New Delhi: Politicians A Raja and Suresh Kalmadi may have recently spent about a year in jail each, but both men, who are Lok Sabha MPs, have been nominated to parliamentary committees. Mr Kalmadi was suspended by the Congress last year after he was arrested for corruption; that hasn't stopped the party from picking him as its representative on Parliament's External Affairs Committee.

Mr Raja is now the DMK's representative on the parliamentary group that studies Energy. 

Mr Raja is being tried for criminal conspiracy, cheating and breach of trust by a public servant - a charge that carries a maximum sentence of life imprisonment. As Telecom Minister, he allegedly sold under-priced licences for mobile networks to ineligible companies. Through his trial, his party has stood by him. DMK chief M Karunanidhi, who mentored Mr Raja, has said the party believes in his innocence.

The Congress has been less explicit in its backing of Mr Kalmadi so far. He was suspended by the party after he was arrested in April 2011 and put in Tihar Jail, where Mr Raja was also stationed. 

As the man in charge of the Commonwealth Games held in Delhi in 2010, Mr Kalmadi allegedly presided over a network of venal officials, who signed inflated contracts with firms. Mr Kalmadi was jailed for a deal with a Swiss company that was hired for time-keeping and scoring equipment. He was granted bail in January this year.

Sonia Gandhi avoids tit-for tat with Narendra Modi; defends FDI in retail

Rajkot: Sonia Gandhi launched her party's Gujarat campaign in Rajkot today by neatly side-stepping Narendra Modi's best attempts to provoke her into a direct war of words on the foreign travel issue he raised recently. Instead, she attacked the Gujarat Chief Minister on the plank he uses most to highlight his achievements - development.
 
Mrs Gandhi said all the areas that the state had done well in were established in Congress rule. "No one has done as much for the development of Gujarat as the Congress has done," she said, also lauding farmers, artisans and traders of the Saurashtra region for having worked hard to take the state forward, implying that Mr Modi took credit where it was not due. She lambasted him for "choosing not to see how far the country has developed, and misleading the people of the state" for "talking only of darkness," and for "unnecessary sloganeering". Mrs Gandhi said, "Modi did not tell you that 50% funds came from the Centre," and "The Centre is trying to help you, why does Gujarat have the highest Value Added Tax?"
 
This was the first time that Mrs Gandhi addressed a public gathering after the UPA government set off on its "reforms-are-back" agenda in the face of much political opposition and she launched a strong defence of the government's policies, saying difficult economic conditions the world over necessitated tough decisions in the country. She promised that FDI in retail would help farmers and also justified the recent fuel price hike.  

Rajkot, in the Saurashtra region, is BJP territory, but the Congress hopes to exploit the fact that it is in this Patel stronghold that BJP rebel Keshubhai Patel has begun his rival political party. A Sonia Gandhi election rally was also of much interest as five years ago, while campaigning in Gujarat, she had called Mr Modi "a trader of death (Maut ka Saudagar)." That, many political analysts say, may have swung the elections in favour of Mr Modi, who, they say, used it to his political advantage. That time Mr Modi had raked up the issue of Mrs Gandhi's foreign origin. In the 2007 elections, he came strongly back to power winning 117 of the 182 seats in the Gujarat Assembly; the Congress won just 59 seats.
 
This time, just before Mrs Gandhi's scheduled visit, Mr Modi has accused the Manmohan Singh government of spending crores of public money on her foreign travel. But Sonia Gandhi refused to be drawn into any personal attack or even mention of Mr Modi's comments, merely saying that she had been attacked before and she expected that to continue. Elaborate security arrangements are in place for the Congress President's visit, with a team from the Special Protection Group conducting security checks at the places that the she  is visiting. 1,000 policemen have been deployed at the Race Course Road rally venue, where a huge crowd gathered today.
 
Mr Modi claimed on Monday that the Manmohan Singh government had spent nearly Rs. 1900 crore on Mrs Gandhi's foreign trips abroad in the last three years. When that claim rang hollow with an RTI activist said to have gleaned that information denying it, Mr Modi tweaked his attack and asked the Congress why it had not shared details of her trips despite the activist's application for that information. 

Mr Modi said he had based Monday's claim on information in a local newspaper. That newspaper's editor, on Tuesday, said his information was based on "local wires" or news agencies, but was not able to share more information. The story he ran said that RTI activist Ramesh Verma of Haryana had unearthed the details of the expenses. Except that the activist says that's not true - he says that two years ago, he asked the government to share how much has been spent on Mrs Gandhi's foreign trips in the last 10 years and is yet to receive a response, even though the Chief Information Commissioner (CIC) had directed the Prime Minister's Office to reply to him. Neither the government nor the Congress was able to explain why. When Mr Verma issued his first denial on Monday, Mr Modi was forced to announce that he will publicly apologise if his allegation was proven untrue.
 
