AAP’s Amethi rally: Big crowds not enough to topple dynasty

Amethi: The narrow road leading to Amethi's Ramleela maidan from the town's central circle resembled a tense locality prior to a fight between two rival gangs.

Separated by four battalions of police were the Congress flag waving people of Amethi on one side, and a long AAP procession of vehicles from neighbouring districts like Pratapgarh, Jagdishpur, and Lucknow. The caravan led by party leader Kumar Vishwas was anything but welcome in this Congress citadel in Uttar Pradesh.

Be that as it may however, the local turnout for the Aam Aadmi party's maiden public rally in the heart of UP prior to the Lok Sabha election, did give the new party reasons to celebrate. According to police estimates, around 10,000 people attended.

There was a large crowd of people at the rally: PTI

The leaders at the rally did manage to win over the crowd, with a slew of jokes and sarcasm directed at the Gandhi family and Rahul in particular. In fact, large parts of the speeches by Kumar Vishwas and Sanjay Singh, who have been put in charge of UP, focused purely on bashing the dynastic nature of Indian politics, or more specifically, the Congress party.

Singh started out by listing family ruled political parties. The speech was well received and the cheers were loudest when he got to "Chacha Nehru and went on to the pota poti (grand children)

Despite the fact that it had a ground full of cheering people hurling slogans at the political dynasties however, today's rally will not give AAP much hope if the objective was to woo Amethi.

For one, a large number of people at today's rally came from neighbouring districts. Also present were AAP supporters who had come to Amethi from as far as Allahabad, Varanasi and Bijnor. Beyond the fact that the rally was physically held in the town of Amethi, the vast rural constituency hardly figured in today's grand scheme of things, barring two occasions when Sanjay Singh brought up the issues of NREGA wages and the planning Commission's recommendation that the rural poor could live on Rs. 26 per day.

Also worrisome for the Aam Aadmi party should be the fact that beyond the sub urban sectors of Amethi, the people in its villages heard the name of the party for the first time today. This was evident when Firstpost visited a few of these villages. Not only did the residents not know AAP or the new CM of Delhi, but they also seemed unaware that the national political discourse, these days, revolves around a person named Narendra Modi.

What they do know and care about however is that one sack of cattle fodder is now sold for rs. 1,200 - a price that could shoot up to as much as Rs 2,000 in the black market.

"Congress, SP, BSP they all beat their drums that are made with the skins of farmers. No one really cares for us. And we don't really care about anyone either," says Mohammad Anwar from Jamo. But both he and Savitri Devi, a Dalit farmer's wife from village Bhoi know who the Gandhis are. They remember the names of the people that Kumar Vishwas today referred to as 'princes and queens.'

Sixty years of apathy from both the center and the state have caused these people to forget that their displeasure, which reflects in their vote. "Whoever I vote for it will all be the same. So I'd rather vote for the Congress because that's what we have been doing since the time I can remember," says Mohammad Ali, 50, a farmer. For Ali, the owner of 4 bighas of land, who by no conventional means is a poor, the biggest worry is the price of fertiliser.

Kumar Vishwas called on the people of Amethi to break their shackles and free themselves from the slavery of the Gandhi family. But for that to really happen, a mere call from the stage and a fiery speech might not be sufficient.

Farmers like Mohammad Ali will only listen to people who will talk about his worry over the increasing price of fertiliser. And Kumar Vishwas did not do that. If he is serious about Amethi, he will have to walk through its dusty fields and reach out to every single person.

The faces of the dynasts are etched in the minds of the voters here. To uproot those images is a task that certainly cannot be done from only the stage.

Kumar Vishwas shown black flags, stones pelted at buses of supporters

Amethi: Aam Aadmi Party leader Kumar Vishwas was today shown black flags by a group of people, who were protesting against his purported remarks against a religious event, while he was heading to address a rally in Rahul Gandhi's constituency here.

Stones and eggs were also thrown at two buses ferrying party supporters to the rally venue, in Gandhi Chowk area of the city.

Courtesy: ibn live

Window panes of the buses got damaged due to the stone pelting and police resorted to mild force to control the mob after which the buses left for the rally venue.

Vishwas, when asked about the protests, said these were "sponsored" and he would defeat Rahul Gandhi with an "huge margin" in the Lok Sabha polls.

The poet-turned politician was shown black flags by the protesters, who also raised slogans against him, while he was passing through Jagdishpur area along with his supporters.

They also burnt effigy of the AAP leader and said that a person, who does not respect religious sentiments, would not be accepted in Amethi.

Vishwas is to address 'Jan Vishwas rally' at Ramlila ground here this afternoon. Yesterday, AAP's press conference in Lucknow was briefly disrupted by a youth, who threw an egg at Vishwas and raised slogans against him.

Vishwas has already tendered his apology about the comment on the religious event.

PTI

Why Chouhan’s rollback of a decision on liquor sale is important for the BJP

Back- to- back elections can freeze the convictions of political parties. Just before the elections for Madhya Pradesh Assembly the BJP's populist announcements included rice and wheat and salt at Rs 1/kg to the poor. The state government proudly announced that people could run their households for a month on just two days' wages.

Shivraj Singh Chouhan. AFP

Senior leaders including former chief minister Kailash Joshi warned the party against the perils -- a social crisis in the villages. Despite realising that many beneficiaries of the government's magnanimity were bartering away cheaper grains for alcohol, the government stuck to the promise. On being sworn in for the third time in succession Chief Minister Shivraj Singh impressed his party leaders and public by signing the order for the cheaper grains right on the dais. On the same occasion he reiterated the government's resolve against allowing new liquor vends in the state.
The government tripped over its resolution in just three weeks. When the cabinet cleared Chouhan's proposal to allow sale of Indian made foreign liquor (IMFL) through 250 country liquor vends, several eyebrows went up in unison. Sobriety was, however, restored in just two days after retribution from within the party and from the opposition. Chouhan told the media that his heart prevailed over his head and forced him to rescind the decision.

During the cabinet meeting three ministers Gopal Bhargav, Babulal Gaur, Gaurishankar Shejwar dissented. Other senior leaders like former chief minister Uma Bharati, former union minister Prahlad Patel who also runs anti-addiction programmes and Maya Singh, who left the Parliament to join the state assembly, also spoke up against the decision. Chouhan overruled all those objections. Chouhan found himself isolated over his argument that the change in policy could fetch an additional excise revenue between Rs 150 and 200 crore.

He had his cheerleaders. Urban development minister Kailash Vijayvargiya said opening up IMFL sales in the villages would check casualties from spurious liquor. Even more brazen was Industries and Commerce minister Yashodhara Raje who said since the Centre was not extending enough funds to the state Chouhan was justified in generating funds for the state's development.

Though the Congress also has had great affinity for liquor mafiosi, it jumped at the opportunity of alleging a secret understanding between the BJP and the liquor barons.

"In the last five years, the BJP regime gave fresh licenses to 250 country liquor shops. Now suddenly, it has opened the door for IMFL companies to sell their products through country liquor shops throughout the state, '' said a spokesperson of the Congress.

One hasn't seen Chouhan roll back decisions in such hurry over criticism by others -- least from the Congress. But he found himself cramped as the RSS representatives put their foot down and forced the government to rethink over the decision during the party's state executive meeting. The parent organisation was not averse to the idea of revenue generation, but it didn't want the party being questioned over moral issues during the Lok Sabha elections a couple of months later.

