Lokpal Bill row: Team Anna representative meets Salman Khursheed!

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NDTV Correspondent / Updated: August 23, 2011 16:27 IST.

New Delhi:  Hours after Anna Hazare vowed to continue his fast against corruption despite his frail health, a member of his core team has met with Law Minister Salman Khursheed. Anna's aide Arvind Kejriwal reportedly met with the minister. This morning, Mr Kejriwal had said that despite comments to the media about being open to negotiations with Team Anna, the government had yet to formally offer a meeting to the activists.

Anna and his team of advisors - referred to as Team Anna - have so far been insisting that Parliament should adopt their version of the anti-corruption Lokpal Bill. 74-year-old Anna, who is on the eighth day of his fast, reiterated that demand this morning to an audience of thousands at Ramlila Maidan, which is serving as his camp against corruption.  But his advisors today indicated flexibility, suggesting that like the government, they want to find a compromise quickly.

Amid concerns about his health and hunger strike, Anna appeared on stage at his camp against corruption in Delhi and said, "I have been fasting for eight days but I am fine. There is no cause for concern. The doctors attending to me won't let me die. I've lost 5.5 kilos," the 74-year-old said, seen today without his trademark Gandhi topi or cap. Doctors say the 74-year-old activist is frail but not in critical condition. (Read: Who is Anna Hazare?)

His health - and the apparently inexhaustible supply of goodwill that Anna evokes - has the government scrambling to find a solution that would be acceptable not just to Team Anna, but the Opposition as well.

An all-party meeting has been set for 3.30 tomorrow afternoon. Spiritual guru Sri Sri Ravi Shankar is being used as a channel for negotiations between all three sides - the government, the Opposition and the activists. Sources say the Congress is also pressuring General Secretary Rahul Gandhi to intervene and broker peace with Anna and his associates.  

Full Story at,

http://www.ndtv.com/article/india/lokpal-bill-row-team-anna-representative-meets-salman-khursheed-128328

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TELENGANA TANGLE: Azad Meets Party Leaders From Telangana!

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July 27, 2011 / PTI, New Delhi / DC.

Consultation process on the Telangana statehood issue gained momentum with Congress general secretary Ghulam Nabi Azad meeting a delegation of leaders from the region on Wednesday, amid his intention to complete discussions within the party in the next two months.

The delegation consisting of Ministers, MP and MLAs from Telangana met Azad for the second time in three days and gave a presentation on certain issues related to the statehood demand.

While Pedapalli MP, G. Vivekanand made a presentation on Hyderabad, the most contentious issue, IT Minister Ponnala Laxmaiah gave a presentation on irrigation and agriculture issues.

"Both the leaders emphasised reasons why a separate state of Telangana should be formed. Vivekanand explained the reasons why Hyderabad should be part of the Telangana state," sources said.

Giving a patient hearing to the delegation, Azad told them that he would get back to them after discussions with leaders from two other regions of the state -- coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema.

Full Story at,

http://www.deccanchronicle.com/channels/nation/south/azad-meets-party-leaders-telangana-387

INDO-PAK TIES: Hina's meeting with Hurriyat leaders irks India!!

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New Delhi:  The Foreign Ministers of India and Pakistan have begun their talks in Delhi.

Thirty-four-year-old Hina Rabbani Khar and SM Krishna, 45 years older than her, made brief statements before starting their discussions. Both struck a conciliatory note, but government sources say that Mr Krishna will, early in his private dialogue with Ms Khar, raise India's extreme displeasure over her meeting yesterday with Kashmiri separatists in Delhi. The fact that she held these meetings before her official interaction with the government began is seen as a poor diplomatic move.

In his public welcoming remarks, Mr Krishna said, "India looks forward to a cooperative relationship with Pakistan... it is in the interest of peace not only for our two countries but for the entire region and beyond.  Perhaps we owe this to ourselves as well as to succeeding generations." (Read: Krishna's remarks before talks)

For Full Story,

http://www.ndtv.com/article/india/hina-s-meeting-with-hurriyat-leaders-irks-india-122296

Just hours after India arrival, Pak Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar meets Kashmir separatists!

