President says anarchy can’t replace governance, hinting at AAP

New Delhi: President Pranab Mukherjee today made a veiled attack on Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's street protests saying government is not a "charity shop" and "populist anarchy" cannot be a substitute for governance.

Without taking the name of AAP leader, who earlier this week staged a two-day dharna outside Rail Bhawan against the Central government, he was critical of Kejriwal's style when he said "elections do not give any person the license to flirt with illusions".

President of India Pranab Mukherjee. PTI

Addressing the nation on the eve of 65th Republic Day, the President said corruption was a cancer that eroded the democracy and weakened the foundation of the state.

If Indians were enraged, he said, it was because they were witnessing corruption and waste of national resources. If governments do not remove these flaws, voters will remove governments.

"Equally dangerous is the rise of hypocrisy in public life. Elections do not give any person the license to flirt with illusions. Those who seek the trust of voters must promise only what is possible.

"Government is not a charity shop. Populist anarchy cannot be a substitute for governance. False promises lead to disillusionment, which gives birth to rage, and that rage has one legitimate target: those in power," he said.

Kejriwal and his cabinet colleagues had staged a dharna outside Rail Bhawan defying prohibitory orders demanding action against some policemen. They ended it after two policemen were sent on leave.

The President said the rage will abate only when governments deliver what they were elected to deliver: social and economic progress, not at a snail's pace but with the speed of a racehorse.

The aspirational young Indian, he said, will not forgive a betray of her future. Those in office must eliminate the trust deficit between them and the people. Those in politics should understand that every election comes with a warning sign: perform or perish.

PTI

Populist anarchy can’t replace governance: Pranab Mukherjee

New Delhi: President Pranab Mukherjee today made a veiled attack on Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's street protests saying government is not a "charity shop" and "populist anarchy" cannot be a substitute for governance.

Without taking the name of AAP leader, who earlier this week staged a two-day dharna outside Rail Bhawan against the Central government, he was critical of Kejriwal's style when he said "elections do not give any person the license to flirt with illusions".

President of India Pranab Mukherjee. PTI

Addressing the nation on the eve of 65th Republic Day, the President said corruption was a cancer that eroded the democracy and weakened the foundation of the state.

If Indians were enraged, he said, it was because they were witnessing corruption and waste of national resources. If governments do not remove these flaws, voters will remove governments.

"Equally dangerous is the rise of hypocrisy in public life. Elections do not give any person the license to flirt with illusions. Those who seek the trust of voters must promise only what is possible.

"Government is not a charity shop. Populist anarchy cannot be a substitute for governance. False promises lead to disillusionment, which gives birth to rage, and that rage has one legitimate target: those in power," he said.

Kejriwal and his cabinet colleagues had staged a dharna outside Rail Bhawan defying prohibitory orders demanding action against some policemen. They ended it after two policemen were sent on leave.

The President said the rage will abate only when governments deliver what they were elected to deliver: social and economic progress, not at a snail's pace but with the speed of a racehorse.

The aspirational young Indian, he said, will not forgive a betray of her future. Those in office must eliminate the trust deficit between them and the people. Those in politics should understand that every election comes with a warning sign: perform or perish.

PTI

Populist anarchy not a substitute for governance: President Pranab Mukherjee

New Delhi: President Pranab Mukherjee today made a veiled attack on Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's street protests saying government is not a "charity shop" and "populist anarchy" cannot be a substitute for governance.

Without taking the name of AAP leader, who earlier this week staged a two-day dharna outside Rail Bhawan against the Central government, he was critical of Kejriwal's style when he said "elections do not give any person the license to flirt with illusions".

President of India Pranab Mukherjee. PTI

Addressing the nation on the eve of 65th Republic Day, the President said corruption was a cancer that eroded the democracy and weakened the foundation of the state.

If Indians were enraged, he said, it was because they were witnessing corruption and waste of national resources. If governments do not remove these flaws, voters will remove governments.

"Equally dangerous is the rise of hypocrisy in public life. Elections do not give any person the license to flirt with illusions. Those who seek the trust of voters must promise only what is possible.

"Government is not a charity shop. Populist anarchy cannot be a substitute for governance. False promises lead to disillusionment, which gives birth to rage, and that rage has one legitimate target: those in power," he said.

Kejriwal and his cabinet colleagues had staged a dharna outside Rail Bhawan defying prohibitory orders demanding action against some policemen. They ended it after two policemen were sent on leave.

The President said the rage will abate only when governments deliver what they were elected to deliver: social and economic progress, not at a snail's pace but with the speed of a racehorse.

The aspirational young Indian, he said, will not forgive a betray of her future. Those in office must eliminate the trust deficit between them and the people. Those in politics should understand that every election comes with a warning sign: perform or perish.

PTI

Nitish slams Modi on 2002 Gujarat riots, says justice hasn’t been done

Mohania: Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar today lambasted his Gujarat counterpart Narendra Modi saying that the country could neither forget the communal riots in the latter's state in 2002 nor forgive for the
genocide.

"Justice was not done with the people of Gujarat by not protecting them," Kumar said addressing JD(U) "Sankalp" rally here in Kaimur district.

Nitish Kumar. AFP

He recollected that peeved over the incident former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee had commented that "Raj dharma" was not observed.

"The Raj Dharma entails working for all sections of the society without caste or communal discriminations," he said in reference to the episode of Gujarat.

He blamed the BJP for breaking relations with JD(U) and accused the former ally in violating the agreement that neither controversial issues would be raised nor a controversial personality be given leadership.

Taking a dig at BJP's Prime Ministerial candidate, Kumar further alleged that election surveys were "sponsored" as part of the Public Relations campaign of a party to fulfil interest of the "rumour master" (Modi).

Recent surveys predicted a surge for BJP in the state and a drastic loss to JD(U) restricting it to single digit in the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections.

The Chief Minister reiterated that he along with his party would fight for the special category status for the state.

Several senior leaders including party president Sharad Yadav were present at the rally.

The JD(U) has planned to organise 12 such Sankalp rallies across the state to press for its demand of special category status and caution people against "divisive" forces led by BJP.

PTI

Our dream to make Delhi first corruption free city of India: Kejriwal

New Delhi: Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal today vowed to take all steps to make Delhi first corruption-free city in the country, saying it is his government's dream.

"It is our dream to make Delhi the first corruption free city of India. I was not born in 1947, I was a small kid in 1977, but I am present today to see a revolution. If good people with honest intentions come together then it is possible to make India corruption free," Kejriwal said, during his Republic Day address at Chhatrasal Stadium.

Arvind Kejriwal. AFP

The Chief Minister said that corruption is a major challenge for his government and claimed that it has come down after the launch of anti-corruption helpline.

"I do not say that corruption has been completely eradicated from the city in the last 20-25 days. But I have come to know that officials are now afraid of asking for bribe. The corruption has gone down by 20-30 per cent," he claimed.

"Anti-corruption officials have told me that all the traps laid by them to catch officials taking bribe red-handed are failing in the last few days. I want all the traps to fail and not a single officer should go to jail," Kejriwal said, adding the motive is to instill fear in the mind of the corrupt.

