Team Anna spreading canards about me: PM

June 5, 2012

New Delhi, June 5: First, Congress president Sonia Gandhi lit into the Opposition; then a combative Prime Minister Manmohan Singh took on Team Anna, without naming it, for the second time in a week, sharply attacking its members for spreading “canards and falsehoods” about him and his senior Ministers. On Monday, as the extended Congress Working Committee (CWC), the party's apex decision-making body, met at the Parliament House Annexe here, the two top leaders concentrated their firepower not just on their political rivals, but on all those holding them responsible for a range of ills, from corruption to policy paralysis.

But if the duo's sights were set on the government's critics, most of the 42 speakers at the day-long meeting, CWC sources told The Hindu, stressed that charges of corruption and high prices — including the recent hike in the petrol price — were together devastating the government and the party. This even though the Prime Minister spoke of his government taking “action on multiple fronts” to tackle “the menace of corruption” and Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee explained how the prices of petroleum products could be rationalised with the cooperation of State governments, while giving the CWC members an overview of the grim economic situation and the steps planned to reverse it. Member after member said it was getting difficult to justify to their constituents the massive hike in petrol price.

Though there was no dissent, there was a great deal of candour, reflecting the desire in the party for changes that could dramatically lift the Congress' sagging fortunes.

Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, CWC sources said, suggested another “Kamaraj Plan” (in 1963, senior Congress leader K. Kamaraj had suggested that all senior party leaders quit their ministerial posts to devote their energies to re-vitalise the Congress). Offering his own resignation as a start, Mr. Hooda urged Ms. Sonia Gandhi to take tough decisions like Indira Gandhi.

Several speakers, including special invitee Mohinder Singh Kaypee, also underscored the need for younger leaders to come forward, with CWC permanent invitee and former Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Ajit Jogi saying Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi must play a larger role in the party. Asked whether the subject of greater responsibilities for younger people was raised, Mr. Mukherjee told journalists: “The discussion was informative; members were candid. Younger leaders will have to come forward — the older chaps cannot continue for ever.”

Coalition blues

The problems of dealing with coalition partners also surfaced, with Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee president Manikrao Thakre and his West Bengal counterpart Pradip Bhattacharya complaining about the Nationalist Congress Party and the Trinamool Congress — parties with which the Congress shares power in the two States: the two men, separately, the CWC sources said, expressed the view that the Congress should go it alone and build up its own organisations.

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'No place for sacrifice in politics': Akhilesh says will contest Maha polls alone if MVA keeps SP out

News Network

October 27,2024

Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav stated on Sunday, October 27, that his party is prepared to contest the Maharashtra Assembly elections independently if the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) does not include them in the alliance.

Yadav assured that the SP would only contest in constituencies where it has a strong organizational presence and would ensure its participation does not affect the MVA’s overall prospects.

Several I.N.D.I.A. alliance members have expressed dissatisfaction with the Congress over seat-sharing arrangements in upcoming state polls.

Both the CPI(ML)L and the RJD voiced frustration after being offered only 3-4 seats each for the Jharkhand elections by the Congress.

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Bomb threats target CRPF schools across India, 2 days after blast at Delhi institute

News Network

October 22,2024

Several Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) schools across India were hit with hoax bomb threats on Tuesday, just days after an explosion occurred near a CRPF school in Delhi. The threats, sent via email late Monday night, targeted schools in Delhi and Hyderabad, according to sources.

Earlier this week, a bomb exploded outside a CRPF school in Delhi’s Rohini area, causing significant damage to nearby vehicles and property. Fortunately, no casualties or injuries were reported.

In response to the blast, Delhi Police confiscated CCTV footage from nearby markets as part of their investigation. Sources indicate that surveillance footage captured a suspect at the scene, wearing a white T-shirt, displaying suspicious behavior the night before the explosion.

Preliminary investigations revealed that the explosive device had been hidden in a polythene bag, buried in a shallow pit, and covered with garbage. The blast caused a hole in the school's boundary wall and shattered the window panes and signboards of nearby shops.

Following the incident, the Delhi Police registered a First Information Report (FIR) under Section 4 of the Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act, Section 3 of the Indian Explosives Act, and other relevant sections.

The FIR states, "A case of an explosion caused by an unknown explosive substance has been registered, and the investigation continues." It also details the damage, noting that the blast left a hole in the boundary wall and affected nearby structures.

The targeted schools serve children from CRPF and other paramilitary families, and the recent threats have heightened concerns. In response, Delhi authorities have placed the city on high alert, ramping up security measures, especially in markets, ahead of the Diwali festival.

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