FIR must be filed against him. Nobody is above the law," Chaturvedi said.

Source: Latest News

Giriraj Singh rejects reports of crying before PM Modi

"No," he told reporters who had asked him whether he had become emotional during  a meeting today with Modi, who television channels earlier had reported that he had pulled him up for his racist remarks against Congress President Sonia Gandhi last month.
     
"The meeting had not taken place.  Who told you I had met him," Singh said when asked about his reported meeting with the Prime Minister.

Singh was on Monday forced to express regret in the Lok Sabha for his  remarks against Sonia Gandhi after Congress members staged vociferous protests on the issue.
    
"I never meant to offend anyone. But if my comments hurt anyone's sentiments, I regret it," Singh said when Speaker Sumitra Mahajan asked him to respond after the House saw loud protests by Congress members, who termed his remarks as an insult to womanhood and sought his resignation.
    
Singh,  minister of state for micro, small and medium enterprises, was under fire for his racist barb at Gandhi asking whether Congress would have accepted her leadership had she not been white-skinned.

"Had Rajiv Gandhi married a Nigerian woman and if she was not a white-skinned woman, would the Congress have then accepted her (Sonia's) leadership," he had said recently.
   
Even when the controversy broke out earlier this month, Singh maintained that it was an 'off the record' conversation with journalists but expressed regrets if it had caused hurt to Gandhi.
   
Parliamentary Affairs Minister M Venkaiah Naidu sought to play down the issue saying  "the issue is closed".
   
"The only worry is he me and told him he had not made any public comments.  The moment a television channel reported them, the same day he had disowned them. The only worry is nobody has taken note of it," he said.

Source: Latest News

Congress criticism on ordinances like devil quoting scriptures: BJP

Bringing out the past record of previous Congress regimes, the ruling party cited a record number of ordinances were issued during the time and the opposition parties had no right to accuse them of "murder of democracy"

The BJP also armed its MPs with records of previous regimes on ordinances and asked them to "expose" those criticising them before the crucial land bill is taken up for passage in Parliament.

"Congress party criticising the Ordinance route is like a devil quoting scriptures. Their record is worse. They have issued ordinances umpteen number of times. 456 ordinances were issued in last 50 years," Parliamentary Affairs Minister M Venkaiah Naidu quoted.

He cited while 77 ordinances were issued during Jawaharlal Nehru's time, as many as 77 ordinances were issued during six years of Indira Gandhi's regime, when three ordinances were issued every two months and 35 ordinances were issued during Rajiv Gandhi's time.

"CPI-M-supported United Front regime issued 77 ordinances, three ordinances per month. Bills passed are only 61 and 77 ordinances were issued by the United Front government which was ably supported by the Communist party, which is taking objection to the issuance of ordinances, which was done after wider consultations after taking stakeholders into confidence," he added.

Source: Latest News

Land, other key Bills to come up in Parliament session: Venkaiah

"The Land Bill is the need of the hour. We are running against time to catch up with lost opportunities. The world is moving faster. India cannot lag behind. Parliament should prove to be an enabler rather than a playing ground for political and obstructionist battles," he told reporters here.

Stressing that the Land Bill has been brought after extensive consultations involving states, including those ruled by Congress, and other stakeholders, Naidu said Congress is opposing the Bill for the sake of opposition.

The NDA government has made amendments to the Land Bill in the wake of suggestions made by many, including Congress leaders like former Commerce Minister Anand Sharma and ex-Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan, he said.

"But unfortunately, Congress party, for political reasons, is trying to oppose this for the sake of opposition. Please do not oppose for the sake of opposition. Be constructive," the Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister said.

Referring to some news reports, he alleged that Congress leader Jairam Ramesh spread misinformation on the Land Bill.
    

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Congress threatens to hit back at PM Modi from foreign soil

Demanding an apology from the Prime Minister, who while speaking at at an event in Canada yesterday accused the previous governments of creating a "mess" in the country, the opposition party said Modi should realise that he represents the country and not RSS or BJP when he goes abroad.
      
"It shows his sick mentality. He has again broken the tradition of not taking domestic politics abroad and has again made malicious attacks on previous governments.
   
"We cannot tolerate such unbecoming behaviour any longer. Henceforth, if he again does so on foreign soil, a Congress leader or spokesman will be present there and will respond immediately," party spokesman Anand Sharma told reporters.
  
He replied in the negative when asked if it would not precipatate matters between the two sides and said it would help bring "balance".
    
"The Prime Minister should apologise. We have honoured the convention so far. The Prime Minister should realise that he goes abroad as the Prime Minister of the country and not as a 'Pracharak' of the BJP and RSS," the spokesperson said.
    