To substantiate his claim on decreasing level of corruption, Kejriwal said, "While coming here (Chhatrasal stadium) my car stopped at a traffic signal. Many people surrounded it. Many of them were auto rickshaw drivers and they told me that cops have stopped asking for money for the last 15 days."

"This is not a small thing. It is a big thing. In this 65 years many governments could not remove corruption, but if good people come together with honest intention it could be eradicated," the Delhi Chief Minister added.

Giving another example, Kejriwal said one of his friends told him that a roadside vendor in his neighbourhood has reduced the price of tea from Rs 8 to 6 as he does not have to pay bribe now.

Criticising the "corrupt" system, Kejriwal said even though the country has the best Constitution, it was never implemented in its true letter and spirit.

"I think that had the Indian Constitution was implemented in its letter and spirit for at least five days during the past so many years, then the situation of the country would not have been this worse today," he said.

Kejriwal said the government is bringing Jan Lokpal Bill and Swaraj Bill to end corruption.

PTI

Modi, RSS lit fire of communalism in Muzaffarnagar: Azam Khan

Rampur (UP): Alleging that Narendra Modi and RSS "lit the fire of communalism" in Muzaffarnagar, senior SP leader Azam Khan today accused the media of being "partial" for blaming the Uttar Pradesh government for the riots.

Talking to reporters here today, the Uttar Pradesh Urban Development Minister said, "You televised and publicised the unfortunate happenings (in Muzaffarnagar), but refrained from highlighting the persons, groups of persons and organisations who were responsible for burning houses and property of the innocent people compelling them to flee."

Azam Khan. Ibnlive

"It were Narendra Modi (BJP prime ministerial candidate) and RSS who lit the fire of communalism," he said, adding the media did not highlight the truth and blamed the government.

When asked why he had not visited the riots-hit areas, he said, "Muzaffarnagar is very much in my heart. Physically I am here but my heart and soul are amidst the riots-hit people."

Stating that "half truth was more dangerous than lie", the minister lashed out at opposition leaders who "tried to make the situations more complicated by making politically motivated statements."

The minister urged the people of Uttar Pradesh to maintain peace and harmony.

PTI

NCW condemns Somnath Bharti statement on Delhi Women’s Commission

New Delhi: The National Commission for Women (NCW) Saturday condemned Delhi Law Minister Somnath Bharti's statement that the Delhi Women's Commission's move against him was politically motivated.

Condemning the minister's statement, NCW member Nirmala Samant Prabhawalkar said: "It is his political fight, he cannot drag the commission (into this) for political motives."

Somnath Bharti. Image courtesy Facebook

The member added that it was inappropriate for the Delhi law minister to challenge a constitutionally appointed body.

Bharti, who courted controversy over his action against an alleged sex-and-drugs ring in south Delhi, Saturday said that the DCW's move against him was "politically motivated".

Meanwhile, DCW chief Barkha Singh Saturday said there was no politics involved in the move against Bharti. "It is a routine probe," she said, adding: "The kind of blame he is putting on the women's commission shows that he knows he is guilty."

The Delhi law minister had sent a lawyer to represent him before the Delhi Women's Commission, which had issued summons to him on complaints from five Ugandan women of harassment at the hands of a mob led by the minister. The complaints concerned the midnight raid Jan 15 led by Bharti in connection with complaints of a drug-and-prostitution racket in Khirki Extension of south Delhi.

The minister was summoned Friday. The Delhi Commission of Women refused to allow his lawyer to represent Bharti, saying the commission's rules did not allow this.

IANS

Congress copies Modi’s ad tagline: Now ad biz will suffer more

The Congress in general and Rahul in particular have been mocked and ridiculed thanks to the first ad of the Congress campaign being proven to have lifted a headline from a 2011 Narendra Modi campaign, which also said, "Main nahin hum."

The Congress and Rahul Gandhi are the wrong targets – the butt of the jokes and the ridicule should have been the advertising agency that created this ad, Dentsu India.

In such a situation, the client can never be the one responsible. It is NOT the client's job to worry about whether a thought or a script or a headline is original. Indeed, the client presumes that any work presented by the agency is the agency's original creative output. That is why the agency is hired in the first place; for their skills in creating original, clutter-cutting communication.

The Congress ad which copies the slogan from an earlier Modi campaign.

How did this ad ever see the light of day? They've forgotten the basics, which is to study the communication of the competition. If that had been done, this headline would never have been presented at all.

The headline is so simple that the chances that someone else has thought of it earlier are so high that it should have been thrown into the dustbin anyway.

There is an ongoing discussion on social media that it is likely that the line was forced by the Congress onto Dentsu India. If that is the case, the blame still falls squarely on Dentsu's shoulders – they should have resigned the account immediately if that has happened.

This ad does more harm to the advertising industry in India than it does to the Congress. For the past 10 years, the agency business witnesses shrinking margins as clients see it as a commodity rather than as a consultant or partner.

After this ad, do you wonder why we've reached this sad state of affairs?

RS polls: Jayalalithaa replaces AIADMK candidate after expelling him

Chennai: AIADMK supremo and Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa today replaced one of her party candidates for the Rajya Sabha polls and even expelled him from the party for "anti-party activities and going against
its principles."

Jayalalithaa replaced N Chinnadurai with A K Selvaraj, who is the party's organising secretary.

J Jayalalithaa. AFP

In a statement, Jayalalithaa announced the expulsion of Chinnadurai for "indulging in anti-party activities and going against its principles bringing disrepute to the ruling AIADMK."

Jayalalithaa had on Thursday announced four candidates for the February 7 Rajya Sabha elections while extending support to CPI-M, which has renominated sitting MP TK Rangarajan for a successive term.

PTI

No fresh FIR on Somnath Bharti case: Delhi police tells court

New Delhi: Delhi Police today told a court here that it would not lodge a fresh FIR on a complaint filed by another African woman who has claimed that she was molested during last week's midnight raid by a group allegedly led by Law Minister Somnath Bharti.

"Present petitioner has already been examined in the (FIR lodged on January 19) case by the investigating officer and her statement under section 164 of CrPC has also been recorded on 21 January.

Somnath Bharti. Image courtesy: Facebook

"Hence, no fresh FIR was registered as the matter pertains to the same incident in which the case has been registered," Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) B S Jaiswal said in a reply filed before Metropolitan Magistrate Chetna Singh.

The DCP also said that the complainant has already been made a witness in the FIR which was lodged on 19 January after the court's direction.

The reply was filed today after the magistrate had earlier sought the response of police on whether the complainant had approached them.

However, submissions by the police were opposed by advocate Rakesh Sherawat, who appeared for the Ugandan woman and said that she was molested by a group of people during the midnight raid on the intervening night of 15-16 January.

"She herself is the victim of the incident, so a separate FIR is required to be lodged. She was molested by a group of 9-10 people. Until the investigation is not done separately, how can it be established that she was molested by whom," the lawyer told the court.

The court, however, directed the advocate to file written submission in response to the reply filed by police.

"After you file the reply, I will look into it," the magistrate said and listed the matter for 28 January.

