Railway Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal may have been quick to deny any role in Railway Board bribery scandal and ask for a thorough CBI probe. But his image as an honest man, whose integrity could not be challenged, has been demolished. Anita Katyal reports
Union Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde on Saturday said the resignations of Union ministers Ashwani Kumar and Pawan Kumar Bansal would not pose any danger to the United Progressive Alliance government.
Railway Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal, who was under sharp criticism from the opposition parties after the arrest of his nephew Vijay Singla on charges of allegedly trying to fix promotion for a member in the railway board, put in his papers on Friday evening.
The United Progressive Alliance on Sunday decided not to oblige the opposition by asking for the resignation of Railway Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal, whose nephew was arrested in a bribery case, as also Law Minister Ashwani Kumar, who is in the eye of a storm over the coal-gate controversy.
'Manish Tiwari has been trying for the Chandigarh seat since 1991, but I have never considered him a rival. If all he said the other day was targeted against me, it is unacceptable and I take strong exception to it,' former Railway minister Pawan Kumar Bansal tells Anita Katyal in an exclusive interview.
While it is becoming increasingly apparent that the fortunes of sacked Railway Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal's family members improved dramatically during his tenure in the government, officials on his personal staff were not doing too badly either.
The Central Bureau of Investigation is likely to seek clarifications from railway minister Pawan Kumar Bansal in connection with the alleged bribery scandal related to posting of suspended railway board member (staff) Mahesh Kumar involving the minister's nephew Vijay Singla.
A meeting of the Congress top brass is scheduled for Saturday evening amid talk that a decision on the removal of Railway Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal and shifting of beleaguered Law Minister Ashwani Kumar is on the cards.
Former Railway Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal's Chandigarh Lok Sabha seat is up for grabs. And there are quite a few in the reckoning. Anita Katyal reports
Former Railway Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal and four-time MP on Tuesday filed his nomination papers for the Chandigarh Lok Sabha seat, polling for which will be held on April 10.
With his nephew landing him in a political soup, beleaguered Railway Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal on Monday got an unusual sobriquet -- "mamu" -- in the Rajya Sabha.
Railway Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal on Saturday met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in the wake of the Central Bureau of Investigation arresting his nephew on bribery charges. Bansal drove down to the prime minister's official residence and was closeted with him for nearly 20 minutes.
The Central Bureau of Investigation has summoned former railway minister Pawan Bansal for questioning on Tuesday into the Railway bribery scam.
Unlike the taint associated with run-of-the-mill politicians, Pawan Kumar Bansal had a certain image of "Mr Clean" and was known for being meticulous in work.
Getting into the groove, Railway Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal on Tuesday got a detailed presentation of the functioning and various aspects of the national transporter including its financial health.
Pressure mounted for the removal of Railway Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal on Thursday as more instances of impropriety tumbled out amidst talk of a reshuffle of the Union cabinet in which beleagured Law Minister Ashwani Kumar may be shifted to a different portfolio.
The Railway Budget will be a tough balancing act for the minister, who needs to mobilise resources urgently to offset the burden of the recent diesel price hike.
New Railway Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal on Sunday said his priority will be to improve the financial health of the national transporter and make it a preferred mode of journey in the country.
Railway Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal on Thursday favoured rail-based container movement between India and Pakistan to reduce transaction cost and ease road traffic.
Daily revelations about the wealth amassed by Bansal's family made it increasingly difficult for the Congress leadership to protect him, reports Anita Katyal
Railway Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal on Monday ordered a high-level inquiry into the stampede at the Allahabad Junction which claimed 36 lives, announced compensation for the victims and blamed the tragedy on tardy crowd management by the local administration.
Intensifying attack on Railway Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal over bribery charge against his nephew, the Bharatiya Janata Party on Sunday demanded that the Congress leader be quizzed by the Central Bureau of Investigation to "unravel the conspiracy" in the case and a probe launched into alleged investments by him and his family.
When Railway Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal presents his maiden Budget, he might not have to deal with growth worries alone.
Bulk goods should be transported through rail instead of roadways as it would be cost effective and environment friendly, said Pawan Kumar Bansal.
A day after he was forced to step down, former Railway Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal on Saturday night maintained that he had nothing to do with the bribery allegation for which his nephew was arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation.
Preliminary investigations into the probe of the railway bribery scandal are leading to the office of the railway minister, but the probe agency would wait till it gets concrete evidence in this regard, the Central Bureau of Investigation sources said on Wednesday.
Railway Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal is likely to be quizzed soon by the CBI in connection with the alleged Rs 10 crore bribery scandal involving his nephew V Singla and Railway Board member Mahesh Kumar, both of whom reportedly met at his residence.
Hitting out at the government for the alleged involvement of the railway minister's nephew in a bribery case, opposition parties on Saturdat demanded that Pawan Kumar Bansal step down on moral grounds. The Bharatiya Janata Party accused the government of shamelessly using constitutional bodies to hide their corruption.
Giving the clearest indication yet that Pawan Kumar Bansal would be its contestant of choice for the Chandigarh Lok Sabha seat, the Congress on Thursday said that the purported "taint" on the former rail minister was all a matter of "speculation which has nothing to do with the truth".
Amid suspense over who could take on Shashi Tharoor in the Congress president polls, party's central election authority chairman Madhusudan Mistry on Tuesday said AICC treasurer Pawan Kumar Bansal has got nomination forms collected, adding that it may be for someone else.
Maken is considered a close confidant of Rahul Gandhi and was without any post ever since he resigned as Congress general secretary in charge of Rajasthan a few months ago.
Bharatiya Janata Party youth activists, including women, and police clashed outside Railway Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal's residence in New Delhi on Monday during a protest demanding his resignation following the arrest of his nephew on the charge of accepting bribe to fix plum position in the railway board.
During the hearing, CBI told the court that they need to arrest Samir Singhani and one Rahul to unearth the entire conspiracy and for that custodial interrogation of the accused was necessary.
In a stunning revelation, an officer of the Central Bureau of Investigation has alleged that his superior officer, a deputy inspector general, had tried tipping off former Railway Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal's nephew Vijay Singla about raids being launched against him and others in connection with a jobs and transfer scam in the railway ministry.
The government on Friday said that the country has the potential to maintain a high growth rate in the long run as the saving and investment rates are robust.
Setting a tough condition before the government, the Bharatiya Janata Party on Tuesday said it will not allow the passage of any bill in Parliament till Railway Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal and Law Minister Ashwani Kumar resign or are sacked. The opposition party also made it clear that it will not allow the passage of either the National Food Security Bill or the Land Acquisition Bill.
Mumbai-Ahmedabad route selected for pilot project.
Maintaining that he was innocent, beleaguered former Railway Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal, who was forced to resign in the wake of arrest of his nephew on bribery charge, today said "nothing will come out from this case".
Pawan Kumar Bansal prefers to maintain a low profile and people who work with him say the minister is "very courteous".
Mahesh Kumar, member (staff) railway board, arrested for his alleged role in the Rs.10-crore bribery case in which Union Railway Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal's nephew is also an accused, was on Monday remanded to three-day CBI custody by a Delhi court.
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