Former bureaucrats are pushing politicians from key posts, feel party loyalists.
Rejecting suggestions that ministries are split over various provisions of the proposed anti-rape bill, Law Minister Ashwani Kumar has said proposals are brought before the Union cabinet after sufficient discussions.
Rashtriya Janata Dal's Members of Legislative Assembly in Bihar on Tuesday demanded that Chief Minister Nitish Kumar sack two ministers in his cabinet, who had allegedly termed them as 'Pakistani agents'. Health Minister Ashwani Kumar Choubey and Animal Husbandry Minister Griraj Singh -- both senior leaders of the Bharatiya Janata Party -- had allegedly called some RJD MLAs 'Pakistani agents'.
Political parties use fake social media accounts for self-promotion and image building and to tarnish the image of opponents and contesting candidates, especially during the elections, the plea said.
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.
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.
Central Bureau of Investigation Director Ranjit Sinha on Monday admitted before the Supreme Court that certain changes were made in the coalgate draft report on suggestions given by Union Law Minister Ashwani Kumar, Attorney General G E Vanahvati and the officials of PMO and Coal Ministry.
The Central Bureau of Investigation is likely to convey to the Supreme Court on Monday that changes were proposed both by Law Minister Ashwani Kumar and Attorney General G M Vahanvati in its status report on investigations into the controversial allocation of coal blocks.
Rajya Sabha failed to transact any business for the seventh consecutive day as Bharatiya Janata Party on Tuesday stepped up attack on Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and demanded Law Minister Ashwani Kumar's sacking in the wake of Supreme Court observations on the coal issue.
Left parties on Tuesday stopped short of seeking the resignation of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, after the Supreme Court's observations on the coal allocation scam, but asked him to face Parliament as he "owes an answer" to the country. They demanded the ouster of Law Minister Ashwani Kumar.
Law Minister Ashwani Kumar's fate hung in balance as the Supreme Court takes on record on Tuesday CBI Director's affidavit and the agency's status report on the coal blocks allocation scam that was shared with the minister and senior officials of PMO and Coal ministry.
Parliament failed to transact any business for the fourth consecutive day on Friday with Opposition creating uproar over coal block scam and other issues, stalling proceedings in both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha.
Intensifying its attack on the government over the coal block allocation scam, Bharatiya Janata Party demanded the resignation of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and sacking of Law Minister Ashwani Kumar.
Procedural wrangles over voting for taking up a discussion on the alleged interference of the government in preparing Central Bureau of Investigation report on the coalgate scam led to a brief adjournment in the Rajya Sabha on Monday.
Dudley, on a stop-over visit on way to Shanghai, along with Ambani drove to Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia's residence for a breakfast meeting this morning and had sought a meeting with Law Minister Ashwani Kumar.
State Animal Husbandry Minister Giriraj Singh and Health Minister Ashwani Kumar Choubey -- both known Modi supporters -- said they would campaign in Gujarat after Durga Puja festivities are over
The Verma panel's recommendation for disqualification of candidates against whom criminal charges have been framed has found little favour with Law Minister Ashwani Kumar who instead wants fast-tracking of such cases, preferably to be decided by a lower court within 18 months.
Sibal's predecessor Ashwani Kumar had rejected FinMin's plea for conciliation terming it illegal.
Dropping of P K Bansal and Ashwani Kumar from the Union Cabinet was the "joint decision" of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Sonia Gandhi, the Congress said on Sunday dismissing reports that the action was at the insistence of the party president.
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.
Law Minister Ashwani Kumar, who was forced to resign on Friday, put up a brave face on Saturday, claiming he quit to end an "unnecessary" controversy and maintained that the Supreme Court had made no adverse comments against him in the case of vetting a graft probe report by the Central Bureau of Investigation.
Changing his earlier stance, Janata Dal-United President Sharad Yadav on Thursday asked Union Minister P K Bansal to tender his resignation over the railway bribery case involving his nephew as Opposition protests grew louder against the minister's continuation.
The Budget session of Parliament was abruptly adjourned sine die on Wednesday , with the second phase turning out to be a total washout amid opposition demands for the resignation of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and ministers Ashwani Kumar and P K Bansal.
A decision on Law Minister Ashwani Kumar's continuance in the Union cabinet will depend on the view taken by the Supreme Court on Wednesday when it examines the Central Bureau of Investigation affidavit on the coal blocks allocation report, the Congress said.
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.
Ashwani Kumar, Union Minister of State for Science and Technology, said that the BJP was inviting lawlessness and anarchism in the country by doing negative politics over the issue of coal block allocation.
With the prime minister wanting to send the message that he has not been part of any cover-up in the coal scam, Ashwani Kumar's case is looking more and more dismal, reports Sheela Bhatt
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh addressed a number of issues while talking to reporters on the sidelines of the defence investiture ceremony at Rashtrapati Bhavan on Saturday.
The revelation by CBI director Ranjit Sinha that the law minister and other officials had vetted a status report on coal-gate which was submitted to the SC may result in a severe grilling for Ashwani Kumar when the SC hears the case on April 30. Rakesh Bhatnagar reports.
With CBI admitting that it had shared its status report on coal block allocation scam with Law Minister Ashwani Kumar, the Bharatiya Janata Party has demanded the resignation of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh alleging that he was using the law ministry to save himself from the probe in the case.
Setting off a political bombshell, Central Bureau of Investigation Director Ranjit Sinha on Friday submitted before the Supreme Court that the agency's status report on coal allocation scam was "shared" with Law Minister Ashwani Kumar "as desired by him" and that senior officials of PMO and Coal ministry had also seen it.
Central Bureau of Investigator Director Rajit Sinha is likely to inform the Supreme Court that the probe agency's report on the controversial coal mine allocation was shared with Union Law Minister Ashwani Kumar but will make it clear there was no dilution of the document.
The Bharatiya Janata Party on Monday demanded the resignation of Law Minister Ashwani Kumar over allegations of government's interference in CBI's probe into coal blocks and suggested that the Supreme Court should appoint a Special Investigation Team to bring out the truth.
Amid reports of alleged interference in the Central Bureau of Investigation's probe into the coal scam, Bharatiya Janata Party leader Arun Jaitley on Saturday demanded the constitution of a special investigation team to probe the scam.
Former CBI Director Ashwani Kumar and Congress veteran S C Jamir were on Saturday appointed as governors of Nagaland and Odisha respectively.
Eight new faces were inducted in Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's council of ministers on Monday, with Sisram Ola and Oscar Fernandes making a re-entry after a gap of four years.
Making a stinging criticism of the Central Bureau of Investigation and senior officials of the coal ministry and the Prime Minister's Office, the Supreme Court on Wednesday hauled them up for changing the "heart" of the coal-gate probe report but appeared to have given a breather for Law Minister Ashwani Kumar and the government for the time being.
A day ahead of filing a crucial affidavit in the Supreme Court on coal scam which has rocked the United Progressive Alliance government, Central Bureau of Investigation Director Ranjit Sinha on Sunday affirmed that the agency's probe into the matter was "clean and clear" and that no accused or suspect had been let off.
The Allahabad high court on Wednesday gave the Central Bureau of Investigation over three months' time to complete investigation into the murder of two Chief Medical Officers (CMOs).
Amid clamour for death penalty for rapists, Law Minister Ashwani Kumar on Monday said that the society as well as jurists were divided on the issue and government was open to persuasion by either side.
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