Now, another RTI activist Trupti Shah has come forward and said she had filed an RTI appeal five years ago to know how much was spent on Mr Modi's travel in 2007, just before assembly elections, to " 27 places by helicopter but there is no mention of this in the Government expenses." Ms Shah, who says she is yet to get a reply from the CM's office to her repeated queries, had also written in July to Mr Modi, who she says had travelled to attend seminars and conferences on women's empowerment at the time. Ms Shah said she had also written to the Gujarat Information Commissioner, but was yet to get the details she had sought. "I had asked under the RTI Act for the expenses of the Women's Empowerment Seminar that in the name of women empowerment, why are they having this seminar? But the Chief Minister's office has not replied to any of my queries regarding the expenses," she said. 
 
Gujarat Government spokesman Jaynarayan Vyas would only say on Wednesday morning that Ms Shah had all right to seek and get that information and that she had recourse to legal methods to obtain it. 
 
Adding a new confused dimension to the Sonia-Modi controversy, both the BJP and the Congress keep referring to the expenses on Mrs Gandhi's trips abroad for medical treatment. That's not what the RTI activist asked for. "We also give good wishes for the health of Sonia Gandhi, but if expenses were paid from the public treasury, please clarify," Nirmala Sitharaman, BJP spokesperson, said.

Congress leader Digvijaya Singh retaliated. "As far as Soniaji's trips are concerned, everyone knows about her health issues. His (Modi) comments are reflective of his own character and his party." He added that Mr Modi has been well-trained by his party's parent body, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), in "the Nazi tradition of spreading false propaganda."
"Sangh trains it's cadre in disinformation campaign. Obviously Modi has been trained well! Sangh has modelled itself in the Nazi tradition," Mr Singh said on micro-blogging site Twitter.

Travel bill demand backfires, activists seek expenditure details from Modi

Ahmedabad: Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi's query on Congress President Sonia Gandhi's travel expenses seems to be getting back at him. While Modi continues to target Sonia, it has now emerged that the Gujarat Chief Minister himself may be hiding information. Activists Trupti Shah and Bharat Sinh Jhala claim Modi is withholding information on expenses incurred on his women empowerment sammelans over the past five years, as well as on his trip to Japan earlier in 2012.

Activist Trupti Shah had filed the RTI application in 2007. The government gave her information on the total expenses incurred on events in 27 districts but didn't specify how much was spent on Modi's travel alone. Trupti Shah has sent a letter to Modi saying information about his and his Ministers' travel-related expenses during 'women empowerment sammelans' had not been provided till date.

Shah alleged she was denied the information even after repeated reminders. She said the state's General Administrative Department (GAD), in a letter dated November 1, 2007, provided the list of 27 places visited by Modi from March 10, 2007 to September 20, 2007. But regarding the travelling expenses, the letter stated "the office of the Chief Minister did not mention the travelling expenses and so the CM's travelling expenses may be considered nil."

Reuters

This, the activist alleged, is "ridiculous" and "unbelievable" because Modi had travelled to most of the 27 places by helicopter. Shah then shot off a letter on November 20, 2007 seeking details about the name and agencies who bore the expenditure. When her letter didn't elicit a response from the GAD, she sent a reminder on January 18, 2008 and again on April 17, 2008 but she did not get any reply, Shah alleged.

After failing to get the required information, Shah filed a complaint under the RTI Act before the Chief Information Commissioner (CIC) of Gujarat. In the last hearing on September 26, 2012, the CIC directed the GAD to hand over the relevant information to Shah before the next hearing in October. The officer concerned said the information was not available though they have requested the CMO and other ministers to provide it, Shah said.

Activist Bharat Sinh Jhala has also questioned the expenditure on Modi's travel to Japan in 2012. "CM Modi has not given an explanation about his foreign trip expenditure. The people need to know. I do not care if he goes to Japan or China,I want to know if he is spending the people's money. How is he getting so much money for the Vivekanand Yatra? His administration department is also not revealing information. They claim to be under pressure," Jhala said.

Earlier, another RTI activist had disputed the Chief Minister's claims that Rs 1,880 crore of public money was spent on Congress President Sonia Gandhi's foreign tours. Meanwhile, defending the Congress's silence over Modi's questions on Sonia's expenses, former information commissioner Wajahat Habibullah said, "We don't have laws dealing with answers to private matters and in this case medical details are sought under RTI query. Normally an RTI query has to be answered in 30 days but if details are to be sought from various departments then the plea has to be addressed in 45 days. But if Sonia Gandhi's specific details need to be inquired then she is a 3rd party and under Section 8 this is not permissible."

But former Chief Information Commissioner Shailesh Gandhi said that while medical records are off the RTI ambit, expenses can be revealed. "It doesn't matter what the expense was for - travel, medical or for a party. If the taxpayers' money was used, citizens have a right to know," he said.

Big questions:

- Who paid for Sonia Gandhi's foreign trips?

- Were Sonia's foreign trips paid for by the government or privately?

- Why is the government not disclosing the details if Narendra Modi is wrong?

(With additional information from PTI)

BJP stands by Narendra Modi's claims on Sonia Gandhi's US treatment costs

he Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Tuesday stood by the controversial claims of Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi that funds from the public exchequer were spent on travel and treatment abroad of UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi, and asked Congress to come clear on it.

Modi himself stuck to his contention that the government make clear if Rs1,880 crore were spent from the public exchequer on Gandhi's treatment in the US, even though the RTI activist on whose basis he made the claim questioned the figures cited by Modi and said he had not received any reply to his RTI query.

