Trashing the report on 2G scam by Justice Shivraj Patil, former telecom minister Arun Shourie on Tuesday accused Union Minister Kapil Sibal of trying to save former telecom minister A Raja by functioning as his advocate.
In its December 14 order, the Supreme Court had dismissed petitions seeking a probe by a Special Investigation Team into the Rafale deal signed two years back, alleging irregularities and corruption in the pact.
'The way Congressman feared her, they don't fear her now. That is why you see how she took time to take action in Andhra, Maharashtra and corruption in the Commonwealth Games,' says Arun Shourie.
Senior leaders of the Bharatiya Janata Party met in New Delhi on Tuesday to discuss Arun Shourie's remarks against the party and the BJP's future course of action.Besides party president Rajnath Singh, vice president Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi and party general secretaries Vijay Goel and Vinay Katiyar attended the meeting, which was held at the party headquarter. According to sources, the leaders reviewed the situation, but refrained from taking any action against Shourie.
Amid a raging controversy over the 2G spectrum scam, Minister of State for Telecom Sachin Pilot said most of the allegations that are cropping up date back to the National Democratic Alliance regime.
The court's remarks came when the petitioner said they were seeking a court-monitored CBI probe into the deal.
Senior BJP leader Arun Shourie on Monday accused the United Progressive Alliance government of "outsourcing" the country's foreign policy to the United States in the wake of industrialised nations (G-8) putting curbs on full nuclear cooperation with countries like India.
Bhartiya Janata Party president Rajnath Singh said that the party should jointlytake responsibility for victory or defeat. "If any individual must own up the defeat in the Lok Sabha polls, I as the president of the party I accept the responsibility," he said while making opening remarks at two day meeting of the national executive at Parliamentary Annexe in New Delhi on Saturday.
Former telecom minister Arun Shourie on Saturday said he was ready to answer any queries from the Central Bureau of Investigation on the 2G spectrum allocation during his tenure. "I would be very happy to answer. No difficulty in that. I can even answer in the public hall here. If they invite me to their place; they are also always welcome to my house. No problem," said the senior BJP leader.
After wooing netizens with his own website, Bharatiya Janata Party leader and prime ministerial candidate L K Advani will now target students.
Senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader Arun Shourie on Monday asked the Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS) to take over the BJP's control and described the party's president Rajnath Singh as "Humpty Dumpty".
The joint petition, filed by senior journalist N Ram, former Union minister Arun Shourie, and lawyer Prashant Bhushan, submitted that the impugned sub-section is unconstitutional as it is incompatible with preambular values and basic features of the Constitution.
With raging dissent in Bharatiya Janata Party coming out in the open, a senior party Member of Parliament on Wednesday said that the points raised by veterans like Yashwant Sinha, Arun Shourie and Jaswant Singh should be given due importance.
Brushing aside BJP's dictat to its leaders not to go public on goings-on in the party, its senior leader Arun Shourie has sought to reopen the old wounds about the Kandahar hijack episode involving L K Advani.
The economic slowdown in India preceded global meltdown due to stoppage of reforms by the UPA government, former union disinvestment minister Arun Shourie said.
Reacting to the Interim Budget 2009-10 on Monday, the Bhartiya Janata Party claimed that the United Progressive Alliance government had failed to live up to the promises it made to the nation under its common minimum programme.
The top court had rejected the objections raised by the Centre that those documents were not admissible as evidence under Section 123 of the Indian Evidence Act, and no one can produce them in court without the permission of the department concerned as they are also protected under the Official Secrets Act.
In his interview to Shekhar Gupta on NDTV on Monday, Arun Shourie ripped aside the veil of secrecy surrounding the BJP's mysterious decision to let Modi stay on in Gandhinagar despite the horrors of seven years ago.
Party sources said the course of action against Shourie could be decided against the backdrop of the swift action taken against Jaswant Singh who was expelled last week. "The party has taken note of the utterances of Mr Shourie. It shall be responded to appropriately after discussions," BJP spokesperson Rajiv Pratap Rudy said in New Delhi.
The stage was on Friday set for a stormy Bharatiya Janata Party national executive meeting in New Delhi on Saturday, with senior leader Arun Shourie joining others in demanding an open discussion on the party's Lok Sabha poll debacle that has turned the party into a badly divided house.
'It's a fact that the Government of India was misleading Parliament and the people. We were saying what the letter is saying. We were saying all along that these are the conditions, but the government is even now saying that 'we have the right to test'. It's like saying that I have the right to murder, it's only that I will have to suffer the consequences. The consequence of murdering somebody is death penalty, so is India prepared to accept the death penalty?'
Sunil Mittal-promoted Bharti Teletech has been presented the Electronics and Computer Software Export Promotion Council award for achieving the highest exports in telecommunications equipment during 2001-02.
As the Bharatiya Janata Party grappled with dissensions, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh on Tuesday said it will not intervene in the saffron party's affairs and the party will have to 'analyse' the developments and take the right decision. "I want to say this clearly that it is not the job of the RSS," its spokesman Ram Madhav told reporters a day after senior BJP leader Arun Shourie demanded that the Sangh take over the reins of the BJP.
The government said on Thursday that talks between basic and cellular operators to resolve the contentious WLL issue have failed.
Former Union minister and Bharatiya Janata Party member Arun Shourie on Saturday said that China was a greater threat to India than Pakistan. Shourie said that since Pakistan was busy with its own problems now, this had given some respite to India as the number of killings had come down significantly in Kashmir. But China had been entering into countries with 'comprehensive national strength' with long-term objectives.
Shourie said the BJP opposed the deal because it went against Indian interests and, if signed, it would allow intense inspection of nuclear sites in the country. He said the US could take back nuclear fuel and equipments supplied if India conducted a nuclear test. India would also have to report to the US President all the details regarding nuclear installations, he added.
The Opposition National Democratic Alliance and the Third Front continued to disrupt proceedings in Parliament over the Indo-US civil nuclear agreement leading to adjournment of both Houses till 1600 hours.
'But a repair job will not do; what is wanted is a total overhaul to overcome contradictions and complications.'
By suggesting a substantial hike for government employees, the 6th Pay Commission, like many before it, has indeed been an honest attempt at destabilising the nation. And for that reason the nation need to consign it to the dustbin.
Arun Shourie had legitimised Reliance Communications' CDMA-mobile phone offerings on its fixed line licence in 2002 and Telecom Minister A Raja decided to treat its CDMA-licence as a GSM-mobile one to award it GSM spectrum. With such things falling in place for RCom, the firm asked the ministry to allow it to use the 880-890 MHz band. Such incidents indicate that favourable spectrum allotment for RCom & its smooth sailing in the current spectrum issue is not mere coincidence.
The government on Friday said it had started talks with Japanese auto major Suzuki for offloading its remaining equity in joint venture Maruti Udyog Ltd.
In a bid to break the virtual deadlock over privatisation programme, Divestment Minister Arun Shourie on Friday met Deputy Prime Minister L K Advani.
Joining the war of words on divestment, former minister and BJP leader Arun Shourie on Thursday launched a counter attack on Finance Minister P Chidambaram
The government has divested stakes in 33 units including 22 hotels of ITC and Hotel Corporation of India since 1999-2000, and there has been an improvement in the performance of most public sector undertakings after divestment.\n\n\n\n
One reason for the BJP's lapse, if it can be so described, was perhaps the search for an emotive issue prior to the next general election.
India will be represented by Union Divestment Minister Arun Shourie in the informal World Trade Organisation ministerial meeting convened by US Trade Representative Robert Zoellick