The police told the court that on 19 January, an FIR was lodged against unknown persons under various sections of the IPC, including 153-A (promoting enmity between classes), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 354 (outraging women modesty), 509 (uttering any word or making any gesture intended to insult the modesty of a woman), 506 (criminal intimidation) and 147 (rioting) at the Malviya Nagar police station.

The FIR was lodged by police on court's direction after a Ugandan woman had filed a plea on 18 January seeking lodging of criminal case against unknown persons.

Later in the week, another African woman had moved the court seeking registration of a separate FIR alleging that she was molested by the group.

The woman had claimed that the group had forcibly held her hands and took her out of the house along with her sisters who resides with her.

Three foreign women have till date recorded their statements before a magistrate, in which they have stated that Bharti, the MLA from Malviya Nagar, had barged into their house along with his supporters on the intervening night of 15-16 January, court sources had said.

In the earlier application filed before the court, the foreign national had alleged that she and the other women were subjected to a cavity search during their medical examination at AIIMS and that the minister and his people had asked them in public to give urine samples.

Television footage on news channels had shown Bharti asking police officers to conduct the raid as he had received complaints of drugs and prostitution racket in that area.

PTI

Somnath Bharti backtracks after accusing media of taking Modi’s money

The controversy surrounding Delhi Law Minister Somnath Bharti continues to grow. As the public agitation around his "midnight raid" grew, today Bharti accused some journalists questioning them of accepting money from BJP's Narendra Modi.

When a reporter asked Bharti if he would resign on moral grounds, Bharti asked him: "How much money have you got from (Narendra) Modi?"

Later on, the minister apologised for his statements and also said that what he said had been misinterpreted. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said that Bharti's comments were "inappropriate".

Somnath Bharti. Facebook image

Bharti, who had chosen to attend a kite flying festival instead of appearing before the Delhi Commission of Women on Friday after he was summoned for the midnight raid episode, charged that the Women's Commission is "political".

Attacking DCW chief Barkha Singh, he said, "Barkha Singh is a Congress member… She should have resigned herself after her government's term ended".

Terming all the reports against him as false, the law minister threatened, "They are trying to defame me, I am going to take them to the court." However, it was not clear who he was referring to.

As reporters continued to question him over the controversy surrounding him, he accused them of taking money from the Gujarat Chief Minister.

"How much money have you received from Modi?" he shot back.

DCW had on Friday summoned Bharti following allegations that the Delhi minister led a group of AAP workers who misbehaved with a number of African women on the pretext of a raid on an alleged drug and prostitution ring in South Delhi last week.

The Law Minister was asked to depose before the commission to explain the charges against him but he sent his lawyers, who said he was absent due to "some urgencies".

Bharti's lawyers and the Commission Chief Singh, a former Congress MLA, had a public confrontation at the DCW office after she refused to allow them to present the minister's response.

The Aam Aadmi Party had on Friday said in a statement that it "strongly disapproved of the politicisation of the office of Delhi Commission for Women by its chairperson".

With agency inputs

Cong suspends MP state secy over comments on Digvijaya

Bhopal: Newly appointed Madhya Pradesh Congress President Arun Yadav today suspended State Secretary Jagdish Yadav for allegedly calling senior leader Digvijaya Singh "inauspicious" and stating that the party cannot be saved until he is out.

Jagdish is said to have made the controversial comment at the first meeting of the State Congress Working Committee here yesterday after Arun took over the reins.

Digvijaya Singh. AFP

He apparently also spoke to media-persons after the meet and said, "if the Congress had to be saved, Digvijaya Singh should not remain part of the party."

Replying to a media query on the Congress General Secretary, Jagdish said, "On such a day (first CWC meet) no one should take the name of the person who has not proved to be auspicious for the party."

According to MP Congress Vice-President Rameshwar Neekhra, Arun Yadav likes to keep controversies at bay and hence took the decision to suspend Jagdish.

Also, a show-cause notice had been served on Jagdish, to which he has to reply in 10 days, Neekhra said.

When contacted, Jagdish denied the comments attributed to him and said he will reply to the notice within the time frame.

PTI

Philippine govt, rebel group strike deal to end four decade long fight

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia: The Philippine government and the country's largest Muslim rebel group completed talks Saturday on a deal to end four decades of fighting that has killed tens of thousands of people and helped foster Islamic extremism in Southeast Asia.

The accord between Filipino negotiators and the rebel Moro Islamic Liberation Front calls for Muslim self-rule in parts of the southern Philippines in exchange for the deactivation of the rebel force. Military presence in the proposed autonomous region would be restricted.

Mohagher Iqbal, left, chief negotiator for the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) prepares to attend before the peace talks with Philippine Government Peace Panel. AP

Much now will depend on how the accord is enforced, in particular whether the 11,000-strong rebel forces are able to maintain security in areas they would come under their control. At least four other smaller Muslim rebel groups are still fighting Manila's rule in the southern Mindanao region, and could act as spoilers.

Officials from both sides announced the conclusion of talks in Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia, which has brokered the years-long negotiations. The accord and three other pacts signed last year make up a final peace agreement that is to be signed in the Philippine capital, Manila, possibly next month, presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda said.

"This will give the just and lasting peace that our brothers in Mindanao are seeking." said Lacierda, referring to the volatile southern region and homeland of minority Muslims in the predominantly Roman Catholic nation.

Government negotiators, some teary-eyed, embraced each other after the conclusion of the talks. Chief government negotiator Miriam Ferrer hailed the progress and said "good luck to everyone on the next stage, the implementation stage."

Saturday's accord marks the most significant progress during 13 years of on-and-off negotiations with the Moro fighters to tame a tenacious insurgency that has left more than 120,000 people dead and derailed development in Muslim-populated southern regions that are among the most destitute in the Philippines.

The United States and other Western governments have supported the talks, worried that rebel strongholds could become breeding grounds for al-Qaida-linked extremists who have sought sanctuary in the region in the past.

Under the peace deal, the Moro insurgents agreed to end violence in exchange for broader autonomy. An existing five-province Muslim autonomous region is to be replaced by a more powerful, better-funded and potentially larger region to be called Bangsamoro.

Despite the milestone, both the government and the rebels acknowledged that violence would not end overnight in a region that has long grappled with a volatile mix of crushing poverty, huge numbers of illegal firearms, clan wars and weak law enforcement.

Associated Press

AAP will keep on exposing Nitin Gadkari: Anjali Damania

Nagpur: Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) convenor of Maharashtra Anjali Damania today said she would keep the heat on the former BJP president Nitin Gadkari to "expose" his double standards on corruption.

Damania is slated to contest against the BJP stalwart from Nagpur Lok Sabha seat in upcoming elections. "My party has not backed out from earlier charges against Gadkari over his remarks indicating business dealings with NCP chief Sharad Pawar and his nephew Ajit Pawar", Damania told reporters here.

Nitin Gadkari. PTI image

Damania said she would organise press conferences periodically to keep "exposing" Gadkari. She said AAP was fielding candidates from all seats across Maharashtra, which sends 48 MPs to Lok Sabha. "The process for conducting screening of the candidates will begin soon", she added.

