Is Delhi heading for Assembly Elections?

 
       

The National Capital appears to be heading for assembly elections within next six months with all three major parties—BJP, Aam Aadmi Party and Congress -- contending that there was no option but to seek people’s mandate afresh for formation of a new government.  

Out of the three parties, BJP is confident and is prepared to face fresh elections anytime. After its victory in the General Elections, the BJP is confident of securing maximum seats in the Assembly elections too. 

On the contrary leaders of other parties admit that their MLAs were unprepared and hesitant to face elections so early

President’s rule was imposed in Delhi on February 17 and Lt Governor Najeeb Jung is likely to send a report to the Centre in a month or two, detailing about the political situation.
“The ball is on Lt Governor’s court. It is his prerogative to take the next step. Based on his report, a decision may be taken (by the Centre),” said Gupta.  The Union Cabinet is likely to take a decision on whether to extend President’s rule by another six months or go for fresh polls based on Lt Governor’s report. 

After expulsion of rebel MLA Vinod Kumar Binny from the party, the number of AAP MLAs has come down to 27 from 28. Congress has eight MLAs while BJP ally Akali Dal has one MLA.

BJP has 28 seats.

Following its electoral drubbing in Lok Sabha polls, AAP had expressed willingness to form the government but Congress made it clear that it will not support the party again.  

Sources in the Congress said the party will not review its decision not to support AAP as it feels the new party has taken away its traditional vote bank.
The Congress has already held a number of agitational programme in the city demanding better power and water supply, in an effort to connect with the masses.

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Arun Jaitley Srinagar visit: Armed forces are capable of handling Al Qaeda threats

Arun Jaitley Srinagar visit:

                                

Defence Minister Arun Jaitley said that Indian forces are capable of handling any threat of Al Qaeda in Jammu and Kashmir.{mosimage}]

In a press conference in SKICC Srinagar, when Arun Jaitley was asked about the news reports of video in which Al Qaeda has asked for jehad against India in Kashmir said that we have to watch the situation how it develops.'

 There is an element of caution and we are accessing the situation after the US troop withdrawal in Afghanistan and I am sure that our armed forces are capable of handling threats."

Senior militants from Al Qaeda's central command have released a video calling on Muslims in the Himalayan region of Kashmir to follow the example of "brothers" in Syria and Iraq and wage a violent jihad against Indian authorities, the Guardian reported on Saturday.

The video, which cites the "new Afghanistan being created in Syria" as inspiration, is the first to specifically target Kashmir.

Entitled "War should continue, message to the Muslims of Kashmir", the video was uploaded in recent days to a website where statements by other leaders of Al Qaeda and its affiliates have been released in the past.

It is unclear when the video was made, although its production apparently preceded the advances made by the Islamic state in Iraq and the Levant (Isis) in Iraq this week. However, the timing of its release will underline the impression that senior Al Qaeda leaders based in Pakistan, who have suffered heavy losses in recent years, are increasingly marginal to the global jihadi movement, the report said.

Led by Ayman al-Zawahiri, an Egyptian-born veteran militant who took over after the death of Osama bin Laden in May 2011, the group has made increasing efforts in recent years to mobilise the nearly half a billion Muslims who live in Pakistan, India and Bangladesh.

Zawahiri released a set of strategic guidelines last year that mentioned Kashmir. Last July, a cleric who has been linked to Al Qaeda issued a video statement that reprimanded Indian Muslims for their supposed lack of interest in "global jihad".

The campaign does not appear to have had much success beyond Pakistan, where the serious threat posed by jihadi violence was underlined by a major attack on the international airport in Karachi, the southern port city and commercial capital, last week.

Violations by Pak must stop for dialogue to progress: Jaitley
The Centre on Sunday asserted that dialogue with Pakistan cannot progress if ceasefire violations and infiltration continue, saying such hostilities "must stop" for the situation to "normalise".

"For the situation to normalise I think it is extremely important that these kind of violations which are taking place at the LoC must stop. That in itself is a confidence building measure before any country can proceed further," Defence Minister Arun Jaitley told reporters here on the second day of his maiden visit to Jammu and Kashmir after taking charge.

He replied in the negative when asked if dialogue with Pakistan would go ahead if the ceasefire violations along the Line of Control (LoC) and infiltration in Jammu and Kashmir continued.

"Obviously not," Jaitley, who is on a two-day visit for reviewing security measures, said, adding ceasefire violations must stop for further progress.

