India's exports need free trade and reform. The government, however, is extending failed schemes.
The Bharatiya Janata Party on Monday launched a strong critique of the Janata Dal-United, its ally in the National Democratic Alliance, for concentrating its energy on Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi instead of pressing matters like price rise, black money and anti-farmer policies of the United Progressive Alliance, and said it was unacceptable.
Key United Progressive Alliance ally Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar on Saturday said the Centre's ruling coalition had become "vulnerable" after the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam's pullout and that elections were round the corner.
Stepping up the party's moves to reach out to Trinamool Congress Chief Mamata Banerjee, Bharatiya Janata Party President Rajnath Singh on Wednesday talked to her over phone and condemned her heckling by Communist Party of India-Marxist protesters here while demanding a thorough probe into the incident.
In what Rural Development Minister Jairam Ramesh has called the UPA's 'slog overs', several policy changes were announced, and proposed laws cleared.
In an oblique attack on the United Progressive Alliance government, Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said there was lack of trust in governance in the country, which poses a "grave danger" to democracy.
The Samajwadi Party on Sunday pointedly accused the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance government of attempting to 'blackmail' party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav , who had earlier threatened to withdraw his party's support to the ruling coalition.
Union Finance Minister P Chidambaram on Sunday slammed the Bharatiya Janata Party for not supporting the United Progressive Alliance government's efforts to pass a resolution in Parliament on the Sri Lankan Tamils issue and rejected accusations hurled at the Congress.
Another all-party meeting will attempt to resolve political concerns about the Land Reforms Bill.
Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi on Thursday delivered his much-awaited speech at the annual general meeting at the Confederation of Indian Industry.
Dubbing the Narendra Modi-led government as "anti-people", Congress chief Sonia Gandhi on Monday raised the poll pitch alleging the Bharatiya Janata Party-led dispensation in Gujarat is indulging in "wrong-doings".
Anti-corruption activist Anna Hazare on Sunday embarked on his 'Janatantra Yatra' (walk for democracy) in Amritsar to rally support against the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance government in the run-up to the next general elections.
In an exclusive interview to IBN network, Samajwadi Party Chief Mulayam Singh Yadav ruled out any possibility of withdrawing support to the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance government. But he speculated that the Congress party will go in for an early general election, possibly by November 2013.
Attacking the ruling United Progressive Alliance at the Centre, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa on Thursday took potshots at the Congress, saying 'Hand' (the party's symbol) betrayed the state's interests.
Amidst speculation that his party might withdraw outside support to United Progressive Alliance, Samajwadi Party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav launched a tirade against Congress accusing it of being "cheat and clever" and taking the people for a ride.
Stepping up pressure on the United Progressive Alliance government on the Sri Lankan Tamils issue, Tamil Nadu on Wednesday demanded that India move a resolution in the UN Security Council for a referendum for separate Tamil Eelam and stop calling Colombo a friendly nation.
Thank God for the United Progressive Alliance. Without its comic blundering, hiss-worthy arrogance and world-class smugness, we would really be gloomy. A parade of errors and puzzling decisions keeps us angered and entertained -- but most importantly, distracted. Or we would notice our economy's problems are less to do with this or any conceivable government, and more a set of principles and circumstances that aren't being questioned and addressed.
In further signs of fissures within DMK, party chief M Karunanidhi's son M K Alagiri on Monday skipped the crucial executive committee meet, which is likely to take key decisions in the wake of the party's pullout from the United Progressive Alliance.
In further signs of fissures within DMK, party chief M Karunanidhi's son M K Alagiri on Monday skipped the crucial executive committee meet, which is likely to take key decisions in the wake of the party's pullout from the United Progressive Alliance.
It could become a giant leap towards lasting reform if the experiment in direct benefit transfers for cooking gas subsidies pans out.
After withdrawing support to the United Progressive Alliance government over the Sri Lankan Tamil issue, DMK's five representatives resigned from the Union Council of Ministers which were accepted by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh late on Wednesday night.
According to our Delhi correspondent, following the fallout with the Dravida Munetra Kazhagam, Congress president Sonia Gandhi told outgoing Fertiliser Minister M K Alagiri that she was taken by surprise after the DMK withdrew support from the United Progressive Alliance chairperson.
Three Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam ministers -- S S Palanimanickam, S Gandhiselvan, S Jagatrakshakan -- on Wednesday submitted their resignations from the government to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. But Union minister and DMK leader M K Alagiri was conspicuous by his absence.
Unfazed by the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam's withdrawal of support to the United Progressive Alliance, the government on Wednesday asserted it was "absolutely stable" and not a "lame duck" and said it will move amendments to the resolution on Sri Lanka at United Nations Human Rights Council to send a "resolute message" on that country's human rights.
Congress President Sonia Gandhi on Tuesday demanded an "independent and credible" inquiry into the violation of human rights in Sri Lanka even as she refused to comment on key United Progressive Alliance partner the Dravida Munnetra Kahzagam withdrawing support to the bgovernment at the Centre
Amid threat to pull out Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam ministers and quit the United Progressive Alliance coalition on the Sri Lankan Tamils issue, party chief M Karunanidhi made a fresh demand insisting that Parliament adopt a resolution incorporating the two amendments he had suggested to the government to be moved on the US-backed resolution at the UNHRC.
Demand for repeal of the act found echoes in the nation's Parliament with National People's Party (NPP) MP Agatha Sangma, a former Minister in the United Progressive Alliance government, terming the act as 'the elephant in the room which (needs to) be addressed' and seeking the 'draconian' Act be repealed.
Pranab Mukherjee was on Wedneday sworn n as the country's 13th President at an impressive ceremony in the packed and historic Central Hall of Parliament.
At the glacier, Rajnath Singh would be briefed about the operations being conducted by the army, along with the support of air efforts by the Indian Air Force.
Renu Mittal reports on how the United Progressive Alliance government is walking the tight-rope over the Sri Lankan Tamils issue.
Bharatiya Janata Party president Rajnath Singh on Monday alleged that the United Progressive Alliance government extended a red carpet welcome to Pakistan Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf during his personal visit to Ajmer Sharif, when it should have scaled down relations with Islamabad after the killing of two Indian soldiers.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and United Progressive Alliance Chairperson Sonia Gandhi arrived in Kasmir on Tuesday morning. Their visit came within hours of a deadly militant attack at an army convoy that left eight soldiers dead and 11 others wounded in Srinagar.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan talks to rediff.com's Anita Katyal about the current political situation, Narendra Modi's projection by the Bharatiya Janata Party and the future plans of the Congress and the UPA
Congress on Monday claimed that the United Progressive Alliance government is "strong and stable" despite the Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen becoming the third constituent to withdraw support after Mamata Banerjee's Trinamool Congress and Babualal Marandi's Jharkhand outfit.
His about-turn in the farm laws proves that he sees everything in just one dimension: Politics. That helps sometimes. But not always, observes T C A Srinivasa-Raghavan.
The ex-foreign secy was the government's pointsman for China and the US.
Mallikarjun Kharge on Wednesday took charge as the sixth Minister of Railways in the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government's second term.
Handing a warning to the United Progressive Alliance, Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav on Saturday said the Centre should immediately implement the Sachhar Committee recommendations for the welfare of Muslims, failing which it will have to go out of power.
Mamata Banerjee, who had pulled out of UPA-II over FDI in retail, among other issues, would dedicate mall to people of Kolkata.