So heady is the whiff of lucre from liquor that very few governments can walk straight on sniffing it. In an earlier stint under Chouhan's mentor, Sundarlal Patwa in the 1990s, the BJP had faced a similar embarrassment after allowing liquor contractors a foothold in the tribal regions of Madhya Pradesh. The tribes who hitherto brewed their own liquor were forced to buy it from contractors. Accompanied by police and excise officials the liquor contractors harassed the tribal population in Sarguja, Bastar and regions bordering Orissa forcing them to buy liquor at 400 per cent higher price. This led to lot of violence in the area. Having invested large money the contractors would stop at nothing to recover their money. The BJP ended up paying for it in the subsequent elections and the Naxalites seized the opportunity to consolidate their presence in Bastar. The Patwa government had taken the measure ostensibly to check alcoholism among tribal population.

Chouhan's change of heart seems to have prevented an ugly controversy and silenced the opposition for now. Voices from within the party like that of Prahlad Patel have for long advised the government against turning the voters into lotus eaters.

 

 

 

 

Young Indians must battle against fanaticism, says Sonia

New Delhi: Congress President Sonia Gandhi today invoked the legacy of Swami Vivekananda while asking people to battle against religious fanaticism of all hues that threatens the region, in comments that could be seen as a veiled attack on BJP and Narendra Modi.

In her address at the commemoration function of 150th birth anniversary celebrations of Swami Vivekananda here, she hailed the relevance of his teachings especially for the youth, and said the nation should not fail them in fulfilling the aspirations of the young to be educated, governed and employed better.

"Swamiji's words are all the more weighty today as religious fanaticism of all hues threatens the peace of many nations and our region. His ideas must be taken into the hearts and minds of our new generation of young Indians who will and must battle against fanaticism," Gandhi said.

Her comments assume significance as she made a veiled reference to BJP whose politics Congress has denounced as "sectarian" and "communal".

Congress President Sonia Gandhi in this file photo. AFP

Without mentioning BJP's Prime Ministerial candidate Narendra Modi, who has been appealing to the youth in Swami Vivekananda's name ahead of polls, she said his teachings laid stress on communal peace and hormony and recalled her address at the conference of world religions.

Gandhi's presence at Vivekananda's birth anniversary celebrations to woo the younger generation also holds significance as BJP over the past year has claimed the legacy over him.

She said the Swami's teachings tell us not to fall prey to narrow mindedness and selfish motives and invoked the young profile of India to reach out to the youth for whom, she maintained, the teachings of Vivekananda are relevant.

"All over the world populations are ageing. But the profile of our nation remains young. India of the 21st century is a known society with a young population. A population with high expectations and aspirations. "They want to be educated better. They want to be governed better. They want to find employment that meets their aspirations. We should not and cannot fail them," she said.

PTI

Pawar refuses to comment on Shinde endorsing him for PM

Mumbai: Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar today refused to comment on Union Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde's statement that he would like to see him as the Prime Minister.

When asked about the same at a press conference here this morning, Pawar said, "This (event) is to make announcement about the Krishi Vasant exhibition, and I am not contesting the Lok Sabha election."

Sharad Pawar in this file photo. Reuters

Yesterday, during a public interaction with editors of a Marathi newspaper in his hometown Solapur, Shinde had said he would be happy if Pawar became the Prime Minister.

"I would be happy if Pawar becomes the PM. He is my political guru. I entered the politics because of him," Shinde said.

PTI

Amethi LIVE: No more Chacha Nehru or Bitiya Indira, says AAP

2.45 pm: Political conspiracy against me: Kumar Vishwas

A crow of  about 15,000 has  gathered, with the numbers rising.

Vishwas tells the crowd the allegations against him are all old, and politically motivated. "These Youtube videos were lying around for years, nobody protested. How have they emerged now?" he said, hinting at a political conspiracy.

I am here to stay, says Vishwas, in a speech interspersed with poetry and shairi, received with cheers and claps. The black flags, the black ink thrown at some AAP leaders, the protests won't frighten him, he says. This is a land of brave people, I expect them to attack me in the face, not when my back is turned.

"Priyanka Gandhi's birthday is being celebrated to disrupt my rally. She is my sister, I wish her a happy birthday. I have not come on Priyanka's birthday. I have come on Vivekanand's jayanti day.... From tomorrow I want trains to Amethi filled up. Ask people whether the king will win or the fakir will win in Amethi," he says.

2.30 pm: Kumar Vishwas starts his speech, promises to lift broom against corruption

Kumar VIshwas goes for the jugular. In Rahul Gandhi's constituency, he says he doesn't want to eat at the home of a Dalit while being guarded by the SPG. "I will live with them. I will see blood with them. I will get beaten up with them."

2.20 pm: Modi tea stalls serve 'corruption-free' tea

It's a cold winter day in Amethi and tea vendors organised by the Bharatiya Janata Party to counter Kumar Vishwas's rally in Amethi found themselves doing brisk business.  Set up by the BJP, the tea stalls were christened 'Modi Tea Stalls' in keeping with the new rush to brand items of daily use after the BJP's prime ministerial candidate.

The tea was being advertised well too: Corruption-free chai.

1.45 pm:  Enough of Chacha Nehru, Bitiya Indira, says AAP's UP chief

Sanjay Singh, chief of the AAP in Uttar Pradesh, speaks first. The focus is clearly on taking potshots at the Nehru-Gandhi parivar and on dynastic politics. From Kashmir to Maharashtra to Tamil Nadu, from the Badals of Punjab to the Pawars and the Yadavs, Singh spared no name as he rattled off a long list of politicians who were catapulted into positions of leadership based on their surnames instead of merit.

The sharpest barb, of course, was reserved for the Gandhis. "Enough of Chacha Nehru and Bitiya Indira," he told the people of Amethi who burst out in laughter and cheered.

Having spoken about the BPL cutoff line of Rs 26 per day, Singh also said the NREGA wages of Rs 12,000 per year per family were a mockery. "Can you look after a dog in your family in that much money?" he asked, directing the question to the area's MP, Rahul Gandhi.

While issues of corruption did not feature in his speech, he also surprisingly did not make a mention of Muzaffarnagar and the humanitarian crisis there.

12 noon: The roads from Lucknow to Amethi were a sea of Aam Aadmi vehicles as hundreds of AAP supporters flocked to the constituency of Congress vice-presdent Rahul Gandhi on Sunday morning. People also joined in large numbers from the neighbouring districts of Jagdishpur and Pratapgarh in Uttar Pradesh to attend what could be a historic rally by Aam Aadmi Party leader Kumar Vishwas.

AAP leader Kumar Vishwas. Image courtesy ibnlive

Vishwas has challenged Gandhi to en electoral duel and has called upon the people of Amethi, earlier represented by Rajiv Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi, to cast off the yoke of dynastic rule and vote the Congress out in the 2014 Parliamentary elections. In a move of some overconfidence and some political bravado, Vishwas has also requested Bharatiya Janata Party's prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi to contest from the same constituency.

As the cavalcade of about 1,000 cars reached Amethi, Congress supporters flocked on either side of the road. All rickshaw pullers in the locality could be seen carrying a tricolour on their carriage, complete with Sonia Gandhi stickers. "In Delhi, autowallahs made Kejriwal win, here the rickshaw pullers will make Rahul Gandhi win," said Dharmender Ram, a rickshaw puller in Amethi.

En route, all along the highway, in villages and small, dusty towns, there was  a great deal of curiosity about the Aam Aadmi Party. Confused by the sheer number of cars passing, villagers were flocking to the roadsides to see what the fuss is all about.

"Kejriwal's party is new but it's amazing that thousands are going to the rally of a party that no one even knows properly," said Gordhan Singh from Jagdishpur.

In Jagdishpur, Kumar Vishwas was greeted with black flags, heckling and sloganeering as his cavalcade made its way through the town en route to Amethi. The protestors were  in small groups, less an outburst of rage than a planned political mobilisation.