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July 26, 2011 / Agencies, New Delhi / DC.

Pakistan Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar waves upon her arrival at Air Force station in New Delhi - AFP.

Just hours after she landed in India, Pakistan's new Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar already has India frowning.

Khar today met Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Syed Ali Geelani, chiefs of the two factions of Jammu and Kashmir's separatist Hurriyat Conference, even before talks with her Indian counterpart S.M. Krishna.

Indian officials have already slammed the 34-year-old for inviting the group for talks at the Pakistan High Commission here - just days after ISI-backed Kashmiri activist Ghulam Nabi Fai was arrested by officials in the United States.

"Links between Pakistani establishment and terrorism or separatism or their promoters now stand exposed," an official was quoted as saying by an Indian daily.

Meanwhile, Mirwaiz said that in his talks with Khar, he would press for inclusion of Kashmiris in the India-Pakistan talks to solve the over 60-year-old Kashmir dispute.

"They cannot solve the issue without participation of Kashmiri leadership in the negotiations," he said.

Geelani, known for his pro-Pakistani stance and his staunch opposition to any talks with the government of India, would also press for the same demand, said his spokesperson Ayaz Akbar.

"No solution is acceptable even if India and Pakistan agree on anything. Jammu and Kashmir is not a border dispute. It's for people (of the state) to decide their fate," Akbar said.

The Hurriyat leaders flew in from Srinagar on Tuesday morning.

Chairman of the pro-independence Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) Yasin Malik, who was also invited, has decided to skip the talks with Khar in Delhi due to his Pakistan visit.

Malik met the Pakistan foreign minister in Islamabad on Monday.

The Khar factor

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'Young, attractive lady to represent Pakistan'

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A meteoric rise

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So much for her lets forget about past to start a new beginning in Indo-Pak Ties!

Obviously, she is following the agenda as given to her by Pakistani Military Head Quarters!!

Pakistan can never overcome their fomenting trouble in the neighbourhood philosophy!!!

Full Story at,

http://www.deccanchronicle.com/channels/nation/north/just-hours-after-india-arrival-pak-foreign-minister-hina-rabbani-khar-meets-ka

PM-EDITORS INTERACTION: Full, Point-by-Point Analysis!

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SIDDHARTH VARADARAJAN / The Hindu / June 30, 2011.

In his interaction with a group of editors, Dr. Manmohan Singh made a number of arguments to justify the half-hearted action that has been taken against the politicians, officials and businessmen suspected of corruption - PTI.

Nobody sheds a tear when the police harass ordinary citizens. But with the rich and powerful under the corruption scanner, the Prime Minister now fears a police state.

The Prime Minister and his advisors just don't get it. At a time when the public is looking for an end to the loot of public money, the last thing they want to hear from their government is a bunch of excuses and alibis.

In his interaction with a small group of editors on Wednesday, Dr. Manmohan Singh made a number of arguments to justify the half-hearted action that has been taken so far against the politicians, officials and businessmen suspected of corruption in the telecom, hydrocarbon and other sectors.

First he said the decisions which the media and the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) are citing as evidence of irregularities and graft were all taken in good faith under conditions of uncertainty. “If out of 10 decisions that I take, seven turn out to be right ex-post, that would be considered an excellent performance,” he said. “But if you have a system which is required to perform [in] 10 out of 10 cases, no system can be effective and satisfy that onerous condition.”

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Taken together, these arguments tell us not only how far the government is from reality but also how divorced the Congress and its leaders are from the political pulse of the country.

2G spectrum issue.........................

Inaction for long is justified with specious arguments!

CAG...............................................

To say CAG has exceeded it brief, again is wrong as CAG only audited the accounts and stated its finding, like any auditor would do!!

Full Story at,

http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/columns/siddharth-varadarajan/article2148036.ece

LOK PAL BILL: Anna Hazare team meets Karat!

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PTI / The Hindu /  NEW DELHI, June 29, 2011.

Civil society activists Kiran Bedi and Arvind Kejriwal after meeting CPI(M) general secretary Prakash Karat in New Delhi on Wednesday - PTI.

