NEWS IN BRIEF – DEC 23, 2011
1. Lokpal Bill A Bitter Pill For Parties, Tabled In Lok Sabha As Netas Of
All Hues Line Up To Slam It : New Delhi: The Lokpal and Lokayukta bill
made a shaky debut in the Lok Sabha on Thursday with several parties
ranging from the BJP and Left to smaller regional outfits opposing key
provisions of the anti-corruption law like minority quota, government
control over CBI and prescriptions for Lokayuktas in states. [TOI p1]
2. If challenged, Lokpal may falter in court, Bill Provisions At Odds With
Statute: Experts: New Delhi: Besides the resistance the Lokpal Bill faces
from the political class, there are also doubts whether all its provisions are
consistent with the Constitution. Many experts feel the reservation for
minorities provided for under the Bill, as well as that it seeks to set up
Lokayuktas in states, put the provisions of the bill at odds with the
Constitution. [TOI p11]
3. Anna says Bill weak, can’t tackle corruption : Pune : Calling the
government’s Lokpal Bill “weak and incompetent to handle corruption in
the country,” anti-graft crusader Anna Hazare said on Thursday that such
a Bill should not be passed by Parliament.[The Hindu p1]
4. Cong may not alter plan despite in-House divide : New Delhi:
Congress backbenchers banged their desks at the slightest whiff of
hostility to Lokpal Bill while the party brass sat grim and dismissed
concerns about the proposed ombudsman during the debate on Thursday,
exposing the inhouse divide which led to Lalu Prasad challenging the
government to hold a vote without a whip to its members. [TOI p11]
5. Sushma: Lokpal Bill is unconstitutional : New Delhi: Leader of
opposition in the Lok Sabha, Sushma Swaraj on Thursday tore into the
Lokpal Bill, calling it patently unconstitutional. Swaraj, opposing the
introduction of the bill, said the clause providing for “not less than 50%”
reservation for SCs, STs, OBC, minorities and women violates the
Constitution since reservation in any category could not exceed 50%. [TOI
p13]
6. Parliament can’t be run from footpath: Lalu : NEW DELHI: Rashtriya
Janata Dal chief Lalu Prasad took to himself the job of opposing the
Lokpal Bill, educating the members about its dangers and asking the
government not to push the MPs to the wall. For this, he received applaud
from across the board with some Congress MPs saying he reflected the
sense of the house.[HT p10]
7. Bill worse than Aug draft, redo it: Kejriwal to govt : New Delhi: RTI
activist and key aide of Anna Hazare Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday said the
Lokpal Bill was a step backwards from the government’s draft of August,
keeping not only the Lokpal weak but ensuring the Central Bureau of
Investigation (CBI) was favourable to the political dispensation. [TOI p17]
8. Why is CBI out, repeats rigid Hazare : PUNE/NEW DELHI: Despite the
government bending over backwards to accommodate his demands, Anna
Hazare remained adamant on rejecting the lokpal bill on Thursday and
made it clear that he would continue his anti-Congress stance.[HT p1]
9. RS clears Bill to include 6 communities in ST list : New Delhi : The
Bill to give Scheduled Tribe status to six communities of Manipur and
substitute the name of one in the list of Arunachal Pradesh was approved
by Parliament on Thursday.[IE p5]
10. Supreme Court hailed for action to tackle corruption : Panaji : Janata
Party president Subramanian Swamy on Thursday hailed the Supreme
Court for the speedy trial in the 2G spectrum corruption case, which was
giving hope to the people that corrupt people would be held
accountable.[The Hindu p9]
11. Battle Lines Drawn as Anna Hazare Rejects Revised Bill, ‘I leave the
issue of reservation to Parliament. They are the best judges…’:
RALEGAN SIDDHI (AHMEDNAGAR) : Social activist Anna Hazare
denounced the revised Lokpal Bill, terming it “very weak”, and set the
stage for another round of confrontation with the government over a strong
anticorruption watchdog. [ET p2]
12. Political parties, NGOs under Lokpal scanner : New Delhi : The all
new Lokpal Bill has provisions to probe corruption charges not just against
the PM and Ministers but also against managers, secretaries and directors
of religious institutions and political parties that receive donations from the
public.[The Tribune p1]
13. Anna insists on his stir, challenges Sonia to an open debate : New
Delhi/Pune: Even as Parliament grappled with the Lokpal bill, Anna
Hazare announced on Thursday that his “jail bharo” agitation “will be
outside the residence of Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi”, thus setting the