Most Muslims in these areas have refrained from taking part in the rally but have not really spontaneously opposed it either. As Zulfikar Aslam from Bhoi village in Jagdishpur said, "The people who are protesting are all supporters of a political party. I have no clue even who Kumar Vishwas was leave alone what his comments about Islam were. But recently AAP was campaigning here and so were other political entities who were running anti AAP campaigns."

Kumar Vishwas has found his way into the headlines rather early on in his political career, with the controversy over his comment about a Muharram procession refusing to die down.

On Saturday, at a press conference in Lucknow, Vishwas was heckled and had an egg thrown at him by an angry Muslim youth.

The young man, who identified himself as Saif Zafri, was overpowered by Aam Aadmi Party activists and handed over to police. Zafri identified himself as a member of the Mulayam Youth Brigade and belongs to Bijnor in Uttar Pradesh. He was apparently angry at Vishwas's reported comments on Islam and a Muharram procession.

 

Amethi LIVE: No more Chacha Nehru, Bitiya Indira, says AAP

2.20 pm: Modi tea stalls serve 'corruption-free' tea

It's a cold winter day in Amethi and tea vendors organised by the Bharatiya Janata Party to counter Kumar Vishwas's rally in Amethi found themselves doing brisk business.  Set up by the BJP, the tea stalls were christened 'Modi Tea Stalls' in keeping with the new rush to brand items of daily use after the BJP's prime ministerial candidate.

The tea was being advertised well too: Corruption-free chai.

1.45 pm:  Enough of Chacha Nehru, Bitiya Indira, says AAP's UP chief

Sanjay Singh, chief of the AAP in Uttar Pradesh, speaks first. The focus is clearly on taking potshots at the Nehru-Gandhi parivar and on dynastic politics. From Kashmir to Maharashtra to Tamil Nadu, from the Badals of Punjab to the Pawars and the Yadavs, Singh spared no name as he rattled off a long list of politicians who were catapulted into positions of leadership based on their surnames instead of merit.

The sharpest barb, of course, was reserved for the Gandhis. "Enough of Chacha Nehru and Bitiya Indira," he told the people of Amethi who burst out in laughter and cheered.

Having spoken about the BPL cutoff line of Rs 26 per day, Singh also said the NREGA wages of Rs 12,000 per year per family were a mockery. "Can you look after a dog in your family in that much money?" he asked, directing the question to the area's MP, Rahul Gandhi.

While issues of corruption did not feature in his speech, he also surprisingly did not make a mention of Muzaffarnagar and the humanitarian crisis there.

12 noon: The roads from Lucknow to Amethi were a sea of Aam Aadmi vehicles as hundreds of AAP supporters flocked to the constituency of Congress vice-presdent Rahul Gandhi on Sunday morning. People also joined in large numbers from the neighbouring districts of Jagdishpur and Pratapgarh in Uttar Pradesh to attend what could be a historic rally by Aam Aadmi Party leader Kumar Vishwas.

AAP leader Kumar Vishwas. Image courtesy ibnlive

Vishwas has challenged Gandhi to en electoral duel and has called upon the people of Amethi, earlier represented by Rajiv Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi, to cast off the yoke of dynastic rule and vote the Congress out in the 2014 Parliamentary elections. In a move of some overconfidence and some political bravado, Vishwas has also requested Bharatiya Janata Party's prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi to contest from the same constituency.

As the cavalcade of about 1,000 cars reached Amethi, Congress supporters flocked on either side of the road. All rickshaw pullers in the locality could be seen carrying a tricolour on their carriage, complete with Sonia Gandhi stickers. "In Delhi, autowallahs made Kejriwal win, here the rickshaw pullers will make Rahul Gandhi win," said Dharmender Ram, a rickshaw puller in Amethi.

En route, all along the highway, in villages and small, dusty towns, there was  a great deal of curiosity about the Aam Aadmi Party. Confused by the sheer number of cars passing, villagers were flocking to the roadsides to see what the fuss is all about.

"Kejriwal's party is new but it's amazing that thousands are going to the rally of a party that no one even knows properly," said Gordhan Singh from Jagdishpur.

In Jagdishpur, Kumar Vishwas was greeted with black flags, heckling and sloganeering as his cavalcade made its way through the town en route to Amethi. The protestors were  in small groups, less an outburst of rage than a planned political mobilisation.

Most Muslims in these areas have refrained from taking part in the rally but have not really spontaneously opposed it either. As Zulfikar Aslam from Bhoi village in Jagdishpur said, "The people who are protesting are all supporters of a political party. I have no clue even who Kumar Vishwas was leave alone what his comments about Islam were. But recently AAP was campaigning here and so were other political entities who were running anti AAP campaigns."

Kumar Vishwas has found his way into the headlines rather early on in his political career, with the controversy over his comment about a Muharram procession refusing to die down.

On Saturday, at a press conference in Lucknow, Vishwas was heckled and had an egg thrown at him by an angry Muslim youth.

The young man, who identified himself as Saif Zafri, was overpowered by Aam Aadmi Party activists and handed over to police. Zafri identified himself as a member of the Mulayam Youth Brigade and belongs to Bijnor in Uttar Pradesh. He was apparently angry at Vishwas's reported comments on Islam and a Muharram procession.

 

LIVE from Amethi: No more Chacha Nehru, Bitiya Indira, say AAP leaders

1.45 pm:  Enough of Chacha Nehru, Bitiya Indira, says AAP's UP chief

Sanjay Singh, chief of the AAP in Uttar Pradesh, speaks first. The focus is clearly on taking potshots at the Nehru-Gandhi parivar and on dynastic politics. From Kashmir to Maharashtra to Tamil Nadu, from the Badals of Punjab to the Pawars and the Yadavs, Singh spared no name as he rattled off a long list of politicians who were catapulted into positions of leadership based on their surnames instead of merit.

The sharpest barb, of course, was reserved for the Gandhis. "Enough of Chacha Nehru and Bitiya Indira," he told the people of Amethi who burst out in laughter and cheered.

Having spoken about the BPL cutoff line of Rs 26 per day, Singh also said the NREGA wages of Rs 12,000 per year per family were a mockery. "Can you look after a dog in your family in that much money?" he asked, directing the question to the area's MP, Rahul Gandhi.

While issues of corruption did not feature in his speech, he also surprisingly did not make a mention of Muzaffarnagar and the humanitarian crisis there.

12 noon: The roads from Lucknow to Amethi were a sea of Aam Aadmi vehicles as hundreds of AAP supporters flocked to the constituency of Congress vice-presdent Rahul Gandhi on Sunday morning. People also joined in large numbers from the neighbouring districts of Jagdishpur and Pratapgarh in Uttar Pradesh to attend what could be a historic rally by Aam Aadmi Party leader Kumar Vishwas.

AAP leader Kumar Vishwas. Image courtesy ibnlive

Vishwas has challenged Gandhi to en electoral duel and has called upon the people of Amethi, earlier represented by Rajiv Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi, to cast off the yoke of dynastic rule and vote the Congress out in the 2014 Parliamentary elections. In a move of some overconfidence and some political bravado, Vishwas has also requested Bharatiya Janata Party's prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi to contest from the same constituency.

As the cavalcade of about 1,000 cars reached Amethi, Congress supporters flocked on either side of the road. All rickshaw pullers in the locality could be seen carrying a tricolour on their carriage, complete with Sonia Gandhi stickers. "In Delhi, autowallahs made Kejriwal win, here the rickshaw pullers will make Rahul Gandhi win," said Dharmender Ram, a rickshaw puller in Amethi.

En route, all along the highway, in villages and small, dusty towns, there was  a great deal of curiosity about the Aam Aadmi Party. Confused by the sheer number of cars passing, villagers were flocking to the roadsides to see what the fuss is all about.

"Kejriwal's party is new but it's amazing that thousands are going to the rally of a party that no one even knows properly," said Gordhan Singh from Jagdishpur.