The Anna Hazare team on Wednesday met CPI(M) General Secretary Prakash Karat here to explain the civil society position on the Lokpal Bill ahead of the all party meeting on the issue.

Civil society activists Arvind Kejriwal and Kiran Bedi called on Mr. Karat this morning at CPI(M) headquarters to discuss the Lokpal Bill and to inform him about Team Anna’s views on the proposed legislation.

Ms. Bedi claimed that Mr. Karat was for an inclusive Lokpal by including the Prime Minister and the entire bureaucracy to cover the issue of corruption.

Only a few days ago CPM was cribbing that they were not consulted while roping the civil society members for drafting the Lok Pal Bill;

Now, he hasn't given any specific assurance that his party will back the Lok Pal bill, when its introduced in Parliament.

After all he is a politician and would take a call on it only when they need to vote in Parliament.

Full Story at,

http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/article2144468.ece

PM-EDITORS INTERACTION: Not a lameduck PM, says Manmohan Singh!

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• June 29, 2011 
• PTI 
• New Delhi / DC.

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  Dismissing talk that he is a 'lameduck' Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh today said he has been entrusted with the job by the Congress party from which he has not heard 'any contrary view'.

  Terming the perception that his government had gone 'comatose' and was 'lameduck' as clever propaganda of the Opposition 'to which some sections of the media had lent ear", Singh asserted that 'truth will prevail' and his performance will speak.

  Singh spoke of 'maximum possible cooperation' that he was getting from Congress President Sonia Gandhi whom he met one-on-one every week. He had never felt that she was an 'obstacle'.

  During a 100-minute interaction with five editors at his official residence, a relaxed Prime Minister confidently fielded questions on a wide range of issues including the talk that Rahul Gandhi should take his place, the Lokpal Bill, corruption and relations with neighbouring countries.

  Sonia Gandhi had done a "superb job" as Congress President for nearly 15 years now, he underlined.

  Asked about occasional statements from party functionaries that Rahul Gandhi should become Prime Minister, Singh said that the Congress Party and its President had entrusted him with this job and he had not heard any contrary view from the Congress high command.

  "In fact, the Congress high command has always been most supportive, particularly Mrs Gandhi," the Prime Minister said.

I, personally, consider that in his first time ever interaction with the Editors, he has just been defending himself, UPA Actions, the Gandhis and just repeated what he has already told, on earlier occasions; not much of new value!

Full Story at,

http://www.deccanchronicle.com/channels/nation/north/not-lameduck-pm-says-manmohan-singh-440

"SAVE GANGA": Uma Bharti meets Sonia on Ganga river issue!

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Posted on Jun 25, 2011 at 05:38pm IST / http://ibnlive.in.com.

New Delhi: Senior BJP leader Uma Bharti on Saturday met Congress President Sonia Gandhi and demanded that quick and effective action be taken to save river Ganga and prevent parties from playing politics over the issue.

Bharti, who recently rejoined the BJP, was all praise for Gandhi, saying if the government makes any contribution to save Ganga, the credit for it would go to the UPA chairperson.

"Four months ago, I was disturbed to see the state of Ganga river. I had then written a letter to the Prime Minister and Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh. My demand is that Ganga should be declared a national river," Bharti told 

reporters after her meeting with Gandhi.

No need of any special declaration on Ganga as a National River; its enough respect it or even better respect our own health and that of future generations!

Contaminating Ganga has been the shameless & irresponsible practice of Municipalities, Panchayats, Industries, Humans and all, all along the Ganga, without care or concern that the contaminated waters enter into our body systems - as plain drinking water as well as through food - both as farm products and animal products!

http://prmadhura3.blogspot.com/2011/06/world-bank-approves-one-billion-to.html

I am sure Rivers do not have any political affiliations but the political parties do politicise River-Issues, often than with serious intention of cleansing them and keeping them that way!

