Nation pays tribute to Rajiv Gandhi

New Delhi, Thursday 21 May 2009: The nation on Thursday paid tributes to former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi on his 18th death anniversary.

President Pratibha Patil, Vice-President Hamid Ansari, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and the departed leader’s widow and UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi were among the first to pay floral tributes to the late leader at ‘Veer Bhumi’, the memorial of Gandhi.

Children of Gandhis, Congress MP Rahul and Priyanka along with her husband Robert Vadra were also present at the remembrance ceremony at the memorial, which was decorated with hundreds of white lotuses on the occasion.

Besides, Defence Minister A K Antony, Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit and a number of newly elected MPs, leaders of UPA allies like NC’s Farooq Abdullah and Kerala Congress chief K M Mani also paid floral tributes at the memorial.

The remembrance ceremony began with the entry of 18 children signifying the 18th year of martyrdom of Gandhi. He was assassinated on May 21, 1991 by a LTTE suicide bomber during a public meeting at Sriperumbudur in Tamil Nadu.

The eldest son of Feroze and Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi, was born in 1944 and served as the the youngest Prime Minister of India from 1984 to 1989. Rajiv attended Cambridge University, where he met and married Sonia at 24. Following the death of his brother Sanjay in 1980, his mother and then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, persuaded Rajiv to enter politics.

He stood successfully for election in 1981 and became a political adviser to his mother. After her assassination in 1984, Rajiv succeeded her as the head of the Congress, and was sworn in as Prime Minister of India.

Rajiv Gandhi is credited with ushering India into the 21st century. He was among the few world leaders who saw the potential of information technology and laid the foundations for India to become an information technology superpower.

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Lalu: No hard feelings if Cabinet berth denied

With little hope of getting "sympathetic treatment" from the Congress top brass, RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav on Wednesday appeared resigned to his fate, saying he would not feel bad over being denied a Cabinet berth.

Asked whether he was hopeful of getting a berth in the UPA Government, a visibly perturbed Lalu said: "Why are you asking me this question? It is the Prime Minister's prerogative." He, however, refrained from saying anything against Congress president Sonia Gandhi and said he still shared a good relationship with her as well as Manmohan Singh.

He told reporters that there was no reason to feel bad about being denied a berth in the Government as "ups and downs were part of a politician's life". The RJD chief went on to reiterate that he had given unconditional support to the UPA and was happy that his "mission" of not allowing the BJP to come to power had been successful.

Pointing out that all was not over for him, he said he would go back to the people and earn their support once again.

Lalu's annoyance comes not only from the fact that the Congress has been keeping him at an arm's length but also because inside his own party there are voices calling for only outside support to the UPA. Rural Development Minister in the outgoing Government and RJD vice-president Raghuvansh Prasad Singh has gone on record to say that "we (RJD) should provide outside support as more time needs to be devoted to rejuvenate the party at the grassroots".

Interestingly, this comes amidst reports that considering Raghuvansh's commendable performance as the Rural Development Minister, the Congress leadership is eager to accommodate him instead of Lalu.

Meanwhile, PTI reports from Patna said the RPF security at the bungalow of the former railway minister was quietly restored on Wednesday. On Tuesday, PTI had reported that personnel deployed at the 10, Circular Road residence of Lalu were withdrawn following instructions from the RPF headquarters. When contacted, Chief Security Commissioner, East Central Railway, Neeraj Sinha said the security personnel would continue to guard the bungalow till further orders. The bungalow, where Lalu stays in Patna, is allotted in the name of his wife and former Bihar chief minister Rabri Devi.

YSR takes oath as Andhra CM

Y S Rajasekhara Reddy of the Congress on Wednesday evening took oath as the Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister for the second consecutive term.

Governor N D Tiwari administered the oath of office and secrecy at 6.32 pm (1832 hrs IST) as thousands of party leaders and workers from across the state attended the event at the Lal Bahadur Stadium in the heart of the city.

