External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid on Saturday said that all procedures were followed by the United Progressive Alliance government in the controversial VVIP chopper deal. "I don't think it is right to politicise the issue. It is a matter of national interest. All procedures were strictly followed by the government," he told n journalists accompanying him on a two-day visit to Bangladesh.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was elected to Rajya Sabha for the fifth consecutive term on Thursday as Congress won both the seats to the Upper House from Assam.
Even as the Central Bureau of Investigation has decided to send a team to Italy to gather details on the VVIP chopper scam, evidence regarding links with the Emaar-MGF is slowly coming to light, reports Vicky Nanjappa.
Political needs of the Congress largely drove the reshuffle of ministers
To put it starkly, the Congress, and with it, the United Progressive Alliance, is sleepwalking into a minefield by blundering on land and Aadhaar, says Praful Bidwai
Joining the Himachal assembly poll campaign, Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi on Thursday played to the hilt the Congress' 'aam admi' plank by accusing the Bharatiya Janata Party of blocking legislations benefiting the people at large and stressed that the United Progressive Alliance had taken strict action against corruption.
Union Minister and National Conference leader Farooq Abdullah on Monday ruled out quitting the United Progressive Alliance government at the Centre over the hanging of Afzal Guru, an issue on which Chief Minister Omar Abdullah had made some strong statements. "Why should we leave the government? We have got a job to do. You don't leave, I have no such idea," Abdullah said.
Sonia and Rahul Gandhi's inflexibility has left the Congress searching for a new leader. But not in the way you think.
After a bitter separation with the Congress, the Trinamool Congress is mulling moving an adjournment motion under rule 184 that entails voting in the Winter Session of Parliament against the "anti-people" policies of the United Progressive Alliance government.
With less than a year left for the general elections, the Bharatiya Janata Party top brass on Tuesday deliberated upon its strategy in run up to the polls during which it intends to highlight the "failures" of the government as well as the scams that afflicted the United Progressive Alliance's nine-year tenure in power.
He also said the governments of the Bharatiya Janata Party, the BSP and the SP that have ruled Uttar Pradesh in the last 32 years, when Congress was not in power, failed to live up to the expectations of the people and the Congress was set for a comeback in the state.
Two Lok Sabha Members of Parliament of Jharkhand Vikas Morcha on Saturday formally withdrew support from the United Progressive Alliance government, slamming it for anti-people decisions like FDI in multi brand retail, inflation and "creating a record in corruption". A delegation of JVM MPs and seniors leaders, led by party chief Babulal Marandi, met President Pranab Mukherjee and submitted a letter withdrawing support from the government.
"We have enough human resource and a diplomat told me that 21st century's Saudia Arabia, with its rich human resource, is India," the Nerhu-Gandhi scion said in his eight-minute speech.
Nationalist Congress Party leader Sharad Pawar on Thursday met Congress chief Sonia Gandhi and assured her of support to any candidate that the United Progressive Alliance puts forth. "I told her (Gandhi) that whoever UPA nominates, we will support," Pawar told reporters after his 30-minute meeting with the Congress chief to discuss the issue of Presidential election.
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.
India on Thursday unleashed a second wave of reforms deciding to open the pension sector to foreign investment and raising the foreign direct investment cap in insurance to 49 per cent, undeterred by opposition to its decisions on FDI in retail and threats to block these legislations.
In an exclusive interview with IBNLokmat, Union Agriculture Minister and Nationalist Congress Party president Sharad Pawar has blamed the United Progressive Alliance for the spiralling prices of food items.
The current complex pricing of diesel will give rise to bribery and law-breaking.
The Congress on Monday took potshots at West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee over her move to stage a demonstration at the Jantar Mantar in new Delhi against the Centre's new reforms, saying that the United Progressive Alliance government is determined and has made a commitment to push economic reforms for the betterment of the country.
After Congress, the United Progressive Alliance on Thursday endorsed government's recent tough economic decisions and discussed the need "to do more reforms".