Any decision on revoking AFSPA will depend on situation: Jaitley

Any decision on revoking Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) in northern state of Jammu and Kashmir will depend on the progress in the situation in the state over a period of time, Indian Defence Minister Arun Jaitley said on Sunday.

"As far as today the situation is concerned, our armed forces and local security forces have been handling the situation. Over the period of time, we have to watch how the situation progresses," Jaitley told reporters here at the end of his two-day visit to the state.

He was responding to a question on whether the Centre will consider revoking the controversial AFSPA in the state in view of the improved security scenario.

"As far as your question is concerned, today I am not in a position to make any comment on this," he said.

Replying to another question, the Defence Minister said sanction for prosecution of armed forces personnel accused of involvement in human rights violations is decided on the merits of the case.

"Each case is decided on its own merits. In case the permission has no basis, then it (prosecution) certainly cannot be allowed. In case there is a basis in it, there is a human rights violation, it will be viewed differently," he said.

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Modi arrives in Bhutan on first foreign trip as PM

Narendra Modi arrives at Paro Airport in Bhutan

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday arrived here on a two-day visit to Bhutan, his first foreign destination since he took over, to cement India's "unique and special relationship" with the neighbouring country.

He was received by Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay at the Paro airport and was given a ceremonial guard of honour.

He is accompanied by External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, National Security Adviser Ajit Doval and Foreign Secretary Sujatha Singh. Also read: Modi gives a sense of purpose and hope: Bhutan PM 

Modi will meet Bhutan's King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuk during his visit which will see the two sides exploring ways to boost their ties, particularly in trade and hydro-electricity.

Modi will also address the joint session of the Parliament of Bhutan.

He will also address the joint session of the Parliament of Bhutan. He will also inaugurate one of India's assistance projects -- the building of the Supreme Court of Bhutan.

The fact that the Prime Minister chose Bhutan as his first foreign destination assumes significance since China has lately intensified efforts to woo it and establish full- fledged diplomatic ties with Thimphu.

Ahead of his visit, Modi said Bhutan was a "natural choice" as his first foreign destination because of the "unique and special relationship".

In his pre-departure statement, Modi said relations with Bhutan will be a key foreign policy priority of his government.

"I am looking forward to my first-ever visit to Bhutan and to nurturing and further strengthening India's special relations with Bhutan," said Modi before undertaking the trip at the invitation of Bhutan's King and the Prime Minister.

Modi was given a ceremonial guard of honour.

"Our relations with Bhutan are unique and especially warm. Our historical and cultural linkages make us natural friends and partners," Foreign Secretary Singh told a press conference in Delhi.

"Bhutan is one of our most important strategic partners ....It is a very good country to show our policy of good neighbourliness in South Asia and special token of our friendship," she said explaining why Bhutan was chosen as the first foreign destination of Modi.

Read more at: http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/narendra-modi-bhutan-king-jigme-khesar-namgyel-wangchuk-and-prime-minister-tshering-tobgay/1/366958.html

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PM and the CMs should be one team, Narendra Modi tells Rajya Sabha

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday told the Rajya Sabha that cooperative federalism was the way forward to ensure uniform development of the country.

PM Narendra Modi speaking in Rajya Sabha

Speaking in the Upper House for the first time, Modi was replying to the debate on the President Pranab Mukherjee's address to both Houses of Parliament in a joint sitting.  At the outset, he set out to demolish questions being raised by the BJP's rivals. "Questions are being raised how will you do, when will it happen. This is due to the pessimism that has set in the country, but optimism will set in soon," he assured the House.