In Jagdishpur, Kumar Vishwas was greeted with black flags, heckling and sloganeering as his cavalcade made its way through the town en route to Amethi. The protestors were  in small groups, less an outburst of rage than a planned political mobilisation.

Most Muslims in these areas have refrained from taking part in the rally but have not really spontaneously opposed it either. As Zulfikar Aslam from Bhoi village in Jagdishpur said, "The people who are protesting are all supporters of a political party. I have no clue even who Kumar Vishwas was leave alone what his comments about Islam were. But recently AAP was campaigning here and so were other political entities who were running anti AAP campaigns."

Kumar Vishwas has found his way into the headlines rather early on in his political career, with the controversy over his comment about a Muharram procession refusing to die down.

On Saturday, at a press conference in Lucknow, Vishwas was heckled and had an egg thrown at him by an angry Muslim youth.

The young man, who identified himself as Saif Zafri, was overpowered by Aam Aadmi Party activists and handed over to police. Zafri identified himself as a member of the Mulayam Youth Brigade and belongs to Bijnor in Uttar Pradesh. He was apparently angry at Vishwas's reported comments on Islam and a Muharram procession.

 

AAP factor likely to be focus of discussions at Cong, BJP meet

New Delhi: The Aam Aadmi Party factor is expected to be the focus of Congress and BJP during conclaves of their top leaders here this week to prepare a strategy for Lok Sabha elections.

While the AICC meeting is scheduled on 17 January, the BJP National Executive and National Council is from 17 to 19 January as the rival parties chart out the way ahead at a time when Arvind Kejriwal's party is gaining popularity.

Even though neither the BJP nor the Congress accepts that they have been impacted by AAP, the actions of the parties say  otherwise.

Representational image. Reuters

Just two days back, Rahul Gandhi held a meeting of leaders entrusted with the process of selection of candidates. At the meeting, the Congress Vice President pitched for giving Lok Sabha tickets to ordinary workers and those having a clean image as he unveiled a "new process" that will see
early declaration of Congress nominees.

Apparently taking a leaf from the success of AAP, Rahul told the leaders that while deciding candidates, the views of local people should be given prime importance and ordinary party workers should be given their due in the selection. The exercise initiated by Rahul comes in the backdrop of
the AAP as well as the BJP speeding up the process of selection of candidates for the polls and setting this month as a deadline.

BJP leaders say in private that AAP can affect them in urban areas as the Kejriwal effect is visible in cities but insist that it could be a blessing in disguise as it would help the party rank and file to connect more to the people.

"We do not go by press headlines. We have the pulse of the people. We will not take undue cognisance," BJP spokesman Prakash Javadekar said, dismissing the contention that AAP's rise would dominate the party meet.

Striking a similar note, Information and Broadcasting Minister Manish Tewari said, "Focus will be on Congress."

Another Congress leader Mani Shankar Aiyar said the focus will be on what the party can do to win the elections by defeating both the BJP and AAP and the regional parties.

Contending that the rise of AAP is a reason to worry for BJP and not Congress, Aiyar said it is a "mathematical fact" that if 0.1 per cent of the national vote goes to AAP, it will lead to BJP losing one seat, which it might otherwise have got.

"Similarly, one per cent of the national vote to AAP could lead to BJP losing 10 seats. Naturally, BJP in its conclave will have to focus more on AAP," he said.

However, BJP has made it clear that it is not unduly worried over the AAP rise. Javadekar said, "We have a clear winner. We have the programme and the confidence besides a well planned campaign". The BJP spokesman suggested that the AAP was the 'B' team of Congress as it has come to power in Delhi in alliance with Congress and was, therefore, a "comeback of the Congress through the backdoor".

Congress General Secretary Shakeel Ahmed, however, dismissed the BJP claim. "BJP is a frustrated party as all their sweet dreams of coming to power got dashed because of Cong support to AAP".

Taking a dig at the way the Kejriwal government is being run, Ahmed, who is in charge of Congress affairs in Delhi, said it reminded him of the "early days of Lalu raj". Ahmed, who hails from Bihar, was obviously referring to the Lalu Prasad rule in Bihar some two decades back. Lalu had at that time declared that he will run the government from the residence of his brother who was a peon. Later he moved to a spacious bungalow.

While Lalu had taken oath as Chief Minister at the statue of Jaya Prakash Narayan in Patna, the Delhi Chief Minister did so at Ramlila ground.
Lalu had also declared when he became chief minister that fighting corruption was his high priority and had even appointed "surprise monitors" to keep a tab.

"Kejriwal has taken the sting operation route and has installed an anti-corruption helpline," Ahmed, a former Union Minister, said.

PTI

Electoral trusts to make poll-funding more transparent: Sachin Pilot

New Delhi: The newly created 'electoral trust' structure for corporate funding of political parties is expected to bring in greater transparency about source and legitimacy of funds used for elections, Corporate Affairs Minister Sachin Pilot has said.

Terming it a 'step in right right direction', the minister said this framework should, at least partly, address the questions that are often raised about source of funds used by political parties during elections.

"This will bring about a greater degree of transparency and it will help parties and companies to be more transparent and disclose much more about the source of funds and the legitimacy of the source of these funds," Pilot told PTI.

Corporate Affairs Minister Sachin Pilot. Image courtesy PIB

This new concept provides for companies and entities looking to provide funding to political parties to set up non-profit companies, which mandatorily contain 'Electoral Trust' in their names. Certain tax benefits are also available on funds given to political outfits through these entities.

At least six major corporate groups have already set up such electoral trusts, according to latest official data.

Besides, more than two dozen other business groups are firming up similar plans.

The six registered electoral trusts are those of Mahindra group, Anil Ambani-led Reliance Group, Anil Agarwal-led Vedanta Group, Sunil Mittal-led Bharti Group and Kolkata-based K K Birla Group.

Election funding for political parties has always been a topic of discussion and there have been demands from various quarters to make the process more transparent.

Earlier such entities could be formed under Section 25 of Companies Act, 1956 and under tax department's Electoral Trusts Scheme, 2013. Now, such registrations are being governed under Section 8 of new Companies Act, 2013.

To get tax benefits, Electoral Trusts need to distribute 95 per cent of total funds collected during a fiscal to registered political parties within that year itself. Besides, they cannot receive any contribution in cash and they are required to take the Permanent Account Number of all
contributors who are resident Indians, and passport number of non-resident Indian citizens while receiving the contribution. These entities are barred from taking contributions from overseas entities.

The companies can also donate funds to political parties directly without setting up 'Electoral Trusts' also, but that requires greater disclosure about entities getting the funds.

As per the new Companies Act, 2013, corporates are required to disclose in their profit and loss account all contributions made to different political parties. Business conglomerates including the likes of Tatas, Aditya Birla group and Bharti Groups, have in the past also disclosed having made contributions to different political parties through their trusts.

PTI

Live from Amethi: Despite black flags, curiosity about AAP, Kumar Vishwas

The roads from Lucknow to Amethi were a sea of Aam Aadmi vehicles as hundreds of AAP supporters flocked to the constituency of Congress vice-presdent Rahul Gandhi on Sunday morning. People also joined in large numbers from the neighbouring districts of Jagdishpur and Pratapgarh in Uttar Pradesh to attend what could be a historic rally by Aam Aadmi Party leader Kumar Vishwas.

AAP leader Kumar Vishwas. Image courtesy ibnlive

Vishwas has challenged Gandhi to en electoral duel and has called upon the people of Amethi, earlier represented by Rajiv Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi, to cast off the yoke of dynastic rule and vote the Congress out in the 2014 Parliamentary elections. In a move of some overconfidence and some political bravado, Vishwas has also requested Bharatiya Janata Party's prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi to contest from the same constituency.