"We condemn the Congress party's approach in diverting and adding issues which have not been raised by Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi. He has very clearly quoted media sources and raised a question. If you are genuinely interested in answering the question, you would say what was the amount spent," BJP spokesperson Nirmala Sitharaman said.

After levelling the allegations on Monday, the Gujarat Chief Minister had offered to tender an apology hours after making the allegation if his charge was found to be false. "If it was not Rs 1,880 crore, then what was it, just say. If money was not spent from public exchequer, say so. What stops you from answering this question," Sitharaman said.

Alleging that Congress was resorting to diversionary tactics to avoid answering these questions, by saying that it is a personal matter related to Gandhi's health, the BJP spokesperson said, "We also give good wishes for the health of Sonia Gandhi but if expenses were paid from the public treasury, please clarify."

Dismissing Modi's charge as "falsehood", Congress said it is regrettable that the Gujarat CM has resorted to "blatant lies" which now stand exposed after the disclosure by RTI activist Ramesh Verma.

BJP alleged that it is Congress which has added the health issue to the Opposition's demand that the expenses incurred on Gandhi's travel for treatment be made public and whether it was made from the public exchequer.

"Did those who use the merchant of death statement think that it is a classic statement? Who brought up the health issue when the question was raised about the travel expenses of Sonia Gandhi? Why did they feel the need to join the two issues? Are they doing it to get sympathy or to give a direct reply?" Sitharaman said.

She sought to know as to why the RTI activist has not been given a reply though more than two years have passed since he filed a request.

Congress spokesman Manish Tewari has said Modi had made the allegation to divert the attention of the people of Gujarat from the real issues confronting the state.

"The reality is that the Chief Minister has no answer to the charges made by the MPs of Gujarat in a representation to CVC that Rs 1 lakh crores have been plundered over the past 11 years in 17 different scams," Tewari has said.

An unfazed Modi said at a programme in Gandhinagar that not replying to the RTI query gives the impression that there is something fishy.

"I read in a newspaper that Rs 1,880 crore was spent on Soniaji's foreign trips...nearly Rs 2,000 crore, if you have to shut Modi's mouth, then make public details about Sonia Gandhi's foreign tours, from the time Manmohan Singh's government came to power in 2004, till now," Modi demanded.

"Under what arrangement she travelled...where did she stay ....and if the expenditure...I have nothing to do with her personal life.... was borne by the national exchequer, then it is the right of people of this country that information about it should be made public," Modi said.

1.35 lakh suicides in 2011, West Bengal on top

More than 1.35 lakh people committed suicide in the country in 2011 of which the highest number were reported in West Bengal followed by Tamil Nadu.

Family problems and illness, accounting for 24.3 per cent and 19.6 per cent respectively, were the major causes of suicides while poverty was to be blamed in 1.7 per cent of the cases, according to government data.

Love affairs (3.4 per cent), drug abuse/addiction (2.7 per cent), dowry dispute (2.4 per cent) and bankruptcy (2.2 per cent) were among the other causes.

Delhi has reported the highest number of suicides (1,716) among UTs, followed by Puducherry (557). Seven UTs together accounted for 1.9 per cent of total suicides in the country.

The number of suicides in the country over the decade (2001-2011) has recorded an increase of 25 per cent -- from 1,08,506 in 2001 to 1,35,585 in 2011.

West Bengal reported the highest number of suicides (16,492) accounting for 12.2 per cent of the total suicides last year followed by Tamil Nadu (15,963), Maharashtra (15,947), Andhra Pradesh (15,077) and Karnataka (12,622).

They accounted for 11.8 per cent, 11.8 per cent, 11.1 per cent and 9.3 per cent respectively of the total suicides in the country.

These five states together accounted for 56.2 per cent of the total suicides reported in India, the NCRB said.

The remaining 43.8 per cent suicides were reported in the rest of 23 states and seven Union Territories, according to the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB).

Uttar Pradesh, country's most populous state (16.5 per cent share of the population) has reported comparatively lower percentage of suicidal deaths, accounting for only 3.6 per cent of such deaths.

Fifty-three mega cities accounted for 13.5 per cent of the total suicides in the country.

Suicides due to drug abuse, love affairs, family problem, dowry dispute, suspected/illicit relation and cancellation/ non-settlement of marriage have shown an increasing trend during last three years.

The number of suicides due to ideological causes/hero worshipping and poverty declined by 59.3 per cent and 25.1 per cent respectively as compared to previous year, whereas number of suicides due to divorce, illegitimate pregnancy and professional problem have increased by 54.5 per cent, 20.3 per cent and 20.1 per cent respectively.

A total of 9.1 per cent suicides in Uttar Pradesh and 7.6 per cent suicides in Madhya Pradesh were due to dowry dispute. Drug abuse accounted for 17.5 per cent suicides in Dadra and Nager Haveli. 6.3 per cent suicides in Assam were due to failure in examination.

Kerala, Puducherry, Maharashtra and Tripura have reported of 44.6 per cent, 40.2 per cent, 39.9 per cent and 36.6 per cent respectively of suicides due to family problem.

