The monsoon session of Parliament, scheduled to begin on July 26, is expected to be a stormy one with the Bharatiya Janata Party-led Opposition seeking to pin down the Centre on issues like the hike in fuel prices and essential commodities, and Foreign Minister SM Krishna's Pakistan visit.
Criticising the Central government's policy on the issue of terrorism, the Bharatiya Janata Party on Wednesday said that even militants were aware that strict action would not be taken against them by the United Progressive Alliance as the ruling coalition was a "weak" one.
Addressing a press conference in New Delhi, BJP spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia cited purported claims of the Pakistani journalist, Nusrat Mirza, to allege that Ansari shared many 'sensitive and highly classified' information with him.
The Bharatiya Janata Party on Thursday accused the government of giving 'limited denials' on the telephone tapping allegations and warned that allowing lobbyists to influence policies like telecom spectrum would be 'hugely frightening' for Parliamentary democracy. In a blistering attack on the government, Leader of Opposition Arun Jaitley asked whether 'public emergency' or 'public safety' was under threat to bug the telephones of four senior political leaders.
Importing gold widens current account deficit, channels domestic savings into personal investments and of course forces domestic entrepreneurs to scout for foreign funds, writes M R Venkatesh.
Expressing disappointment with the Samajwadi Party and the Bahujan Samaj Party's decision to abstain from voting on the issue of Foreign Direct Investment in multi-brand retail in the Lok Sabha, Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha, Arun Jaitley, on Thursday said that the Congress-led UPA is a lame-duck government dependent on costly support.
The UPA government has proved 'a failure' in tackling security concerns of the country, which\nis evident from its handling of the Hurriyat visit to Pakistan and the increased Bangladeshi infiltration and Maoist\ninsurgency.
India Inc has given the United Progressive Alliance government a 65 per cent score, a shade better than Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa on Saturday upped the ante against the Centre's recent policy moves, stating, "The UPA government is unfazed by the sufferings of the common people, small traders and small farmers. The UPA's latest FDI flag is diversionary -- more to anesthetise the mammoth corruption charges against the UPA government especially when elections seem imminent."
The United Progressive Alliance's new managers are beginning to realise that running the alliance without Pranab Mukherjee may not be very difficult, says A K Bhattacharya
United Progressive Alliance's second largest partner Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam on Monday demanded reconsideration of the decision to allow FDI in the multi-brand retail sector and said it would back any opposition-sponsored resolution that may be brought on the issue in Parliament.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Wednesday dismissed criticism of dual sources of power at the Centre.
Among them is the situation in Manipur and Jammu and Kashmir.
Defending his party's decision to support the Presidential poll contest, Bharatiya Janata Party leader L K Advani on Monday said the government has to build consensus on the issue and the UPA dispensation made no such effort as it sought support for Pranab Mukherjee only after announcing his candidature.
Salman Khurshid, who holds the portfolios of minority affairs and corporate affairs, tells Sreelatha Menon that he wants greater public participation in development programmes.
As the United Progressive Alliance government desperately fights the perception of a policy paralysis, Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee dismisses it with equal vehemence contending that the coalition was set on achieving higher economic growth.
The finance minister has to present a Budget that will revive investor confidence, restore fiscal balance and rescue the electoral prospects of his badly battered party.
West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee on Friday said her party did not want to topple the United Progressive Alliance government, of which it is a constituent, but insisted the Congress-led dispensation should also do its part properly, especially in controlling prices.
While an embarrassed government is using technical procedures to ensure that the no-confidence motion does not come up for discussion, the Seemandhra MPs are struggling to get the required support for it. Anita Katyal reports.
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.
The BJP-led National Democratic Alliance on Thursday formed a human chain in Parliament complex to protest price rise while its leader L K Advani asked the government to quit and go for elections if it was unable to control inflation. Alleging that the government had 'failed' on the issue, Advani joined NDA members, including leaders like Rajnath Singh, George Fernandes and Manohar Joshi, in forming the chain.
Lambasting the United Progressive Alliance government for hitting out at social crusaders like Anna Hazare and Ramdev, Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa on Monday challenged it to dissolve the Lok Sabha and face mid-term elections.
Leader of opposition in Rajya Sabha and senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader Arun Jaitley said on Tuesday that if the United Progressive Alliance II government continues to make major blunders like manhandling of Baba Ramdev's supporters at Ramlila Ground, the general elections may be held earlier than schedule.
To help consolidate India as a major global power, the Manmohan Singh-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government will unveil a new policy to promote Indian companies in international markets.
"The basic purpose of the whole deal is to cap, reduce and eliminate our nuclear weapons programme," he said.
The Bharatiya Janata Party on Thursday said Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress President Sonia Gandhi are "morally responsible" for the Supreme Court ruling declaring the appointment of CVC P J Thomas as illegal.
The deputy chief minister and senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader Sushil Kumar Modi on Tuesday said the Central government was unlikely to deliver special status to Bihar before the general elections.
Because of the ''wrong policies'' of the UPA government, the BJP was gaining benefit and not the common man, Bardhan noted.
Singh did not speak on recent developments in the Indo-US civil nuclear cooperation but confined himself to self-explanation during the short duration discussion.
'The political viability and the strength of this government depends on how it sustains and expands its popular support.'
Rebutting Chief Minister Narendra Modi's claims on development in the state and Sir Creek issue, Congress president Sonia Gandhi said in Kalol on Friday that the Gujarat government is making false promises to electorates.
Renu Mittal analyses UPA government's 'victory' on FDI vote in Lok Sabha on Wednesday, and explains why the Congress-led coalition cannot afford to celebrate.
The failed alliance with Congress for the May 30 civic polls in West Bengal notwithstanding, Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee on Thursday said her party did not want any rift with the United Progressive Alliance government.
Former Supreme Court judge Markandey Katju, currently chairman of Press Council of India, on Monday stirred a controversy by alleging that three ex-Chief Justices of India had compromised in giving extension to an additional judge of Madras high court at the instance of the United Progressive Alliance government in the wake of pressure from one of its allies, apparently Dravida Munnetra Kazahagham.
The Samajwadi Party is ready for mid-term Lok Sabha polls but it is supporting the United Progressive Alliance government to keep communal forces at bay, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav said on Sunday.
The Bharatiya Janata Party notes with dismay the fact that the consumer price inflation in India today is the highest among all the countries of Asia-Pacific.
Earlier, talking to reporters after meeting Rashtriya Lok Dal chief Ajit Singh, Amar Singh said there was no immediate move to withdraw support to the Congress-Led coalition.
Attacking the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government for its "utter failure" to check rising prices, the CPI(M) on Friday said the Centre's "faulty approach" in blaming states, without taking effective steps to tackle the real issues, would not solve the problem.
BCCI vice-president and Union Minister Rajeev Shukla said, on Tuesday, Sachin Tendulkar is the "most deserving person" to win the Bharat Ratna award and thanked the UPA government for bestowing the honour on the batting legend.
Samajwadi Party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav on Monday ruled out the possibility of joining the United Progressive Alliance government at the Centre.
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