Sonia, Rahul to attend Beijing Olympics Ceremony

NEW DELHI, Aug 7: Adding a new dimension to the Sino-India ties, the Congress and Communist Party of China (CPC) are set to institutionalise their relationship when Sonia Gandhi undertakes a visit to Beijing from Thursday.

The UPA Chairperson, along with Rahul Gandhi, have been invited by the CPC leadership to attend the inaugural ceremony of Beijing Olympics on Friday, a gesture that demonstrates the significance China accords to her.

Priyanka Gandhi and her husband Robert Vadra as also Minister of State for External Affairs Anand Sharma will accompany the Congress president on her three-day visit.

During her second visit to China in a year, Sonia Gandhi will meet Vice President Xi Jin Ping, who is tipped to succeed President Hu Jintao, and discuss bilateral ties and ways to further improve these.

During the meeting in the Great Hall of People, the two leaders will also discuss ways to boost party-to-party ties.

An MoU is expected to be signed by Gandhi and Xi, who is also member of the Standing Committee of CPC, to provide for institutionalised relationship between the two parties through regular exchanges and dialogue.

Sonia Gandhi and Rahul will also attend a banquet to be hosted by President Hu on Thursday.

Cong to showcase Nuke deal in elections

NEW DELHI, Aug 6: Buoyed by the IAEA approval to the Indo-US nuclear deal, Congress on Wednesday pulled out all steps to showcase the agreement in the coming elections with party MP Rahul Gandhi saying "we should not be afraid to take bold steps".

"We should go for new things. We should not be afraid to take bold steps if we think that they are in national interest," the Amethi MP was quoted as having said at a day-long orientation workshop for party spokespersons.

The meet saw senior leaders of Congress, including External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee, Finance Minister P. Chidambaram, AICC General Secretary Digvijay Singh, former J&K Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad and CWC member M. Veerappa Moily explaining the details of the deal and other vital issues.

Gandhi, as also Mukherjee and Chidambaram, faced a lot of questions by the spokespersons who came from across the country and the Finance Minister said the inflation will come down due to a series of steps taken by the government.

Spiralling prices has been a major worry for the government which is wary of face voters' backlash on the issue.

To a query on how many jobs the nuclear agreement would generate, Gandhi said its benefits would be enormous and one could not calculate them right now.

Driving home the point that one should not have the fear of the unknown, he cited the example of his father and late Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi who was subjected to attacks over his passion to promote computers. At that time, it was alleged that computers would make people jobless.

Mukherjee dismissed the criticism that the Hyde Act compromised the strategic autonomy of the country.

Mukherjee said India has got a special treatment in the nuclear deal and was only concerned with the 123 agreement.

Seeking to dismiss the criticism that the deal was anti-Muslim, Congress spokesman and Minister of State for Home Shakeel Ahmed criticised Left parties for withdrawing support to the government on the issue of the deal.

He said Left parties in their anger against US President George Bush wanted to pull down the government which would have helped BJP leader L.K. Advani become Prime Minister.

Ahmed said India has an independent foreign policy and this could be judged from the fact that New Delhi was also pursuing India-Pakistan-Iran gas pipeline.

He said Muslims in several parts of the world were not happy with Bush's policy on Iran, Iraq and Afghanistan but Bush is an outgoing President and either Barrack Obama or John McCain would take his place after the November polls.

Congress organises workshop for its spokespersons

NEW DELHI, Aug 6: A workshop of Congress spokespersons from across the country on Wednesday saw former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Gulam Nabi Azad briefing them on the Amarnath land row, reflecting the concerns of the party over the situation in the sensitive border state.

The day-long workshop which had a special focus on the nuclear deal witnessed Azad defending the transfer of land from the Amarnath Shrine Board to the J&K tourism department, saying it was "important for the state".

His interaction with the spokespersons came ahead of the Prime Minister's meeting with leaders of all political parties over the issue.

Azad has been critical of the BJP of fuelling tensions in violence-hit Jammu and has accused political parties of playing vote bank politics with assembly elections in mind.

With the Congress deciding to go on a propaganda offensive on the nuclear deal, the workshop saw a powerpoint presentation on the nuclear agreement by experts on nuclear energy.

National Security Adviser M K Naryanan and Prime Minister's special envoy on the Indo-US nuclear deal Shyam Saran briefed the spokespersons on the nitty gritty of the deal.

They also interacted with them and took their queries.

Congress Media Department chief M Veerappa Moily exhorted the spokespersons to explain the benefits of the nuclear deal to the people in the country.

Somnath hits out at CPM, rules out quitting as Speaker

NEW DELHI, Aug 1: Breaking his silence, Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee has ruled out quitting and hit out at CPI-M for demanding his resignation saying it cannot give any direction to him in his Constitutional office.

"I have consciously taken the principled decision to uphold the Constitution of India at the risk of being unjustifiably dubbed as anti-party," he said in a five-page statement making it clear he would continue to "fulfil my obligations and responsibilities as the Speaker during my tenure".

Calling 23rd July, the day of his expulsion from CPI-M, as "one of the saddest days of his life", Chatterjee said it was a "canard" to allege that his continuance in the post was to help any party or parties or "on some other personal considerations".

"I strongly and categorically deny these wholly baseless allegations," he said in the statement which also traces the events ever since the Left parties decided to withdraw support to the UPA government and sections within the party asking him to resign.

The Speaker contended that the party could not direct him to resign and vote against the government as it would "seriously compromise" the Constitutional position of the Speaker.

Asserting that he had scrupulously kept himself away from all political activities whatsoever, Chatterjee suggested that in view of the controversies now being raised, a member should temporarily resign from the party during his tenure as Speaker and not face a situation which compromises the position of the Speaker vis-a-vis his party.

Recalling the developments in the run-up to the 22nd July trust vote in the Lok Sabha, he said on 6th July when the CPI-M general secretary Prakash Karat met him to explain generally the party's stand on the Indo-US nuclear deal, he was told that the party had not discussed any matter regarding the Speaker.

On the morning of 9th July, Karat telephonically conveyed to him that a section of the party felt that his continuance as Speaker may be untenable. However, it was stated the final decision would be left to him.

On the same day, Chatterjee said he was surprised to learn from the media that his name was mentioned in the communication to the President on the withdrawal of support "without any intimation to or any discussion with me".

Chatterjee said till today he has not seen nor has been shown any copy of the communication sent by the party to the President.

Significantly, at the press conference held after the leaders of different Left parties met the President, Karat categorically reiterated that it was for the Speaker himself to decide his course of action.

