Finance Minister P Chidamabaram has challenged BJP's Prime Ministerial nominee and Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi to face the press with his views on the economy.
P Chidamabaram's February 28 Budget will not have any big-ticket ideas, reports Sheela Bhatt
Home Minister P Chidamabaram on Wednesday said the exact motive of the eight Taiwanese men, who had been arrested in Himachal Pradesh, was yet to be ascertained. "It is too early to give any official version. It is too early to come to a conclusion. Reports are yet to come, wait till tomorrow morning. Don't rush to any judgments till tomorrow," Chidamabaram told reporters.
A group of senior ministers On Monday "cleaned up" the draft of the changes in the Lokpal Bill, which Law Minister Salman Khurshid says will be introduced in Parliament during the current session.
His remark came in the backdrop of an Empowered Group of Ministers headed by Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee postponing a meeting to hike fuel prices indefinitely on Oil Minister Murli Deora's insistence.
The government is "very carefully" looking into reports of hacking of sensitive data at the National Security Council Secretariat and other key ministries by some Chinese computer network.
Former telecom minister A Raja on Monday sought to rope in Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh and the then Finance Minister P Chidamabaram in the 2G scam case, telling a court that the issue of dilution of equity by spectrum licencees was discussed with them.
The Central Bureau of Investigation on Thursday defended Home Minister P Chidamabaram in the Supreme Court in the 2G scam by blaming the Department of Telecommunication for "jumping the gun" in spectrum allocation.
A day after Home Minister P Chidamabaram termed Maoist leader Kishenji's truce offer as 'bizarre', the government extended an olive branch to the Left Wing extremists on Wednesday, asking them to ensure ceasefire for 72 hours to facilitate talks.Top government officials have said Kishenji's offer for talks may be considered if he could ensure complete ceasefire for 72 hours.Chidamabaram had termed the truce offer by the Maoist leader as 'bizarre'.
Home Minister P Chidamabaram has criticised the Bharatiya Janata Party for its attack on Karnataka Governor H R Bhardwaj granting sanction to prosecute the chief minister and said the governor's decision was in accordance with the law.
The Central government has said there are reliable reports to suggest that anti-national elements are trying to exploit the situation in Jammu and Kashmir.
On Tuesday, yoga guru Ramdev Baba became the first non-Muslim cleric addressed the annual convention of Islamic seminaries under the guidance of Islamic organisation Jamait-e-Ulema Hind at the historic seminary in Deoband, about 500 km from Lucknow, which is known for its sweeping influence over majority of Sunni Muslims in the country.
Families of the two policemen, who were kidnapped by Maoists on July 30 as they stepped out of their security camp in Dharampur in Lalgarh District, have arrived in the national capital to meet Union Railways Minister and Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee and Union Home Minister P Chidambaram. Sources said that Banerjee is aiming to derive maximum political capital from the West Bengal government's inability to counter the Naxal menace effectively.
Top Maoist leader Kishenji on Wednesday turned down Union Home Minister P Chidamabaram's conditional offer of talks saying that the government should "first stop violence".
Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee has done the right mix of moderation on the price front, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said.
Adding more muscles to the capability of fighting against terrorists across India, the Union Home Minister P Chidamabaram on Wednesday declared the regional hub of elite National Security Guards at Hyderabad operational, and dedicated it to the service of the nation.
As the operation against Maoists in Lalgarh entered a crucial phase, West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Union Home Minister P Chidamabaram on Saturday and apprised them of the situation there.
"Quiet diplomacy is secret diplomacy where few people will decide things and force a solution on people of Jammu and Kashmir against their aspirations, sacrifices and 62-year struggle," Chairman of hardline faction of Hurriyat Conference Syed Ali Shah Geelani said at a function in Srinagar.
Separatists in Jammu and Kashmir on Sunday said the Centre's offer of a 'quiet' dialogue is aimed at thrusting a compromise solution on the people of the state.
'We have never ruled out (involvement of) state actors. Although Pakistan has maintained that only non-state actors were involved, we have never ruled out the involvement of state actors and we have never accepted this distinction between state actors and non-state actors because both operated from Pakistani soil,' Chidambaram told NDTV
A journalist, who had hurled a shoe at Union Home Minister P Chidamabaram, on Wednesday alleged he was roughed up outside a Delhi court following the hearing in anti-Sikh riots cases against Congress leader Sajjan Kumar.
Union Home Minister P Chidamabaram on Friday voiced doubts whether Pakistan would ever extradite Mumbai terror attack accused Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi and others charged in Pakistan in the 26/11 case.
The controversy over a derogatory statement, made against former prime minister and senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader Atal Bihari Vajpayee by a Congress member during the debate over the Liberhan Commission's report in Lok Sabha on Tuesday, is not likely to die down soon with the party threatening to stall Parliament till he apologises for his remarks. "I am today both sad and angry," said deputy Leader of Opposition Sushma Swaraj.
Addressing a public function in Madurai, Union Home Minister P Chidamabaram on Sunday issued a strict warning to Pakistan that any further attack on the Indian soil will be strongly retaliated.
India's approach of "cohesive diplomacy" has "forced" Pakistan to admit that its soil was used for launching the Mumbai attacks, Home Minister P Chidamabaram said on Monday and asked Islamabad to complete its probe and punish all the guilty.
Ministers favour cuts in excise, import duty on steel.
In the backdrop of the Mumbai terror attacks, the Cabinet Committee on Security held a meeting on Tuesday to chalk out future plans for enhancing internal security through tough laws and establishment of a federal agency. The CCS meeting, held at Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's residence, was attended by Home Minister P Chidamabaram, Defence Minister A K Antony, Home Secretary Madhukar Gupta and National Security Advisor M K Narayanan.
"Finance Minister P Chidamabaram is blaming US recession for fall in stock markets, but the markets are falling after the budget and government's failure to compensate the exporters hit by rupee appreciation," BJP deputy leader V K Malhotra said in Lok Sabha.
"My greatest regret is that a couple of students reportedly committed suicide. That, I think, should have been completely avoided. Why should children commit suicide? Parents, teachers have responsibility to stop this. But keeping that apart, by and large, things are peaceful there. There is no major law and order violation. We are sticking to our words," he said.
Shome joined on October 1, 2004, for three years and his tenure had recently been extended till October 2009. However, he has decided to move on, sources in the finance ministry said he had not decided which of the options open before him will be exercised.
Reacting to Finance Minister P Chidamabaram's statement that a section of industry is artificially pushing up prices, Habil Khorakiwala, the new president of Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry said there was no evidence
While Chidambaram kept income tax limit unchanged, he increased the threshold limit by Rs 10,000 giving every assessee a relief of Rs 1,000.
The working class people will stand to benefit by up to Rs 44,000 a year in income tax following the changes proposed by the finance minister in the Union Budget for 2008-09, which also provides for a minimum benefit of Rs 4,000.
The Ambani brothers, Mukesh and Anil, should settle their differences amicably and arrive at a settlement, Finance Minister P Chidamabaram said on Friday.
Finance Minister P Chidamabaram on Thursday indicated that the increase in reverse repo announced in the Reserve Bank of India credit policy will not raise bank lending rates and allayed fears on inflation by promising steps to ensure
The former finance minister also said the centre should find out the areas in Jammu and Kashmir where autonomy can be given.
Sources said Rahul's meeting with Pranab follows the former's participation in the Congress Core Group meeting for the first time on July 12.
The amendments were adopted with a significant margin, with the difference of votes ranging between 27 and 34 votes.
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