scene for an eyeball-to-eyeball confrontation.[TOI p1]
14. BJP against Muslim quota : New Delhi : The Bharatiya Janata Party
(BJP) on Thursday submitted a memorandum to Uttar Pradesh Governor
B L Joshi, opposing the Centre’s move to grant reservation for backward
Muslims under OBC quota.[HT p11]
15. Key witness in 2G case says he was threatened : New Delhi: His job
was to fetch food and water for the three Reliance ADAG executives
facing trial in the 2G spectrum allocation scam but Jai Prakash on
Thursday became a point of discussion for everyone after CBI’s star
witness Aseervatham Achary claimed he was threatening him. [TOI p1]
16. Veggies get cheaper, food inflation drops to 4-yr low : NEW DELHI:
The food inflation rate fell steeply to a 46-month-low of 1.81% during the
week ended December 10, continuing the dramatic fall from 11.43% in
mid October as fresh arrivals of seasonal vegetables bolstered supplies
and pushed down prices.[HT p1]
17. Sonia’s dream food bill tabled, after tense moments : NEW
DELHI:After being weighed several times over for its financial
implications, it was a safe landing for The National Food Security Bill,
introduced in Parliament on Thursday by food minister KV Thomas without
a glitch.[HT p15]
18. Re-voting on Bill allowed as a special case : New Delhi :The
government on Thursday faced embarrassing moments in the Lok Sabha
when it had to seek a re-vote on a Constitutional Amendment Bill following
confusion among the members over the voting procedure on an
amendment moved by a Left party member. In an unprecedented move,
Speaker Meira Kumar ordered a re-vote as a special case but said it
should not be quoted as a precedent.[The Hindu p9]
19. Assembly polls : EC to meet Home Secy today : New Delhi : The
Election Commission will meet the Union Home Secretary Friday to
discuss the availability of Central security forces for the forthcoming
Assembly elections in Punjab, Uttarakhand, Goa, Manipur and Uttar
Pradesh.[IE p2]
20. IAS topper shifted 7 times in one year : LUDHIANA: Here are two
contrasting cases as regards the Punjab government’s uneven policy of
transferring officers, with elections due next year.[HT p11]
21. Cash-for-vote scam probe in Jharkhand hits dead end : Ranchi : The
infamous cash-for-vote scam of Jharkhand that had hit headlines during
the 2010 Rajya Sabha elections might have faded from people’s memory
but the legislators who were involved in the case are certainly content with
the fact that there is virtually no development on the investigation front by
the State Vigilance Bureau.[Pioneer Daily p4]
22. Gowda 1st K’taka CM from Upper House : Bangalore: D V Sadananda
Gowda made history by becoming the first chief minister of Karnataka to
rule as member of the Upper House when he sailed through in the bypoll
for the lone council seat on Thursday, signaling his control over a
fractured party.[TOI p19]
23. FIR against Karnataka BJP MLA in land scam : BANGALORE: An FIR
was filed against ruling BJP MLA CT Ravi by Lokayukta police in
connection with alleged irregularities in securing government land in
Chikmagalur.[HT p10]
24. Now, Digvijaya son rises : Bhopal : “True India is all about villages,”
says the 25-year-old. “There’s no glamour in rural areas but no experience
teaches you more about life than spending time there.”[IE p2]
25. UP says no to chief secy’s central wish : Lucknow : Uttar Pradesh’s
top on central deputation ahead of the assembly elections, but the state
government is unwilling to let him go. “The government has, for now,
declined to issue a no objection certificate (NOC) sought recently by chief
secretary Anoop Mishra to go on central deputation,“ said an official in the
department of personnel and appointment.[HT p11]
26. Akhilesh Vows to do a Nitish in UP with Growth : NEW DELHI :
Behind Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav’s benign smile lies a
secret, clever glee that seems to mock at sycophants. The president of
SP’s Uttar Pradesh unit has the cultivated air of a seasoned politician who
can listen patiently to ticket seekers, giving them the impression that he
treats their words like gold dust.[ET p1]
27. SP has District-Specific Plans: Akhilesh Yadav : Lucknow : More
importantly, notes Yadav, SP will work towards making robust “economies
in each district” in the state. “Moradabad, as you know, is known for its
brass industry, Agra for finished leather products and so on. [ET p3]
28. Ahead of UP Polls, Cabinet Clears 4.5% Quota for Minorities, Govt
