Prithviraj Chavan, Minister of State in the Prime Minister's office
Minister of State for Home Affairs in the Prime Minister's Office Prithviraj Chavan told newsmen in New Delhi that there was no political vendetta by the Mumbai Anti-Terrorism Squad investigating the Malegoan blasts in which sadhavi Pragya Singh Thakur and Lieutenant Colonel Srikant Purohit and some others have been picked up for interrogation.
'The political situation in the country will depend on the electoral outcome in Maharashtra.'
'If you compare the record of the BJP and NDA government they have a pathetic record of tackling terrorism, still they kept on talking about the recent incidents. They had no other issue to talk about because their performance in the Karnataka government was pathetic so they kept talking about national issues in the assembly elections.'
The buzz about the "health" of Shinde, who was at his native village in Satara, grew louder after his supporter and MLA Sanjay Shirsat recently claimed the CM has fallen sick as he works for 24 hours.
Two persons were killed and three injured when a major fire broke out at a multi-storeyed building, housing the Science and Technology Ministry, near Parliament in New Delhi on Thursday evening, gutting a portion of the third floor of the structure.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Friday described the Election Commission's decision to recognise his faction as the real Shiv Sena victory of truth and people.
Minister of State in the Prime Minister's Office Prithviraj Chavan said sending a spacecraft to Mars would help in understanding the evolution of the planet by studying the Martian atmosphere and ionosphere.
The government on Friday said it has identified five to seven sites to set up nuclear parks, each with a capacity to house at least six atomic power plants.
Mumbai was excluded from the 20 per cent cut in power tariff charged to domestic consumers, industries and power looms by the state-run Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company (MahaVitaran), he lamented while addressing his supporters.
The Indian Space Research Organisation has entered into an agreement with a private company to set up automatic weather stations, the Lok Sabha was informed on Wednesday
'We are clear the party won't protect those who are seen as culprits,' says Maharashtra Congress Chief Manekrao Thakre.
Considering the economic downturn, the banking sector should help strengthen the cooperative sector to encourage small and medium industries and create jobs, Chavan said.
The Thackerays called on Pawar, a Rajya Sabha MP, after he arrived in Mumbai from New Delhi in the evening.
The country's installed nuclear power capacity will increase from the present 4,120 MW to 7,280 MW by 2011 with the completion of the projects under construction, the Lok Sabha was informed on Wednesday.
Former Union minister and senior Nationalist Congress Party leader Praful Patel on Thursday filed his nomination for the Rajya Sabha election in Maharashtra slated for June 19.
Government plans to set up more atomic energy plants with latest safeguards available in the international market and construction work on eight reactors is in progress, the Rajya Sabha was informed Thursday.
The government Wednesday asserted that no inspections by the Internatioal Atomic Energy Agency are being carried out in any of the R&D institutions in India.
Congress has adopted a wait-and-watch mode in Karnataka in spite of reports suggesting that it might extend outside support to the JDS if the latter severed links with the BJP. The final decision will be taken by Sonia Gandhi when she comes back.
A huge 52.82 per cent of the scientists recruited in 2006 have left the Indian Space Research Organisation for the private sector, citing better remunerative packages
"Sharad Pawar's presence has extraordinary importance when a new battle for freedom is going on in the country to save the Constitution and democracy, and in such a situation, Pawar should not step aside," he said.
Naidu informed this to Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan, during a meeting at the state government's Sahyadri guest house in south Mumbai.
The government on Wednesday said it favoured a dual pricing system for domestic cooking gas.
The meeting also includes some of Sonia Gandhi's close associates and is the first effort by the Congress leadership for a reproachment with those who raised questions over the leadership.
More predictable and liberal licensing has led to expanded high-technology commerce between India and the US, he said.
In India, often the rich enjoy the benefits of many subsidies, cooking gas being one of them.
The Maharashtra legislative assembly on Friday passed a bill empowering local tree authorities to allow the felling of all types of trees without referring matters to the State Tree Authority.
In the coming assembly election, negotiations over seat-sharing will be as important as actual outreach to voters.
Congress young guns take offence over old guard's utterances.
The Prithviraj Chavan government wants to retain its strongholds and ensure there is negligible anti-incumbency. That many of its decisions can run into legal problems is not an immediate worry, says Neeta Kolhatkar.
Shiv Sena spokesman Rahul Narvekar, who recently withdrew his candidature from the legislative council elections, met Nationalist Congress Party chief and Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar in Mumbai on Sunday morning.
The deputy chief minister's post may go to Ajit Pawar, sources said.
Facing flak from the Congress for his "Rambo" act in flood-hit Uttarakhand, Narendra Modi on Tuesday came in for criticism by ally Shiv Sena which said his rescue efforts for Gujaratis was detrimental to his interests when he is being cheered as likely prime ministerial candidate.
A division bench of Justices Revati Mohite Dere and Prithviraj Chavan will take up the matter for hearing on Thursday.