Clad in a white kurta and his trademark dhoti, Rajasekhara Reddy, 60, took oath in Telugu amid fireworks outside the stadium.

YSR, as he is popularly known, entered the record books as not just the first chief minister of the Congress to retain power in nearly three decades but also the only one to have completed a full term in the state.

After the swearing-in, Hindu, Christian and Muslim priests blessed YSR and prayed for his success and well-being.

Earlier, the audience gave him a warm welcome when he reached the venue with his family in an open-top jeep. He waved at the crowds as his supporters danced in gay abandon to the tunes of songs hailing him as a mass leader.

There were also fireworks when YSR, accompanied by his wife Vijayalakshmi and other family members, reached the venue. YSR's son Y. Jaganmohan Reddy, elected to the Lok Sabha from Kadapa, was also present.

Also present were Congress leaders including M Veerappa Moily, newly elected state legislators and MPs.

YSR, who prefers a public ceremony for taking oath like Telugu Desam Party (TDP) founder N T Rama Rao, alone took the oath. He is likely to induct 24 ministers later this week. YSR had taken oath as chief minister for the first time on May 14, 2004 at the same venue.

Manmohan Singh appointed PM

President Pratibha Patil has appointed Manmohan Singh prime minister for a second consecutive term, after the UPA coalition staked its claim to form the govt. The new ministry will be sworn in on May 22.

Apparently in view of the comfortable numbers the coalition has in the 543-member Lok Sabha, the president has not asked the prime minister to prove his strength in the house.

"I have pleasure to appoint you the prime minister and request you to advise me on the names of the others to be appointed to the council of ministers.

"I propose to administer the oath of office and secrecy to you on Friday, 22nd May 2009 at the Rashtrapati Bhawan at a mutually convenient time," President Pratibha Patil said in her letter handed over to Singh when he called on her along with UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi.

Reading out the president's letter, Singh said "you will come to know in due course of time" when asked whether MPs outside the pre-poll allies would included in the new ministry.

Manmohan Singh said the coalition has 274 members including four independents who are part of the Congress-led pre-poll alliance.

"We have the support of SP, BSP and RJD whose number adds up to another 48. All this adds up to 322," he said.

Asked about details of composition of the ministry, Singh said "we will talk in greater detail later."

Earlier in the day, the crucial UPA meet to decide Cabinet berths was held at 10 Janpath, the residence of Congress president Sonia Gandhi. All the key pre-poll partners of the Congress attended the meeting.

National Conference leader Farooq Abdullah, Trinamool chief Mamata Banerjee, DMK chief M Karunanidhi, NCP president Sharad Pawar and leader Praful Patel were present, along with senior Congress leaders, including Pranab Mukherjee, P Chidambaram and A K Antony besides Manmohan Singh, Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi.

BSP, RJD, JD-S endorse victorious Congress

Arch rivals Samajwadi Party and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) as well as the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and Janata Dal-Secular (JD-S) Tuesday vied with each other to offer support to the victorious Congress-led United Progressive Alliance, which needs just nine more MPs to get the 272 figure needed to form government.

The Congress has, however, yet to make up its mind on taking support from these parties, which are its rivals in their respective states. The party is meeting its "pre-poll allies" Wednesday at 10, Janpath, the residence of UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi.

"We have not made up our mind on the issue. We are meeting our pre-poll allies tomorrow. A decision will be taken only after that," sources in the Congress party said.

The SP and BSP, which fought elections against the Congress in Uttar Pradesh and elsewhere, said they have decided to pledge their support to the UPA to "strengthen secular forces" and to keep the Bharatiya Janata Party out.

The RJD, which Monday said it would offer unconditional support to the UPA, is to hand over to President Patil a letter of support Tuesday eveing.

The UPA is short of merely nine MPs to reach the 272 half-way mark in the 543-member House. If SP (23), BSP (20), and JD-S, which has three seats, are added, the UPA will easily cross the 300 mark in the 15th Lok Sabha. The RJD has four seats.