Damania had played a significant role in blowing the lid off the alleged irrigation scam under the watch of then irrigation minister and NCP stalwart Ajit Pawar. She had alleged that Gadkari, when he was the chief of BJP, had told her in one-to-one meeting that he has "business relations" with Sharad Pawar and allegedly asked her to not push hard to expose the scam.

Gadkari had sent a defamation notice to Damania after she went public with the allegations against him. Gadkari had earlier said anyone was free to contest against him from Nagpur.

PTI

Beni says rallies by Modi, Mulayam fixed, Amit Shah plays mediator

Lucknow: Alleging that the rallies addressed by SP supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav and BJP's prime ministerial nominee Narendra Modi in Uttar Pradesh recently were "fixed", Union Steel Minister Beni Prasad Verma today claimed speeches of both the leaders were scripted by Amit Shah.

"Shah is playing the role of mediator... that is why he has been brought to Uttar Pradesh (as in-charge of BJP's state unit)," Verma said, "the speech of both Yadav and Modi for their rallies were written by Shah."

Beni Prasad Verma. AFP

"They both seemed to like having a debate from their respective stage in Varanasi and Gorakhpur recently," Verma said at a press conference here.

Three recent rallies of Yadav and Modi each coincided on the same day apparently to show that the fight is between these two, but the people who are the real referee in this "fixed match" would punish both, Verma said.

He alleged that this "understanding between the SP and BJP" is very old.

Had not this been the case why and with what aim did "Mulayam renamed Tedhi Bazar police station in Ayodhya in 1990 as Janmbhoomi thana" or why Yadav's officials submitted an affidavit in the Supreme Court giving a clean chit to BJP leader L K Advani, he asked.

"After the Godhra riots why SP fielded Muslim candidates in Gujarat," he asked, adding Advani, in his autobiography "My Country My Life", has thanked Yadav for his advice which had brought his party to power at the Centre.

Stressing that no section of society was happy with the SP government as it was "befooling everyone", Verma alleged that it was now aiming to bring together Brahmins and Muslims by distributing lollypops (ministerial berths) in view of the upcoming election.

"Congress would get 50 seats, BJP would not cross 10 and SP might not open its account in the state in the coming Lok Sabha elections," Verma said, adding his party would field its candidates on all 80 seats, including Mainpuri and Kannauj (represented by Yadav and his daughter-in-law).

Verma claimed the SP supremo wanted to see the end of Congress as he "wants relief from CBI cases against him".

To a question on Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi facing opposition during a recent visit to his Amethi constituency, Verma asked, "How can there be democracy without opposition?"

PTI

Delhi court to hear cases against AAP, Kejriwal on 3 May

New Delhi: A Delhi court today fixed 3 May for hearing five cases including three in which Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and members of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) have been charge sheeted for alleged unlawful assembly and other offences during their protests in 2012.

Kejriwal and others were charge sheeted for allegedly violating prohibitory orders during the protest and leading a march to the residences of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi on coal block allocation scam.

Arvind Kejriwal. AFP

Metropolitan magistrate Dheeraj Mittal fixed the cases for 3 May after the lawyers who appeared for the accused said the main counsel, Rahul Mehra, was not available for arguments and the additional public prosecutor sought time to go through the file.

"Counsel for the accused submit that main counsel is not available for arguments on the discharge applications moved by them. Additional public prosecutor also seeks time to go through the file and advance arguments on discharge applications.

"In the circumstances, the matter is adjourned and be listed on May 3 for the purpose of arguments on discharge applications moved by the accused," the court said.

It also allowed the pleas of Kejriwal, Delhi's Education Minister Manish Sisodia, advocate Prashant Bhushan and various other accused for exemption from personal appearance before it for today only.

The court was hearing five separate cases lodged in 2012 against various members and top leaders of AAP in connection with the protests staged by them.

They were charge sheeted for various offences relating to rioting, unlawful assembly, use of force to obstruct public servants from discharging their duty and damaging public property during their protests in August 2012.

The accused persons had earlier filed plea for discharge, saying the cases were illegal, "clear abuse of process by police" and were "designed to harass them".

PTI

Democracy is dead within the DMK: MK Alagiri

Chennai: Stung by the DMK move to suspend him, former Union Minister M K Alagiri today charged that democracy was dead in the party and questioned why no action was taken against his younger brother M K Stalin's supporters for pasting posters hailing him as future party president.

Alagiri said he was being "rewarded" for seeking justice on certain allegations made by some workers regarding internal
elections in the party headed by his father M Karunanidhi. He said he had taken up the matter with the party high command which promised a probe but did not act. "Democracy is dead in the party. On January 31, I will meet the press in Madurai and submit proof (about alleged irregularities in internal polls)," he told reporters here.

Mk Alagiri poster. Firstpost image

When it was pointed out that he had been suspended for "creating confusion", he shot back saying if pasting posters supporting him was wrong, the same yardstick should be applied to Stalin and his supporters also.

"Is it wrong to paste posters supporting me. They (Stalin's supporters) describe him as future Chief Minister and even future party president when the party president (Karunanidhi) is alive," he said and asked why no action has been initiated against his brother's supporters.

Asked if he had been suspended for not accepting Stalin's leadership, he said he did not know that but added the action
against him was planned one. He reiterated that he will not contest the coming Lok Sabha polls or field rival candidates to DMK, saying "the party will lose by itself."

Cracking the whip, DMK had yesterday suspended Alagiri from all party posts and primary membership, telling him that
his opposition to DMK-DMDK alliance is not going be taken lightly.

Announcing Alagiri's suspension, party general secretary K Anbazhagan charged Alagiri with asking party workers not to work, criticising disciplinary action taken against certain DMK members, "directly involving in improper discussions," and thus "creating confusion."

Asked if Alagiri's suspension would affect DMK and its poll prospects in particular, Karunanidhi had replied in the
negative while Stalin denied any rift with his elder brother and described the action as a party affair.

PTI

Constitution does not prevent CM from holding dharna: Kejriwal

New Delhi: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, who faced flak for his protest in the heart of the capital, today said the Constitution does not prevent the Chief Minister from holding a dharna.

"I read the Constitution, couldn't find anywhere that a Chief Minister cannot hold 'dharna'," he said on criticism to his two-day dharna outside Rail Bhavan.

Arvidn Kejriwal

He also charged that "the media is getting paid to do negative stories on AAP."  Kejriwal's role in leading a protest while holding constitutional office has come under the scrutiny of the Supreme Court which yesterday slammed law enforcing agencies for allowing unlawful assembly of supporters of the Chief Minister in the heart of national capital.

In his Republic Day address at Chhatrasal Stadium here, the Delhi Chief Minister said the Jan Lokpal Bill is almost ready and will be passed at a special session in Ramlila Maidan in February.

Holding that security of women in the national capital is "highly compromised", he said the government has formed a committee under the Chief Secretary for the formation of 'Mahila Suraksha Dal' in the city. "Security of women in the national capital is highly compromised. It is our utmost duty and priority to provide security to women. We have formed a committee under the Chief Secretary for formation of Mahila Suraksha Dal," he said.