14.7 per cent suicides in Assam were due to love affairs, 1.1 per cent suicides in Jammu and Kashmir were due to not having children, 8.3 per cent suicides in Andhra Pradesh and 6.8 per cent suicides in Punjab were on account of poverty. 7.5 per cent suicides in Punjab and 7.7 per cent suicides in Assam were on account of unemployment and property disputes respectively.

Narendra Modi trained by RSS in 'Nazi tradition', says Digvijaya Singh

New Delhi: Digvijaya Singh on Tuesday hit out at Narendra Modi over his allegation on Sonia Gandhi's foreign trips, saying he has been trained well by RSS in the "Nazi tradition" of false propaganda and BJP's "cheap intentions" have been proved by trying to politicise a health issue.

Comparing the Gujarat Chief Minister with Joseph Goebbels, the Propaganda Minister of Nazi government in Germany, the Congress leader picked on his favourite target RSS alleging it trains its cadres in "disinformation campaign".

In his posts on the microblogging site Twitter, Singh said, "Sangh trains it's cadre in disinformation campaign. Obviously Modi has been trained well! Sangh has modelled itself in the Nazi tradition.

"Sangh training to it's cadre. Jhoot bolo zor se bolo aur baar baar bolo (Tell a lie, tell it loudly and tell it hundred times). Doesn't it remind you of Hitler's Goebbels?"

Singh's attack againt Modi and RSS came a day after Modi alleged that Rs 1,880 crore was spent from state exchequer for Congress President Sonia Gandhi's foreign trips citing a media report.

On Monday night, he offered to publicly accept his mistake if the claim turned out to be false.

"I had said this thing based on the report of a newspaper. If my information is wrong, today I say that I will publicly accept this mistake", Modi said addressing another

rally in Junagadh.

Digvijaya Singh said the incident "establishes the motive of BJP and Narendra Modi, their malafide cheap intentions. They want to politicise even an issue like health". The Congress President had gone thrice to an undisclosed destination abroad in last more than a year for a surgery. Modi said that a response given by the government to an RTI application of a youth of Hisar in Haryana, published in a newspaper on July 12 this year, was the basis for his claim.

However, the youth Ramesh Sharma questioned the figures by Modi and said he had not received any reply to his RTI query.

Asserting that there is nothing to hide on the issue on Gandhi's foreign trips, the Congress general secretary that the BJP was now saying that they got the information from a newspaper.

"Now Narendra Modi should tell in which newspaper he read and which news agency gave him this information. There is nothing to hide regarding Sonia ji's health and foreign trips," he said.

He said that what can be expected from Modi "who did not even apologise for the death of thousands, an apparent reference to the 2002 Gujarat riots.

"I do not expect an apology," Singh said. Meanwhile, When asked about the issue, NDA ally JD(U) appeared to take a dig at Modi over his flip-flop.

"It is a country of 120 crore people. People have a freedom to speak. This freedom also leads to some good things and some times to bad. Due to this freedom, some absurd information is also spread...if there is a cure, I want people to be cured," party chief Sharad Yadav said.

Asked whether he is saying that Modi suffers "from some problem", the JD(U) President said, "We have an alliance. Do you want clashes between us? Is it necessary to comment on everybody?"

Why isn't Congress revealing details of Sonia Gandhi's travel expenses, asks Narendra Modi

New Delhi: After his claim of Rs. 1880 crore being spent by the government on Sonia Gandhi's foreign trips rang hollow, Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi has tweaked his attack. He says the Congress, Mrs Gandhi's party, must explain why it has not shared the expenses on her trips, solicited by a Right to Information activist. He also asked why the Congress has not taken legal action against a vernacular daily that said the bill for Mrs Gandhi's trips adds upto more than Rs.1800 crore.

Mrs Gandhi, who has reportedly been diagnosed with cancer, has been getting treatment in hospitals abroad and spends several days in every couple of months outside the country in connection with this. Gujarat votes in the next few months for its next government. Mrs Gandhi is scheduled to visit the state tomorrow to launch the Congress campaign. 

The Congress has derided Mr Modi's claim, especially because the man who filed the RTI application, Ramesh Verma, said that the figures being attributed to his petition are incorrect. In fact, he said, he hasn't received a response at all from the government. After his clarification, Mr Modi said that he is willing to publicly correct his claim, but said the Congress must explain why it hasn't shared the information sought by the activist, who lives in Haryana.

"I am not raising the question on the expense incurred on her trips aboard for her health," Mr Modi said, "but if some youth has asked for this under RTI how can you deny him the details?" he asked. Senior minister Kapil Sibal said yesterday that Mr Modi's accusations suggest he has lost  his "mental balance."  Mr Modi said at a rally today, "Congress leaders say I have lost mental balance, and I should go to the doctor. Let me tell them my doctors are my people... the people of my state."

Will contest all 40 Lok Sabha seats, says BJP in Bihar, snubbing Nitish

Patna: Bihar's BJP chief has said that his party will contest all 40 Lok Sabha seats in the state, putting it in direct competition with its ally in the state, the Janata Dal (United). The BJP is the junior partner with the JD(U) in the state, with Nitish Kumar as the chief minister. 