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Shah Rukh votes ‘to give a chance to better people’

Bollywood megastar Shah Rukh flew down especially from South Africa to cast his vote and said "we should vote and give a chance to better people".

"When I endorse everything from candy to soft drinks, this is something I have to support," Shah Rukh on Thursday (April 30) told reporters outside the polling station in Mumbai.

"I had to make it a point to come and vote," said Shah Rukh who was in South Africa for the Indian Premier League (IPL) cricket matches.

He said the voters should choose the best-qualified candidates and be patient for change.

"People expect politicians to solve problems immediately. But it's not that easy. It takes time. That's why we should vote and give a chance to better people," he said on the day Mumbai and the adjacent district of Thane went to the polls, in the third and final round of balloting in Maharashtra.

Shah Rukh, who owns the Kolkata Knight Riders team in the IPL, is reportedly unhappy with the performance of team and is believed to have said that he would not return to South Africa till the team started winning.

SC orders probe into Modi's role in Gujarat Riots

The Supreme Court has ordered a probe into the alleged role of Gujarat Chief minister Narendra Modi in the 2002 Gujarat riots.

The apex court has asked the Raghavan Committee to probe Modi's role and submit its report in the next three months time.

SC has also asked the committee to probe the roles of a cabinet minister in the Modi government, three MLAs, three VHP activists and several IAS and IPS officers as well.

The decision came on a plea filed by the wife of slain ex-MP, Ehsan Jaffri and social activist Teesta Setalvad.

"It's a huge victory because this is an indication of what we have been saying for almost six years now. We have been asking for an investigation and not presuming people are guilty like the opposite side does. The police had used Modi's political clout to delay the probe, now the Supreme Court has renewed faith in the justice system by saying at least investigate it," Teesta Setalvad told reporters.

"Ten days ago, the Gujarat government was all gung ho when they were trying to malign me and my organisation. People who fight for Human Rights don't look at the elections in that sense that is for the political parties and their opponents to do. We have been struggling non stop since 2002 to get justice and we haven't stopped. In fact neither of the secular parties have supported us either, so we are not there for the politics of it, we are there for Human Rights and justice," she added.

However, BJP leader Arun Jaitley said, "It seems to have become a convention to raise both in and out of courts, issues related to Gujarat prior to any elections. It's just another investigation and previous ones too had not found anything against Narendra Modi. It's still in court. We don't want to comment."

Campaigning ends for Sonia, Advani

Campaigning ends on Tuesday for round-three elections to Lok Sabha on April 30, when electors would decide the fate of political giants like Sonia Gandhi and L K Advani.

Rae Barelli and Gandhinagar, the respective Parliamentary constituencies of Gandhi and Advani saw hectic campaigning.

Gandhi's daughter Priyanka and son Rahul canvassed for votes for their mothers, while Advani's daughter Pratibha camped in Gandhinagar to appeal to voters to elect her father like they have done every time since 1991.

Gandhi and Advani are among the 1,567 candidates in the fray in the third phase elections to 107 constituencies spread over nine states and two union territories.

Prominent candidates include former prime minister H D Deve Gowda, JD-U chief Sharad Yadav, former Karnataka chief minister S Bangarappa and union ministers Sriprakash Jaiswal and Jyotiraditya Scindia.

Polling for 26 Lok Sabha seats in Gujarat will be completed in one-go. Besides Gujarat, polling will be held in 16 seats in Madhya Pradesh, 15 in Uttar Pradesh, 14 in West Bengal, 11 each in Bihar and Karnataka, 10 in Maharashtra and one each in Jammu and Kashmir, Sikkim, Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu.

Campaigning was peaceful, but marred by incidents of shoe-throwing. A computer engineering student hurled a sneaker towards Prime Minister Manmohan Singh while he was addressing his first poll rally in Gujarat but missed him. No charges were pressed against the youth.

An attempt to throw shoes at Advani was thwarted later. Congress star campaigner Priyanka Vadra condemned the shoe-throwing incident, saying this does not behove of traditions.