“In the computation of the strength of either the ruling party or its allies or of the opposition, no responsible person or authority can treat the Speaker as belonging to or extending support either to the government or its allies or to the opposition.”

"Thus, the question of the Speaker withdrawing support to the Government can never arise. It is only the House as a whole which can decide whether the Speaker should continue to remain as such or not, apart from his/her own decision to relinquish, if there is any such occasion," he said.

On 10th July Chatterjee said he had issued a statement that as Speaker, he did not represent any political party in the discharge his duties and functions nor he owed any allegiance to any political party.

He had also said that his election was not only uncontested but was also unanimous and that he was not elected as the nominee of any party.

He recalled that on several occasions after 9th July Karat and several important members of the party reiterated that as Speaker it was for him alone to decide on his stand in the matter.

Chatterjee cited statements made by Karat on 14th and 17th July in which he had said that by holding the post of the Speaker, a person does not cease to have political affiliations but he should not indulge in party activities or adopt partisan political positions.

Chatterjee said he had assumed on that basis no whip was issued to him, as in fact, it could not be.

On 20th July for the first time, he was verbally told by a member of the politburo that it was the decision of the party that he should resign and vote against the motion.

“And when I refused, subsequently it was suggested that I should resign as Speaker and may not attend the House to cast my vote. I informed him of my inability to accept such decision or act upon the same as it will seriously compromise the Constitutional position of the Speaker.”

"The party should have appreciated that as Speaker I did not represent it nor could it at all give any direction to me with regard to the discharge of my functions as Speaker. I reiterate this with all the emphasis at my command," he said.

The Speaker said during his four decades in Parliament he had tried his best to discharge his functions true to Parliamentary traditions.

“With that experience and opportunity....I could not and cannot in my conscience accept a position which would totally compromise the sanctity of the most important legislative office in the country.”

"After laying the pros and cons, I have consciously taken the principled position to uphold the Constitution of India at the risk of being unjustifiably dubbed as anti-party," he said.

He said long before the controversy had arisen, he had declared openly his intention not to contest any further elections and to devote the remaining period of his life to the service of the people.

Thanking people from various parts of the country and abroad for the "overwhelming support" to him, Chatterjee said "such responses which I find unprecedented, emphasise the people's desire that the Parliament should function properly and discharge its role in a serious and responsible manner and give me renewed strength to continue to fulfil my obligations and responsibilities as the Speaker during my tenure."

He said the expulsion has meant cessation of his long association with the party and recalled that the day when soon after his election in 1971 to Lok Sabha as an independent candidate with CPI-M support, he could not refuse late comrade Pramod Dasgupta's call to him to join the party.

"I gratefully acknowledge the role of the party for giving me so many opportunities and onerous responsibilities to discharge and in that I have received from the party and the senior leaders and in particular from our great leader comrade Jyoti Basu, who has always given me unstinted support and encouragement," he said.

Chatterjee recalled that when he was elected as Speaker on 4th June 2004, he had said in the House that he shall discharge functions entrusted to his office more as a duty than as an authority.

“The non-party character of the office of the Speaker in our Parliamentary polity places on me a special obligation to be totally non-partisan and judicious while regulating the proceedings of the House.”

"So long as I occupy this exalted chair, I assure you that I shall always strive to protect to the best of my ability the rights and privileges of the House and of its members irrespective of their political affiliations," he said adding he had always sincerely tried to do this.

A concerned India tells Pak to respect ceasefire agreement

NEW DELHI, July 29: Flagging 19 violations of the Line of Control (LoC) by Pakistan this year, India told Pakistan to respect the 2003 ceasefire agreement and not to vitiate the atmosphere and disturb the bilateral peace process since most of the 19 ceasefire violations occured in Poonch and Rajouri areas of Jammu.

India also lodged a protest when DGMO Lt Gen A S Sekhon spoke to his Pakistani counterpart through the hotline regarding Monday's major violation which also saw some tough talk by the Government.

The incident in Kupwara sector in which one Indian soldier was killed was described by the Army as the first LoC incursion after the 1999 Kargil war.

Defence Minister A K Antony said in a statement in New Delhi the increase in ceasefire violations was a matter of concern while External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee, who is now in Teheran on an official visit, described the latest incident as unfortunate.

"The increase in ceasefire violations and firings across the LoC is a matter of concern to India," said Antony.

While maintaining that India is keeping "adequate restraint" to prevent escalation of tensions, Antony asserted that India is fully prepared to deal with any such instances "firmly."

Antony said there were 19 ceasefire violations by Pakistan since January this year.

The Defence Minister told Islamabad that it should strictly adhere to the existing mechanism for dealing with violations by holding local flag meetings and Director General of Military Operations (DGMO)-level talks.

In Tehran, Mukherjee said "It would be my appeal to the Pakistani authorities to ensure that the ceasefire is maintained and both sides maintain peace and tranquility at the border."

"Nothing should be done to vitiate the atmosphere so that the dialogue process becomes disturbed," he told reporters.

Mukherjee, who is in Teheran for the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) Ministerial meet, said all issues between India and Pakistan are being discussed within the umbrella of the Composite Dialogue process and that process should be allowed to continue.

Asked whether the ceasefire violation had put Indo-Pak relations in choppy weather, Mukherjee said "I would not like to say that."

"The fact of the matter is unfortunately in the last few weeks occasions of violation of ceasefire have taken place and ceasefire is very important," he said.

Mukherjee noted that there have been incidents of violation of ceasefire earlier, but they have been dealt with at the local and the Director General of Military Operations level.

Antony while attributing the large number of violations with attempts to infiltrate militants said the situation along the742-km LoC is being constantly reviewed.

"Keeping in view the increased attempts to infiltrate, the counter-infiltration grid in the State has been suitably strengthened by our troops to check such incidents," he said.

Most of the 19 ceasefire violations have taken place in Poonch and Rajouri areas of Jammu.

There have also been violations in Uri, Kupwara, Tanghdar, Machail and Gurez sectors.

Army sources said that most of these violations were in June and July.

Pak opens fire along LoC, Army jawan killed

SRINAGAR: An Army jawan was on Monday killed as Pakistani troops opened fire on Indian positions in Nowgam sector of Kupwara district near the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir, Army sources said.

The sources said Indian troops came under heavy fire from the across the LoC at around 3.30 PM at Khayan in Nowgam.

One Army jawan from 22 Rajput battalion has been killed so far, the sources said.

According to reports, Indian troops retaliated with small arms fire. The Indian Army spokesman Brig. Gopala Krishnan Murali said, "Pakistani troops crossed into the Indian part of Kashmir in a brazen violation of cease-fire and opened fire." According to reports, four Pakistani troops were killed in retaliatory fire.