This was confirmed by Bihar BJP president C.P. Thakur, who made a detailed presentation to the top leadership of the party at the Surajkund meeting last week. He said this was done in view of growing uneasiness with alliance with the JD(U). "As a political party it's imperative to be ready to contest all the 40 seats," Mr Thakur said in Patna today. 

Though Mr Kumar has successfully led the alliance government quite smoothly, in recent times there have been several rough patches. The most critical flashpoint is the possibility of Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi being projected as a possible prime ministerial candidate in the next election. Mr Kumar has clearly said that the JD(U) will not accept this, since he is targetting the Muslim vote to keep his party in power.

Mr Kumar has himself been projected as a possible PM candidate, not just by his own party, but also by Sushil Modi, Bihar's deputy chief minister, who is from the BJP. 

He had also said last month that he was willing to support anyone who will give Bihar special financial aid. This was interpreted as Mr Kumar's willingness to partner with a non-BJP party so long as the aid was promised to his state.

In another sign of the growing distance between the two parties, a BJP MLA on Sunday organised a rally of his own to highlight what he called corruption at the grassroots level in Bihar. 
Though the MLA, Uday Singh from Purnea, will be cautioned by the BJP, Mr Thakur said, it does point to differences within the alliance. 

Analysts say that the BJP's announcement of contesting all the Lok Sabha seats will not only widen the differences, but also confuse party workers on both sides, since the alliance at the state level is continuing.

Arvind Kejriwal set to enter politics; to announce his party, vision today

New Delhi: Activist Arvind Kejriwal is all set to make his his much-anticipated foray into active politics. He is expected to launch his political party on Tuesday. He will also outline the vision of his party, its constitution, the selection of candidates and a party manifesto, for which he will seek feedback from the general public.

Kejriwal chose Gandhi Jayanti to make his big announcement as he takes his fight against corruption to the next level. An internal Lokpal will also be appointed by the party to probe cases of impropriety. The name of internal Lokpal, a retired judge, will also be announced on Tuesday.

On Monday, Kejriwal met Anna Hazare, who said that he supported the IAC activist but not his party. The two had parted ways on political differences. But on Monday, Anna Hazare said that he will support Arvind Kejriwal if the latter stands for elections, while denying that they had any differences. The 75-year-old activist said that he will campaign for Kejriwal if he stands against Union Minister Kapil Sibal and added that his movement is different from Kejriwal but their goal is same.

PTI Photo

"Ours is a democratic country. If Arvind selects a good candidate, I will support him. We will not fight against each other as our goal is same," he said at a press conference.

He, later, clarified that his support is only for Kejriwal and not for any other candidate. "I will only support Arvind Kejriwal if he stands for election, will not support any other candidate selected by Arvind Kejriwal," Hazare said.

Kejriwal also assured Anna that he'll support the anti-corruption crusader in all his movements. This was the first meeting between Kejriwal and Hazare after they parted ways.

"We came here to assure him our support in all his movements. Our roads are different but the destination is the same. We will keep meeting and supporting each other. There is no fight," Kejriwal said after the meeting.

Kejriwal had earlier said they were not entering politics to acquire power as politics is yet another tool for strengthening of the anti-graft movement. The proposed party is likely to first test its strength in Delhi Assembly polls next year, skipping this year's Assembly elections in BJP-ruled Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh.

Earlier, the Kejriwal-led group had decided to form a preparatory committee consisting of 80-100 members, including some retired judges, to chalk out the details of formation of the party. It was also decided that an internal Lokpal, having retired judges as its members, will be constituted to ensure internal discipline within the party. The preparatory committee, however, was not formed despite the plan of having its first meeting on August 26.

(With additional information from PTI)

Modi's conditional apology may prove a trap for the Congress

New Delhi: Hours after Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi waved copies of a bunch of papers carrying an RTI report on Congress President Sonia Gandhi's foreign tours and the alleged expenditure on her treatment abroad, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) strongman has been forced to climb down after the RTI applicant himself denied the Rs 1880 crore figure that Modi alleged Sonia had spent on her tours.

"If Modi is referring to my RTI, neither have I received any such information nor have I leaked it to the media or any politician," said Ramesh Verma. Verma's reply gave the Congress a chance to hit back at Modi, promptly calling him a liar. "Time and again, he has attacked Congress leaders based on untruths and falsehood. You can't expect a man with that mindset to apologise," said Union minister Kapil Sibal.

But the Congress itself is in a trap now. Modi said that he was ready to apologise if his charges were proved wrong. This means that pressure will now be on Congress to reveal the cost of their party president's travels.

The Congress, however, has so far refused to answer any RTI query on Sonia. Modi, on the other hand, is unwilling to let go. He has, over the past week, made the Gujarat elections a national issue. He has repeatedly attacked Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Sonia and her son and Congress General Secretary Rahul.

Sonia is expected to visit Rajkot on October 3. She will be meeting the farmers to counter Modi's allegations. However, Modi's latest allegations have put both the BJP and the Congress in a tight spot.

Lt Gen KS Brar, who led Op Blue Star, attacked in London

New Delhi/London: Lt General KS Brar, who led Operation Blue Star against Sikh terrorists holed up inside the Golden Temple, has reportedly been attacked and injured in London.