"If there is a problem, there are two ways to express it - wrong way and the right way. This is not the right way. This is not our tradition," Vadra had said, but added she was not perturbed about she being made the target of such an attack. "Let them throw, who have to throw."

At the end of the third phase, polling would be completed to 372 seats of the 545-member Lok Sabha. Polling is held only to 543 seats, as two members are nominated from the Anglo-Indian community.

Sanju in trouble after offering Mayawati 'Jadu ki Jhappi'

Bollywood actor and Samajwadi Party General Secretary Sanjay Dutt is courting controversy yet again after he offered ‘jaadu ki jhappi' to Mayawati.

Dutt has been slapped with a notice by the district magistrate of Pratapgarh in Uttar Pradesh for passing ‘sexist’ comments against Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati.

"I will give Mayawati a hug and a kiss (jaadu ki jhappi). In her governance there are taps but no water, bulbs but no electricity, and hospitals without beds," Dutt said in an election rally in Pratapgarh on April 17, 2009.

Earlier on Tuesday, an FIR was registered against Dutt for allegedly violating the model code of conduct by making communal remarks in an election rally in Mau district.

Dutt was in the city to campaign in support of SP nominee Arshad Jamal Ansari contesting election from Ghosi parliamentary seat.

Dutt during his speech said, "Jab mai police custody me tha to police wale mujhe third degree dete the. Wo mujhe marte the aur kehte the ki tumhari maa musalman hai" (When I was in police custody I was given third degree by them because I am son of a Muslim lady).

The district administration of Mau reacted promptly in the matter and filed a complaint against Sanjay Dutt for violating the model code of conduct (MCC).

As per the MCC, "during an election campaign, no party or candidate shall indulge in any activity which may aggravate existing differences or create mutual hatred or cause tension between different castes and communities, religious or linguistic."

Congress responsible for Babri demolition'

In controversial remarks, RJD chief Lalu Prasad has said the Congress too was responsible for the demolition of the Babri mosque as it did nothing to prevent it.

"Babri Masjid was razed to the ground and Congress too is responsible for it as it did nothing to prevent it," he said addressing an election meeting at Manhgachi in Bihar's Darbhanga district.

"If anyone continue to talk nonsense, I will reveal more," he said, without elaborating.

Lalu, who had recently been chastised by the Election Commission for his 'crush-under-the-roller' remark against BJP candidate Varun Gandhi, described the saffron party as 'Bharat jalao party'.

"The BJP is Bharat jalao party. It wants to see that India is up in flames," he said.

Accusing Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar of calling up district magistrates and commissioners pressurizing them to recommend cancellation of voting at polling stations in areas of influence of RJD, Lalu said, "I am least worried. The more they will try to harm me, the more votes I and my allies will get."

A wave is blowing in favour of the alliance of RJD-LJP-SP, he claimed

We’ll decide who will be next PM: Fourth front

PURNEA: After a show of strength in Etawah, UP, the fourth front bandwagon on Friday rolled into Bihar where SP’s Mulayam Singh Yadav, RJD’s Lalu

Prasad, and LJP’s Ram Vilas Paswan claimed before a large crowd that they would be the ones to decide who will be India’s next prime minister.

Mulayam went a step further and declared that the troika will realize Ram Manohar Lohia’s and Jayaprakash Narayan’s dream of ushering in a socialist regime at Centre. Addressing a huge election rally at Rangbhumi Maidan in Purnea, Mulayam expressed happiness that differences between Lalu and Paswan had ended. ‘‘Now all of us have come together,’’ he said.

Lalu also said that they — the Fourth Front — will have absolutely no truck with the Third Front, and surprised one and all by backtracking on his remarks on Varun Gandhi that landed him in trouble. While he had earlier said that had he been the home minister, he would have driven a roller over Varun’s chest, on Friday, perhaps rattled by the EC’s reaction to his diatribe, Lalu said he had meant to drive a ‘‘legal bulldozer’’. ‘‘There’s an attempt to throw me behind bars but I am prepared to for that. After all swaraj was achieved when people went to jail,’’ the railway minister said.

