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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First part of Budget Session 'productive', says Naidu

Naidu also said the first part of the session has been the most significant and rewarding of the four sessions of Parliament since the Government assumed office in May 2015.
  
"Parliament has enabled the beginning of a new era of transparent governance in the country by ending government's discretion in allocation of minerals which has come to be a cesspool of corruption and malpractices," he said on the passing of Mines and Minerals, and Coal Mines bills replacing respective Ordinances.
  
"I would rate these two legislations at the top of the major outcomes of the Budget session so far," he said, adding that passing of the Insurance Bill hiking FDI in insurance sector is the next major outcome. "I thank Congress for their support."
  
"I would like to have these two legislations passed unanimously. But our friends in some parties had different ideas. They in effect, wanted us to ask the states if they wanted to end or not the discretion in allocation of minerals and the attendant corruption. I am happy that this contingency has been averted," he noted.
  
On the Land Bill, he said it was a collective demand of states who wanted changes in the Land Acquisition Act of 2013 to enable land acquisition with less hurdles and keeping practicality in view like in the case of the number of years after which the land acquired is to be returned to owners if it was not used.
    

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