In the backdrop of Dayanidhi Maran's exit from the Union cabinet over the 2G scam issue, senior Congress leader and Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee on Saturday discussed the current political situation with Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam chief M Karunanidhi and asserted that the alliance between the two parties would be strengthened.
Principal Advisor in the Planning Commission and former Chief Statistician of India Pronab Sen did not share RBI's views.
Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee made a quantum leap.
"Food inflation is still negative... There is a declining trend... If this trend continues, then the overall inflation will be manageable, says Mukherjee.
'It is something like traditional Indian families.' 'The family might be run by younger people, but if the patriarch says that you should consider someone for some task, it is very difficult for the others to ignore it.'
The attempt to scuttle Pranab Mukherjee's Presidential bid failed on Tuesday with the returning officer rejecting the objection of his opponent P A Sangma, who had raked up the issue of office of profit.
After becoming the 13th President of India, Pranab Mukherjee will not only have a change in designation and address, but also in his mode of transport. In place of his favourite bulletproof Ambassador, Mukherjee will get a swanky Mercedes Benz limousine to go around.
A special meeting of the Congress Working Committee, the party's top decision making body, has been convened on Monday when it is expected to pass a resolution acknowledging Mukherjee's four decades of service to the party.
Hitting back at Team Anna, Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee has rejected their allegations of corruption against him as "unfair" and "self-seeking" and said it reflected the lack of responsibility on behalf of those claiming to represent high standards of ethical behaviour.
Ridiculing the Left for opposing the Indo-US nuclear deal, External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee on Monday said the parties were suffering from 'Americaphobia just like some people have hydrophobia.' "They have Americaphobia, just like some people have hydrophobia. They may have it, but they must understand that the the US is technologically advanced and we need that advanced technology," Mukherjee told a seminar in Kolkata on the N-deal.
External Affairs Minister and leader of House in Lok Sabha Pranab Mukherjee called up Leader of the Opposition L K Advani expressing willingness to re-schedule the session as suggested by the latter at an all-party meeting on Friday on account of festivals, including Diwali, and the assembly elections.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh hailed Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee's Budget for 2009-10 presented in Parliament on Monday, saying that the finance minister 'has done an admirable job'.
Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee on Thursday briefed Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on the ongoing investigation against the owners of Indian Premier League teams.During the briefing, Mukherjee explained to Dr Singh how bids for franchisees were made.Reportedly, Dr Singh and Mukherjee also discussed the names of Nationalist Congress Party leaders Praful Patel and Supriya Sule being drawn into the IPL controversy.
The Lok Sabha witnessed a rare show of camaraderie between Leader of Opposition and Bharatiya Janata Party's prime ministerial candidate L K Advani and Leader of the House Pranab Mukherjee on Tuesday when the former lauded the union minister for his role as the principal trouble-shooter of the government.Mukherjee blushingly smiled and welcomed the statement with folded hands even as the House applauded with thumping of desks.
Singh made these comments at the launch of Mukherjee's book -- The coalition years.
External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee, who discussed Pakistan's response on the Mumbai terror attacks dossier with senior ministerial colleagues P Chidambaram and A K Antony, on Thursday said that India is examining the report received from Islamabad. "Pakistani authorities have admitted that elements in Pakistan were responsible for terror attacks in Mumbai," Mukherjee told reporters hours after Pakistan's response was handed over to India's High Commissioner.
Congress communications in-charge Randeep Surjewala said that Mukherjee, in his speech at RSS headquarter in Nagpur, reminded them of India's pluralism, tolerance, secularism and inclusiveness.
The Congress on Monday downplayed reports of a disagreement between Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee over Dr Singh's offer to appear before the Parliamentary Accounts Committee over the 2G spectrum issue, saying Mukherjee was only underlining the legal position. "The finance minister has himself clarified his statement. Mukherjee was only underlining the legal position that it was not binding on the PM to appear before the PAC," Cong said.
In a surprise statement, Mamata Banerjee on Thursday said the Congress has announced that Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee is not their Presidential candidate, comments that came shortly after a Congress spokesperson suggested he is too "valued" to be spared.
When a group of pro-Telangana Members of Parliament went to meet Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee on Wednesday to "discuss" the separate state issue, Mukherjee snapped at them and said: "Please don't waste my time. There is nothing more to discuss now."
Pranab said he had clarified this issue in no uncertain terms with US Treasury Secretary who had brought up this issue during bilateral talks.
Rejecting Pakistan's contentions, External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee said on Tuesday that there had been no escalation of tensions on the part of India and that its military movements were routine winter exercises.
Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee on Sunday said that the leaders of the civil society movement for a Lokpal Bill have given an impression as if they have become legislators.
At a time when his close aides are going hammer and tongs against President Pranab Mukherjee, Anna Hazare on Thursday congratulated him on his election to the highest constitutional office.
The announcement of the Assembly election schedule in five states between January 30 and March 3 has raised the possibility of rescheduling of the Budget for 2012-13 this year.
Pranab's 1963-word speech that lasted 28 minutes, hit all the right notes, as he spoke of nation, nationalism and patriotism in the context of India.
Besides Mukherjee and Deora, the EGoM would have power minister Sushilkumar Shinde, fertiliser minister M K Alagiri, law minister Veerappa Moily and Planning Commission deputy chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia.
The removal of 10 per cent surcharge on direct taxes to cost Rs 10,034 crore.
Observing that Islam does not have any link with terrorism, External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee said that sometimes religious texts are misinterpreted to commit terrorist activities.
During his talks and public speeches, Mukherjee urged Japan to look at India's "impeccable" non-proliferation record and back the Indo-US civilian nuclear agreement at the Nuclear Suppliers Group meeting.
On July 25, Pranab Mukherjee will leave Rashtrapati Bhavan and move into 10 Rajaji Marg in Lutyens' Delhi.
The Gorkha Janmukti Morcha has said it is satisfied with the positive dialogue its delegation had with External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee and hoped it will pave the way for early tripartite talks on the Gorkhaland issue."We are expecting tripartite talks on the Gorkhaland issue soon as the dialogue with Mukherjee was positive," GJM press secretary Benoy Tamang said.
Concerned over the washout of Parliament this week, Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee on Saturday said Parliament is not meant for "disruptions" and also appealed to his "political colleagues" to keep aside politics from major economic decisions.
Reflecting new strains in the Congress-Trinamool tie up, Union minister Pranab Mukherjee on Tuesday asked his party to counter Mamata Banerjee's charge that Congress was responsible for the break up of the alliance for the upcoming civic polls.
Away from the public glare, the Gandhis and the Mukherjees had a very private dinner at the country's most well-known address the Rashtrapati Bhawan.
Asserting that there is no need to press the panic button, Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee on Saturday said the Dubai debt crisis would not have 'earth shaking' impact on India's economy.
The Bharatiya Janata Party on Tuesday termed as "fabricated" the resignation letter of United Progressive Alliance Presidential nominee Pranab Mukherjee from the Indian Statistical Institute and said it had all options open before it, including legal, and would decide on the matter soon.
External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee will embark on a visit to China from June 4 which Beijing hopes would promote "mutual political trust" and deepen "practical cooperation" between the two neighbours. Mukherjee would hold talks with his Chinese counterpart Yang Jiechi on better implementing the consensus on developing the partnership of strategic cooperation.