He said that it may not have powers like the police but the force will work like security guards stationed outside buildings and housing societies. "They will provide security to women. We will have retired army personnel, police and home guards as members of suraksha dal," he said.

Kejriwal also said the committee under the chief secretary will make provisions to ensure that rapists are sent to jail within 3 to 6 months.

PTI

Jan Lokpal Bill will be passed at Ramlila Maidan in Feb: Kejriwal

New Delhi: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said Saturday that the Jan Lokpal Bill is almost ready, and will be passed next month in a special session of the state assembly at Ramlila Maidan, in the heart of Delhi, amidst the people.

"Corruption is the biggest issue for our government. We have to fight corruption. The Jan Lokpal Bill is almost ready and in the month of February we will have a special Delhi assembly session at Ramlila Maidan, and in the midst of people the bill will be passed," Kejriwal said, addressing celebrations on the eve of Republic Day at Chhatrasal stadium here.

"The bill promises strict action against people who indulge in corruption. Under this law, the (corrupt person) will lose his (or her) job and will also be sent to prison," the chief minister said.

He explained that the intention behind the law was not to send people to prison, but to deter corruption, and instil a sense of fear.

Arvind Kejriwal in this file photo. AFP

"I am not saying corruption has been eradicated from Delhi. But ever since we assumed power, I have heard, and people have told me, that there is now a sense of fear, and that is a good thing. I can now say that corruption has been reduced, at least by 20 to 30 percent," Kejriwal said, as the crowd cheered him.

The Delhi chief minister also said that the safety and security of women was an important concern of his government.

"We have constituted a committee on Friday under the chairmanship of Delhi Chief Secretary Sanjoy Kumar Srivastava, where there will be a separate body for the protection and security of women. The body, comprising retired army personnel and homeguards, will ensure protection and security to women," Kejriwal said.

IANS

Karnataka: Infighting in both Cong, BJP over LS candidacy

Bangalore: The ruling Congress and main opposition BJP in Karnataka are in for tough times in selecting candidates for the April-May Lok Sabha elections as their senior leaders or their supporters have publicly started fighting at the preliminary stage of short-listing names for approval by their central leaderships.

While dissidence over candidate selection in every election has become a norm in most parties, the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party are feeling the heat from the involvement of their high-profile leaders and face the prospects of the disaffection spreading to all the 28 Lok Sabha seats from the state.

The Congress, in particular, is in for greater embarrassment as the Dakshina Kannada constituency, about 350 km west of Bangalore, involves two prominent members of the party - former central minister B Janardhana Poojary and union petroleum minister M. Veerappa Moily. Both hail from the region.

Poojary's supporters say that the party's Dakshina Kannada district unit had recommended only his name while the probable list prepared by the state Congress to be sent to the high command for approval includes the name of Moily's son Harsha Moily.

Opposing the move, around 300 supporters of Poojary led by Dakshina Kannada unit leaders landed in Bangalore Thursday from Mangalore, the district's main town, and met state Congress president G. Parameshwara and Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to lodge their protest.

Representational Image of Congress and BJP symbols. Reuters

They told reporters that only Poojary can regain the seat for the Congress, though he had lost in 2009 to the BJP's Nalin Kumar Kateel. The rise of dissidence in Dakshina Kannada should be specially worrying for the Congress as the district, as well as neighbouring Udupi, had become BJP strongholds.

However, the Congress was on the road to recovery, winning seven of the eight seats in Dakshina Kannada and three of the five in Udupi in the assembly elections last May.

The Congress' chances of regaining the Dakshina Kannada Lok Sabha seat would be hit if the ugly spat between Poojary and Moily does not end.

Udupi is now part of the Chikmagalur-Udupi Lok Sabha constituency, which was wrested from the BJP by K. Jayaprakash Hegde of the Congress in a byelection in March 2012. The bypoll was caused as the BJP's D.V. Sadananda Gowda vacated the seat to become Karnataka's chief minister.

The senior Moily represents Chikkaballapur Lok Sabha constituency and is being renominated from there.

Like the Congress, the BJP too is witnessing a public fight between Sadananda Gowda, now a member of the Karnataka legislative council, and former BJP deputy chief minister R. Ashoka over who should contest the Bangalore North Lok Sabha seat, held by their party colleague D.B. Chandre Gowda.

The constituency has a large number of voters from the Vokkaliga community. All three BJP leaders hail from the community. The BJP is not interested in renominating Chandre Gowda as he is 78.

Ashoka, who now represents the Padmanabha Nagar assembly constituency in Bangalore, is opposing a ticket for Sadananda Gowda as he is an "outsider" hailing from Dakshina Kannada. At a state BJP leaders' meeting here Wednesday, the two were reportedly pulled up for going public with their fight for the ticket and told to mend their ways.

From the present goings-on, both the Congress and the BJP would have to devote as much attention to containing dissidence in the respective parties over candidate selection as to working for the victory of the nominees.

IANS

Madness of King Kejriwal: AAP dons its khap panchayat avatar

The many voters who rushed to embrace Arvind Kejriwal in the Delhi elections could scarcely suspect the ugly Hyde-ian alter-ego that lurked behind his unassuming persona. We were slow to recognise that Somnath Bharti is not some loose cannon but rather embodies Kejriwal's inner monster -- apparently, a racist, misogynist thug -- who is now running amok.

The Aam Aadmi Party's decision to release a series of videos -- as proof of its moral rightness -- makes it clear that Kejriwal's support of Bharti and his actions reflects not political expediency, but ideological agreement. It reveals a willingness to shame women, willfully violate their privacy to justify moral policing of the most illegal kind. But what is more shocking is what passes as 'proof' of illegal and immoral activity in the AAP worldview.

The video titled 'Condoms and Liquid spilled in Private' shows some damp patches, a bottle of water on the car floor, and strips of condoms in the dashboard -- some with empty wrappers. There is no evidence of illegal activity -- other than safe sex, albeit lots of it. The condoms constitute damning proof only if one subscribes to the notion that having lots of sex makes a woman a prostitute. In the AAP court of law, female promiscuity is a punishable crime. Now we are in khap panchayat territory.

The title of the 'Naked in front of police' videos represents the worst kind of mendacity. The clip of an African man -- seemingly out of his mind -- running around naked on the road in the middle of the day has no relevance to Bharti's raid on the four women. It's not even clear whether this is Khirki or some other part of Delhi. The video -- and its carefully selected title -- exists purely for shock value, to titilate the potential viewer into thinking the Ugandan women were caught naked by the police that night. No matter that the video proves nothing of the sort. The insinuation has been made about the character of these women. Mission accomplished.

Arvind Kejriwal in this file photo. AP

Over and again, the videos try to pass off innuendo as proof. The footage of 'One girl caught' shows the police chasing an African woman (presumably in the course of the Bharti raid, though it isn't unclear), with the camera man panting as he tries to keep up. She is finally caught by the police and then made to walk with them. But there is no information on who this woman is, or why she is being taken into custody, or whether she committed any crime that warrants this harassment. Just the fact of her running away from the AAP goons and police is enough to establish her guilt.