This is the first violation of ceasefire between India and Pakistan in Nowgam sector. Violations had been reported in Tangdhar, Poonch and Rajouri sectors of the state earlier this year.

India and Pakistan had agreed to a ceasefire along the International Border and LoC in 2003 which held good till the beginning of this year.

PM praises terror-hit people for their resilience

AHEMEDABAD, July 28: Traumatised people in this terror-hit city slowly started getting back to business on Monday with reassuring words from Prime Minister Manmohan Singh who praised their resilience and vowed to "rise to the challenge" and defeat such forces.

As investigators worked on leads, Abdul Halim, an operative of the banned SIMI, who was arrested in connection with the serial blasts, was remanded to police custody for 14 days by a court in Ahmedabad.

Raids were carried out in the city and several persons detained for questioning in connection with the 19 synchronised blasts that left 49 dead and 145 injured.

Modi, who travelled with the Prime Minister in his car to visit the injured in hospital amid downpour, briefed him on the steps being taken by the Gujarat government in the wake of the explosions.

Congress chief Sonia Gandhi and Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil, who accompanied Singh from Delhi, drove in another car and were briefed by Shakti Singh Gohil, chief of the Congress legislative party in the state assembly.

"I have come to express our solidarity with the people of Gujarat in their hour of crisis," Singh, with Chief Minister Narendra Modi by his side, said while reading out a brief statement to the media.

"I commend the people of Gujarat for the resilience they have shown".

Halim, the first person to be arrested in for alleged links in the explosions, is also accused of recruiting people for 'jehadi' activities after the 2002 Gujarat riots.

He was sent to police custody by Metropolitan Magistrate G M Patel on an application moved by the crime branch of the city police.

The crime branch is also tracking cycles used in the serial blasts held in the city on Saturday.

As per police sources, most of the cycles used in the blasts were second-hand ones.

A local resident who claimed to have seen suspected bombers parking cycles in Raipur area in Ahmedabad was being questioned by the police. Some of the cycle dealers of the city were also interrogated.

Police in Surat sent material from two cars found packed with explosives to a forensic laboratory for tests.

"We have not found any leads so far about those behind the planting of explosives in Surat city. Several people have been detained for questioning," Surat Police Commissioner R M S Brar said.

A spate of hoax phone calls in several states about threat of explosions added to the scare even as security was beefed up in urban vital installations and places of worship.

Hoax calls and panic over abandoned objects were reported in Karnataka, West Bengal, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat and Maharashtra.

They kept the police on their toes and authorities were taking no chances.

During his day-long visit, the Prime Minister the terrorist acts was aimed at "destroying our social fabric, undermining communal harmony and demoralising our people. As the people of Gujarat have shown so admirably, these efforts will not succeed".

"We will rise to the challenge and I am confident we will be able to defeat these forces," he said adding "we will do our best" to take care of those injured".

Primary schools in Ahmedabad and Surat remained closed as a precautionary measure but business establishments, high schools and colleges were open.

Office goers were seen returning to their daily routine notwithstanding heavy rainfall and water-logging.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Monday said an ex-gratia of Rs 3.5 lakh would be given to next of kin of each of those killed in the terror attacks in Gujarat in addition to Rs one lakh already announced.

Similarly, each of the injured would be given Rs one lakh which includes Rs 50,000 announced earlier.

Singh made this announcement during his visit to the city which was rocked by serial blasts on Saturday that left 49 dead and several injured.

The Prime Minister, who was accompanied by Congress president Sonia Gandhi and Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil, said he had come to express "our solidarity with the people of Gujarat in their hour of crisis".

Cong says need for a federal investigating agency

NEW DELHI, July 28: With a series of recent blasts in Gujarat and Karnataka, Congress has revived the idea of a federal investigating agency and maintained that its government has retained all important elements of POTA to fight terror.

The party also sought to dismiss suggestions for the resignation of Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil in the wake of the blasts.

"A central agency should be formed to fight terrorists.. Several countries in the world have specialised units to fight the terrorists," Congress Spokesman Manish Tewari told reporters in New Delhi on Monday.

Seeking to allay the opposition charges that the government was soft on terror, Tewari said: "When POTA was repealed, 25 of its substantive provisions were incorporated in the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act. Moreover, the Money Laundering Act was brought in to check the financial module of the terrorists."

He said the government had put forward the proposition to have a federal agency in the meeting of the chief ministers but a consensus could not be arrived at.

Tewari refuted charges that the demand for a federal agency was merely to counter the BJP's demand for reintroduction of POTA.

"We have merely done away with those provisions of POTA which infringed on the civil liberties of the people," he said.

Asking the state governments and the political parties to broaden their mind and consider the proposal for a federal agency, Tewari said, "This was necessary in view of the terror network across the country."

Rahul to pay five-day visit to B'desh

NEW DELHI, July 28: Reflecting his keen interest in rural development models, Congress MP Rahul Gandhi would pay a five-day visit to B'desh from 1st August to get a first-hand knowledge of the pioneering work done by Bangladesh Rural Advancement Centre (BRAC) in a range of fields including education and health.

The 38-year-old scion of the Nehru-Gandhi family, who has evinced interest in BRAC's work, would begin his visit to Bangladesh by seeing several projects run by BRAC which works in micro-finance, women's empowerment, community health, education, legal and human rights protection and rural programmes, BRAC's Public Affairs Director Mohd Anwarul Huq told a news agency over phone from Dhaka.

Rahul, who reaches Dhaka on August 1, is also expected to visit some projects of Grameen Bank whose founder and Nobel Laureate Mohammed Yunus had met him in Delhi last year.

The two had discussed replicating the Bank's micro- finance model in the Congress leader's Lok Sabha constituency Amethi, said Huq who till a few years ago was a senior diplomat in Bangladesh High Commission in New Delhi.

Other details of Rahul's visit were still being worked out, he said, adding that a ten-member Special Protection Group is reaching Dhaka on Monday to discuss with concerned agencies of Bangladesh the security arrangement for him.

By visiting BRAC projects, Rahul would be the latest in a long list of high-profile personalities including former American President Bill Clinton, former British Prime Minister Tony Blair and Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates.

The leaders have acclaimed the activities of the largest development organisation in the world, founded by Fazle Hasan Abed, which began its journey as a relief and rehabilitation body when thousands of refugees streamed back to Bangladesh from India after it was liberated in December, 1971.