As the cavalcade of about 1,000 cars reached Amethi, Congress supporters flocked on either side of the road. All rickshaw pullers in the locality could be seen carrying a tricolour on their carriage, complete with Sonia Gandhi stickers. "In Delhi, autowallahs made Kejriwal win, here the rickshaw pullers will make Rahul Gandhi win," said Dharmender Ram, a rickshaw puller in Amethi.

En route, all along the highway, in villages and small, dusty towns, there was  a great deal of curiosity about the Aam Aadmi Party. Confused by the sheer number of cars passing, villagers were flocking to the roadsides to see what the fuss is all about.

"Kejriwal's party is new but it's amazing that thousands are going to the rally of a party that no one even knows properly," said Gordhan Singh from Jagdishpur.

In Jagdishpur, Kumar Vishwas was greeted with black flags, heckling and sloganeering as his cavalcade made its way through the town en route to Amethi. The protestors were  in small groups, less an outburst of rage than a planned political mobilisation.

Most Muslims in these areas have refrained from taking part in the rally but have not really spontaneously opposed it either. As Zulfikar Aslam from Bhoi village in Jagdishpur said, "The people who are protesting are all supporters of a political party. I have no clue even who Kumar Vishwas was leave alone what his comments about Islam were. But recently AAP was campaigning here and so were other political entities who were running anti AAP campaigns."

Kumar Vishwas has found his way into the headlines rather early on in his political career, with the controversy over his comment about a Muharram procession refusing to die down.

On Saturday, at a press conference in Lucknow, Vishwas was heckled and had an egg thrown at him by an angry Muslim youth.

The young man, who identified himself as Saif Zafri, was overpowered by Aam Aadmi Party activists and handed over to police. Zafri identified himself as a member of the Mulayam Youth Brigade and belongs to Bijnor in Uttar Pradesh. He was apparently angry at Vishwas's reported comments on Islam and a Muharram procession.

 

En route to Amethi: Curiosity about AAP, a staged protest against Kumar Vishwas

The roads from Lucknow to Amethi were a sea of Aam Aadmi vehicles as hundreds of AAP supporters flocked to the constituency of Congress vice-presdent Rahul Gandhi on Sunday morning. People also joined in large numbers from the neighbouring districts of Jagdishpur and Pratapgarh in Uttar Pradesh to attend what could be a historic rally by Aam Aadmi Party leader Kumar Vishwas.

AAP leader Kumar Vishwas. Image courtesy ibnlive

Vishwas has challenged Gandhi to en electoral duel and has called upon the people of Amethi, earlier represented by Rajiv Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi, to cast off the yoke of dynastic rule and vote the Congress out in the 2014 Parliamentary elections. In a move of some overconfidence and some political bravado, Vishwas has also requested Bharatiya Janata Party's prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi to contest from the same constituency.

All along the highway, in villages and small, dusty towns, there is a great deal of curiosity about the Aam Aadmi Party. Confused by the sheer number of cars passing, villagers are flocking to the roadsides to see what the fuss is all about.

"Kejriwal's party is new but it's amazing that thousands are going to the rally of a party that no one even knows properly," says Gordhan Singh from Jagdishpur.

In Jagdishpur, Kumar Vishwas was greeted with black flags, heckling and sloganeering as his cavalcade made its way through the town en route to Amethi. The protestors were  in small groups, less an outburst of rage than a planned political mobilisation.

Most Muslims in these areas have refrained from taking part in the rally but have not really spontaneously opposed it either. As Zulfikar Aslam from Bhoi village in Jagdishpur says, "The people who are protesting are all supporters of a political party. I have no clue even who Kumar Vishwas was leave alone what his comments about Islam were. But recently AAP was campaigning here and so were other political entities who were running anti AAP campaigns."

Kumar Vishwas has found his way into the headlines rather early on in his political career, with the controversy over his comment about a Muharram procession refusing to die down.

On Saturday, at a press conference in Lucknow, Vishwas was heckled and had an egg thrown at him by an angry Muslim youth.

The young man, who identified himself as Saif Zafri, was overpowered by Aam Aadmi Party activists and handed over to police. Zafri identified himself as a member of the Mulayam Youth Brigade and belongs to Bijnor in Uttar Pradesh. He was apparently angry at Vishwas's reported comments on Islam and a Muharram procession.

 

Protests, black flags greet AAP leader Kumar Vishwas in Rahul’s Amethi

Aam Aadmi Party leader Kumar Vishwas, set to hold a mega rally today in Rahul Gandhi's constituency of Amethi in Uttar Pradesh, was greeted with black flags, heckling and sloganeering as his cavalcade made its way through the Jagdishpur area en route to Amethi.

As police tried to control the scores of protestors who had gathered along the highway, some men wielding slippers and black flags told the Times Now news television channel that they will oppose Kumar Vishwas for his comments on Islam and on a Muharram procession. However,  Firstpost's correspondent Soumik Mukherjee reports that the Jagdishpur protests were clearly backed by political parties opposed to AAP's entry into Amethi. "The visitors are also politicians and the protestors are politicians too," one bystander not part of the protest told Firstpost. He added, "Not many people know who Kumar VIshwas is -- so how can we be aware what his comments against Islam were about?"

At least 1,000 cars formed the cavalcade from Lucknow to Amethi on the highway to Rae Bareli. While most of these vehicles left from Lucknow along with Kumar Vishwas, others joined along the way. The highway to Amethi was jammed for most part of Sunday morning.

Kumar Vishwas has found his way into the headlines rather early on in his political career, with the controversy over his comment about a Muharram procession refusing to die down.

On Saturday, at a press conference in Lucknow, Vishwas was heckled and had an egg thrown at him by an angry Muslim youth.

The young man, who identified himself as Saif Zafri, was overpowered by Aam Aadmi Party activists and handed over to police. Zafri identified himself as a member of the Mulayam Youth Brigade and belongs to Bijnor in Uttar Pradesh. He was apparently angry at Vishwas's reported comments on Islam and a Muharram procession.

Vishwas is likely to contest from Amethi in 2014. Image courtesy: Ibnlive

Meanwhile, an old Youtube video has also surfaced and was being shared on micro-blogging site Twitter, showing Vishwas making statements referring to BJP's Narendra Modi, who is present at the event, as akin to Lord Shiva who drinks poison.

After the incident at his press conference, Vishwas said he would not be cowed down.

Earlier on Sunday morning, Vishwas told TV channels that the people of Amethi may overthrow the dynastic rule of the Gandhi family. The high-profile constituency, represented by Rajiv Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi in the past, has turned a hub of political activity ever since Kumar Vishwas announced his intention to hold a rally in the town, to be called the 'Jan Vishwas' rally.

At a press conference earlier, Vishwas was quoted as saying he won't be frightened by the scale of his battle. "I am going to Amethi tomorrow and if not called to Delhi in connection with some work, I will return only after Lok Sabha elections," the 43-year-old poet-turned-politician was quoted as saying in NDTV.

The common man wants Kejriwal to be PM: AAP’s Gopal Rai

New Delhi: Amid lack of clarity in Aam Aadmi Party on declaring its Prime Ministerial candidate, senior party leader Gopal Rai said the common man wants Arvind Kejriwal to occupy the top post.

"It is the people who want (Kejriwal as the PM). Arvind Kejriwal doesn't want (to be a PM) but the aam aadmi wants. (They want that) there should be a prime minister who is one of them. Even we would want that he emerges as the prime minister," Rai told PTI.

AAP has launched a massive membership drive after its declaration that it would contest the upcoming Lok Sabha polls from 20 states. Rai, who was publicly rebuked at Ralegaon Siddhi by Anna Hazare last month, said despite the soured relationship with AAP, party members still shared an ideological relationship with the veteran activist.