The one titled 'Trying to hide drugs' is perhaps the worst of the lot. It shows a car filled with people and the police trying to get them to step out. You can also hear some television media crew talking in the background. There is no sign of drugs -- or "exchange of white powder" as alleged by AAP spokesperson Dilip Pandey -- anywhere in the footage. Here again, merely being questioned by cops -- on the instigation of AAP no less -- is sufficient to establish guilt.

That these videos were accompanied by documents publishing the names and addresses of the women makes this perhaps the most egregious violations of individual privacy in recent times. In comparison, the camera crews who accompanied the Hindutva thugs when they raided a Mangalore resort look downright sensitive.

This, then marks the first definitive achievement of the newly formed AAP government. On their 28th day in power, they have decisively taken on the mantle of the moral brigade. Behold Delhi's very own Shiv Sena. Rightwing thugs across Delhi are likely hanging their head in shame.

But here's the good news: Now we know. Now there is no longer any excuse for making excuses -- either for Kejriwal or for those who will choose to stand with him and his brand of mob politics, be it Yogendra Yadav or Medha Pathkar or Captain Gopinath or Meera Sanyal. It's time for all of them to take a stand, to revolt against the madness of King Kejriwal.

Poll in May: How AAP is trying to emerge from its own trap

It is good that the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is on the defensive over the Somnath Bharti raids and the Arvind Kejriwal dharna, with the Supreme Court itself weighing in against the latter for not upholding the constitution and upbraiding the cops for not thwarting him when section 144 was in force. Hopefully, this will force AAP to think twice before rushing into mindless protests.

However, for AAP critics (this writer is one of them) who believe that Kejriwal must now talk the language of governance, not agitation, the counterpoint is this: it is not AAP's purpose to govern. The fact is AAP never expected to be called in to form a government or run the administration. It got called in to rule Delhi when its agenda was merely to rule the city's streets.

You could say AAP was trapped by the Congress's offer of unconditional support - the result of Rahul Gandhi's post-election promise to do things we "can't even imagine" - and the BJP's reluctance to rule without a majority. But the truth is AAP fell into its own trap: the trap of using referendums to decide on issues that call for leadership.

Naresh Sharma/Firstpost

Moreover, if the Congress had indeed laid a trap, nothing compelled AAP to walk right into it. It could have said "nyet" and walked away. It had no obligation to form the government when the BJP declined.

The idea of "asking the people" - a kind of rough-and-ready referendum that Kejriwal and AAP leaders thought would bail them out of this situation – was the trap AAP sprung on itself. If you let people decide when it is your duty to lead and take an informed decision, you are asking for trouble.

The AAP leadership probably expected the people to say "stay away from Congress and BJP", but the people had just tasted power and wanted to be a part of it. This is how AAP's strategy of avoiding responsibility failed.

This is when they moved to plan B. AAP believes – not unreasonably – that if it gets stuck prematurely in governance issues, some of the gloss surrounding it crusading image will fade. So its current plan is obvious: one is to avoid ceding control of the streets to the BJP by showing it is still activist.  The second prong is to irritate the Congress so much as to force it to withdraw support. The idea is to return to the streets full-time and seek a fuller mandate - hopefully with the looks of a martyr. Kejriwal made no efforts to hide this plan when, in an interview to Rajdeep Sardesai on CNN-IBN, he said that cases will soon be launched against Sheila Dikshit so that Congress will regret providing support to him. Any party with even half an intention to govern would not think irritating its supporting ally is the first order of business.

Put another way, Kejriwal will create conditions where the Congress either withdraws support or creates conditions where he himself gets in a conflict with the law and can play martyr. This is also where the dharna and other vigilante stuff come in. For example, if a case is registered against him for an unlawful dharna, Kejriwal will be thrilled to grandstand and seek arrest. In this he is no different from politicians in other parties: nothing burnishes a politician's image more than an arrest.

Kejriwal's gameplan is thus to seek another Delhi assembly election along with the Lok Sabha polls so that he gets a majority on his own.

The CSDS polls showed AAP to be on the ascendant before the dharna taint, but there is no reason to believe this one mistake is going to cost it dearly. Some survey showed that AAP did not lose the support of the poor or the lower middle class due to the dharna. It is hoping to pull off another win in Delhi. So don't expect Kejriwal to be all sweetness and honey over the next four weeks. If anything, AAP could get  more combative.

The problem for AAP is it has very little time. If it is forced to govern for longer, it will stand exposed. It wants to win big before people find out that the process of change is slow and there is no magic bullet to solve the people's problems in one shot.

So Kejriwal's aims are clear: hook or by crook, he will seek a Delhi election in April-May. The Congress strategy is to avoid it and expose AAP as just another political party that can't keep its promises, but in this game AAP holds the higher cards. As Delhi CM, Kejriwal gets to call the elections when he wants it.

AAP likely to announce first list of LS candidates by 26 January

New Delhi: The Aam Aadmi Party is likely to announce the first list of candidates for the Lok Sabha elections by January 26. Sources in the party said it will announce candidates for few seats in Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana Bihar and Maharashtra. The first list is likely to include the names of senior party leaders and prominent faces.

"First and second round of screening candidates for a few seats was completed last week. We should hopefully release the list of candidates by January 26. The party may announce potential candidates for a seat and then shortlist one after consulting the active members of the party," said a source.

At its National Executive Committee meeting early this month, party leaders had announced that the first list of candidates for the Lok Sabha would be declared between 15 to 20 January, but the "tremendous" response and number of applications it received delayed the process.

Aam Aadmi Party supporters in this file photo. AFP

"The deadline to submit the forms by aspirants wanting to contest Lok Sabha seats was January 15. However, we are still receiving forms. We have received maximum forms from Delhi and Haryana. In Delhi alone, the ratio is 65 people to 1 seat," party spokesperson Dilip Pandey said.

The party has so far received 2600 forms from 200 Lok Sabha constituencies from aspirants willing to contest elections.

PTI

Sharad Pawar files RS nomination papers, sees no anti-UPA wave

Mumbai: Denying that a strong anti-UPA wave is sweeping the country, Union Agriculture Minister and NCP president Sharad Pawar today said the political situation is still "unclear" and regional parties as well as new voters will play a crucial role in forming the next government.

Talking to reporters after filing his Rajya Sabha nomination papers, Pawar said, "Even though the main contest will be UPA versus NDA (in the Lok Sabha polls), one has to accept the strength of regional parties in their respective states. Their help will be required for formation of the next government."

When asked if the RS polls will be unopposed, Pawar said, "Both NCP candidates are in a comfortable position to get elected." Similarly, the highlight of this general election will be participation of new voters in large numbers. "The winning combination will be the beneficiary of the support of new voters," he added.

To a query on possibility of a Third Front government, Pawar said, "it was too early to speak about it". He expressed confidence that people will vote a strong and stable government in the interest of the country to improve and strengthen economy.