This will be Rahul's first visit to Bangladesh which his grandmother Indira Gandhi had visited once immediately after the liberation of Bangladesh and his father Rajiv Gandhi twice as Prime Minister for the SAARC Summit in 1985 and then soon after a devastating cyclone in 1988.

Huq expressed the hope Rahul would find his visit to BRAC projects a rewarding experience as BRAC, employing more than 1,00,000 people in 3000 offices through an integrated development approach, and other NGOs are engaged in uplifting the social indicators in several sectors like health and education.

Hundreds of graduating students from several famous universities like Harvard , Oxford and Yale do internships with BRAC programmes every year to know about its rural empowerment programs.

BRAC works in a number of countries across the world including four in Asia and three in Africa.

Rahul has interacted with Grameen Bank officials at least half a dozen times and has started some micro-finance and women's self-help group projects in Amethi like Mahila Yojana under which resources are generated from the people themselves.

The idea behind Congress General Secretary's visit to BRAC and Grameen Bank projects in Bangladesh is to see if some of them can be replicated in villages across India.

Rahul's forthcoming visit to Bangladesh is being awaited with considerable interest among the media and the people of that country for which the Nehru-Gandhi family has, for historical reasons, always held a charisma few political families in the sub-continent enjoy.

The public life of Rahul, his frequent visits to villages of India and political activities of Congress chief Sonia Gandhi are a big draw for the media in Bangladesh as was the Congress General Secretary's speech on the day of the trust vote in Parliament on July 22.

An Indian connection to Bangladesh Rural Advancement Centre is that actress Shabana Azmi is a member of its advisory board.

SP wants amendment of the Hyde Act

LUCKNOW, July 28: After backing the UPA government on Indo-US nuclear deal, Samajwadi Party on Monday said India should press the United States to amend the Hyde Act passed by the American Congress or enact a law in Parliament to counter its provisions.

"There are certain provisions in the Hyde Act passed by the US Congress which will create hindrance in going ahead with the nuclear deal. We request the Centre to press the US for making certain amendments in the Hyde Act before finalising the deal or present a bill in Parliament to make an Act in India also", SP's political resolution released here said.

"The Act is necessary to prevent other countries from creating hindrance in India's strategic programme in the name of atomic energy production for the people", it said.

Ahmedabad blasts: Cops see SIMI-HuJI imprint

AHMEDABAD/MUMBAI, July 28: As the death toll from the serial blasts, now counted at 19, crept up to 49, Ahmedabad woke up to an edgy start on Sunday with police defusing an unexploded bomb at Hatkeshwar in Maninagar, where the first terror bomb had gone off.

Although the fears of a backlash to the bombings remained unfounded, the state administration, eager to avoid fresh turmoil, called the Army onto the streets to stage flag marches in several parts of the city.

As with previous serial blasts, whether in Jaipur or Varanasi, investigators made no initial headway, despite hopes pinned on the recovery from Surat of two cars packed with material to make bombs. Police officers said that the cars could yield vital clues.

Until then, the obvious parallels were being drawn with the May 13 Jaipur blasts in which the vehicles of death were the ubiquitous "aam admi" mode of transport - bicycles.

Also, police further locked into the Jaipur connection because the table clocks used in the Jaipur blasts were similar to the ones used as timers on Saturday.

That tied in with the burden of suspicion falling on SIMI, which intelligence experts now say has strong ties with Bangladesh-based Harkat-ul-Jihad al-Islami and Al-Qaida-linked Lashkar-e-Toiba.

Police say the scale of Saturday's attacks would have needed a network of more than 50 terrorists, something only a SIMI-HuJI combine could deliver.

Police also suspect ammonium nitrate and LPG bottles were used for maximum impact in the two bombs which went off at LG Hospital and Civil Hospital.

Police say 5kg LPG cylinders were strapped along with the ammonium nitrate mix to create greater heat and power.

At LG Hospital, a portion of a wall was blown off and more than 20 people died at the Civil Hospital alone.

Meanwhile, the city crime branch on Sunday confirmed the arrest of a person named Abdul Halim from Dani Limda area in the heart of the city.

Toll in Ahmedabad serial blasts rises to 46

AHMEDABAD, July 27: The Army staged flag marches in sensitive areas here on Sunday to restore a sense of security and confidence among the people, as the death toll in Saturday’s terror attack went up to 46.

In Gandhinagar, Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi convened an emergency meeting of the Cabinet, the second in 12 hours, and decided to form a four-member special coordination committee. Headed by the Principal Secretary, Home, the committee will coordinate inputs with other States which had faced similar terror attacks.

The committee would also study the materials available with the Centre and its intelligence agencies about terrorist activities in different parts of the country to assist the CID (Crime) investigating Saturday’s serial blasts in Ahmedabad.

The police believe that the diamond and art silk city of Surat, the second major commercial centre in the State after Ahmedabad, may have escaped the jaws of death and destruction as two abandoned cars — one with live explosives and another with ammunition — were seized in different parts of the city on Sunday. Clsoure of cinemas and shopping malls in the heavily populated city was ordered after the police defused a huge bomb found in an abandoned bag near a hospital on the City Light Road and recovered the cars abandoned in Punamgaon and Randel, Varacha Road localities.

Police said gelatin sticks, timers, ammonium nitrate powder, tiffin boxes and other materials were found in one abandoned car which the locals said was lying there for couple of days. The materials were enough to manufacture about eight to 10 powerful crude bombs, the kind of devices believed to had been used in the serial blasts.

Responding to an appeal from the police, the people in Surat by and large stayed indoors despite it being a Sunday. This was to avoid large gatherings that could be easy targets for terrorists.

In view of the high alert, night shows in all the cinemas in Rajkot, Bhavnagar and several other cities and towns were suspended for Sunday.

Early in the morning, two live bombs were recovered from a garbage can near a vegetable market in Hatkshwar locality in Maninagar in Ahmedabad, where the first of the 17 blasts occurred on Saturday evening.

The special bomb squad was summoned and the bombs defused. The police said the timers of the bombs had not been set properly. The bombs were powerful enough to cause extensive damages.

Another live bomb was defused near a gate of a textile mill at Santhej on the Ahmedabad-Gandhinagar highway after midnight. One bomb was found and defused in Kalol, also an industrial town near Gandhinagar.

The State government has announced compensation of Rs.5 lakh each to the next of kin of those killed in the Ahmedabad blasts and Rs. 50,000 to each of those injured.

The Chief Minister assured the injured that the best possible treatment would be given.

He appealed to the people to keep peace and cooperate with the authorities to maintain law and order.

Governor Nawal Kishore Sharma said some divisive forces were trying to disrupt peace and tranquillity.