Lalu said their alliance, which is contesting 134 LS seats in UP, Bihar, and Jharkhand, would rule the political firmament across the Hindi belt and crush ‘‘communal’’ elements.

Bollywood star Sanjay Dutt, cheered lustily everytime he came up on the dais, made a brief speech. He said he would still love to do Gandhigiri. Dutt, who has been denied permission to contest eletions by the SC, was speaking in his capacity as SP’s general secretary.
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Do I look old to you? Priyanka slams Modi

AMETHI: Hitting out at Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi for likening the Congress party to a "budhia"

(old woman), Priyanka Gandhi Saturday asked voters here whether she looked old.

Campaigning for her brother and Congress MP Rahul Gandhi in his constituency of Amethi, Priyanka said the Congress is not an old party.

"Kya mein budhi dikhti hoon? (Do I look old to you)," she asked people of Khalidpur village. "Does Sonia Gandhi (Congress president and her mother), Rahul Gandhi or I look old to you," she asked, addressing voters.

Modi has repeatedly been likening the Congress to a "125-year-old budhia" during his election campaigns, as he did in Uttar Pradesh Friday. He has asked people to vote instead for the 30-year-old "young" BJP.

Priyanka elaborated on the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government's development works and asked people to vote for the Congress.

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Manmohan Singh 'insulted' us, says Mulayam

LUCKNOW: SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav on Saturday accused Prime Minister Manmohan Singh of "overlooking and insulting" his party which had savedthe UPA government from being voted out of power over the Indo-US nuclear deal. "We saved you from resigning. Just think once what have you given us in return . You overlooked us and at times even insulted us," Yadav said while releasing the party manifesto here. The SP chief said the Prime Minister has now said that he was ready to resign if the nuclear deal did not go through. Singh had on Friday said that he would have resigned if the Indo-US civil nuclear deal had not gone through. The SP leader promised to tackle issues of terrorism, economic recession and unemployment if voted to power. "We have addressed some important issues including how to tackle terrorism and economic recession and plight of the farmers in brief," Yadav said. He said there were three important issues including that of agriculture, which have been addressed by the party in its manifesto. "Gandhiji used to say that agriculture is like a god for a hungry man which except SP other political parties have forgotten. Without promoting agriculture, the country cannot progress," he said. The SP supremo said that while security of international boundaries will be the priority of his party, the SP will also make efforts to maintain harmonious relations with neighbouring countries including Pakistan and Bangladesh.

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Left often on wrong side of history: PM

KOCHI: Needling the Communists in their bastion, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Saturday said the Left parties have often been on the "wrong

side" of history by refusing to participate in the Quit India movement, Green and IT revolutions and to back the nuclear deal with the US.

In a veiled attack on the coming together of parties in the Third Front led by the Left, he asked the people to choose between the stability of the Congress and the coalition of parties which have come together only by the "glue of government" in which there is a continuous struggle for power.

"The Left that rules the state has unfortunately often been on the wrong side of history. When Mahatma Gandhi started Quit India movement the Left did not participate in it. When India became Independent, they said this independence is not for real," he said addressing an election meeting here, the first after his recovery from the heart bypass surgery.

Singh said in 1960s when the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi ushered in Green Revolution, the Left opposed it saying it was only for the benefit of foreign seed companies. Similarly, when Rajiv Gandhi started communications revolution they opposed it saying it will take away jobs.

"When our government started nuclear deal with the US to end India's nuclear isolation and to provide the much-needed energy for development, the Left opposed and walked out of our government. Time will prove the wisdom of our decision," the prime minister said.

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Advani is not PM material!'

In his sharpest riposte yet to BJP leader L K Advani, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Friday said he did not wish to have a television debate with him because he did not want to accord him the privilege of being "an alternative prime minister".

Attacking Advani for repeatedly calling him a weak prime minister, Manmohan Singh retorted: "I am not used to abusive language. That is the culture inherited from parents, from teachers and the concept of what Indianness is."