promises a similar sub-quota for the most backwards among the
OBCs: NEW DELHI : The competition for Muslim votes in Uttar Pradesh
intensified on Thursday, with the Congress getting the Union Cabinet to
carve out a 4.5% sub-quota for minorities from within the existing 27% for
OBCs in central jobs.[ET p2]
29. Congress’s UP election pitch set with minority quota: Lucknow :
That a volatile UPA ally like Trinamool Congress assented to the Lokpal
bill after considering minority quota in the watchdog’s panel made the
government heed the demand. [TOI p17]
30. Jaya Prada to contest against Azam : LUCKNOW: The much-needed
colour in the upcoming Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections, this time, will
come from an unexpected corner when MP Jaya Prada takes on her arch
rival Mohd Azam Khan, a senior Samajwadi Party leader.[AA p2]
31. Ajit demands quota for Jats : New Delhi: Ahead of UP polls, civil
aviation minister and RLD chief Ajit Singh asked the government to
include his Jat community in the central OBC list. He is said to have
received an assurance on the issue. [TOI p17]
32. Rahul to kickstart campaign in Uttarakhand : New Delhi : Congress
general secretary Rahul Gandhi will launch his party’s poll campaign in
Uttarakhand by holding a public rally in Dehra Dun on Friday.[The Hindu
p5]
33. Congress chief to decide on tickets : Amarinder : Chandigarh :
Punjab Pradesh Congress president Amarinder Singh on Thursday sought
to quell apprehensions that the recent influx of leaders from other parties
would mar the prospects of Congress workers and leaders.[The Hindu
p5]
34. Polls no pull, tepid response to voter registration drive :
PATIALA:The upcoming Punjab assembly elections may not see many
first-timers voting, going by the lukewarm response to the new voter
registration campaign. Less than two lakh 18 to 21 year-olds have been
registered as voters during the various phases of statewide registration
campaign since November 2010, according to sources in the state
election department. [HT p11]
35. CWG :ED complaint against foreign firm : New Delhi : The
Enforcement Directorate has initiated a complaint under the Foreign
Exchange Management Act in a case related to the overlays expenditure
in CWG scam. The agency filed the complaint for contravention of Rs 185
crore in awarding of overlays contract to Pico Event Marketing (India)
Private Limited (PEMI). [IE p2]
36. BJP in poll mode, gets MCD projects cleared: New Delhi: BJP is on a
spree to get new infrastructure projects approved with municipal elections
round the corner. On Thursday, MCD cleared proposals for construction of
a slaughter house at Ghazipur, new school buildings, community centres,
drains among others. Work is likely to start from next year—post municipal
polls — and is likely to add to the financial burden of the newly formed
corporations. [TOI p6]
37. Centre has double standards : Mayor : New Delhi : Delhi Mayor Rajni
Abbi said on Thursday that the Union Government maintains “double
standards” with regard to issues of division of Uttar Pradesh and the
Municipal Corporation of Delhi.[The Hindu p4]
LEGAL/CRIME NEWS
38. Nanavati may quiz Modi after Jan 14 : Ahmedabad: The Nanavati
Commission is likely to summon Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi for
questioning in connection with the post-Godhra riots of 2002. The
summons, according to sources, will be issued after the kite-flying festival
of Uttarayan on January 14. [TOI p17]
39. Commission on Adarsh Society gets six months’ extension:
MUMBAI:The judicial commission inquiring into scam-tainted Adarsh
Society has been granted another extension of six months to complete its
probe and submit a report on the same to Maharashtra government.[HT
p10]
EDITORIAL / OPINION
40. The PM’s last stand : Samar Halarnkar :Sometime in November, Rahul
Gandhi, Congress general secretary and heir to the Gandhi legacy, called
for a debate at his heavily guarded colonial-era bungalow, tucked away in
a secluded, shady New Delhi lane. The three people summoned were not
a little bemused, wondering if they were going to participate in a real-life
version of the fractious debates on news television.[HT p12]
INTERNATIONAL NEWS
41. ak PM fears plot to oust govt, Gilani Indirectly Attacks Military And
ISI As Memogate Crisis Snowballs: Islamabad: Pakistan PM Yousaf
Raza Gilani on Thursday cautioned against “conspiracies being hatched to
bring down his elected government’’ amid heightened tension between the
ruling PPP and the military over an alleged memo that sought US help to
prevent a coup in May. [TOI p24]