Asked about party leader Yogendra Yadav's comment that he wanted to see Kejriwal as India's prime minister, Rai said what matters is what the common man wants.

"My will or that of Yadav or Kejriwal may not necessarily be the country's will. What matters is what the country wants. The common man wants that India gets a prime minister like Arvind Kejriwal. He is a hope among the people," he said.

Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal during his oath taking ceremony. AFP

The AAP leader, who is overseeing the party's membership drive -- 'Mein Bhi Aam Aadmi' -- said although BJP won elections in four states last year, the Delhi assembly victory had an impact on the nation.

"In the five states that went to polls last year, BJP won in four while AAP won 28 seats in Delhi, but it had a huge impact on the whole country," he said. He said people now feel politics is coming closer to them, which is why it is an important change.

The AAP leader said party members and Anna got along well because they shared a common ideology.

"We got together at Jantar Mantar... We had our own background and priorities based on our ideologies. He has played an important role in giving this whole
movement a new change in the country... it has been registered in history. On a personal level, all of us respect him," he said. Rai said the Lokpal Bill passed in Parliament was not the bill everyone fought for.

The existing bill will not help curb corruption, he said. "That is why, when Annaji said yes to the Lokpal Bill, we publicly said it is not the Lokpal for which people fought for so long. And we said to bring that Lokpal, we will continue our efforts. Because with the Lokpal that has been passed, there is going to be no change in corruption... In the Lok Sabha polls, bringing the Janlokpal will be one of our major issues," he said.

He also spoke about being publicly rebuked by Hazare in Ralegaon Siddhi and asked to leave the village.

"As far as that particular incident is concerned, we were forced to think that while Annaji was talking about the Janlokpal, there were people, who have internal links with certain parties, trying to divert this whole movement, and that is when I protested."

"Annaji was upset probably because it was an open programme. He asked me to leave the village. I said I will leave the village but will not leave the fight," he said. Rai had on December 13 last year tried to interrupt former General V K Singh's speech at the venue of Hazare's indefinite fast for Lokpal bill in Ralegaon Siddhi and was soundly rebuffed by the activist for the unseemly conduct.

The AAP leader raised some objections, which led to a heated argument between him and Gen Singh, following which the septuagenarian asked Rai to immediately leave the village.

PTI

In Rahul’s Amethi, AAP leader Kumar Vishwas greeted with black flags

Aam Aadmi Party leader Kumar Vishwas, set to hold a mega rally today in Rahul Gandhi's constituency of Amethi in Uttar Pradesh, was greeted with black flags, heckling and sloganeering as his cavalcade made its way through the Jagdishpur area en route to Amethi.

As police tried to control the scores of protestors who had gathered along the highway, some men wielding slippers and black flags told the Times Now news television channel that they will oppose Kumar Vishwas for his comments on Islam and on a Muharram procession.

Kumar Vishwas has found his way into the headlines rather early on in his political career, with the controversy over his comment about a Muharram procession refusing to die down.

On Saturday, at a press conference in Lucknow, Vishwas was heckled and had an egg thrown at him by an angry Muslim youth.

The young man, who identified himself as Saif Zafri, was overpowered by Aam Aadmi Party activists and handed over to police. Zafri identified himself as a member of the Mulayam Youth Brigade and belongs to Bijnor in Uttar Pradesh. He was apparently angry at Vishwas's reported comments on Islam and a Muharram procession.

Vishwas is likely to contest from Amethi in 2014. Image courtesy: Ibnlive

Meanwhile, an old Youtube video has also surfaced and was being shared on micro-blogging site Twitter, showing Vishwas making statements referring to BJP's Narendra Modi, who is present at the event, as akin to Lord Shiva who drinks poison.

After the incident at his press conference, Vishwas said he would not be cowed down.

Earlier on Sunday morning, Vishwas told TV channels that the people of Amethi may overthrow the dynastic rule of the Gandhi family. The high-profile constituency, represented by Rajiv Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi in the past, has turned a hub of political activity ever since Kumar Vishwas announced his intention to hold a rally in the town, to be called the 'Jan Vishwas' rally.

At a press conference earlier, Vishwas was quoted as saying he won't be frightened by the scale of his battle. "I am going to Amethi tomorrow and if not called to Delhi in connection with some work, I will return only after Lok Sabha elections," the 43-year-old poet-turned-politician was quoted as saying in NDTV.

Redefining a riot: Panagariya, Bhagwati write to The Economist

How many lies does it take to defend Modi?

Economists bring the pretence of expertise to politics. As Manmohan Singh, the latest in a long line, has once again demonstrated, this pretence needs political patronage to survive. Thus it should come as no surprise that even before we have had a change of regime in Delhi, other practitioners of this impractical art are padding up their CV in ways that would look good to the new administration.

PTI

In a review I have stated that Jagdish Bhagwati and Arvind Panagariya's recent book India's Tryst with Destiny is a pitch for the Modi growth model, and does so by wishing away contrary evidence. Now the esteemed gentlemen have entered an area where even notionally their expertise amounts to nothing and their prejudice for everything, an attempt to diminish the seriousness of what transpired in Gujarat in 2002.

In a letter to The Economist, responding to an article which despite its note of admiration did not wholeheartedly endorse Modi, the two wrote, "You said that Mr Modi refuses to atone for a "pogrom" against Muslims in Gujarat, where he is chief minister. But what you call a pogrom was in fact a "communal riot" in 2002 in which a quarter of the people killed were Hindus—170 of them from bullets fired by the police.''

These two sentences from the letter take us to the heart of the matter – of how these eminent economists from Columbia University are not just playing with numbers to diminish the seriousness of what transpired in Gujarat, they are also deliberately distorting the facts in convenient fashion to hide the actual criminality of the Modi administration.

First the actual numbers, according to a reply in Parliament 790 Muslims and 254 Hindus were killed in the post-Godhra riots. This includes those killed in police firing, a number that according to the state government stands at 170. On the face of it these numbers seem to match what Bhagwati and Co have stated in their letter where they have sought to highlight the fact that Hindus were also killed in the rioting and the police did act to prevent the violence. Except that they omitted one critical fact – of the 170 killed in police firing 93 were Muslims and 77 Hindus. Unless they are guilty of bad grammar, they seem to imply that 170 Hindus were killed in police firing. But this amounts to a deliberate and serious distortion of the truth.

Take away those killed in the police firing, and the numbers killed in the actual violence stands at 697 Muslims and 177 Hindus. This means that 80 per cent of those killed were Muslims. In a state where the Muslim population amounts to just 9 per cent of the total population, the numbers portray a sickening story of one-sided killings.

According to the Encyclopedia Britannica a pogrom is a "a mob attack, either approved or condoned by authorities, against the persons and property of a religious, racial, or national minority''. The break up of those killed in police firing bears testimony to something significant. In a situation where 80 per cent of those killed in the violence were Muslims, how did police firing manage to kill more Muslims than Hindus? Even those who claim the violence was spontaneous concede what eyewitnesses have borne out, that the vast majority of the mobs that murdered and raped were made up of Hindus. The only answer that fits the facts is that the police deliberately chose their targets. And if they did so deliberately, they did so under directions.

Bhagwati and Co seem to believe that the death of some Hindus in the violence is evidence to suggest that this was not a pogrom. But if 80 per cent of those killed in the violence were Muslims and the violence was spread over large parts of the state, with the police either condoning, or worse still participating in the violence, it does amount to an organised massacre. Do Bhagwati and Panagariya shy away from the word because it comes far too close to describing the truth?

The question of who organised the massacre inevitably leads us to an answer that makes it imperative that any Indian with some respect for justice challenges the possibility of Modi becoming Prime Minister. And those, such as Bhagwati and Panagariya, who diminish or wish away the seriousness of the violence remain guilty of suppressing the truth about a serious communal crime.