Sources said that four men assaulted Gen Brar, who was with his wife, outside a hotel and stabbed him.

The 78-year-old, who remains on the hit-list of Sikh militant groups, is believed to be in critical condition in a local hospital after surgery. Gen Brar's wife was not hurt, sources said.

Lt General Brar usually lives in a high-security cantonment area in South Mumbai.

BJP chief Nitin Gadkari visits Delhi court to sue Congress leader Digvijaya Singh

New Delhi: BJP president Nitin Gadkari visited a Delhi court today to formally sue Digvijaya Singh for defamation.

Mr Singh, who is a senior Congress leader, had alleged in a series of interviews last month that Ajay Sancheti, a Rajya Sabha MP and an entrepreneur from Nagpur, is Mr Gadkari's business partner.

The Congress says that Mr Sancheti was given a sweetheart deal for a coal mine in Madhya Pradesh, where the BJP is in power, on account of his close links to the party's chief.

Both the BJP and Mr Sancheti have denied the charges.

In a legal notice sent to Mr Singh a few weeks ago,  the BJP chief said the remarks against him  were  "completely concocted, defamatory, scandalous and un-parliamentary." (Read notice here)

When asked if he would apologise, Mr Singh had said "Main kabhi maafi nahin maangta (I never say I am sorry)." 

The government and the BJP have been trading charges over a coal policy that allegedly helped private players get windfall benefits of upto Rs. 1.86 lakh crores, according to the national auditor or CAG.

The Congress says it implemented the policies that were followed by the preceding BJP-led NDA government.

The BJP, however, uses the CAG report to accuse the government of crony capitalism by giving coal fields at a fraction of their market value to businessmen who were close to the Congress.

Modi attacks Sonia, says she spent Rs 1880 cr on foreign trips

Ahmedabad: Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi on Monday launched a fresh attack on UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi, accusing her of wasting the public money over her foreign trips. Speaking exclusively to CNN-IBN, Modi demanded an explanation on the medical bills of Sonia Gandhi.

He said, "A large amount of money has been spent in the short span of three years. An amount of Rs 1880 crore, almost Rs 2000 crore, were spent. And I am not quoting media reports here. This has been revealed by an RTI plea."

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader further explained that even as he was in favour of development, he was strongly opposed to foreign direct investment (FDI) in retail. Modi asserted that according to him, sacrificing the small traders of India would not improve the economy of the country.

Relating his stand to that of US President Barack Obama, Modi said, "People consider America and Obama forward looking. And yet, Obama has tweeted asking Americans to support small businesses and avoid malls."

Continuing his attack on the UPA government, the BJP leader accused it of misusing the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) when in trouble. Modi said, "Whenever the Centre is in trouble, the CBI is misused and political parties are targeted to garner votes," pointing that even the Supreme Court had also passed harsh strictures against the investigating agency.

When asked about his prime ministerial ambitions and a vocal opposition to it from Bihar Chief Minister and NDA ally Nitish Kumar, Modi claimed that he was concerned only about Gujarat and its future. While skirting the question on his position after the Lok Sabha elections in 2014 if his party had the numbers, Modi said that his focus would continue to remain on Gujarat.

"I am only concerned about Gujarat and its future. In the Assembly elections, my focus will continue to remain on Gujarat," said the BJP strongman.

Later, answering a question on whether his former home minister Amit Shah, an accused in the Sohrabuddin Sheikh fake encounter case who has returned to Gujarat following relief from a court, would get a ticket in the Assembly elections, Modi remained evasive it was not his call.

"I do not decide who contests elections. This decision is taken by the BJP central parliamentary board and they have not discussed anything with us yet," said the Gujarat Chief Minister.

Mamata warns UPA over FDI, threatens trust vote, issues a clarion call to CMs

New Delhi: Using the twin issues of foreign direct investment (FDI) in retail and diesel price hike to target the Congress-led UPA Government, Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee on Monday exhorted chief ministers of all the states to join her in her battle. Targeting the Centre over FDI and fuel price hike, the West Bengal Chief Minister warned of a new front to take on the Congress while blaming it of not paying any attention to the miseries of the common man.

Talking about her future course of action, Mamata said she would hold a rally against the government across the country. Seeking the support of Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav and JD(U) chief Sharad Yadav, Mamata outlined her roadmap which included rallies in Patna and Lucknow over the next few weeks.

Attacking the Congress for claiming that her support base was limited to West Bengal, the feisty leader alleged that since anti-people policies were being framed in Delhi so her battle against the UPA would also being from the national capital.

Addressing an anti-FDI rally at Jantar Mantar in Delhi, the Trinamool Congress chief threatened a no-confidence motion against the government in the next session of Parliament if Mulayam was willing to support it, saying the UPA government was selling the country in the name of FDI in retail.

In a bid to strike a chord with the common man, the Trinamool Chief also crooned ‘Aye Mere Watan ke Logon" while sharing the stage with Sharad Yadav, who said that he had come as a common man and not as a representative of any political front. She also claimed that attempts had been made to disrupt her rally while asking the security personnel to throw out a man, who she said was trying to create disturbance.

