Mayawati ridicules Pawar over Price Rise

Lashing out at Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar for the recent rise in food prices, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati on Thursday said wrong policies of the Central Government had helped "blackmarketeers and hoarders".

"The government is working under pressure of black-marketeers. Prices are rising due to the anti-poor policies of the Central Government," Mayawati told reporters. Pawar's policies helped sugar mill owners, she alleged, and added that the sugar prices were sky-rocketing because of wrong policies of the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) Central Government.

The Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief had come under attack from Pawar on Wednesday for the Uttar Pradesh government's sugar policy, which Pawar said had led to a shortage. On Wednesday, Sharad Pawar had stated that soaring prices of essential commodities will start coming down in 8-10 days, adding that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had called a meeting of the chief ministers in New Delhi on January 27 to discuss the issue. "With the measures we have taken, the prices of essential commodities are expected to start coming down in eight to 10 days," he told reporters after a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Prices chaired by Manmohan Singh.

Pawar had said the Prime Minister would also discuss the implementation of the Essential Commodities Act with the chief ministers. Pawar had also stated that state governments were not lifting the wheat and rice stocks made available to them by the Central Government. (ANI)

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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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End of LTTE: Will India shut down Rajiv murder case?

India will seek forensic evidence from Sri Lanka to confirm the deaths of LTTE chief Velupillai Prabhakaran and his intelligence head to finally close the case on the assassination of former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi 18 years ago.

Prabhakaran and Pottu Amman, who oversaw all covert killings in the LTTE (Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam), were the last of two suspects still wanted in India for the killing of Gandhi, who was blown up by a woman suicide bomber at an election rally near Chennai on May 21, 1991.

The LTTE initially denied killing Gandhi but in later years some of its leaders privately and otherwise voiced regrets over his death, which led to the group being outlawed in India in 1992.

But the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), in what is acknowledged to be one of finest investigations in the world of crime, proved conclusively that Gandhi was killed by the LTTE, on the specific orders of Prabhakaran, the killer band reporting directly to Pottu Amman.

A total of 41 people were arraigned for the crime, 14 of them Indians and the others Sri Lankan Tamils.

Of the 41 as many as 12--11 of them Sri Lankans--committed suicide during the investigation, mostly by taking cyanide, the hallmark of LTTE. As many as 26 people faced trial and three were officially declared proclaimed offenders.

These three were Prabhakaran, Pottu Amman and Akhila, the LTTE women's wing leader who was killed by Sri Lankan security forces in 1995.

The reported killings of Prabhakaran and Pottu Amman on Monday accounts for the last of suspects in the Gandhi case who could never be caught.

The case is being pursued at the TADA (Terrorist and Disruptive Activities Act) Court at Poonamallee near Kancheepuram, close to Chennai.

According to CBI sources, once the evidence regarding the deaths of Prabhakaran and Pottu Amman is made available, the court will be told that they are dead and the case will come to a final stop.

Gandhi, who as Prime Minister sent the Indian Army to Sri Lanka's northeast in 1987 to end Tamil separatism, was killed when the suicide bomber, who was strapped with explosives under her clothes, exploded herself while pretending to touch his feet.

The CBI formally registered a case on May 24, 1991 and began its investigation. A chargesheet was filed on May 20, 1992 and the trial began January 19, 1994.

On June 5, 1995, India formally submitted to Sri Lanka a request that Prabhakaran and Pottu Amman should be extradited if and when they were caught.

On January 28, 1998, a court sentenced all those who were tried to death. The only exceptions were Prabhakaran, Pottu Amman and Akhila since they did not face trial.

The Supreme Court modified the verdict in May 1999, confirming capital punishment only in four cases and sentencing three to life. The others were set free against time they had spent in prison.

CBI officers involved in the Gandhi assassination case still recall with pride how they pursued the suspects in and beyond Tamil Nadu, in the process decimating an elaborate network the LTTE had built for itself in the state.

"We chased them on foot, on motorcycles, in cars, even by helicopters," one officer, who did not wish to be identified, told reporters. "There were nights when we slept in our cars on the roadside. Once I did not get to sleep for 12 straight nights. In the end, the LTTE was stunned by what we achieved."

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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."

Amul Butter's take on Mumbai Politicians

Amul Butter banners are integral part of Mumbai because they capture the sentiments of the city. Right now mumbaikars are not too thrilled with their political leadership. VIP politicians get commando guards while the common public is left to fend for themselves. This poster is both timely and timeless like any other Amul poster.

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