The United Progressive Alliance coordination committee is scheduled to meet in New Dekhi on Thursday, with the ongoing political crisis in Maharashtra to rule the roost.
A meeting of the United Progressive Alliance coordination committee is being held on Thursday against the backdrop of the political crisis in Maharashtra that has seen cracks widen in the ruling Congress-NCP coalition in the state.
Ruling out any differences between the Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party, Union Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad on Wednesday said Sharad Pawar is the biggest "supporter and well-wisher" of the United Progressive Alliance government. "There are no differences with Sharad Pawar. He is the biggest supporter and well-wisher of the UPA," Azad told reporters.
Amid outrage over the beheading of a soldier at LoC, Shiv Sena on Monday stepped up the attack on the United Progressive Alliance government, saying 'patriots have no value' under the Congress rule and demanded snapping of sporting ties with Pakistan.
Before jumping to build a portfolio of stocks impacted by the recent reforms, choose the ones which will benefit the most.
After holding meetings with senior leaders of the Congress on Monday morning, party president Sonia Gandhi has decided to convene a meeting of the Congress Working Committee on Tuesday at 9 am to discuss the difficulties before the United Progressive Alliance government headed by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. Amongst those who met Gandhi on Monday was Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan.
0After committing support to the United Progressive Alliance, Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav on Saturday ruled out his involvement in formation of third front before the next Lok Sabha polls even though he had an intriguing meeting with Sukhbir Badal, President of national Democractic Alliance's key constituent Akali Dal.
Remaining firm on her party's decision to pull out of the United Progressive Alliance government at the Centre, Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee on Thursday said that the party's Union ministers will submit their resignations on Friday and also give the letter of withdrawal of support to the President, if given time.
Welcoming Trinamool Congress' move to withdraw support to the United Progressive Alliance government, Bharatiya Janata Party leader Rajnath Singh on Thursday said if Bahujan Samaj Party and Samajwadi Party are "honestly opposed" to FDI in retail they should also follow Mamata Banerjee's footsteps.
The Bharatiya Janata Party on Thursday ripped apart the United Progressive Alliance government's economic policies, stating that the Manmohan Singh-led administration had chosen to ignore the opposition's concerns about the financial recession.
Stating that there will be no turning back on the decision to exit the United Progressive Alliance government, Trinamool Congress leader Saugata Roy on Wednesday clarified that the decision to resign on Friday was taken only because the ministers had to personally submit their resignations and not because there may be some scope for a negotiation.
Sources said after a meeting of the top Congress leadership at the residence of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh that the government would explain to Trinamool Congress ministers the circumstances under which these decisions were taken
Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee on Friday pulled the plug from the United Progressive Alliance government over the issues of FDI in retail and the recent hike in diesel prices. Following is her statement
Senior Trinamool Congress leaders on Tuesday said that quitting the United Progressive Alliance government had brought them a sense of freedom and relief.
Even as the government prepared the ground for a fruitful session by reaching out to main opposition BJP on the Land Acquisition Bill, new disclosures in the media might play a spoiler for it.
Not only has the Sensex swung wildly in the interim, staying below 10,000 for months in late 2008, but the market's winning stocks have changed in composition and character.
The Bal Thackeray-led Shiv Sena today took to the streets to protest the fuel price hike and FDI in retail sector by the Centre and asked the Trinamool Congress and the Nationalist Congress party to withdraw support to the United Progressive Alliance government.
External Affairs Minister and senior Congress leader from Uttar Pradesh, Salman Khurshid, tells Kavita Chowdhury that the Bharatiya Janata Party is extending support to Narendra Modi out of sheer desperation, for the party sees in him a trump card to power.
Accusing the United Progressive Alliance of being in power at the Centre only by 'manipulating smaller parties', the Bharatiya Janata Party on Sunday said, the Manmohan Singh's government has completely exhausted its mandate to rule the nation.
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