And finally, if BJP is sincere about a Clean Ganga, they wouldn't have allowed Swami Nigamanand at Haridwar who was on 'fast-unto-death' to 'Save Ganga' from the hands of the unscrupulous mining mafia, actively supported by the ruling BJP government, there!

http://prmadhura3.blogspot.com/2011/06/tribute-to-unsung-karmayogi-swami.html

Full Story at,

http://ibnlive.in.com/news/uma-bharti-meets-sonia-on-ganga-river-issue/162639-37-64.html

Lok Pal Bill: Lokpal panel meets for last time but differences remain!

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PTI / The Hindu.

Civil society members of the Lokpal Bill drafting committee, Anna Hazare, Prashant Bhushan and Shanti Bhushan, on their way to attend the last meeting of the panel, in New Delhi on Tuesday. Photo: Ramesh Sharma, The Hindu.

The joint drafting committee on Lokpal Bill on Tuesday met here for the last time amid “fresh and serious” differences between the government and Anna Hazare team.

The ninth and final meeting was held at the office of Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, chairman of the drafting committee. Except for Home Minister P. Chidambaram, who is in Jammu and Kashmir, all the other nine members attended the meeting.

Ahead of the meeting, the activists said they will hand over their draft to the committee as per the decision taken in Monday’s meeting to exchange versions of both sides for further consultations.

Both the versions will be merged into one document with differences listed for a final decision to be taken by the Union Cabinet after political parties give their views on the issue.

Fresh differences were added to the already existing list of six over the constitution of selection panel and who can approach the Supreme Court for removal at the meeting on Monday.

Full Story at,

http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/article2123388.ece?homepage=true

Lok Pal Bill: Last Lokpal meeting tomorrow; to exchange drafts!

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PTI / The Hindu.

File photo of social activists and members of Lokpal Bill joint-committee, Anna Hazare and Arvind Kejriwal, in New Delhi. Photo: Shanker Chakravarty.

After an acrimonious meeting last week, the joint drafting committee on Lokpal Bill on Monday agreed on most of the issues but new areas of disagreement like the manner of selection and removal of the ombudsman came up adding to persisting differences on contentious aspects.

Both the government side and the Anna Hazare team said the three-hour-long meeting was held in a “very cordial atmosphere” but differed on the extent of its success.

The committee will meet tomorrow for the last time during which both the sides will exchange their drafts on which they will comment upon.

Human Resource Development Minister Kapil Sibal told reporters that 80 to 85 per cent issues were resolved while activists Arvind Kejriwal and Prashant Bhushan differed on this percentage but contended that there was consensus on majority of the issues.

“On a range of issues, there is a broad agreement. It is a major step forward. Both sides feel we should move towards a consensus to formulate a draft where difficult issues of divergence are spelt out when it goes to political parties sometime in July,” Mr. Sibal said.

Yes, better be consensus before the Political parties consider the draft, as anyway we cannot rule out difference of opinion among all the political parties, when, once again, a consensus needs to be arrived before it is finally introduced in Parliament.

Full Story at,

http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/article2119952.ece?homepage=true

Separate Telengana Demand: Congress T meet on June 15!

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• June 8, 2011 
• DC 
• Hyderabad / Deccan Chronicle.

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June 7: The Union finance minister, Mr Pranab Mukherjee, has convened a meeting of Congress elected representatives from Telangana on June 15 to discuss the separate statehood issue.

Information to this effect has been communicated to all the representatives of the region and the convenor of state Congress MPs’ forum, Mr Ponnam Prabhakar, also confirmed the meeting. Since AP Congress affairs in-charge Mr Ghulam Nabi Azad, will be back from his US trip on June 14, the meeting has been scheduled for the next day. Apart from Mr Azad, Mr Ahmed Patel and Union minister of petroleum, Mr Jaipal Reddy, are slated to attend.

This is the first time that the Congress Central leadership has convened a joint meeting of all elected representatives from the region on the issue and it seems that the central Congress leadership has finally agreed to look into the statehood issue before the next Parliament Session. Mr Mukherjee had earlier sought time for addressing the issue after Assembly polls in May.

Courtesy:  Deccan Chronicle.

How many more meeting would they conduct before UPA announces its stand on this issue?