Mamata's party is now slated to hold another dharna on November 19 and 20 at Jantar Mantar in Delhi. Speaking at the rally, Mamata further said, "We will also hold a rally on November 17 in Lucknow where we will invite Mulayam Singh, Akhilesh Yadav and Sharad Yadav."

Mamata said that she had "heard" that the general elections could be advanced and held in March next year. "We also don't want this government. If need be, we are ready for bringing a no-confidence motion against this government," the West Bengal Chief Minister said while launching an all-out attack on the Congress-led UPA government. Trinamool Congress, which has withdrawn support to the government, has 19 MPs in Lok Sabha.

Mamata, whose party organised the protest against FDI in retail, diesel price hike and LPG cap, said she could also bring a resolution against these decisions.

"I have heard that elections will happen in March. I am ready for a resolution," she said. She also appealed to other political parties not to support the government and asked them to support her party's resolution against the recent decisions on FDI and other issues.

"I am ready to work with other parties to bring a resolution against the government in the next session of Parliament...I would request other political parties not to support this government," she said.

NDA convenor Sharad Yadav, while addressing the rally, showered praises on the West Bengal Chief Minister calling her a Tigress.

He said, "She is the Tiger of Bengal. What she has done no one has ever and can do. I congratulate her, I salute you. I am not representing any party. Mamata asked me to come and I came to support her."

However, the government tried to downplay the threats by Mamata claiming that she did not have much presence beyond West Bengal.

When asked about Mamata bringing her fight against FDI to Delhi, Congress leader and Union Law Minister Salman Khurshid said, "I don't think Mamata has a presence beyond Bengal. It is not easy…even Modi has not managed to spread himself, and he belongs to a pan-India party.

(With Additional Inputs from PTI)

DMK will support resolution against FDI in Parliament, says Karunanidhi

Chennai: The Dravida Munnettra Kazhagam (DMK) on Monday made it clear that the party would support any resolution against foreign direct investment (FDI) in multi-brand retail in Parliament. At the DMK executive meeting in Chennai the party supremo and former Tamil Nadu chief minister M Karunanidhi said that even though FDI won't be a sticky point in the ties with Congress, he asked the Central Government to reconsider the decision to allow FDI in multi-brand retail.

At the executive meeting, DMK leaders also discussed the arrest of some of its cadre by the J Jayalalithaa government and the party's alliance with the Congress. Earlier, Karunanidhi had support the Opposition-sponsored Bharat Bandh on September 20 against FDI in retail. He had claimed that FDI in retail would be ruinous for farmers and small traders.

Meanwhile, the DMK also slammed the Jayalalithaa government claiming that ever since she stormed to power in May 2011, several DMK leaders and former ministers, besides sitting MLAs, have been facing the heat with land grab and disproportionate assets cases filed against them.

DMK has maintained that many cases were foisted ones. Cases were recently slapped against former Minsters K Ponmudy and KN Nehru. Karunanidhi's grandson Dayanidhi Alagiri is also in the dock over alleged illegal granite mining scam in Madurai. The party had earlier conducted a series of protests on the issue.

The meeting, chaired by Karunanidhi, was attended among others by his sons Union minister MK Alagiri and MK Stalin. Karunanidhi had on Sunday sought to scotch speculation that the Executive would also discuss a possible cabinet reshuffle with its quota of two portfolios remaining vacant, saying it would not nominate anyone.

(With additional information from PTI)

No rift with Arvind Kejriwal, our goal is same: Anna Hazare

New Delhi: Anti-corruption crusader Anna Hazare on Monday said that he will support Arvind Kejriwal if the latter stands for elections, while denying that they had any differences. The 75-year-old activist said that he will campaign for Kejriwal if he stands against Union Minister Kapil Sibal and added that his movement is different from Kejriwal but their goal is same.

"Ours is a democratic country. If Arvind selects a good candidate, I will support him. We will not fight against each other as our goal is same," he said at a press conference.

He, later, clarified that his support is only for Kejriwal and not for any other candidate. "I will only support Arvind Kejriwal if he stands for election, will not support any other candidate selected by Arvind Kejriwal," Hazare said.

Hazare announced that he will begin his country-wide tour against corruption in November. Attacking the UPA Government, he said that those in power were not interested in tackling corruption and the time has come for them to quit.

"The Prime Minister had given us a written agreement on the Jan Lokpal Bill but nothing has been done till today. We will tour the nation for next one-and-a- half-year to spread awareness about our movement. This government will have to either get the Jan Lokpal Bill or will have to go," he said.

Hazare said that many retired bureaucrats and Army officers had shown willingness to join his movement for a corruption-free country. "Our meeting is on for the last two days. Today we met few retired civil servants, who want to join the movement. We will check their background before they start working with us," he told the reporters.

When asked about reports of his meeting with Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit's political secretary Pawan Khera, Hazare said he has no idea who he was.

Talking about his future plans, he said, "We are going to build national-level coordination committee for our movement." Hazare insisted that no individual decisions will be taken and that the movement will run on "democratic values".

On the second day of his visit to New Delhi on Monday, Kejriwal met Hazare along with Manish Sisodia and assured that he'll support the anti-corruption crusader in all his movements. This was the first meeting between Kejriwal and Hazare after they parted ways.