 

Amethi will overthrow Congress and the rule of dynasty: Kumar Vishwas

If the people of Amethi want, they will overthrow the dynastic rule of the Gandhi family, said Aam Aadmi Party leader on Sunday morning, hours before his historic rally in Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi's constituency of Amethi in Uttar Pradesh from where Vishwas has decided he will contest, "or from anywhere else that Rahul decides to contest".

Vishwas is likely to contest from Amethi in 2014. Image courtesy: Ibnlive

The high-profile constituency, represented by Rajiv Gandhi and Sonia Gandhi in the past, has turned a hub of political activity ever since Kumar Vishwas announced his intention to hold a rally in the town, to be called the 'Jan Vishwas' rally.

Speaking to Times Now channel even as a large cavalcade of vehicles made its way on the Lucknow-Rae Bareili highway on Sunday morning, Vishwas said, "It has to be the decision of the people of Amethi, do they want to end dynastic rule? The arrogance of the ruling class, that we have ruled you and you will continue to vote us into power, that must end."

The agenda for Amethi should be about power, governance, infrastructure, he said.

At a press conference earlier, Vishwas was quoted as saying he won't be frighteend by the scale of his battle. "I am going to Amethi tomorrow and if not called to Delhi in connection with some work, I will return only after Lok Sabha elections," the 43-year-old poet-turned-politician was quoted as saying in NDTV.

Kumar Vishwas has found his way into the headlines rather comfortably early on in his political career, still wriggling out of a controversy after an old video surfaced showing him making a comment about a Muharram procession even as he seems to overplay his hand calling Modi as well as Rahul to contest against him from Amethi.

On Saturday, his press conference in Lucknow was disrupted when a youngster threw an egg at him even as Vishwas was spelling out his party's priorities vis-a-vis Uttar Pradesh.

The young man, who identified himself as Saif Zafri, was verpowered by Aam Aadmi Party activists and handed over to police. Zafri identified himself as a member of the Mulayam Youth Brigade and belongs to Bijnor in Uttar Pradesh. He was apparently angry at Vishwas's reported comments on Islam and a Muharram procession.

Meanwhile, an old Youtube video has also surfaced and was being shared on micro-blogging site Twitter, showing Vishwas making statements referring to BJP's Narendra Modi, who is present at the event, as akin to Lord Shiva who drinks poison.

After the incident at his press conference, Vishwas said he would not be cowed down.

Lalu or Nitish? Congress yet to decide on alliance in Bihar

New Delhi: The Congress appears to be in two minds on the issue of alliance in Bihar despite top leaders of the party having met both RJD supremo Lalu Prasad and LJP chief Ram Vilas Paswan in past weeks.

Sources say that while the predominant opinion of party leaders from Bihar is that it should ally with RJD, some leaders close to Rahul Gandhi are wary of a Congress-RJD tie up after Prasad's conviction in the fodder scam case.

The second school is of the belief that the anti-corruption image being built around the Congress Vice-President after he junked the ordinance on convicted lawmakers, disapproved Maharashtra government's decision to reject a report on Adarsh scam that indicted Congress leaders and his strong pitch for creating a framework to fight corruption will suffer if it allies with Prasad.

The leaders believe that an alliance with JD-U, which had broken ties from BJP last June, is much more comfortable though many in the party are skeptical about the vote base of Nitish Kumar's party and its ability to transfer those votes.

"What will happen if we contest Lok Sabha elections on our own," quipped a senior AICC functionary giving an impression that the party is yet to discard Rahul's go-alone pitch which was also a factor for no alliance happening between Congress and RJD last time.

This section believes that Congress, which had won two seats in Bihar in 2009 when it fought alone, may win three or four more seats if it seals an alliance but then the long-term plan to build the party in the Hindi heartland will suffer. A number of Congress leaders in the past had blamed Congress's tie up with RJD for the near decimation of the party in the state.

There is also a view in the party that aligning with either JD-U or RJD may push the other party towards the Opposition be it BJP or Third Front or some emerging new front.

Lalu Prasad Yadav. AFP

Leaders of this viewpoint think that if Congress does not ally with either then it will be in a better position to seek
the support of both Prasad and Kumar in a post-poll scenario.

Congress President Sonia Gandhi met Paswan on Saturday. Before that she had met Prasad on January 1. Prasad later also
met Rahul.

Neither Paswan nor Prasad has been able to get any categorical commitment about the alliance though Congress top leadership has indicated to both of them that the first priority of any political arrangement in the state is to stop BJP and ensure formation of a secular government.

After meeting the Congress president on January 1, Prasad had said Gandhi told him that that she will meet him again on
the issue of alliance. The meeting is yet to take place.

Paswan's LJP, which had fought the last Lok Sabha poll in alliance with RJD, does not appear so keen on stitching an alliance with Prasad's party now and, if sources are to be believed, it has opened communication channels with JD-U.

Though many believe that this is just bargaining tactics by LJP as Paswan is miffed over some RJD leaders openly saying that his party should not be given more than three to four seats this time.

LJP, which had contested the last Lok Sabha polls in alliance with RJD had fought eight seats in the 2009 Lok Sabha
elections.

"The opinion of most LJP leaders is that the party enters into an alliance with JD(U) and tries to bring Congress in as
well. An alliance of Congress-JDU and LJP is most formidable as Nitish Kumar's party has made considerable inroads among
Extremely Backward Castes and Mahadalits. Moreover, he has a clean image," an LJP functionary close to the party chief told
PTI.

"With the Aam Aadmi Party phenomena having a bearing on the national mood, going with convicted Prasad's party could be damaging. Moreover, RJD does not appear to be in a mood to shed its big brotherly attitude. Their leaders appear to have been left free to attack LJP. However, the party has left the final decision on Paswan," the functionary said.

Paswan is learnt to have explained these things to the Congress President. LJP is also learnt to be of the view that even if if an alliance with RJD happens, Prasad should not be the central face of the Congress-RJD-LJP alliance.

PTI

I would be happy if Sharad Pawar becomes the PM, says Shinde

Solapur: In remarks that could raise the hackles of many in Congress, Union Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde today said he would be happy to see NCP chief Sharad Pawar become the prime minister, describing the Maratha strongman as his "political guru".

"I would be happy if Pawar becomes the PM. He is my political guru. I entered politics because of him," Shinde said in an interaction with editors of a Marathi newspaper here.

Sushilkumar Shinde. PTI

"Everone has ambition. He has been trying since 1992," he said.

Shinde's remarks came ahead of Congress' crucial session on 17 January, amid reports that party vice-president Rahul Gandhi could be named its Prime Ministerial candidate at the meet.

"There is no reason for (having) two views on this. I have said this many times, even on national platform," Shinde said.

Pawar has been trying to become PM since 1992, but was a "victim of Delhi politics" he said.

Pawar, who broke away from Congress on the issue of Sonia Gandhi's foreign origin in 1999 to form NCP, has made it clear that he would not contest the 2014 Lok Sabha elections and instead intends to take the Rajya Sabha route to Parliament.

Meanwhile, NCP has said Pawar was not in the race for the prime minister's post despite being "most eligible".

"Sharad Pawar is not in PM's race," NCP spokesperson Nawab Malik told PTI, reacting to Shinde's remarks.

"True, Pawar saheb is the most eligible candidate around, but as far as NCP is concerned, we know it's a numbers game," Malik said, adding "We know our limitations. No one becomes the prime minister by contesting a few seats."

PTI

Shinde’s letter on minority youth was unconstitutional: Jaitley

New Delhi: Hitting out at Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde's advisory for releasing "minority youth" detained wrongfully, BJP leader Arun Jaitley Saturday said the move was "unconstitutional".

