In spite of increasing opposition from the Left Front to the India-United States nuclear agreement, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Monday said that his government is committed to developing nuclear energy as a clean source of electricity."Our government is committed to developing nuclear energy as a clean source of electricity," Singh said after laying the foundation stone of the 1500 MW Pragati Phase three-gas power project at Bawana.
Mamata Banerjee flayed the ruling Left Front government in West Bengal for failing to bring those 'guilty' in last year's violence in Nandigram to justice. She called on the people of West Bengal to observe March 14 as 'martyrs' day'. She also said that her party would hold a rally in Kolkata to pay tribute to the 'martyrs of Nandigram'.
In a determined voice, she told rediff.com, "I beckon the people of the state and voluntary organisations to launch a well-concerted protest to counter the injustice meted out to the people of Nandigram. We cannot just sit idle and let a government destroy a state."
An image of Pratibha Patil in Hyderabad as part of her campaign.
The nuclear pact is not an issue any longer, it can still serve as an excuse for calling a general election before it is due.
Signaling its keenness to create a third alternative along with the United National Progressive Alliance, the Left Front on Thursday announced that they will coordinate with the alliance against the government over the India-United States nuclear agreement and other issues. The Left, which provides crucial outside support to the ruling United Progressive Alliance, dropped hints of its intention to stitch a non-Congress and non-BJP alliance.
The West Bengal government will not appeal against the Calcutta High Court directive for a Central Bureau of Investigation probe into the mysterious death of computer graphics teacher Rizwanur Rehman. The state government will also take apppropriate action against those senior police officials who are found guilty in the probe, Left Front chairman Biman Bose said on Wednesday.
The ruling Left Front constituents and opposition parties in West Bengal on Tuesday hailed the Calcutta High Court order directing the Central Bureau of Investigation to investigate the death of Rizwanur Rehman, who married the daughter of a Hindu industrialist.
The fourth meeting of the United Progressive Alliance and Left Front's joint committee to resolve concerns about the Indo-US nuclear deal ended on a lukewarm note on Tuesday. The committee is scheduled to meet again on October 22. "The fourth meeting of the UPA-Left Committee on the India-United States civil nuclear cooperation was held today. All members of the committee took part in the meeting, which was held in a cordial atmosphere," Pranab Mukherjee said.
Four Forward Bloc supporters were killed and 12 policemen injured in Dinhata in Coochbehar district on Tuesday, when a district agitation programme organised by the party turned violent. The activists clashed with the police, which opened fire to quell the mob, after tear gas and baton charging proved ineffective.
Four people, three belonging to RSP and one to CPI-M, died in poll-related violence at Basanti in South 24 Parganas district and another was killed at Domjur in Howrah district, IG (Law & Order) Raj Kanojia told media persons in Kolkata.
However, the woman told police that she was not keen to visit the shrine and admitted that she had come to Pamba following pressure from her husband.
Bharatiya Janata Party workers on Sunday staged a demonstration outside the Communist Party of India-Marxist headquarters in New Delhi
A meeting of the United Progressive Alliance leaders with the Left Front leaders is expected after April 23, in which a number of matters including the Supreme Court verdict on the Other Backward Classes quota issue, are likely to come up. This would be the first UPA-Left meeting after the apex court judgment, which has seen division in the ruling alliance on the creamy layer issue.The meeting could also be an occasion for consultations over the Women's Reservation Bill.
India will have to request the NSG to relax its restrictions on the transfer of nuclear technology and fuel.
All shops and markets remained closed in both east and west Midnapur district.
Communist Party of India-Marxist patriarch Jyoti Basu turned 95 on Tuesday, with a wish to see the Left Front government in West Bengal on its eight consecutive term.
When Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee became chief minister after Jyoti Basu stepped down in 2000, the younger generation could not have been happier. 'Change is about to set in' they thought. But the euphoria was short-lived.
According to the statement, "For the past few months, the administration and the police have been out of the area which has been utilised by the armed elements led by the Maoists to entrench themselves. Bunkers have been built and landmines laid."
Elections to the 60-member assembly in Tripura began on Saturday morning with the Left Front, which has been in power since 1978 save for a short spell in 1988, contesting for the first time without ally Forward Bloc, which has quit the coalition.
"It is necessary to put up a show of solidarity and contest the elections jointly in Gujarat and bring down the Narendra Modi government. Hence, the Left parties will give the Centre time till Diwali to announce its decision about the Indo-US nuclear deal, whether it wants to terminate the agreement or face the elections," said a senior Left leader.
The Communist Party of India Marxist Politburo has decided to meet in New Delhi soon to take an 'appropriate decision' if the talks between the Left Front and the United Progressive Alliance fail to end the logjam over the India-United States nuclear agreement.The party central committee, in its meeting in Kolkata last week, had authorised the politburo to take a final decision if the UPA government went ahead with the operationalisation of the nuclear deal.
The Left Front on Sunday took strong exception to United Progressive Chairperson Sonia Gandhi's comments against those opposing the India-United States civilian nuclear agreement and alleged that the Congress was forcing elections on the country. "The Congress is going to an election mode. It is the Congress which will be responsible if the governments falls and an election is imposed on the country," Communist Party of India leader A B Bardhan said.
The Communist Party of India-Marxist on Wednesday accused the UPA government of accepting the "diktats" of the Bush administration of which the nuclear agreement "was a part."
'If Mr Modi and Mr Shah have made a poisonous, polarising campaign their brahmastra for 2019, Mamata Banerjee is showing them its limitations,' says Shekhar Gupta.
The resolution, once finalised, would chalk out the political-tactical line of the CPI-M for the next three years.
Putting forward its point of view in the key matter, the Congress has also denied that the 123 agreement will in any way hamper India's right to conduct nuclear tests.
The Congress-led government was caught napping over the Left Front's opposition to the India-United States nuclear agreement, feels B J Panda, a member of the Rajya Sabha.
"The protest by the Left is a reflection of their ideology. It is inappropriate," Nath said in Chhindwara, his Lok Sabha constituency.
The note covers various aspects of the issue, including the Left's fear that the deal will not cover the entire nuclear fuel cycle and deny access to specific technologies.
A book comprising a collection of articles penned by Communist Party of India-Marxist's General Secretary Prakash Karat trashes the deal.
West Bengal Fisheries Minister Kironmoy Nanda who belongs to the Socialist Party said that the project would cause damage to fisheries spread across 250 hectare there being run by fishermen cooperatives.
Minister of Science and Technology Kapil Sibal also made it clear that the 123 Agreement to operationalise the deal cannot be renegotiated.
Claiming that Congress was in "coma" and Bharatiya Janata Party would be unable to form the government after Lok Sabha elections, Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday said it was time for "like-minded forces" to capture power at the Centre.
Experts, scientists and economists could be invited to gather their views on the nuclear deal, CPI National Secretary D Raja said in Puducherry on Monday.
CPM general-secretary Prakash Karat had said that the government would have to face serious consequences if it went ahead with the nuclear deal.
It seems the Congress just does not have the energy and vitality to break through even in the states where it has a ground presence and the wind of anti-incumbency on its back, says Aakar Patel.
Temple priest performed a 'purification' ritual for an hour before the doors were opened again.
With this phase, election will be over in 424 seats and polling in the remaining 118 seats will be held on May 12 and 19.
The policies that kept the Left Front in power for 30 years are proving major obstacles in the state's bid to industrialise.
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