NEWS IN BRIEF – DEC 23, 2011
1. Lokpal Bill A Bitter Pill For Parties, Tabled In Lok Sabha As Netas Of
All Hues Line Up To Slam It : New Delhi: The Lokpal and Lokayukta bill
made a shaky debut in the Lok Sabha on Thursday with several parties
ranging from the BJP and Left to smaller regional outfits opposing key
provisions of the anti-corruption law like minority quota, government
control over CBI and prescriptions for Lokayuktas in states. [TOI p1]
2. If challenged, Lokpal may falter in court, Bill Provisions At Odds With
Statute: Experts: New Delhi: Besides the resistance the Lokpal Bill faces
from the political class, there are also doubts whether all its provisions are
consistent with the Constitution. Many experts feel the reservation for
minorities provided for under the Bill, as well as that it seeks to set up
Lokayuktas in states, put the provisions of the bill at odds with the
Constitution. [TOI p11]
3. Anna says Bill weak, can’t tackle corruption : Pune : Calling the
government’s Lokpal Bill “weak and incompetent to handle corruption in
the country,” anti-graft crusader Anna Hazare said on Thursday that such
a Bill should not be passed by Parliament.[The Hindu p1]
4. Cong may not alter plan despite in-House divide : New Delhi:
Congress backbenchers banged their desks at the slightest whiff of
hostility to Lokpal Bill while the party brass sat grim and dismissed
concerns about the proposed ombudsman during the debate on Thursday,
exposing the inhouse divide which led to Lalu Prasad challenging the
government to hold a vote without a whip to its members. [TOI p11]
5. Sushma: Lokpal Bill is unconstitutional : New Delhi: Leader of
opposition in the Lok Sabha, Sushma Swaraj on Thursday tore into the
Lokpal Bill, calling it patently unconstitutional. Swaraj, opposing the
introduction of the bill, said the clause providing for “not less than 50%”
reservation for SCs, STs, OBC, minorities and women violates the
Constitution since reservation in any category could not exceed 50%. [TOI
p13]
6. Parliament can’t be run from footpath: Lalu : NEW DELHI: Rashtriya
Janata Dal chief Lalu Prasad took to himself the job of opposing the
Lokpal Bill, educating the members about its dangers and asking the
government not to push the MPs to the wall. For this, he received applaud
from across the board with some Congress MPs saying he reflected the
sense of the house.[HT p10]
7. Bill worse than Aug draft, redo it: Kejriwal to govt : New Delhi: RTI
activist and key aide of Anna Hazare Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday said the
Lokpal Bill was a step backwards from the government’s draft of August,
keeping not only the Lokpal weak but ensuring the Central Bureau of
Investigation (CBI) was favourable to the political dispensation. [TOI p17]
8. Why is CBI out, repeats rigid Hazare : PUNE/NEW DELHI: Despite the
government bending over backwards to accommodate his demands, Anna
Hazare remained adamant on rejecting the lokpal bill on Thursday and
made it clear that he would continue his anti-Congress stance.[HT p1]
9. RS clears Bill to include 6 communities in ST list : New Delhi : The
Bill to give Scheduled Tribe status to six communities of Manipur and
substitute the name of one in the list of Arunachal Pradesh was approved
by Parliament on Thursday.[IE p5]
10. Supreme Court hailed for action to tackle corruption : Panaji : Janata
Party president Subramanian Swamy on Thursday hailed the Supreme
Court for the speedy trial in the 2G spectrum corruption case, which was
giving hope to the people that corrupt people would be held
accountable.[The Hindu p9]
11. Battle Lines Drawn as Anna Hazare Rejects Revised Bill, ‘I leave the
issue of reservation to Parliament. They are the best judges…’:
RALEGAN SIDDHI (AHMEDNAGAR) : Social activist Anna Hazare
denounced the revised Lokpal Bill, terming it “very weak”, and set the
stage for another round of confrontation with the government over a strong
anticorruption watchdog. [ET p2]
12. Political parties, NGOs under Lokpal scanner : New Delhi : The all
new Lokpal Bill has provisions to probe corruption charges not just against
the PM and Ministers but also against managers, secretaries and directors
of religious institutions and political parties that receive donations from the
public.[The Tribune p1]
13. Anna insists on his stir, challenges Sonia to an open debate : New
Delhi/Pune: Even as Parliament grappled with the Lokpal bill, Anna
Hazare announced on Thursday that his “jail bharo” agitation “will be
outside the residence of Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi”, thus setting the