Referring to the home minister's letter to chief ministers to review cases of terrorism against "members of minority communities," Jaitley said: "Obviously, he has only religious minority and not linguistic minority in mind".

"He expects the state government to set up review committees to deal with cases against a category of citizens and not all persons who have been charged of terrorism offences. This raises certain fundamental questions with regard to the propriety and the legality of the move initiated by the home minister," Jaitley said on his blog.

Arun Jaitley in this file photo. AFP

"The move is clearly political. There are several persons charged with offences of terror in India. The provisions have been invoked against those associated with certain radical Islamic groups," he said.

"Such a move is clearly unconstitutional. Article 14 guarantees to every citizen a right to equality. There can be a reasonable classification based on intelligible and distinctive criteria," he added.

In a letter that has generated a political controversy, Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde Friday asked all state chief ministers to be "careful" while arresting minorities.

The home minister wrote to state chief ministers on detention procedures, asking them to form a panel to review cases of people jailed without trial. "Release minority youths if they are illegally detained," Shinde wrote.

"The advisory of the home minister to states to discriminate between criminals on the basis of religion is based on an improper policy. It violates the constitutional guarantee of equality... The states are not bound by such unconstitutional directives of the home minister," Jaitely said.

IANS

Kejriwal should know perils of crowd-sourcing Delhi’s anti-bribery drive

The exhortation by Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal to denizens of Delhi to keep their recorders and cameras in a state of readiness whenever they have an interface with a public servant with potential itchy palms is of a piece with his proclivity for dramatics and his penchant for involving the hoi polloi in everything. Officials and clerks in government offices would be on their guard, he says. They will grit their teeth and refrain from taking bribes if they're afraid of a sting. Touché! Why does he forget that CCTVs would do a better job, less expensively and less disruptively? Unless, of course, the corrupt smear CCTV cameras' lens with cement paint, like a bunch of intrepid Customs employees in Mumbai did more than a decade ago during the redoubtable Chief Vigilance Commissioner Vithal's anti-corruption drive.

Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal during his oath-taking ceremony. AFP

One has heard of citizen journalists, those who come across neglect and highlight it through a vivid camera recording, often driven by altruism or evangelism. Television channels welcome such initiatives because their correspondents and reporters cannot obviously be omnipresent and omniscient. Besides, it is one way of outsourcing content, which is any day cheaper.

The citizen who takes such an initiative feels amply rewarded for his efforts both in terms of the small financial reward that the channel might choose to give as well as in terms of the sheer satisfaction one gets by doing a large public service.

But to exhort citizens to always be armed with a spycam is quite dangerous besides amounting to buck-passing by the state. The ubiquitous cell phone at best captures still photos. It is often found wanting in quality in video recording, more so if audio too is to be captured. In any case, public offices are hardly a serene place. Amid  the cacophony, much of what officials say could be lost in the din so. Poor video or audio quality might eventually bail him out. At any rate, it would be too much to expect from an ordinary mortal to whip out his cellphone when the conversation gets disagreeable. Senior citizens and children may not be able to use cellphone cameras and recorders with the felicity exhibited by others. Vulnerable people including some women may be loath to indulge in bravado in full public view both out of shyness and out of fear of quick reprisal.

The CCTV is what the doctor has ordered for public places to spot a terrorist as much as to nab an official with an itchy palm. In fact CCTVs must be de rigueur in all public places. Investment in them is much cheaper than investing in a gizmo by the common man. Remember there are still people who do not own a cellphone out of sheer poverty. Banks do not mind investing in CCTVs in their ATMs. The government too should not mind installing them in their offices. Indeed in offices it would serve a dual purpose----nabbing bribe takers as well as halting sexual harassers in their tracks. Of course there would be a need to invest in counter-intelligence to ensure that the CCTV cameras are not tinkered with so as to render them ineffectual.

The most important objection to Kejriwal's exhortation to the exhortation to the Delhi denizens is that he is trying to pass the buck. He wants people to produce evidence of harassment instead of putting in place an in-built mechanism to help them. It would be so much simpler if a harassed citizen rings up a helpline with a complaint regarding a bribe sought, backed by CCTV recording rather than by his own recording. If this trend continues, he may ask resident welfare associations to arrange for their own private security force and report to the police only if the private arrangement fails to prevent a crime.

If the idea is to inject fear in the minds of bribe seekers, as Kejriwal rationalizes his exhortation, then fool-proof CCTVs should have been the chosen instrument to instill such fear for all the above reasons and more--CCTV footage alone will stand legal scrutiny when it comes to the crunch in legal proceedings. A spy cam is innately bound to be looked at with suspicion as a device of entrapment. At least that would be the contention of the accused which would slow down legal proceedings to everyone's detriment whereas the court would always assume that a CCTV is beyond the reach of the complainant.

Both CCTVs and stinging might come a cropper when bribe taking takes place through agents. It is common knowledge that in registration offices professional fixers strut about with singular nonchalance despite the notices decrying them. Those seeking a quick end to the nightmarish rigmarole of the registration process surrender to their wile and guile. All these fixers are in fact armed with demand drafts towards registration fees which they get made in bulk in advance. The point is the officialdom would very soon change tack and sate their appetite for bribes by employing front men, as it were, for the disagreeable job away from a camera's gaze.

Online service is the ultimate solution to many of the ills plaguing the country. If papers are scanned and uploaded and fees paid through debit cards or net banking, there is no way bribes can be demanded except through delaying tactics which of course can be tackled through citizens' charter providing for rigid time frames. Kejriwal should learn from DDA which last went online when it came to conversion of flats from lease to freehold.

Kejriwal defends Janta Darbar, says AAP wants to work with people

Aam Aadmi Party leader and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal today defended his govt's decision to hold a Janta Darbar at the Delhi Secretariat and said that despite the chaos it could not be called a failure of participative democracy.

Kejriwal made the remarks at a press conference which was held to formally welcome Ashutosh, the former managing editor of IBN7, to the Aam Aadmi Party. Ashutosh had resigned from his post two days ago, but AAP had not confirmed that he had officially joined the party.

Arvind Kejriwal at the Janta Darbar. PTI

Kejriwal's Janta Darbar had ended in chaos due to an unprecedented crowd and the CM had to leave the darbar midway. However, Kejriwal defended his decision to leave midway saying, "There were so many people out there today. At one point, I was afraid of getting crushed which is why I had to leave. I could have asked the police to lathi charge them and get rid of them like it is done in India. But I came out on the roof and asked people to calmly go home and they did. What was wrong in that?"

When asked whether a practice like this was encouraging anarchy and chaos, Kejriwal said that this was participative democracy and to dismiss it as anarchy would be wrong.

He said, "We as a government want to work with the people. I could have put a board outside my office saying public meeting from 10 to 12. My guard would let 15-20 people come in and then tell them at 12, please go now, the time is up. But today when I went to the streets, that's when we got to know how many people want to meet us."

However the Delhi CM admitted that the number of people who had turned up far exceeded their expectations and that the arrangements were done for a far lesser crowd. He said, "We had done arrangements for 500-700 people, but close to 5000-7000 people had turned up instead. Our arrangements were, of course inadequate this time, but we will fix it the next time. To say that participative democracy failed because of this is wrong."

When pointed that other states too hold janta darbars but they don't see the kind of chaos that the Delhi one witnessed, Kejriwal said it was because so many people believed in their government and had thus turned up. "I agree everyone puts a darbar. But not so many people turn up. In our case, people have faith, which is why so many people turned up. I keep saying this again and again, the people have very high expectations from us and we will have to work very hard to live up to them," he pointed out.

Arvind Kejriwal does also did a u-turn on power bill waiver and said that matter was under consideration and the final announcement would be made on Monday.