NCP Supremo Sharad Pawar in this file photo. Reuters

To a question on Union Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde and Maharashtra Samajwadi Party President Abu Asim Azmi's statements supporting him for Prime Ministership, Pawar said, "let anybody say anything... I am not available." He said NCP contests limited number of seats and the party knows its limitations.

When asked about Congress not projecting Rahul Gandhi as its PM candidate, Pawar said the party has never projected anybody as Prime Minister before elections. To a question on whether the Congress refrained from naming Rahul as allies may object, Pawar asked, "why comment on this, when there was no such proposal in the first place."

Scoffing at surveys which predict a UPA rout, Pawar said in 2004, surveys predicted Vajpayee government will be voted back to power on the 'feel good' and 'India shining' slogans.

"(However) Congress-led coalition won the election and continued to be in power for ten years," he added. He said the growth rate was above five percent and
agriculture production has broken all records. "Cotton, wheat rice, sugar exports have improved. Agriculture imports have also gone up," the Union Minister said.

Pawar said the Lok Sabha elections will be fought on development agenda. "By development, we mean all round agriculture, industrial, power generation among other things," he said.

To a question on BJP PM candidate Narendra Modi speaking on development, Pawar said, "development of few areas of Gujarat does not mean development of the country. Its like saying development of Pune and Nashik means development of Maharashtra."

Criticising the protest dharna of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, Pawar said, even though there might be a difference of opinion, it is not correct for responsible people entrusted with the task of running a government to obstruct normal functioning.

When asked about the "mahayuti" (grand alliance) of Opposition parties in the state, Pawar said, "I have heard of mahayuti but never a 'maha parinam' (grand results)".

Taking a swipe on Sena sainiks tying a "shiv bandana" thread to remain loyal to the party and overthrow the Congress-NCP government in the state, Pawar said, "this was violation of the anti-superstition act and I am waiting to see what action the government takes."

He also said that he was seeing good change in the functioning of the state government after he criticised Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan for policy paralysis. "Decisions are being taken fast and cabinet meetings are held twice a week," he said.

PTI

The real importance of Modi’s rise: A CM as prime minister

It was easy to miss it in all the hype that has surrounded Arvind Kejriwal and the Aam Aadmi Party in the last two months. The fact is that the rise and rise of Narendra Modi is the big political story of the last four months -- since he was named the BJP's Prime Ministerial candidate in September 2013. The latest results of the CNN-IBN-CSDS Election Tracker are revealing. In July 2013, 19 percent of respondents said that Modi was their preferred choice for Prime Minister. Six months later, in January 2014, that number has shot up to 34 percent. Modi's anointment as his party's Prime Ministerial candidate seems to have lifted the BJP's fortunes. In the Election Tracker six months ago, the BJP was struggling to hit the 180 seat mark. Now, it seems set to cross 200, its largest tally ever.

Modi's rise is interesting for several reasons. But none is perhaps more important than the fact that he has broken the glass ceiling for regional leaders in the insular Delhi-based national leaderships of major parties. The Congress has always kept its High Command, presided over by the Gandhi family, at an elevated level. If a non-Gandhi has become PM or PM candidate, it is at the pleasure of the High Command. State Chief Ministers are permanently on a lower pedestal and any explicit or implicit aspiration for a shot at the top job could result in their fall from even that lower rung.

But the BJP has been no different -- for the purposes of Lok Sabha elections --- with the Delhi-based 'national ' leadership – whether Vajpayee or Advani -- traditionally holding the balance of power. Modi has broken through. He has shown that it is indeed possible to project success at the regional level on to the bigger national stage. That he comes from a mid-size state, which sends only 26 MPs to the Lok Sabha – and which isn't in the politically dominant Hindi heartland -- makes his foray into the 'national' psyche even more impressive.

Of course, Modi is not the first person who served as Chief Minister to be a Prime Ministerial candidate – Morarji Desai and VP Singh would claim that mantle though they became Prime Ministers much after their tenures as CMs had finished. Should the BJP win, Modi won't even be the first serving Chief Minister to become Prime Minister – that place in history is taken by HD Deve Gowda. But unlike Desai, Singh (who were national Delhi-based leaders rather than regional satraps when they became PM) and the accidental Gowda, Modi is the first Chief Minister who is running for the country's top job on the plank of his track record (of good governance) as a successful Chief Minister.

Narendra Modi in this file photo. AFP

This is an encouraging trend for India from a governance point of view. The real nuts and bolts of governance are best learnt at the state level. It is state Governments which ultimately deliver most public services – whether education, health, roads and power – and welfare programmes. It is in the efficient delivery of these services and programmes that India faces its most daunting challenges. 'National' leaders who have never served in the states are unlikely to be as well versed with the nuts and bolts of policy implementation that state leaders are. That has been one of the fatal flaws of the Congress-led UPA, which has missed the wisdom and experience of successful regional leaders in Government.

The ascendancy of a serving Chief Minister to the country's top job could also provide a much needed boost to federalism. There is only so much the Central Government in Delhi can do to deliver all that India needs. In fact, there are several contentious policy spaces like labour laws which are best left to the states, rather than to a coalition-constrained Centre. Modi would know that. Should he become Prime Minister, he would be in a good place to devolve more power to states, particularly on the nitty- gritty of implementation while the Centre only sets the broad policy agenda. Of course, there is always a probability that Modi will abandon his federalist leanings should he become Prime Minister. But that would be a terrible waste of his potential to shake up business-as-usual in governance.

Needless to say, whether he wins or loses in 2014, Modi is not forever. But the demonstration effect of his rise could prompt other regional stalwarts (from the BJP and from non-BJP, non-Congress parties) to go national in the years to come. For the BJP, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan and Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar could conceivably do a Modi outshining the Delhi-based national leadership. If Arvind Kejriwal is sensible and can summon some patience, he should focus on doing a good job of governing Delhi as Chief Minister and then propelling himself onto the bigger national stage. Of course, there is no guarantee of success. Some regional stalwarts have tried and failed in their national ambition. Both Mulayam Singh Yadav and Mayawati have tried to step out of Uttar Pradesh, but it is their less than stellar track records in governance rather than their regional confine that have proved a stumbling block.

The Modi Model , defined for the purposes of this article as the prospect of a successful Chief Minister as Prime Ministerial contender, is a delicious prospect for India's democracy, federalism and governance. That is Modi's lrea; egacy irrespective of the 2014 outcome.

The real importance of Modi’s rise: A chief minister as prime minister

It was easy to miss it in all the hype that has surrounded Arvind Kejriwal and the Aam Aadmi Party in the last two months. The fact is that the rise and rise of Narendra Modi is the big political story of the last four months -- since he was named the BJP's Prime Ministerial candidate in September 2013. The latest results of the CNN-IBN-CSDS Election Tracker are revealing. In July 2013, 19 percent of respondents said that Modi was their preferred choice for Prime Minister. Six months later, in January 2014, that number has shot up to 34 percent. Modi's anointment as his party's Prime Ministerial candidate seems to have lifted the BJP's fortunes. In the Election Tracker six months ago, the BJP was struggling to hit the 180 seat mark. Now, it seems set to cross 200, its largest tally ever.

