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]

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