President Pratibha Patil for efficient implementation of laws on women

NEW DELHI, July 24: Indian President Pratibha Patil said on Thursday that laws pertaining to women's rights should be efficiently implemented since efficient implementation of laws would give them their rights as well as the delivery mechanism.

Describing the role of women in the freedom movement and the post-independence era as "important", Patil said although women in urban environments have made their mark in society, those in rural areas "continue to face difficulties".

During the meet, various suggestions on database on women PhDs, need to utilise the potential of women agricultural scientists, national policy for war widows and need to sensitise teachers regarding gender issues in Municipal schools were made, a Rashtrapati Bhavan spokesperson said.

Prominent among those who met the President as part of the ten-member delegation were Leela Seth, Tesse Thomas, Kapila Vatsyanan, Prema Cariappa and Tara Gandhi Bhattacharjee.

CPI(M) expels Somnath Chatterjee

NEW DELHI, July 23: Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee was on wednesday expelled by the CPI(M) in the wake of his refusal to quit the post in line with the directive of the party with which he was associated for four decades.

"The Polit Bureau of the CPI(M) has unanimouisly decided to expel Somnath Chatterjee from the membership of the party with immediate effect," a Polit Bureau statement said after its meeting chaired by General Secretary Prakash Karat, that discussed his defiance ever since the party withdrew support to the UPA government.

The party invoked Article 19 (13) of its constitution to expel him under summary procedures without any notice on the charge of "seriously compromising" the party position.

The 79-year old barrister and ten-time MP, Chatterjee rejected hints from the party leadership, which asked him to quit the post to which he was elected unanimously after the 2004 elections, saying he was above party politics given the post he held.

In the last fortnight he had been maintaining that he would take an appropriate decision, but it became increasingly clear that he was not going to oblige the party diktat. Even on wednesday he maintained he may be going to Kuala Lumpur for a Commonwealth Parliamentary Conference early next month.

The party hoped that Chatterjee, who was leader of its Parliamentary Party in the Lok Sabha for some time, would quit before the confidence vote on Monday, but he went ahead and presided over the proceedings of the two-day Special Session that ended on wednesday.

After persuasion by CPI(M) patriarch Jyoti Basu and others failed, the party is understood to have deputed one of its senior leaders Biman Bose to tell him that he give up the post in the light of the changed situation.

The CPI(M)'s decision on wednesday may be the first of its kind in the country where a party severs its links with a person in such a post.

Chatterjee, the first Marxist to become a Lok Sabha Speaker, had been a member of the Lower House since 1971 except for a short break in 1984 when he lost to Mamata Banerjee. He returned to the House in a bye-election.

The Speaker declined to comment on the decision. While leaders of the Left parties attacked the Speaker, the Congress and its ally RJD spoke highly of his conduct as a presiding officer.

Congress spokesperson Jayanthi Natarajan said Chatterjee has been an "exceptionally good" Speaker who has been fair. "In any parliamentary democracy this is unprecedented," she said referring to the CPI(M) decision. Senior RJD leader and Union Minister Raghuvansh Prasad Singh described CPI(M)'s decision as "ridiculous and unfortunate".

Manmohan government wins trust vote

NEW DELHI, July 23: The United Progressive Alliance (UPA) on Tuesday won the trust vote in the Lok Sabha by a margin of 19 votes after a two-day debate, often marked by acrimony and allegations. The ruling coalition secured 275 votes as against 256 by the Opposition. As many as 10 members were absent or abstained from voting.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh described the outcome as “a convincing victory” for the UPA government, the Congress and the supporting parties. “This will send a message to the world at large that India is prepared to take its rightful place in the comity of nations,” Dr. Singh told journalists after he emerged from the Parliament House.

“I thank all leaders of UPA, supporting parties, all Congress men and women who have worked unitedly with single-minded pursuit for this impressive victory,” he said.

On the other hand, the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) described it as “corrupt victory” and the Communist Party of India (Marxist) general secretary Prakash Karat said that it was a “sad day” for democracy.

Bahujan Samaj Party leader and U.P. Chief Minister Mayawati blamed the BJP for the UPA’s victory. “It is not a victory of the UPA but the result of the politics by the UPA and the NDA,” she asserted.

The Prime Minister could not give his reply in the House at the end of the debate as BJP members constantly chanted slogans, demanding his resignation in the wake of allegations of bribery. The proceedings were curtailed after the BJP members made dramatic allegations of some of them were bribed, and produced wads of currency notes in the House to support their case.

Asked for his comments on the sensational disclosures, Dr. Singh told journalists that the matter was with the Speaker and “we will cooperate with him” in taking necessary action in accordance with the provisions of law. “These developments have made me sad,” he added.

When the House reassembled at 6.30 p.m. after a series of adjournments, Speaker Somnath Chatterjee allowed smaller parties to make their brief interventions but these were drowned in the bouts of sloganeering and chants by the BJP members.

Asaduddin Owaisi of the All India Majlis-e-Muslimeen and Omar Abdullah of the National Conference could hardly be heard. Mr. Abdullah said there was no distinction between Muslims and Indians. The “real enemies are not nuclear deals like these but poverty, hunger, unemployment and lack of development,” the NC leader, who was Minister in the NDA regime said. He also referred to the Amarnath Yatra controversy and asserted that the pilgrimage, continuing for the past century, would continue as long as Kashmiris and Muslims remained in Srinagar and the Valley.

Other speakers from the smaller parties included Ranjeeta Ranjan of the Lok Jan Shakti Party, Hemlal Murmu of the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha, M.P. Veerendra Kumar of the JD(S), and Mehbooba Mufti of the People’s Democratic Party.

As the Prime Minister was not allowed to give his reply, it was laid on the table of the House and the Speaker moved on to the voting on the trust motion. Within seconds, the electronic score board displayed 253 votes in favour of the UPA government, 232 against it and two abstentions. Though the Speaker announced the result nearly an hour after that, Congress members and allies were seen walking up to the Prime Minister and congratulating him and Congress president Sonia Gandhi.

Indian Govt expected to win Trust Vote

NEW DELHI, July 21: The battle over UPA government's survival moved into last lap with the ruling combine claiming that sizeable opposition abstentions will help it win the trust vote in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh asserting that every decision of the coalition was in country's interests.

The ruling combine and the opposition are almost equally poised in the House with an effective strength of 541 in the trust vote to be taken tomorrow evening and the UPA managers are banking on nearly ten abstentions, all of them from NDA camp, and by Trinamool Congress leader Mamata Banerjee.