"We came here to assure him our support in all his movements. Our roads are different but the destination is the same. We will keep meeting and supporting each other. There is no fight," Kejriwal said after the meeting.

Amit Shah falsely implicated: Narendra Modi

Coming out in support of former state minister Amit Shah, Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi termed his arrest as "unfortunate" and claimed that he was falsely implicated in the Sohrabuddin Sheikh fake encounter case.

"Judiciary is not under the government and is independent. Therefore, the state government need not comment on it. It is unfortunate he (Shah) was falsely implicated in the case and sent to jail, which is most unfortunate," Modi told TV channels in Gujarat during his month-long yatra.

Attacking the UPA government at the Centre, he said it was using CBI as a tool to harass political rivals.

"To remain in power, Congress government in Delhi has CBI as the only tool. CBI is being misused in Gujarat. Innocent citizens are being harassed. It is my serious charge that CBI would be used with all might during the Gujarat Assembly elections," he said.

Earlier in the day, BJP president Nitin Gadkari and Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Arun Jaitley also attacked the CBI.

"One of our Rajasthan ministers was tormented and sent to jail, Amit Shah has been regularly implicated in false cases. Police officers who fought terrorism are facing cases," Gadkari said here.

Like his party chief, Jaitley also attacked the functioning of the CBI. "The situation of CBI is such that whichever party is in government, (it works) to serve that party and preserve it. I say it without hesitation that the UPA would not have been in power if CBI was not its biggest ally," he said.

CAG is not a 'munimji', can look into efficient use of resources: SC

New Delhi: The new Chief Justice of India Altamas Kabir has come out in support of the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG), saying that the body is not just a "munimji" (accountant). "The CAG shouldn't be just preparing balancesheet of government accounts. It is the duty of the CAG to look into efficient use of resources," said CJI Kabir during the hearing of a public interest litigation challenging the CAG audit related to coal blocks allocation.

The apex court said that if the CAG has exceeded its brief then it's for Parliament to take a call. The comments by Justice Kabir, who took over as the CJI on Saturday after Justice SH Kapadia relinquished office, assumes significance as the CAG has been instrumental in bringing out the massive corruption in coal blocks allocation and 2G spectrum.

Job ‘clamour’: BJP for 2-yr break for retired judges

There is a “clamour” for post-retirement jobs among judges of high courts and the Supreme Court, the BJP said on Sunday, suggesting that judges have a two-year cooling-off period after retirement to become eligible for appointments to commissions or tribunals.

Senior BJP leader Arun Jaitley went to the extent of saying that as law minister in the NDA government he would be uncomfortable meeting retiring judges for fear of getting a job request.

“This clamour for post-retirement jobs is adversely affecting the impartiality of the judiciary... When I was a minister, I would be wary of meeting retiring judges for the fear that he would hand me his bio-data,” Jaitley said, speaking at a conference organised by the BJP legal cell.

Party president Nitin Gadkari suggested a two-year cooling-off period. “...even before they retire, it is decided for them as to which commission they will go to... There should be a gap of two years after retirement because otherwise the government can directly or indirectly influence the courts,” Gadkari said.

“I have seen some judgments recently that when tribunals are formed, retired judges should be sent there. Now through judicial verdicts post-retirement jobs are being created... We are the only country in the world where judges appoint judges. I saw a recent judgment that said that only judges should be appointed in Central Information Commission and the law should be changed. It is indirectly a direction to Parliament,” Jaitley said.

“Courts can’t frame laws, courts can’t administer the state, courts can’t fight terrorism... The tendency of the judges to follow the ballot box, the tendency of the judges to get carried away with the times, has to be avoided,” he said, adding that he wasn’t against longer tenure for judges.

As reported by this newspaper, of the 21 judges who have retired from the Supreme Court since January 2008, 18 have joined various commissions and tribunals.

With PTI

Kejriwal meets Anna, says will support him in all his movements

New Delhi: It is the second day of anti-corruption activist Anna Hazare's visit to Delhi. Arvind Kejriwal met Anna Hazare along with Manish Sisodia and assured that he'll support Anna in all his movements. This was the first meeting between Kejriwal and Anna after they parted ways.

Kejriwal also said that their destination was ultimately the same. "We came here to assure him our support in all his movements. Our roads are different but the destination is the same. We will keep meeting and supporting each other. There is no fight," Kejriwal said after the meeting.

Anna wants to chalk out a strategy to fight corruption and a long term political option. "If I had to enter elections I would have done it much earlier. I have not even fought Panchayat elections. When I talk about alternative, I am not talking about political alternative," he said on Sunday.

Asked if Kejriwal had fooled Team Anna with his political ambitions, Hazare said, "no, it is not a question of being cheated." "Politics is not the right direction. If politics would have given us a bright future, then why India once called a golden bird had to mortgage gold. This country will not get the right future from politics," he said.

This is in stark contrast to what Anna had said at Jantar Mantar earlier. He had spoken about the need for a political alternative and to send good, clean candidates to Parliament. Anna will meet retired IAS and IPS officers on Monday.

(With additional information from PTI)