Team Anna, govt begin to land low blows

June 11, 2012

New Delhi, Jun 11: The ongoing war of words between Team Anna and the government reached a new low on Sunday with one of the team members comparing the prime minister to the blind king in Mahabharata and a Union minister questioning the integrity of Anna Hazare’s followers.

Launching a scathing attack on Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, a key member of Team Anna, Kiran Bedi, on Sunday sought to compare him to Dhritrashtra in the context of the alleged irregularities in the allocation of coal blocks. Singh had rejected Hazare’s demand for setting up a special investigation team (SIT) to probe into the charges levelled against the Prime Minister and 14 of his cabinet ministers.

“The PMO clears Prime Minister. Did Dhritarashtra in Mahabharata not support Kauravas even after they attempted to disrobe Draupadi? Indian genes/culture? or?” Bedi tweeted.

She described Singh and his 14 cabinet colleagues as a “tainted team”, asserting that they would “never” give people an expeditious and strong criminal justice system.

“Do or die fast from July 25 for SIT probe on PM and 14 cabinet ministers. Tainted team may never give us an expeditious and strong criminal justice system,” she said.

Sharply reacting to Bedi’s comment, Minority Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid accused Team Anna of converting their anti-corruption movement into a “personal campaign”.

“They (Team Anna) have many, many questions they must first answer before asking questions to others,” Khurshid told reporters at Chennai airport, taking several questions from the media, shortly after arriving here.

“We are at least subject to public scrutiny. Every five years, we go through an election. People reject or accept our record and everything is available. We’re ready for any public scrutiny,” Khurshid maintained.

Khurshid said: “I don't think they have the right to ask questions and I don't think they are being very helpful and very good to democracy in our country." Khurshid, who is also in charge of the Law Ministry, said that “the people will give them a suitable answer when the time comes”.

“We all felt they started off with a good note. Idea of containing corruption and questioning corruption was a good idea. But today, they are doing greatest disservice to this idea by converting it into a personal campaign and personal ambition,” the minister said.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) also demanded a probe into the allegations made against the Cabinet ministers in the alleged coal scam.

“Nobody suspects Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. But the way in which his government is drowned in corruption and scams, it is natural that the taint reaches him also. This war of words between the civil society and government should end. The government should order an investigation,” BJP leader Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said.

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Taliban appoints Ikramuddin Kamil as acting consul in Mumbai as India-Afghan ties improve

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November 12,2024

The Taliban regime has appointed Ikramuddin Kamil as the acting consul in the Afghan mission in Mumbai, Afghan media has reported.

It is the first such appointment made by the Taliban set up to any Afghan mission in India.

There was no immediate comment from the Indian side on the appointment that came.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Afghanistan has announced the appointment of Kamil as the acting consul in Mumbai, the Taliban-controlled Bakhtar News Agency reported on Monday, citing unnamed sources.

"He is currently in Mumbai, where he is fulfilling his duties as a diplomat representing the Islamic Emirate," it said.

The appointment is part of Kabul's efforts to strengthen diplomatic ties with India and enhance its presence abroad, the media outlet said

Kamil holds a PhD degree in international law and previously served as the deputy director in the department of security cooperation and border affairs in the foreign ministry, it said.

He is expected to facilitate consular services and represent the interests of Afghanistan in India, the report added.

Kamil's appointment comes days after the external affairs ministry's point-person for Afghanistan held talks with the Taliban's acting defence minister, Mullah Mohammad Yaqoob, in Kabul.

Sher Mohammad Abbas Stanikzai, the Taliban's deputy foreign minister for political affairs, also posted on X about Kamil's appointment.

The appointment of Kamil is seen as part of efforts to facilitate consular services to the Afghan population in Mumbai.

There has been almost negligible presence of diplomatic staff at the Afghan missions in India.

Most of the diplomats appointed by the Ashraf Ghani government have already left India.

In May, Zakia Wardak, the seniormost Afghan diplomat in India, resigned from her position after reports emerged that she was caught at the Mumbai airport for allegedly trying to smuggle 25 kg of gold worth Rs 18.6 crore from Dubai.

Wardak had taken charge as the acting ambassador of Afghanistan to New Delhi late last year, after working as the Afghan consul general in Mumbai for more than two years.

She took charge of the Afghan embassy in New Delhi last November, after the mission helmed by then ambassador Farid Mamundzay announced its closure.

Mamundzay, who was an appointee of the Ghani government, had moved to the United Kingdom.

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You all can protest as much as you want, but Modi will surely amend Waqf Act: Amit Shah

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November 15,2024

Union minister Amit Shah on Friday, November 15, said PM Narendra Modi will amend the Waqf Act despite opposition from leaders like Uddhav Thackeray and Sharad Pawar.

"Modi ji wants to change the Waqf Board law, but Uddhav ji, Sharad Pawar and Supriya Sule are opposing it," Shah said, addressing a rally at Umarkhed in Maharashtra's Yavatmal district.

"Uddhav ji, listen carefully, you all can protest as much as you want, but Modi ji will amend the Waqf Act," he said. Shah said there are two camps in the November 20 Maharashtra assembly polls, one of 'Pandavas' represented by the BJP-led Mahayuti and the other of 'Kauravas' represented by Maha Vikas Aghadi.

"Uddhav Thackeray claims that his Shiv Sena is the real one. Can the real Shiv Sena go against renaming Aurangabad to Sambhajinagar? Can the real Shiv Sena go against renaming Ahmednagar to Ahilyanagar? The real Shiv Sena stands with the BJP," Shah said.

"Rahul Baba used to say that his government would credit money in the accounts of the people instantly. You were unable to fulfil your promises in Himachal, Karnataka, and Telangana," he said.

Shah said the Mahayuti alliance has promised that women will get Rs 2,100 per month under the Ladki Bahin Yojana. "Kashmir is an integral part of India and no power in the world can snatch it away from us," Shah said.

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