But the BJP dismissed all this as mischievous propaganda. The BJP as well as others against the confidence motion claimed that the opposition had a fair chance in the Parliamentary battle.

Treasury bench managers claimed that they will win comfortably when the confidence motion moved by the Prime Minister is taken up for voting on Tuesday evening. The margin of victory being bandied about by the ruling side is about six to seven votes above the required magic mark of 271.

Moving his one-line motion at the beginning of the two-day debate on the motion, a combative Prime Minister said the exercise of confidence was "wholly avoidable" and has come at a time when the government's attention has been on the economy, particularly on control of inflation.

The ruling combine fielded External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee, government's pointsman on the Indo-US nuclear deal who shared a good rapport with the Left parties, put up a spirited defence of the government.

"Keep your hand on your heart and say is this an issue on which you are bringing down the government," Mukherjee said attacking the Communists for its decision to vote along with the BJP to defeat it.

"Don't jump off the running train. Wait for the next station which the train is approaching to get off," he told the Left parties to avoid voting with the BJP.

The body language of the UPA in a packed Lok Sabha, which has an effective strength of 541, appeared confident and combative as Mukherjee claimed that the Congress-led alliance has the support of 276.

The ruling side hopes that some five abstentions--two each from BJP and JD(U) and one from Shiv Sena-- and some more from the rival camp not not in a position to travel because of their ill-health would come to its aid in the vote that is exepcted to be a cliff-hanger of a finish.

However, BJP spokesman Vijay Kumar Malhotra described these claims as "mischievous propaganda" and said the NDA was in tact. He also dismissed in a similar vein reports that the BJP was lackadaisical in toppling the government on fears that BSP leader Mayawati may corner all credit if the government fell.

NDA sources, however, conceded that losses in the form of defection by BJP MP Brij Bhushan Saran Singh and the possible absence of Shiv Sena MP Tukaram Renge Patil, who is said to be miffed with his party leadership. One more MP from Karnataka, who is in ICU, is a doubtful starter.

The debate on the UPA's Government vote of confidence motion began on Monday with the best speakers in the country's politics speaking for and against the Indo-US nuclear deal.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh began the debate on the trust motion by praising the "visionary leadership" of Left leaders Jyoti Basu and Harkishen Singh Surjeet.

BJP leader L K Advani said the deal must be re-negotiated.

Foreign Minister shot back, the deal was the best in the present form.

Earlier, Giving a thumbs up sign, Prime Minister asserted that his government will win the vote of confidence in the Lok Sabha.

Arriving at Parliament House, Prime Minister waved at the waiting news camerapersons and indicated a 'V' sign before entering his office there.

With Speaker Somnath Chatterjee brushing aside his party's demand for his resignation and presiding over the proceedings, Singh moved his one-line motion "that this House expresses its confidence in the Council of Ministers".

Twelve hours have been allotted for the debate and the voting is expected on Tuesday evening at about 6 PM after the Prime Minister's reply.

The Prime Minister's opening speech was heard by a full House with leaders of both the ruling coalition and the opposition, including Sonia Gandhi, Pranab Mukherjee and L K Advani, following it in rapt attention.

In a veiled dig at the Left parties, which withdrew support forcing the confidence vote, Singh said if the government was here after a tenure of four years the credit for this should go to the leaders of the UPA including Sonia Gandhi and to the "wise and visionary leaderships of Jyoti Basu, Harkishan Singh Surjeet and M Karunanidhi".

"They were all the architects of our coalition government. It is their wisdom and sagacity that has helped me and our government function for these four years," he said.

He said the intimation of withdrawal of Left parties' support came when he was in Japan and as soon as he came back he met the President and offered to submit himself to the vote of confidence in Parliament.

"Sir, I seek the support of this House today on the basis of our entire record in our office over the past four years," Singh said adding, "I have no doubt that the people of India, when they consider what we have done, will reaffirm their confidence in us, in our government."

Tracing the events leading to withdrawal of support, Singh said he had given an assurance to all parties including the Left that if the government had been allowed to complete negotiations with the IAEA and the NSG, he would himself come to Parliament for "guidance" before operationalising the deal.

Leader of the Opposition L K Advani, who took the floor immediately after the prime minister, and CPI(M) leader Md Saleem attacked the government over the way it went ahead with the nuclear deal.

Advani accused the government of misusing democratic institutions to convert itself from "minority into majority".

The BJP leader said the prime minister was "singularly" responsible for the present crisis and held that the Indo-US nuclear deal has become an agreement between two individuals, making India "subservient" and a "junior partner".

He made it clear that the BJP, if voted to power, would not scrap the deal but would renegotiate it.

"UPA is like a patient in the ICU room. The first question everyone asks is whether he is going to survive or not," Advani said opposing the trust vote in his speech which was repeatedly interrupted by the ruling side.

Advani complained that the draft text of the safeguards agreement was described as "privileged" and "classified" but was circulated to IAEA members first and the House was denied an opportunity to go into it.

He claimed that after the Pokhran II tests the Prime Minister had said that it was not in national interest to have India as a nuclear weapon state, but the statement was objected to by Singh.

The Prime Minister made a brief intervention in which he said that when he spoke in the Rajya Sabha in 1998, he had stated that "we are all opposed to sanctions and we must prepare our country to face the challenge of sanction".

Twitting Singh on his status as a Rajya Sabha member, he said it would be an irony that a prime minister would not be able to vote for his confidence motion for the first time.

Leader of the House Pranab Mukherjee quickly interjected to point out that the then prime ministers I K Gujral and H D Deve Gowda also did not vote on their motions of confidence.

Anand Sharma takes on BJP, Advani on N-deal

NEW DELHI, July 21: Minister of state for external affairs Anand Sharma Monday took on the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its prime ministerial candidate L.K. Advani head-on over the India-US nuclear deal contending that the BJP leader had either "lost his memory" or was 'deliberately' and 'selectively' forgetting things.

Sharma refuted Advani's allegations that the nuclear deal would make India subservient to the United States of America (USA).

"We are doing the nuclear deal openly and on an equal footing with the USA. We are not giving away our sovereignty," Sharma said.

Sharma instead blamed the erstwhile BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government of holding secret parleys between external affairs minister Jaswant Singh and US deputy secretary of state Strobe Talbott during their tenure.

"The BJP government never took parliament and the people of this country into confidence. How can they blame us now?" the minister asked.

Sharma quoted from Talbott's book 'Engaging India' which stated that, " Jaswant said that India will sign the CTBT... Jaswant assured me that his signature would tantamount to ratification and the (Indian) parliament was only a formality."