scene for an eyeball-to-eyeball confrontation.[TOI p1]
14. BJP against Muslim quota : New Delhi : The Bharatiya Janata Party
(BJP) on Thursday submitted a memorandum to Uttar Pradesh Governor
B L Joshi, opposing the Centre’s move to grant reservation for backward
Muslims under OBC quota.[HT p11]
15. Key witness in 2G case says he was threatened : New Delhi: His job
was to fetch food and water for the three Reliance ADAG executives
facing trial in the 2G spectrum allocation scam but Jai Prakash on
Thursday became a point of discussion for everyone after CBI’s star
witness Aseervatham Achary claimed he was threatening him. [TOI p1]
16. Veggies get cheaper, food inflation drops to 4-yr low : NEW DELHI:
The food inflation rate fell steeply to a 46-month-low of 1.81% during the
week ended December 10, continuing the dramatic fall from 11.43% in
mid October as fresh arrivals of seasonal vegetables bolstered supplies
and pushed down prices.[HT p1]
17. Sonia’s dream food bill tabled, after tense moments : NEW
DELHI:After being weighed several times over for its financial
implications, it was a safe landing for The National Food Security Bill,
introduced in Parliament on Thursday by food minister KV Thomas without
a glitch.[HT p15]
18. Re-voting on Bill allowed as a special case : New Delhi :The
government on Thursday faced embarrassing moments in the Lok Sabha
when it had to seek a re-vote on a Constitutional Amendment Bill following
confusion among the members over the voting procedure on an
amendment moved by a Left party member. In an unprecedented move,
Speaker Meira Kumar ordered a re-vote as a special case but said it
should not be quoted as a precedent.[The Hindu p9]
19. Assembly polls : EC to meet Home Secy today : New Delhi : The
Election Commission will meet the Union Home Secretary Friday to
discuss the availability of Central security forces for the forthcoming
Assembly elections in Punjab, Uttarakhand, Goa, Manipur and Uttar
Pradesh.[IE p2]
20. IAS topper shifted 7 times in one year : LUDHIANA: Here are two
contrasting cases as regards the Punjab government’s uneven policy of
transferring officers, with elections due next year.[HT p11]
21. Cash-for-vote scam probe in Jharkhand hits dead end : Ranchi : The
infamous cash-for-vote scam of Jharkhand that had hit headlines during
the 2010 Rajya Sabha elections might have faded from people’s memory
but the legislators who were involved in the case are certainly content with
the fact that there is virtually no development on the investigation front by
the State Vigilance Bureau.[Pioneer Daily p4]
22. Gowda 1st K’taka CM from Upper House : Bangalore: D V Sadananda
Gowda made history by becoming the first chief minister of Karnataka to
rule as member of the Upper House when he sailed through in the bypoll
for the lone council seat on Thursday, signaling his control over a
fractured party.[TOI p19]
23. FIR against Karnataka BJP MLA in land scam : BANGALORE: An FIR
was filed against ruling BJP MLA CT Ravi by Lokayukta police in
connection with alleged irregularities in securing government land in
Chikmagalur.[HT p10]
24. Now, Digvijaya son rises : Bhopal : “True India is all about villages,”
says the 25-year-old. “There’s no glamour in rural areas but no experience
teaches you more about life than spending time there.”[IE p2]
25. UP says no to chief secy’s central wish : Lucknow : Uttar Pradesh’s
top on central deputation ahead of the assembly elections, but the state
government is unwilling to let him go. “The government has, for now,
declined to issue a no objection certificate (NOC) sought recently by chief
secretary Anoop Mishra to go on central deputation,“ said an official in the
department of personnel and appointment.[HT p11]
26. Akhilesh Vows to do a Nitish in UP with Growth : NEW DELHI :
Behind Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav’s benign smile lies a
secret, clever glee that seems to mock at sycophants. The president of
SP’s Uttar Pradesh unit has the cultivated air of a seasoned politician who
can listen patiently to ticket seekers, giving them the impression that he
treats their words like gold dust.[ET p1]
27. SP has District-Specific Plans: Akhilesh Yadav : Lucknow : More
importantly, notes Yadav, SP will work towards making robust “economies
in each district” in the state. “Moradabad, as you know, is known for its
brass industry, Agra for finished leather products and so on. [ET p3]
28. Ahead of UP Polls, Cabinet Clears 4.5% Quota for Minorities, Govt
