Highly placed sources said that the government had been given a life line when the Suprme Court took the line that one more effort should be made to bring all the parties together and arrive at a consensus to resolve the issue . It was continuing to advise the television channels to show restraint and not to broadcast any inflammatory material. The government has now extended the ban on bulk smses to September 29 for the same purpose.
With both Prime Minister Singh and Home Minister P Chidambaram personally handling the Ayodhya issue, PMO officials are confident that the law and order situation will remain under control.
It is reliably learnt that the Congress is clear that such a historical project cannot be kicked off without the presence of Sonia Gandhi and there is a mo ve afoot to ensure that she is also part of the function.
A day after the all-party meeting discussed Jammu and Kashmir, the Congress's Core Group deliberated the strategy for the troubled state and a blueprint for the road ahead.
In an interesting turn of events, Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting Ambika Soni decided not to announce the 57th National Awards for films, though it is customary for the minister to do the honours, considering the prestige attached to the awards and the fact that it is the President of India who gives away the awards.
With the government of India inclining towards Union Defence Minister A K Antony's adamant stand that the controversial and contentious Armed Forces Special Powers Act should neither be diluted nor withdrawn, the issue was not raised by either Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh, Home Minister P Chidambaram, or even Congress chief Sonia Gandhi during Wednesday's all-party meeting on the Kashmir crisis.
The three hour-long meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Security on Monday evening failed to determine how best to control the ongoing violence in Kashmir Valley, except to decide to hold an all party meeting on September 15 to discuss the issue with the opposition parties.
The government continues to grope in the dark while looking for an initiative, which would end the three month cycle of violence that has claimed 69 lives and disturbed the peace in Kashmir Valley.
After Union Home Minister P Chidambaram it now appears to be the turn of Human Resource Development Minister Kapil Sibal, who is under attack by Congressmen both within and outside the government.
Union Defence Minister A K Antony is learnt to have disapproved of the proposal mooted by J&K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah to withdraw the Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) in four districts in Jammu and Kashmir as it would affect the confidence of the armed forces, which were already managing in very difficult circumstances.
The Congress leadership is moving towards implementing the one-man one-post norm when the All India Congress Committee and Pradesh Congress Committees are reconstituted, said highly placed sources in the AICC.
While Sonia's emphasis and priorities are clearly tilted towards the protection of environment, the prime minister is clear environment cannot stand in the way of development and stresses for industrialization, if required.
The recent remarks by Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh on the country's first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru appear to have rubbed 10 Janpath the wrong way, if party sources are to be believed.
The Congress is likely to hold its plenary session in Mumbai or in some other part of Maharashtra in December, indicate highly placed congress sources.
The function, which took place after heavy rains had almost drowned the lawns of 10 Janpath, was a picture of an almost collapsed marquee, a waterlogged venue with the leaders and others having to wade through water and mud.
Mani Shanker Aiyer, after having been told by the Congress leadership to desist from making statements against the Commonwealth Games, has now taken to writing letters to register his point.
In Sonia Gandhi's case, since Thursday is the last date of filing nominations for the post of party president, it is almost certain that there will be no other candidates for the post. By Thursday evening, Gandhi will effectively become party president for another term and the party will have complied with the rules and regulations regarding intra-party democracy.
It is a well publicised fact that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has been traveling across India, urging students and the youth to join politics. He has also been active in organising elections in the Youth Congress and the National Students' Union of India. The Gandhi scion's activities are in sharp contrast to the workings of the Congress, where party chief Sonia Gandhi's managers still seek a consensus mantra on most issues and the nomination culture permeates.
Rahul Gandhi has been traveling around the country asking students and the young people to join politics. He has been holding elections in the Youth Congress and the National Students Union of India.
Taking a break from Parliamentary parleys and governing the world's largest democracy, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will watch the movie Peepli Live at his residence on Sunday. The special screening of the film has been arranged by the film's producer Aamir Khan. Khan had arranged a similar screening of Peepli Live for the top brass of the Bharatiya Janata Party, including senior leader L K Advani, a few days ago. Advani, known to be a film buff, reportedly enjoyed the film.
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