"Using harsh language does not solve any problem and accentuates conflict," he said in his interaction with members of the Indian Women's Press Corps.

"Kamzor ya strong judge karne ke liye zor zor se baatein karne se nahin hota (By merely talking loudly one does not become strong or weak) ," he said.

Alluding to Advani's challenge to him for a American-style nationally televised debate, Manmohan Singh said that I can't match "Advaniji in public speaking or asserting things.

"I am not a good speaker, but I take decisions.

"I believe that the proof of the pudding is in the eating. What is the record of Advani?," he asked.

"The BJP has not allowed Parliament to function. The BJP shied away from all these discussions and now Advani wants to come and debate with me. And I don't want to give him the privilege that he is an alternative prime minister," he said.

Singh also took on Advani for taunting him for not contesting Lok Sabha polls. "There have been PMs from Rajya Sabha. Advani has to amend the constitution to ensure that his wishes prevail. Indira Gandhi had been one for one and half years, H D Deve Gowda, I K Gujral too," he replied when asked whether he was planning to contest Lok Sabha polls.

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BJP launches 'Bhay Ho' to counter Congress' 'Jai Ho'

Seeking to counter the 'Jai Ho' ad campaign of the Congress, BJP on Saturday unveiled a parody of the famous Slumdog Millionaire song saying 'Bhay Ho' (let fear prevail).

"The video is not an official one. It is sent to us by a party sympathiser. This song depicts the real situation of the country. It says.... Bhay (fear) ho.... bhook (hunger) ho.... Atank (terror) ho.... Mahangayi (inflation) ho.... phir bhi jai ho," party spokesperson Sidhaarthnath Singh told reporters.

The song features street children from Hyderabad, singing the song in the general compartment of a train and a stranger planting a bomb in the railway coach.

BJP said the street singers are already taking the message against the ruling Congress by their performances.

"The artists are street singers and they are already into the job of taking the message to different areas with this song even before it is unveiled here," Singh said.

Even as the saffron party opposed the idea of the Slumdog Millionaire child artists campaigning for Congress, calling it a "mockery of poverty", the short film features two street children Nagarjun and Durga singing the song.

On being asked if the party feared a copyright violation of the tune by launching the 'Bhay Ho' song, Singh said, "we will respond to the notice if it is sent to us".

A public relation company had earlier purchased the rights of the 'Jai Ho' song for its use in the Congress campaign.

The saffron party has plans to use 'Bhay Ho' in its rallies across the country. The party is also slated to unveil another ad song in a couple of days featuring 'team Advani'.

The campaign song will feature all the Chief Ministers and the central leaders of the party.

The more-than-two minute film will begin with the famous 'andhera chattega.... Kamal khilega' (darkness will disappear and the lotus will bloom) speech of Atal Bihari Vajpayee which the party patron gave during the foundation function of the party in the early 80s.

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Sonia Gandhi ridicules Third Front

Ridiculing the Third Front, Congress President Sonia Gandhi today expressed doubt over its longevity and said the new grouping was having as many prime ministerial aspirants as the number of parties in it.

"Who knows when, who and where and along with whom they will remain," she said while addressing the "Bharat Nirman Rally" here as part of the party's campaigning in the state.

"There are as many prime ministers (aspirants) as the number of parties in it," she said, indicating that the nation cannot progress under such a dispensation.

She said there is talk of a new front and discussion on parties constituting it.

For political stability, the country needs a strong, farsighted and experienced government with an able and honest leadership, she said.

Sonia Gandhi on Monday launched her party's campaign for the General Elections from this Karnataka town by targeting the Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic
Alliance (NDA) and promising "development and growth".

"You have to decide what politics you want; on the one hand you have the Congress which has led country on the path of development and growth. On the other hand, you have the BJP under whom everyone suffered during the NDA regime," Gandhi said at a rally in Davangere, about 250 km from the state capital Bangalore.

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