Pointing to his victory in the 16th Lok Sabha elections, Modi said the mandate of stability is not an ordinary decision by the nation and its people.
Referring to different political parties at the state and the Centre, he said, "The nation will strengthen when the states strengthen. I have been lucky to experience the misfortunes of a state as a chief minister. I have experienced both good and bad. How a state's issues are ignored."
He said the overall  development of the country should be the primary aim for which the Centre and the state should work shoulder-to-shoulder. "This should be the spirit of development. The prime minister and his team has to work as Team India. Today, I heard a CM had written 40 letters and no replies. We need to have a mechanism to solve this," he said.
People need to know the Gujarat model, he said. "If Mayawati did good, Kerala's (erstwhile) left government, if they did something good, we wanted to adopt it in Gujarat. That was the Gujarat model. My ears are waiting to hear when Telangana says 'we beat Andhra Pradesh'. This is the spirit of development we want. This is the way forward for the nation."
Referring to the imbalance in development among states, he said, "The west coast and its states are developing fast, the east and its states are underdeveloped. Do we want a Mother India whose one hand is weak and the other strong? We need to work towards the development of the eastern states. Development should be inclusive and all-assimilated. We cannot leave the Northeast ignored." He referred to ecotourism as a means for developing the Northeast. "All colleges go on trips. On college tours, at least each college should tour the Northeast once. This will help encourage ecotourism," Modi said.
On power politics in the corridors of Delhi, Modi said, "We make so many plans to get political mileage. This creates a tension-filled environment. This is regressive for the nation." He said states affected by the Maoist insurgency can be also consulted in the same way for development.
"We cannot run this country from Delhi itself, but only by addressing these zones according to their nature," he said.
Speaking about the predecessor UPA government, he said, "I do not have the opinion that the previous government did nothing. We have to overcome the shortcomings if anything was left incomplete."
On rapes and crimes in the country, Modi said rape has impacted tourism in India. But crimes were being politicised in such a manner in the country that the image of India has taken a severe beating, which it is yet to recover from.
"There's no compromise over this. We will work together to remove these ills. Can't we go beyond politics over these issues?" he asked the Upper House.
Saying his government will be hard on the corrupt, he said, "The guilty should go to jail and the innocent let free. By 2015, we want a Parliament that is free of crime. We need to regulate law in a way to help all members of the Parliament be free of charges, or sent to jail if punished. No one should be excluded in this. We already took a decision on black money as soon as we formed the government. A country, without black money, will make the Parliament respectable to the nation's citizens."
Asking the people to have more faith, in general, and in his government, in particular, he said, "We need to have faith. We send an SMS and then call and ask  "SMS mila?"
Modi ended his speech by asking Parliament's support and said they will treat "good points from previous governments" as lessons.

Read more at: http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/narendra-modi-in-rajya-sabha-pm-and-the-cms-should-be-one-team/1/366410.html

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Jaitley on VK Singh row: Army chief Lt General Dalbir Singh Suhag's appointment is final

Defence Minister Arun Jaitley has sought an explanation from the Defence Secretary on the ministry's affidavit in the Supreme Court which said former Army Chief Gen V K Singh's decision to impose a promotion ban on Army Chief-designate Lt Gen Dalbir Singh Suhag was "illegal and premeditated".

Jaitley called for the explanation from Defence Secretary R K Mathur and Ministry officials may also meet the Minister to give their side of the story, official sources said here.

The Defence ministry has told the Supreme Court in a recent affidavit in a promotion case related to Lt Gen Ravi Dastane that the alleged lapses which were made as grounds to impose disciplinary ban on Suhag were "premeditated", "vague" and "illegal".

Reacting to this, JD(U) leader K C Tyagi said, "VK Singh has vested interests in blocking appointment of Gen Dalbir Singh, request PM Modi & Arun Jaitley to act on moral grounds."

Soon after the matter came to light, Gen V K Singh alleged that the "Defence Ministry affidavit is same as it gave to Armed Forces Tribunal under protective and conniving UPA".

He also justified his decision to impose a Discipline and Vigilance (DV) ban on Lt Gen Suhag saying that "If unit kills innocents, does dacoity and then head of organisation tries to protect them, should he not be blamed? Criminals should go free!!."

The former Army Chief's comments came against the backdrop of reports that a unit under Lt Gen Suhag had allegedly carried out killings and daocities in the North East region.

The Ministry, meanwhile, said it has adhered to its stand taken earlier on the issue related to imposition of DV ban on Lt.Gen Suhag by Gen V K Singh.

The sources said Government's stand in legal proceedings were based on considered facts and decisions and cannot be changed in different courts.

The ban was imposed on Lt Gen Suhag for alleged "failure of command and control" in an operation carried out by an intelligence unit working directly under him when he was working as the then Dimapur-based 3 Corps commander.

In its last days in office, the UPA-II government had named Lt Gen Suhag as the Army Chief to succeed incumbent Gen Bikram Singh when he retires on July 31.

In its affidavit filed in the apex court registry, the Defence ministry said, "The alleged lapses observed by the then COAS, as reflected in the show cause notice, were premeditated and issued in utter disregard to the legal provisions governing the court of inquiry, principles of natural justice... the lapses were vague, based on presumptions and legally and factually not maintainable".

"Evidently, the entire exercise to issue show cause notice was premeditated and as per records, the directions issued in this regard, including imposition of the DV ban and issue of show cause notice were found to be illegal," it said.