The minister said that Jaswant Singh never denied it.

Sharma further asserted that by signing the nuclear deal, India was not relinquishing its sovereign right to undertake future tests.

Sonia sits through debate on trust motion

NEW DELHI, July 21: Mrs Sonia Gandhi, chairperson of India’s ruling United Progressive Alliance (UPA), sat through more than half of the 10-hour debate Monday on a trust motion in parliament that will decide the government’s fate. Elegantly dressed in a cream-coloured sari with a purple border, Gandhi repeatedly applauded speakers from the Congress as they defended Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s government.

She repeatedly thumped her desk when Minister of State for External Affairs Anand Sharma referred to her late husband and former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi’s contribution to kick-starting the IT and telecom revolutions in the country.

Before the session began at 11 a.m., Gandhi was seen directing Congress ministers and MPs on where to sit on the treasury benches. She remained in the Lok Sabha till about 6 p.m. She returned to the House later in the evening.

The Congress president’s son — and party general secretary — Rahul Gandhi is scheduled to speak on the trust motion Tuesday.

Somnath Chatterjee enlivens debate

NEW DELHI, July 21: Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee Monday betrayed none of the tension he has been under as he presided over a turbulent house with humorous one-liners to pin down wayward MPs.

The speaker, who authoritatively sat through most of the daylong debate on the first day, seemed to be in no mood to spare anyone.

"Make notes and give it to your prime minister to reply," quipped Chatterjee to the ruling Congress benches as they tried to interrupt one speaker.

On another occasion, Chatterjee asked Janata Dal-United MP Prabhu Nath Singh to make his next point. When Singh did not speak for a few seconds as he was sorting out papers, the speaker said, "Have you finished the point?"

This led to laughter from all present MPs.

"I am a small man - only big in size," Chatterjee said on another occasion.

"I like you a lot and want to listen to you, but please come to the point. Bas ho gaya (It's enough now)," he told BJP MP Shah Nawaz Hussain.

When a MP referred to Manmohan (Singh), Mulayam (Singh Yadav) and Mayawati a few times, the speaker said, "bahut Ma, Ma (M, M) ho gaya. Stop it now." (There has been enough of these three 'M's).

"Aap ka kya pareshan hain (what is your problem)?" Chatterjee shot at a member in his broken Hindi at one stage.

At the very outset of the special session, the speaker said, "I am happy to see a full house."

But Chatterjee had some tight moments too when he and Communist Party leader Gurudas Das Gupta indulged in open sarcastic comments against each other.

"You are a senior MP, you should know procedures," he told Gupta.

At another point, when Chatterjee again told Gupta that he was a senior person, Gupta reported, "I know of that I am senior but you are junior."

"Yeh natak ki jagah nahi hai. Yeh natak achha nahin hai. Janta dekh rahi hai (This is no place for a drama. This is not a good drama. The people are watching.). What is this? I appeal with humility to you all to behave properly," Chatterjee said.

Indo-Pak peace process under stress: Menon

NEW DELHI, July 21: Accusing "elements" in Pakistan for the suicide attack on Indian mission in Kabul, India on Monday made it clear that the recent spate of terror attacks and ceasefire violations triggered from across the border have put the peace process "under stress".

In some tough-talking, Foreign Secretary Shiv Shankar Menon told his Pakistani counterpart Salman Bashir that these concerns of New Delhi must be addressed.

After the fifth round of the Indo-Pak composite dialogue on peace and security, Jammu and Kashmir and other Confidence Building Measures (CBMs), Menon told reporters that "the composite dialogue process was under stress."

He said the talks were happening at a "difficult time of our relationship with Pakistan" following the return of democracy there.

"Unfortunately, there have been several issues in the recent past which have vitiated the atmosphere and the composite dialogue process is under stress," Menon said.

In this context, he referred to the recent violations of the ceasefire along the LoC, cross-border terrorism and incitement of violence in Jammu and Kashmir.

"There have been public statements by some leaders in Pakistan, who are reverting to the old polemics," Menon said, adding all these things had culminated into the suicide bombing at the Indian embassy in Kabul in which over 40 people, including Indian Defence Attache, and other employees of the mission, were killed.

"Our investigations so far point towards a few elements in Pakistan to be behind the (Kabul) blast," he said, but refused to identify these elements saying investigations were continuing.

More BJP rebels to back UPA, says Congress

NEW DELHI, July 20: The Congress on Sunday expressed "surprise" at the decision of RLD chief Ajit Singh to oppose the UPA government during the trust vote but maintained that it would have no impact on the majority which the ruling coalition enjoys.

"RLD's decision was a sort of surprise but we are ready with the numbers and confident of winning the trust vote," Prithviraj Chavan, Minister of state in the PMO, said here.

Chavan claimed "surprises" would be there as the Congress has a "cushion" of support from parties other than the UPA partners.

"Surprises would happen at the last minute. A lot of work has gone into it," the Congress leader said.

Chavan claimed that more than four BJP MPs are in touch with the Congress apart from some from the Shiv Sena. He, however, refused to give the names.

Asked how many Congress MPs would desert the party before the trial of strength, Chavan said he did not expect any Congress MP to vote against the government except those who have already come out openly.

"I do not expect any Congress MP to leave unless defeat is staring in the face and that is not the case here," he said.

In reply to another question on the reducing numbers of the Samajwadi Party, Chavan said SP has assured the Congress of a specific number and that remains almost intact.

"The SP has said that the losses would be made good," the Minister said.

Meanwhile, the CPI(M) concedes that the ruling coalition could manage to pull through during the trust vote on July 22. A section of the Marxists believes there is a good chance the government will scrape through with a slender margin.

Bowing to Marxist patriarch Jyoti Basu’s sentiments, the CPI(M) central committee, which began its two-day central committee meeting here on Saturday morning, left the controversy surrounding Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee’s continuation in office out of its agenda.

Rahul Gandhi among UPA speakers during trust vote

NEW DELHI, July 20: Congress' heir apparent Rahul Gandhi will be one of the key speakers of the party during the debate on the confidence motion on Monday in which Leader of Opposition L K Advani is also expected to participate.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will move the motion in the Lok Sabha with a one-line motion -- That this House expresses its confidence in the Council of Ministers -- with an opening speech.

He is expected to highlight the performance of his four-year-old government and emphasise how and why the Indo-US nuclear deal is beneficial to the country in the long term.

At the end of the two-day debate, he is also expected to reply to it before the motion is put to vote.

