The Cabinet Committee on Security on Wednesday decided to enhance security for President Pranab Mukherjee, Vice President Hamid Ansari, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Sonia and Rahul Gandhi, who are protected by the Special Protection Group.
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Kiran Kumar Reddy on Monday warned that the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh will spawn a host of problems, including political instability, Naxal threat, terrorism and communal violence.
The Group of Ministers constituted for the creation of a separate state of Telangana on Wednesday discussed the sharing of river water and irrigation resources in Andhra Pradesh after the state's bifurcation, but failed to arrive at a resolution.
All India Congress Committee General Secretary Digvijaya Singh will preside over a meeting of the Congress Coordination Panel with Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Kiran Kumar Reddy on Friday evening.
In a strongly-worded letter to Joint Parliamentary Committee chief P C Chacko, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam leader T R Baalu has said the committee's report on the 2G scam and the Congress leader's attempts to rush for the passage of it did not exactly inspire confidence.
The Union government has released Rs 184 crore to the government of Tamil Nadu -- to construct one lakh houses for families living below the poverty line under the Indira Awaz Yojana -- in Cuddalore and Villupuram where Cyclone Thane had wreaked its havoc.
The United Progressive Alliance government has made up its mind to move a resolution on Wednesday in Rajya Sabha to get nine Members of Parliament of the Samajwadi Party suspended for their misbehaviour and disruptions during the debate on the job quota bill for Scheduled Castes/Scheduled Tribes.
Iranian President Dr Mahmoud Ahmadinejad called the Organisation of Islamic Conference an ineffective body, welcomed the ceasefire in Gaza and proposed free and fair elections to end the crisis in Syria.
The Election Commission has issued a notice to Union Law Minister Salman Khurshid for his reported speech in Uttar Pradesh, in which he mentioned the proposal about providing an enhanced quota for the Muslim community. Top officials of the EC will hold a meeting on Tuesday evening to issue a strict warning to political parties against making such statements when the campaign for the state assembly elections has started to gain momentum.
How many times have we read reports about our esteemed political leaders indulging in massive corruption, misusing their powers as legislators, tweaking the system for their own benefit, refusing to vacate their official bungalows or give up their security entourage? Well, here is a politician with a difference, one with a conscience. N Jothi actually refuses to accept the benefits offered to him by the government on ethical grounds.
Bureaucrats in Delhi, who have felt the heat of the anti-corruption wave sweeping the country, were in for a surprise when their suggestions were sought on curbing red-tapism. Red-tape is considered to be the prime reason behind corruption in government offices. These bureaucrats received a communication from the Cabinet Secretariat last week, urging them to share their advise on fighting corruption and give ideas to help promote "transparency and good governance."
Finance Minister and Congress trouble-shooter Pranab Mukherjee on Saturday took command of the consultations with Andhra Pradesh leaders to prepare the ground for the creation of Telangana, even as Prime Minister Manmohan Singh decided against imposing President's rule in the troubled state after holding talks with Governor E S L Narasimhan. Assisting Mukherjee in the consultations are Petroleum Minister S Jaipal Reddy and members of a core committee.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will on Friday meet an all-party delegation from Tamil Nadu to discuss the state administrations' concerns over the Kudankulam nuclear project. He will meet the delegation at his residence in 7 Race Course Road in Delhi to dispel apprehensions about the safety of the nuclear project. The delegation will be headed by Tamil Nadu Finance Minister O Paneerselvam, who will present a memorandum to the prime minister.
Union minister MK Alagiri has shifted his base from Madurai to New Delhi since last week. After a massive rout in Tamil Nadu, MK Alagiri has now shifted his attention to Delhi.
The Chennai high court on Friday issued a notice to Congress party spokesperson Jayanthi Natarajan, acting on an affidavit seeking direction to probe a Rs 300 crore scam involving her. Natarajan is a Congress Member of Parliament from Tamil Nadu.The affidavit alleges that Natarajan facilitated a sizeable bank loan from Vijaya Bank by misusing her links with the Union government.Natarajan is also under legal scrutiny for allegedly owning 6,88,300 square feet land.
Rajya Sabha is slated to take up the Impeachment Motion against Calcutta High Court Judge Soumitra Sen on March 14.Sen will be the second judge in independent India to face such a motion for allegedly misappropriating Rs 42 lakh when he, as a lawyer, had been appointed a receiver by a court of law.There are ten senior advocates in the Rajya Sabha from various political parties who are keen to speak on this motion. The motion may turn out to be embarassing for the UPA.
Pattali Makkal Katchi founder-leader Dr S Ramadoss on Monday said that his party has not taken a final decision about joining the Dravida Munnettra Kazhagam-Congress combine to fight the Tamil Nadu assembly poll. On Sunday, DMK chief and TN Chief Minister M Karunanidhi had told the media in Delhi that the PMK will fight the state polls with the DMK-Congress alliance. Many other political parties had also approached the PMK to forge a coalition.
The general council of the Dravida Munnettra Kazhagam will meet in Chennai on February 3 to discuss and decide the seat arrangements for the upcoming assembly elections with its allies.Karunanidhi announced this decision after rejecting a resignation letter from his son and Fertiliser Minister M K Alagiri from the post of the DMK's organising secretary.Alagiri has sought action against DMK leader A Raja, who had to resign as the telecom minister over the massive 2G scam.
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister K Rosaiah may be shifted as Governor of Karnataka or Madhya Pradesh on account of his fragile health.
The Dravida Munnettra Kazhagam, the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and the Tamil Nadu unit of the Congress are gearing up for the assembly polls in the state, scheduled to be held next year. Unconfirmed reports indicate that the Congress' political emissaries from Delhi are in constant touch with both the DMK and the AIADMK.The first meeting to discuss pre-poll arrangements was held on Saturday, when Home Minister P Chidambaram met DMK chief Karunanidhi.