The affidavit has been filed in response to a plea of Lt Gen Ravi Dastane alleging favouritism in the selection of Lt Gen Suhag as the Army commander who will succeed the Army Chief.

Lt Gen Suhag's promotion as Army commander was cleared by Gen Bikram Singh soon after V K Singh retired. The ban was also lifted.

Congress sought the resignation of V K Singh as Union Minister, saying the affidavit was an expression of "no confidence" in him.

"This minister cannot remain in the Council of Ministers.

It's a matter of detail whether he is removed or he resigns," party spokesperson Abhishek Singhvi told reporters on Tuesday.

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Kerala college principal, students booked for including PM Modi in list of 'negative faces' like Hitler, Osama, Veerappan

The campus magazine for 2013-14 was released on June 4 and one of its pages titled 'negative faces' featured a photograph of Modi.

Four students of a government polytechnic at Kuzhoor here and three others, including its principal, were on Tuesday booked by police for featuring in their campus magazine a photograph of Prime MinisterNarendra Modi under a list of "negative faces" along with Adolf Hitler,George W. Bush, Osama bin Laden and a few others.

Cases had been registered against four students, associated with the magazine, its Principal M N Krishnan Kutty, staff Editor Gopi and the owner of a printing press for offences under Indian Penal Code (IPC) including concealing design to commit offence, wantonly giving provocation, punishment for defamation and printing matter known to be defamatory.

The campus magazine for 2013-14 was released on June 4 and one of its pages titled 'negative faces' featured a photograph of Modi. Others figuring in the collage include, sandalwood smuggler Veerappan, LTTE supremo V Prabhakaran, Adolf Hitler, Al-Qaeda chief Laden and George W. Bush , police said.

Cover page of the magazine.

They said the case was booked on a complaint by a social worker Subash.

The magazine was brought out by a team of campus editors of the institution, whose student union is controlled by a pro-Left campus outfit.

The polytechnic authorities hinted that the magazine would be withdrawn as it has sparked a controversy.

Local BJP workers staged a protest and burnt copies of the controversial magazine.

Read more at: http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/students-principal-booked-for-putting-modi-laden-hitlers-list/1/366223.html

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Narendra Modi hailed as new 'fashion icon' by American media

 Washington: Narendra Modi, who was unwelcome here only a few years ago, is now a “fashion icon” to the American media.

After his stunning electoral triumph, three major US publications - Time, New York Times and the Washington Post - have lauded the new Indian Prime Minister’s dressing style from his “trademark Modi Kurta” to his tunic.  

The New York Times in an article titled ‘A Leader Who Is What He Wears’ says that “even by the standards of a world that has seen blogs devoted to Michelle Obama’s dress sense, the pre-election makeovers of Francois Hollande and Dilma Rousseff, and the canonisation of Nelson Mandela’s shirts, the image-craft of India’s new prime minister, Narendra Modi - and its fashion fallout - has been something of a case study.” 

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Munde was humiliated, wanted to leave party: BJP leader

  


Maharashtra Legislature's resolution to mark Gopinath Munde's contribution turned out to be an emotional one as all the top state leaders could not stop their tears while remembering their dynamic colleague.

The speeches paying homage to late Munde not only saw wet eyes but also raised eyebrows by some 'disclosures' !

Munde's close aide since 1974 and former Leader of Opposition in the Maharashtra legislative Council Pandurang Fundkar said that Munde was humiliated in the party till the very last days. Fundkar disclosed that Munde had an offer to join the Congress and was offered a Cabinet berth in the centre for himself and 2 ministries in the state Cabinet. Shiv Sena Chief Late Balasaheb Thackeray convinced Munde not to leave the party. But whenever Munde struggled in the party he raised the question with Fundkar "is this why you stopped me from joining the Congress?"

A tearful Fundkar choked while remembering his party colleague. Fundkar also demanded a CBI probe in Munde's accidental death.

In the assembly, CM Prithviraj Chavhan moved the resolution and paid rich tributes to Munde. Citing Munde's sharp political acumen , Chavan narrated the incident when Munde had approached him to fight the MCA (Mumbai Cricket Association) elections. Munde was planning to team up with Prithviraj Chavan against Sharad Pawar.

Munde's political opponent from NCP and his brother in arm for the OBC movement Chhagan Bhujbal could not control his tears while remembering Munde's contribution to the OBC movement. Even an aggressive leader like Narayan Rane choked as he remembered Munde who was his deputy, when Rane served as the Chief Minister.

The Motion of Gratitude was moved and adopted since a Condolence Motion had already been passed the day Munde died.

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