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Congress 'unimpressed' with action against Alam, Geelani: Digvijay

"Jammu and Kashmir Government should tell under what sections have Masarat Alam and Geelani arrested. We keep arresting people on attending assembly in an unlawful manner under Sections 107, 115 (of CrPC).

"But have they been arrested under the law of being a traitor? Have they been arrested on charges of sedition? We want information on this," party General Secretary Digvijay Singh asked.
  
Noting that house arrest means they were "guests" of Jammu  and Kashmir government, Singh recalled that BJP used to say that the erstwhile UPA government gave biryani to Kasab, who was convicted in the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack.
  
"However, this did not happen. But since they are under house arrest and are guests of J and K Government, they might be eating biryani," Singh remarked. Party spokesperson PC Chacko said "I don't know whether they are arrested. They should have been arrested earlier."

"Masarat Alam and Syed Ali Shah Geelani, the two separatist leaders, their speeches and also raising of Pakistan flag in the rally are the most serious offence and anti-India act. Even house arrest is a kind of vip treatment to them", said Chacko.

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Kisan rally not comeback platform for Rahul: Congress

Congress spokesperson Deepender Singh Hooda also sought to justify party Vice President Rahul Gandhi's nearly two-month-long sabbatical and absence from parliament, saying: "It's the prerogative of the media and the people to interpret whatever they can, but the fact remains that this is the fight for the farmers. It's a rally for the rights of the farmers," Singh, a Rohtak MP, told mediapersons here.

"Besides putting pressure on the Narendra Modi government for withdrawal of the bill, we will demand higher compensation for farmers hit by unseasonal rains,” he said.

Having remained out of the public eye for nearly two months, Rahul Gandhi, who returned to his official residence in Delhi on Thursday morning, is slated to spearhead the kisan (farmer) rally on Sunday.

Hooda also sought to defend Gandhi's absence from parliament when the bill was being discussed, saying: "Rahul's 2011 agitation in Bhatta Parsaul (Uttar Pradesh) against forcible land acquisition culminated in the enactment of the Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013. He played a major role in formulating the original bill."

“And so far as his absence is concerned, I have never come across any professional who has not taken a break. The party has already given answers on his break so I don't think there is anything more to say," Hooda added. 

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Lakhvi's release unfortunate, disappointing: Rajnath Singh

"India wants talks with Pakistan but the present development (release of Lakhvi) is unfortunate and disappointing," he told reporters on the sidelines of a function here.

Singh was reacting to the Lahore High Court's judgement on Thursday suspending the detention of 55-year-old Lakhvi under Maintenance of Public Order after the Pakistan government failed to present sensitive records against him in the court.

Asked about alliance partners PDP-BJP in Jammu and Kashmir speaking in different voices on composite townships for settlement of Kashmiri Pandits in the Valley, Singh said, "An agreement has been reached with Chief Minister MuftiMohammad Sayeed in this regard."

On the killing of five undertrials, who were allegedly associated with SIMI and other radical groups, in police custody in Nalgonda district in Telangana, he evaded giving a direct reply, 

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Opposition to Land Bill nothing but public posturing: BJP

Opposition  had even written to Gadkari stating that the social impact assessment should be left to the states to decide, Patra cited.

"What the BJP government has to do? In keeping with the right principles of federalism, this government said as far as the consent clause is concerned, social impact assessment is concerned, let the competent authority - the states take a decision. If the states want a particular project they can do away with the consent of the 40-50 percent because the states are the best judge. We empowered the states," the BJP spokesperson explained.

Petra's comment came in the backdrop of severe opposition to the land Bill brought by the BJP government.

"This opposition is nothing but a public posturing to prove that the Land bill is anti-farmer and pro-corporates. They (parties opposed to the bill) don't fight in the closed door standing committee meeting. They are only fighting in the floor of Parliament when there

e cameras," Patra told a program organised by Indian Chamber of Commerce (ICC) here.

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Congress spreading disinformation about land bill: BJP

As far as the land bill is concerned, "we are worried about the disinformation campaign. It is against facts", BJP spokesperson Nirmala Sitharaman told the media.

"We are confident about the amendments brought by us and about Prime Minister Narendra Modi directly engaging with people and explaining the points on radio.

We are willing to discuss with anyone," she said as the BJP national executive's two-day meet took place here.Sitharaman said the BJP will go to the people to ask whether the amendments are anti-farmer.

"It is a disinformation campaign which particularly the Congress is trying to spread.""While they have refused to answer questions on distribution of coal blocks, every step of what we are doing is being explained to the people," she added.

"BJP will reveal the facts at every village," she said.The controversial land acquisition ordinance was re-promulgated on Friday after President Pranab Mukherjee gave his assent to it.

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