The Bharatiya Janata Party on Tuesday reacted strongly to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's allegation that the Opposition was trying to detsbilise the government, saying he had "distanced himself from reality".
Standing firm behind its two "whistle-blower" ex-MPs and L K Advani's former aide Sudheendra Kulkarni in the cash-for-vote scam, the Bharatiya Janata Party on Wednesday claimed they were innocent and were only trying to "expose" use of money to save the United Progressive Alliance-I government during the 2008 trust vote.
The Bharatiya Janata Party on Tuesday rose to the defence of former L K Advani aide Sudheendra Kulkarni in the cash-for-votes scam, saying whistleblowers cannot be charged and wondered why those who had benefitted from the scandal had not even been questioned.
Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Arun Jaitley on Wednesday said that there is a need for a strong Lokpal Bill to deal with the menace of corruption.
In a veiled attack on Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Arun Jaitley, Bharatiya Janata Party Member of Parliament Maneka Gandhi on Tuesday asked the party why it was shying away from demanding the resignations of Union ministers Sharad Pawar and Praful Patel, for their alleged involvement in the IPL scam. Maneka said Patel and his daughter had flouted so many rules, but still the party had not demanded the minister's resignation.
Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Monday turned 63 and was greeted on his birthday by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and many other leaders.
With a sulking Jaswant Singh set to contest from Barmer as an Independent after being denied a party ticket, Bharatiya Janata Party leader Arun Jaitley on Sunday said leaders should sometimes learn to accept a "no" from the party.
The Bharatiya Janata Party on Saturday accused Prime Minister Manmohan Singh of failing to act on corruption cases, saying it was the cause of people's angry reactions and huge support to Anna Hazare's campaign for an effective Lokpal bill.
The Bharatiya Janata Party on Wednesday dubbed the Liberhan Commission report, probing the Babri Masjid demolition, as devoid of any credibility and said the 'leakage' of the report was as dubious as its content.
The Bharatiya Janata Party lashed out at the Central Bureau of Investigation for procrastinating the filing of the chargesheet in the 2G spectrum scam. Leader of the opposition in the Rajya Sabha and senior leader Bharatiya Janata Party leader Arun Jaitley alleged that the chargesheet in the 2G spectrum case had left out "core issues" without significantly dealing with loss to the exchequer and alleged that the timetable of investigation was influenced by the TN polls.
Bharatiya Janata Party president Rajnath Singh on Saturday discussed with leader of oppsoition LK Advani over the fall out of resignation of senior party leader Yashwant Sinha from all party posts.
The AIIMS has not issued any bulletin on Jaitley's health condition since August 10.
Arun Jaitley, the leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha and Bharatiya Janata Party stalwart, in an interview with Business Standard pokes holes in the Budget 2011 and says that the current government is the most corrupt ever . . .
In a further escalation of the confrontation between the Congress and the government, the opposition party claimed that a committee constituted by the Delhi government has found 'gross financial irregularities' in the DDCA during that period.
Targeting Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, the Bharatiya Janata Party on Wednesday said he has remained silent for three years on the 2G spectrum scam to "save his chair" and asked who is the "godfather" of A Raja as the former Telecom Minister alone is not responsible for decisions cleared by the Union cabinet.
Jaitley remained steadfast in not caving in to sustained Opposition pressure.
Senior Bharatiya Janata Party leaders L K Advani and Arun Jaitley on Wednesday visited Tihar jail to meet Sudheendra Kulkarni and former party members of Parliament lodged at the jail in connection with the cash-for-vote scam.
'Rishabh Pant is batting... running,' confirms Delhi Capitals co-owner Parth Jindal
The debate on the Rafale jet fighter deal saw a head-on collision between the government and the Congress in Lok Sabha on Wednesday.
Jaitley, who was the finance minister before a medical procedure led to the charge being temporarily taken away from him, missed presenting the sixth and final Budget of the Narendra Modi government before the general elections. In his absence, the charge of the ministry was given to Railways Minister Piyush Goyal.
With Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal reportedly pitching Arun Jaitely as the deputy prime minister if the National Democratic Alliance comes to power, the senior BJP leader on Saturday played down the suggestion, saying he was not looking for positions.
The finance minister has been suffering from a kidney ailment and skipped office since Monday.
The mortal remains of former Union Minister Arun Nehru, who died in News Delhi on Thursday night, were consigned to flames on Friday in the presence of his relatives, including family of his cousin Rajiv Gandhi, and a host of leaders.
The opposition on Wednesday scuttled the introduction of the controversial Communal Violence Prevention Bill in the Rajya Sabha, contending that Parliament does not have the competence to legislate this law, as it will violate the spirit of Federalism.
The government informed the Rajya Sabha on Monday that the war in Iraq had not significantly affected exports from India, though Gulf countries accounted for 11 per cent of the country's total exports.
Jaitley, the first Union minister to meet Jaya since her conviction, manages to secure the AIADMK's conditional support to the government's crucial legislations in the Rajya Sabha.
With the defeat of Arun Jaitley in his maiden electoral battle, Amritsar has become a sort of 'Hanamkonda' for the BJP.
As vice president and ex-officio chairman of the Rajya Sabha, Jagdeep Dhankar is inheriting a troubled legacy. Although the government faces no real numerical challenges in the Upper House, political and legal challenges are there aplenty.
President Ram Nath Kovind, Vice President Venkaiah Naidu and other top leaders paid rich tributes to senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader and former Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, who died on Saturday.
Jaitley in his Facebook post titled: 'Who killed the Sohrabuddin Investigation' said that those who have recently shown a belated concern for institutional independence, "should seriously introspect as to what they did to the CBI when they were in power."
Jaitley is now a minister without portfolio in the Narendra Modi government.
The BJP stalwart's body was later brought to his residence at Kailash Colony.
Jaitley, 66, has become 'very weak' as his health has deteriorated over the past few weeks, sources said, adding that he has developed some throat condition as well that prevents him from speaking for long.
He slammed those trying to stall passage of the Bill in Parliament saying they were attempting to 'stop progress of the country
Congress' Amarinder Singh on Wednesday said that Navjot Singh Sidhu would have been a tougher contestant from Amritsar than Bharatiya Janata Party leader Arun Jaitley whom he dismissed as a "nominal candidate".
Union ministers Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, Thaawarchand Gehlot, Ravi Shankar Prasad and Santosh Gangwar, Delhi Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal, BJP national general-secretary Arun Singh and party MP Maneka Gandhi also visited the hospital to know about his wellbeing.
Jaitley said the resort was not an area where the Karnataka minister can get 'immunity from the law'.
WC star Azad beats state BJP heavyweight Ghosh from Bardhaman-Durgapur constituency
The Union minister said this is not a time for India to test an anarchic kind of combination when it is on the growth path.
The Congress, Trinamool Congress, Dravida Munnetra Kazagham and other opposition parties had wanted to raise several issues in the Upper House but Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu did not allow them and adjourned the House till 2 pm. After the Chair did not allow them again when the House met, they boycotted it for the rest of the day.