Taking on the Bharatiya Janata Party for criticising the United Progressive Allaince government's decision of foreign direct investment in retail and fuel price hike, Congress general secretary Digvijay Singh charged the opposition with adopting double standards over issues when in power and outside it.
Ever seen as the perennial 'No 2' in the Congress, on whose ticket he became a Rajya Sabha member for the first time in 1969, Mukherjee may have missed becoming the prime minister on a couple of occasions, but still he was the man to whom the government looked to during times of crisis
Constraints are political and global: political factors may come in the way of scrapping fuel subsidies and reforming outdated labour laws, while the global recession still continues, according to the rating agency. It said that returning to the path of fiscal consolidation will be challenging for the government if the global recession becomes protracted.
Only 112 CEOs were not too confident to conclude that the confidence motion would be taken to a logical conclusion in view of conflicting reports emanating from various political parties, Assocham said. With the signing of the nuclear agreement, investments to the tune of $40 billion can be generated in field of nuclear energy in the country as leading industrialists have started negotiations with their prospective counterparts to produce nuclear power, the survey said.
A day after All India Congress Committee President Sonia Gandhi strongly defended the nuclear deal with the United States, Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Sriprakash Jaiswal said that there was no going back on the 123 Agreement. He added that if necessary, the Congress was ready to sacrifice the United Progressive Allaince government. He defended the UPA government's decision to enter into an agreement with Washington.
Asked about US Ambassador India David Mulford's comments that the deal could be finalised under Bush, who is in his final year in office, State Department's deputy spokesman Tom Casey said, "There are internal political considerations in India which have not been resolved yet and it is for the Indian government to do so". The questioner had asked what sort of message Mulford intended to send when the deal is largely though to be on a backburner in the face of opposition.
Sonia made the announcement while addressing a press conference at Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's residence at 7, Race Course Road.
Oppn members raised slogans demanding a joint parliamentary committee probe into the issue.
Amidst heightened security threat to VIPs, including Congress president Sonia Gandhi, a high-level meeting was held on Friday to review their security.
United Progressive Allaince government has not closed its doors on divestment and the options are very much there, Union Urban Development and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad said on Wednesday.
It is believed that the government may bring forward an ordinance to take some posts out of the purview of office of profit, an issue on which Parliament was repeatedly disrupted before being adjourned sine die.
Following are the highlights of the economic policies of the United Progressive Allaince government spelt out in the customary Presidential address to the joint sitting of both houses of Parliament
'It is unfortunate that the Congress has always been apologetic when it came to respecting Hindu religion'
EAM Sushma Swaraj said that terror and talks cannot go together.
Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav attacked the Congress over the food security ordinance, accusing it of indulging in vote bank politics and said its intentions were not good.
The deal for purchase of 36 Rafale fighter planes from France is not done yet, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar said on Friday with an assertion that the government was negotiating to reduce to deal value and "save a lot" of money.
Trouble is brewing for government in the monsoon session of Parliament, which is expected to start next month, with the Congress on Monday hinting at stacking up ammunition on issues like failure at the Nuclear Suppliers Group, terror strikes and diatribes of Subramanian Swamy.
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