The return of firebrand former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Uma Bharti to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Tuesday may be an attempt of the party leadership to make its circle of leaders more inclusive, but apparently in this new beginning she will have to work hard to make her position felt in the forthcoming election campaign in the state.
Bharti is a Lodhi by caste and considered to have some influence in the Bundelkhand region that includes parts of Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh. Her return has not enthused some leaders in the party anyway. While an announcement about her return to party fold was widely accepted during the recent National Executive meet of the BJP in Lucknow, it was held back at the last moment because of the Ramdev episode taking the centre stage, and the continuing reservation of some party leaders, especially those from Madhya Pradesh itself.
However, by making it specific that Bharti will be involved fully in the Uttar Pradesh affairs and specially improve the party's prospects in Bundelkhand region, the party has sought to allay any fears that leaders in neighbouring Madhya Pradesh might be harbouring.
Showing posts with label Political Arena. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Political Arena. Show all posts
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
After Ramdev Baba episode, Lokpal bill is in dire straits
The government on Monday rejected Anna Hazare group's demand for televising proceedings of the joint Lokpal Bill drafting committee, asserting that it was ready to go ahead with the Bill with or without participation of the group in future meetings.
It also took offence to abuses heaped on Telecom Minister Kapil Sibal, saying this kind of discourse is not expected from someone claiming to represent civil society. (Swami Ramdev had called Sibal a liar and accused him of conspiring and cheating.) " We reject in the strongest possible terms these allegations.
This kind of language is just not acceptable. We also deal with civil society but never experienced such abuses. We hope that in future this kind of discourse will not be conducted in public," Sibal told a press conference after attending the Lokpal drafting committee meeting, held here despite the group's boycott. He also took on record BJP President Nitin Gadkari's observations questioning how a few nominated members of civil society were riding roughshod over Parliamentarians' rights.
Gadkari had further asked the government not to undermine the Constitution and institutions of democracy by involving the civil society in drafting the Bill as " laws are to be made by Parliamentarians." Rejecting the five issues raised by senior advocate Shanti Bhushan, co- chairman of the Lokpal committee, as " extraneous" to the drafting job, he said drafting of the Bill can not be done by posing questions and answers and that is why the committee was constituted to resolve issues through discussions.
However, if the group continues to boycott the meeting, the five ministers on the committee will continue to work on the draft, make it ready by June 30 and bring it before Parliament in the monsoon session, irrespective of the group's participation, he said.
The panel's next sitting is on June 15 and it is up to the group to attend or not, he said. Sibal taunted the group, saying that, on one hand, it wanted to complete the drafting by June 30 and, on the other hand, it tried to delay the drafting by boycotting the meeting. " The committee's mandate is to sort out issues and give a good draft and not keep exchanging letters," he asserted.
As regards many parties and chief ministers resenting the committee chairman Pranab Mukherjee seeking their views on some ticklish issues on the Lokpal Bill, the telecom minister said the government does not take opinion of parties while drafting Bills. It had done so only because it felt that this was an important legislation and hence why not seek their opinion, since the government was already taking into account the civil society's views.
It also took offence to abuses heaped on Telecom Minister Kapil Sibal, saying this kind of discourse is not expected from someone claiming to represent civil society. (Swami Ramdev had called Sibal a liar and accused him of conspiring and cheating.) " We reject in the strongest possible terms these allegations.
This kind of language is just not acceptable. We also deal with civil society but never experienced such abuses. We hope that in future this kind of discourse will not be conducted in public," Sibal told a press conference after attending the Lokpal drafting committee meeting, held here despite the group's boycott. He also took on record BJP President Nitin Gadkari's observations questioning how a few nominated members of civil society were riding roughshod over Parliamentarians' rights.
Gadkari had further asked the government not to undermine the Constitution and institutions of democracy by involving the civil society in drafting the Bill as " laws are to be made by Parliamentarians." Rejecting the five issues raised by senior advocate Shanti Bhushan, co- chairman of the Lokpal committee, as " extraneous" to the drafting job, he said drafting of the Bill can not be done by posing questions and answers and that is why the committee was constituted to resolve issues through discussions.
However, if the group continues to boycott the meeting, the five ministers on the committee will continue to work on the draft, make it ready by June 30 and bring it before Parliament in the monsoon session, irrespective of the group's participation, he said.
The panel's next sitting is on June 15 and it is up to the group to attend or not, he said. Sibal taunted the group, saying that, on one hand, it wanted to complete the drafting by June 30 and, on the other hand, it tried to delay the drafting by boycotting the meeting. " The committee's mandate is to sort out issues and give a good draft and not keep exchanging letters," he asserted.
As regards many parties and chief ministers resenting the committee chairman Pranab Mukherjee seeking their views on some ticklish issues on the Lokpal Bill, the telecom minister said the government does not take opinion of parties while drafting Bills. It had done so only because it felt that this was an important legislation and hence why not seek their opinion, since the government was already taking into account the civil society's views.
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Senior BJP leader L K Advani playing solo
Act in a hurry and regret at leisure. Senior BJP leader, L K Advani, caused an avoidable embarrassment to the party by unilaterally writing a letter to the Congress President Sonia Gandhi on the question of black money salted away in secret accounts in tax havens abroad. It is undeniable that lots of Indians have hidden their illicit money in secret accounts abroad. It is also undeniable that such money is not held directly in their names. Invariably, secret accounts in tax havens are operated in the name of anonymous trusts or benami.
Lawyers and/ or close relatives with foreign passports operate these accounts on behalf of Indians. It is doubtful if any of the industrialists who are widely suspected of keeping tonnes of tax- evaded billions in foreign accounts do so in their own names. Advani ought to have been careful in relying on a couple of his hangerson who are now spearheading the campaign against black money. Unless a leader is able to exercise his own judgement, he invariably falls a victim to the mechanization of his sycophants and hangers-on.
Unfortunately, the failed prime ministerial candidate of the BJP has all along shown poor judgement in choosing his ` chamchas,' rewarding some of them with membership of the Rajya Sabha while treating the motivated advice of others as gospel truth. Advani has been ill- served by people ` very' close to him. He ought to have kept the party in the loop by taking up the issue of black money. And having taken it up, he ought to have consulted the party leadership before turning turtle. Meanwhile, if his mea culpa teaches him to distance himself from his `coterie,' the embarrassing episode would have at least yielded some good.
Lawyers and/ or close relatives with foreign passports operate these accounts on behalf of Indians. It is doubtful if any of the industrialists who are widely suspected of keeping tonnes of tax- evaded billions in foreign accounts do so in their own names. Advani ought to have been careful in relying on a couple of his hangerson who are now spearheading the campaign against black money. Unless a leader is able to exercise his own judgement, he invariably falls a victim to the mechanization of his sycophants and hangers-on.
Unfortunately, the failed prime ministerial candidate of the BJP has all along shown poor judgement in choosing his ` chamchas,' rewarding some of them with membership of the Rajya Sabha while treating the motivated advice of others as gospel truth. Advani has been ill- served by people ` very' close to him. He ought to have kept the party in the loop by taking up the issue of black money. And having taken it up, he ought to have consulted the party leadership before turning turtle. Meanwhile, if his mea culpa teaches him to distance himself from his `coterie,' the embarrassing episode would have at least yielded some good.
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