Modi's rise is interesting for several reasons. But none is perhaps more important than the fact that he has broken the glass ceiling for regional leaders in the insular Delhi-based national leaderships of major parties. The Congress has always kept its High Command, presided over by the Gandhi family, at an elevated level. If a non-Gandhi has become PM or PM candidate, it is at the pleasure of the High Command. State Chief Ministers are permanently on a lower pedestal and any explicit or implicit aspiration for a shot at the top job could result in their fall from even that lower rung.

But the BJP has been no different -- for the purposes of Lok Sabha elections --- with the Delhi-based 'national ' leadership – whether Vajpayee or Advani -- traditionally holding the balance of power. Modi has broken through. He has shown that it is indeed possible to project success at the regional level on to the bigger national stage. That he comes from a mid-size state, which sends only 26 MPs to the Lok Sabha – and which isn't in the politically dominant Hindi heartland -- makes his foray into the 'national' psyche even more impressive.

Of course, Modi is not the first person who served as Chief Minister to be a Prime Ministerial candidate – Morarji Desai and VP Singh would claim that mantle though they became Prime Ministers much after their tenures as CMs had finished. Should the BJP win, Modi won't even be the first serving Chief Minister to become Prime Minister – that place in history is taken by H.D. Deve Gowda. But unlike Desai, Singh (who were national Delhi-based leaders rather than regional satraps when they became PM) and the accidental Gowda, Modi is the first Chief Minister who is running for the country's top job on the plank of his track record (of good governance) as a successful Chief Minister.

Narendra Modi in this file photo. AFP

This is an encouraging trend for India from a governance point of view. The real nuts and bolts of governance are best learnt at the state level. It is state Governments which ultimately deliver most public services – whether education, health, roads and power – and welfare programmes. It is in the efficient delivery of these services and programmes that India faces its most daunting challenges. 'National' leaders who have never served in the states are unlikely to be as well versed with the nuts and bolts of policy implementation that state leaders are. That has been one of the fatal flaws of the Congress-led UPA, which has missed the wisdom and experience of successful regional leaders in Government.

The ascendancy of a serving Chief Minister to the country's top job could also provide a much needed boost to federalism. There is only so much the Central Government in Delhi can do to deliver all that India needs. In fact, there are several contentious policy spaces like labour laws which are best lcy eft to the states, rather than to a coalition-constrained Centre. Modi would know that. Should he become Prime Minister, he would be in a good place to devolve more power to states, particularly on the nitty- gritty of implementation while the Centre only sets the broad policy agenda. Of course, there is always a probability that Modi will abandon his federalist leanings should he become Prime Minister. But that would be a terrible waste of his potential to shake up business-as-usual in governance.

Needless to say, whether he wins or loses in 2014, Modi is not forever. But the demonstration effect of his rise could prompt other regional stalwarts (from the BJP and from non-BJP, non-Congress parties) to go national in the years to come. For the BJP, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan and Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar could conceivably do a Modi outshining the Delhi-based national leadership. If Arvind Kejriwal is sensible and can summon some patience, he should focus on doing a good job of governing Delhi as Chief Minister and then propelling himself onto the bigger national stage. Of course, there is no guarantee of success. Some regional stalwarts have tried and failed in their national ambition. Both Mulayam Singh Yadav and Mayawati have tried to step out of Uttar Pradesh, but it is their less than stellar track records in governance rather than their regional confine that have proved a stumbling block.

The Modi Model , defined for the purposes of this article as the prospect of a successful Chief Minister as Prime Ministerial contender, is a delicious prospect for India's democracy, federalism and governance. That is Modi's lrea; egacy irrespective of the 2014 outcome.

Congress’ copied Modi ad: Why ad biz will suffer more

The Congress in general and Rahul in particular have been mocked and ridiculed thanks to the first ad of the Congress campaign being proven to have lifted a headline from a 2011 Narendra Modi campaign, which also said, "Main nahin hum."

The Congress and Rahul Gandhi are the wrong targets – the butt of the jokes and the ridicule should have been the advertising agency that created this ad, Dentsu India.

In such a situation, the client can never be the one responsible. It is NOT the client's job to worry about whether a thought or a script or a headline is original. Indeed, the client presumes that any work presented by the agency is the agency's original creative output. That is why the agency is hired in the first place; for their skills in creating original, clutter-cutting communication.

The Congress ad which copies the slogan from an earlier Modi campaign.

How did this ad ever see the light of day? They've forgotten the basics, which is to study the communication of the competition. If that had been done, this headline would never have been presented at all.

The headline is so simple that the chances that someone else has thought of it earlier are so high that it should have been thrown into the dustbin anyway.

There is an ongoing discussion on social media that it is likely that the line was forced by the Congress onto Dentsu India. If that is the case, the blame still falls squarely on Dentsu's shoulders – they should have resigned the account immediately if that has happened.

This ad does more harm to the advertising industry in India than it does to the Congress. For the past 10 years, the agency business witnesses shrinking margins as clients see it as a commodity rather than as a consultant or partner.

After this ad, do you wonder why we've reached this sad state of affairs?

BJP taunts Congress over its first ‘copied’ ad

New Delhi: Congress today released its first advertisement for the Lok Sabha polls, but main Opposition BJP targeted it saying the party has "copied" Narendra Modi's ad blitz at a BJP convention in 2011.

Rahul Gandhi is at the centrestage of the campaign 'Mein Nahi, Hum' (Not I, we) which appeared in today's newspapers. Dismissing BJP's charges of plagiarism, Congress spokesperson Shobha Oza insisted that no one has sole proprietary right on words and ideas.

Rahul Gandhi. AFP

According to BJP leader Shahnawaz Hussain, this is a phrase coined by Modi at the party's 'Chintan Shivir' in 2011 where he said 'Mein Nahi, Hum' to connect with the common man.

"Though Congress hates Modi, they like the phrase coined by him and use as their own slogan," he said.

He sought to find loopholes in the ad saying, "Although they have copied from Modi, they have not done so properly as the pictures of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and party chief Sonia Gandhi are missing."

"It only shows the picture of Rahul. One can only imagine where the 'hum' are, it is only 'mein' (me) in the ad," Hussain said.

Oza said there is "no need for Congress to copy anyone".

"Just because someone says it is their baby,... (it is not the case," she said, adding that the Congress has always emphasised on "we" and has played inclusive politics.

"This is unlike the prime ministerial candidate of the BJP who often propagates the theory of 'I and me' and often forgets that he is part of the BJP," she said.

The Congress' main slogan is "har haath shakti, har haath tarakki", she said, adding based on the theme of self-help, the slogan meant "power in every hand; progress for everyone".

Apparently hinting at AAP, she suggested that the Congress was the first to talk of the aam aadmi plank 10 years ago.

Incidentally, the Congress punch line in the ad campaign of 2009 was: Congress Ka Haath, Aam Aadmi ke Saath (the Congress' hand is always with the common man).

The campaign in 2004 Lok Sabha polls revolved around 'Aam Aadmi Ko Kya Mila' (What did the common man get), a response to the BJP's 'India Shining' campaign.

PTI