promises a similar sub-quota for the most backwards among the
OBCs: NEW DELHI : The competition for Muslim votes in Uttar Pradesh
intensified on Thursday, with the Congress getting the Union Cabinet to
carve out a 4.5% sub-quota for minorities from within the existing 27% for
OBCs in central jobs.[ET p2]
29. Congress’s UP election pitch set with minority quota: Lucknow :
That a volatile UPA ally like Trinamool Congress assented to the Lokpal
bill after considering minority quota in the watchdog’s panel made the
government heed the demand. [TOI p17]
30. Jaya Prada to contest against Azam : LUCKNOW: The much-needed
colour in the upcoming Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections, this time, will
come from an unexpected corner when MP Jaya Prada takes on her arch
rival Mohd Azam Khan, a senior Samajwadi Party leader.[AA p2]
31. Ajit demands quota for Jats : New Delhi: Ahead of UP polls, civil
aviation minister and RLD chief Ajit Singh asked the government to
include his Jat community in the central OBC list. He is said to have
received an assurance on the issue. [TOI p17]
32. Rahul to kickstart campaign in Uttarakhand : New Delhi : Congress
general secretary Rahul Gandhi will launch his party’s poll campaign in
Uttarakhand by holding a public rally in Dehra Dun on Friday.[The Hindu
p5]
33. Congress chief to decide on tickets : Amarinder : Chandigarh :
Punjab Pradesh Congress president Amarinder Singh on Thursday sought
to quell apprehensions that the recent influx of leaders from other parties
would mar the prospects of Congress workers and leaders.[The Hindu
p5]
34. Polls no pull, tepid response to voter registration drive :
PATIALA:The upcoming Punjab assembly elections may not see many
first-timers voting, going by the lukewarm response to the new voter
registration campaign. Less than two lakh 18 to 21 year-olds have been
registered as voters during the various phases of statewide registration
campaign since November 2010, according to sources in the state
election department. [HT p11]
35. CWG :ED complaint against foreign firm : New Delhi : The
Enforcement Directorate has initiated a complaint under the Foreign
Exchange Management Act in a case related to the overlays expenditure
in CWG scam. The agency filed the complaint for contravention of Rs 185
crore in awarding of overlays contract to Pico Event Marketing (India)
Private Limited (PEMI). [IE p2]
36. BJP in poll mode, gets MCD projects cleared: New Delhi: BJP is on a
spree to get new infrastructure projects approved with municipal elections
round the corner. On Thursday, MCD cleared proposals for construction of
a slaughter house at Ghazipur, new school buildings, community centres,
drains among others. Work is likely to start from next year—post municipal
polls — and is likely to add to the financial burden of the newly formed
corporations. [TOI p6]
37. Centre has double standards : Mayor : New Delhi : Delhi Mayor Rajni
Abbi said on Thursday that the Union Government maintains “double
standards” with regard to issues of division of Uttar Pradesh and the
Municipal Corporation of Delhi.[The Hindu p4]
LEGAL/CRIME NEWS
38. Nanavati may quiz Modi after Jan 14 : Ahmedabad: The Nanavati
Commission is likely to summon Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi for
questioning in connection with the post-Godhra riots of 2002. The
summons, according to sources, will be issued after the kite-flying festival
of Uttarayan on January 14. [TOI p17]
39. Commission on Adarsh Society gets six months’ extension:
MUMBAI:The judicial commission inquiring into scam-tainted Adarsh
Society has been granted another extension of six months to complete its
probe and submit a report on the same to Maharashtra government.[HT
p10]
EDITORIAL / OPINION
40. The PM’s last stand : Samar Halarnkar :Sometime in November, Rahul
Gandhi, Congress general secretary and heir to the Gandhi legacy, called
for a debate at his heavily guarded colonial-era bungalow, tucked away in
a secluded, shady New Delhi lane. The three people summoned were not
a little bemused, wondering if they were going to participate in a real-life
version of the fractious debates on news television.[HT p12]
INTERNATIONAL NEWS
41. ak PM fears plot to oust govt, Gilani Indirectly Attacks Military And
ISI As Memogate Crisis Snowballs: Islamabad: Pakistan PM Yousaf
Raza Gilani on Thursday cautioned against “conspiracies being hatched to
bring down his elected government’’ amid heightened tension between the
ruling PPP and the military over an alleged memo that sought US help to
prevent a coup in May. [TOI p24]