Rahul Gandhi, along with top leaders of the Congress as also its supporting parties are expected to participate in the discussion. These include Congress Ministers P Chidambaram, Kapil Sibal and Saifuddin Soz, and RJD chief Lalu Prasad, who was part of the UPA-Left Coordination Committee.

Other Union Ministers Kapil Sibal, Vayalar Ravi, Ram Vilas Paswan, Pawan Kumar Bansal, Anand Sharma, Praful Patel, M Ramadass, Sachin Pilot, Krishna Tirath and Kanimozhi will also speak on the behalf of the UPA.

External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee, the Leader of Lok Sabha, could be intervening in the two-day long discussion.

On the eve of the Trust motion, National Security Adviser M K Narayanan and Foreign Secretary Shivshankar Menon briefed most of the UPA speakers, including Rahul Gandhi, on the intricate details of nuclear deal to prepare them well for the debate.

Somnath left out of whip issued by CPI-M to its MPs to vote against Govt

NEW DELHI, July 18: Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee has been left out of the whip issued by CPI-M to its MPs to vote against the Government in the trust vote on July 22.

The exclusion of Chatterjee is significant as the CPI(M) has so far been maintaining that he should toe the line of the party, which has decided to vote against the government.

A three-line whip was issued to 41 CPI(M) MPs asking them to reach the national capital on July 20 and be present in Lok Sabha on the next two days besides voting against the government.

CPI(M) General Secretary Prakash Karat while maintaining that it was for the Speaker to take a decision on resigning his post, contended that a person holding this high office does not cease to have political affiliations.

"After someone ceases to be a Speaker, they resume political activities," he said in a newspaper interview giving clear signals that the party expects Chatterjee to step down before the trust vote.

Indian Govt confident of clearing IAEA: Saran

NEW DELHI, July 18: India does not anticipate any problems in getting approval for its safeguards' agreement from the IAEA's board of governors, Shyam Saran, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's special envoy, said on Thursday.

He said that India had been encouraged by the fact that the IAEA board was to meet as early as August 1. Saran stated that once the safeguards agreement went through the IAEA, then the stage would be set for a meeting of the Nuclear Suppliers' Group.

"The sooner this meeting is held, the better it would be, because we understand that the NSG itself will not be able to take an instant decision. Members of the NSG would probably have to consult their governments…"

Germany, which currently chairs the NSG, has given India to understand that it would convene a meeting of the group at an early date.

Saran said that if the NSG, which India hoped would meet in early August, gave the green signal to exempt India from existing restrictions on civil nuclear trade, then the issue would go to Washington.

In Washington, President Bush would have to determine that all obligations — on the US and India had been fulfilled. Together with this determination the 123 agreement would then be sent to the US Congress.

"In the US Congress, if normal procedures are followed (which require 90 days), then it is very difficult to foresee how this (the 123 accord) can be approved during the lifetime of the current Congress,” Saran said.

“But, if there is political will and…bipartisan support from the US Congress…then there is a chance that this (agreement) may be able to obtain approval from the US Congress as well," he stated.

He said: "There are many ifs and buts... We cannot take it for granted that this will be a smooth run. We will have to draw upon the goodwill, which India obviously enjoys…and, we hope, we will be able to see it through."

N-Deal possible even if Manmohan Govt loses trust vote

NEW DELHI, July 18: Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh may be committed to withdrawing the safeguards draft from the IAEA if the government loses the trust vote on July 22, but officials in the government say there’s no need to pull it out irrespective of what happens in the Lok Sabha.

If it goes into cold storage after the trust vote, it’ll be because the government chose to do so. For, the government has to only see the agreement through the IAEA board. The next few stages will be spearheaded by the US, not India.

According to sources in the government, if the UPA coalition fails the trust vote and becomes a caretaker government, they would be constrained from taking any fresh policy decisions. "But there is no law that prevents a government from carrying on with its existing policies," said a source.

However, the Prime Minister has said India would halt the process if he lost the trust vote. If he is held to his word, then in the event of a loss on Tuesday, he would have to signal to the IAEA that India cannot attend the meeting on August 1.

Legally, there is nothing that stops the government. In many ways, the deal then goes out of India’s hands as it will be the responsibility of the US to pilot it through the NSG.

Meanwhile, the US’ top diplomat, William Burns, will be in Vienna on Friday, when foreign secretary Shiv Shankar Menon briefs the IAEA board and NSG members. Burns replaces Nick Burns who negotiated the deal. William is also expected to visit India days after the trust vote for talks.

Sources also said German chancellor Angela Merkel has indicated that, as president of the NSG, she would call an NSG meeting within days of the IAEA clearing the deal. In the US, senator Joe Biden has also gone on record to say that he would fight "like the devil" to clear the deal if India does its bit. Moreover, Barack Obama’s support for the deal has almost put it on auto pilot.

Significantly, on Thursday the Chinese government indicated its own emerging flexibility on support to the deal.

If the Govt falls, so be it: Rahul Gandhi

AMETHI, July 16: Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi came out strongly in support of the India-US nuclear deal on Wednesday, saying it was worth the risk, and “if the government falls in the process, so be it”.

He, however, expressed confidence that the government would win the trust vote.

“For ideological or political reasons, the deal is being opposed. Sometimes in life, risks have to be taken. The leadership the Prime Minister is showing...He thinks it is in the interest of the country,” he said.

Describing the deal as fundamental to India’s energy problems and one that can make the country a global player, he said: “I also believe that you need guts to do it. I appreciate it. I would tell him (PM) to take the risk again, again and again. That is leadership.”

Rahul equated the deal with decisions taken by late PM Rajiv Gandhi in the eighties in the telecom and IT sectors and said they had changed the scenario in country. Everybody would question the necessity of telecom and IT revolution, he said.

How would computers benefit farmers was a common question, said Rahul, adding the situation developing over the nuclear deal was similar.

In a reference to Left parties, he said they may be opposing it for political reasons but the deal was absolutely in the interest of the country.

Claiming that there was support for the deal across the political divide, he said, "There are people in the BJP and other parties who are 100 per cent for the deal … if somebody argues that it is bad, then there is a feeling it is political. It is not only Rahul Gandhi, but every young person in the country who is bound to support the deal.”

When it was pointed out that this had led the Congress to align with the Samajwadi Party, which it had opposed earlier and the new alignment may hurt the Congress in the long run, he said: “My point is, we will stake whatever we can.”

Asked about the functioning of the UP government, Rahul said every government should work for the poverty alleviation. “I do not think the state government was working enough in the direction.”

On why he was making regular stops at Dalits’ houses, Rahul said he was visiting everybody, including the Brahmins, the OBCs and the minorities. But his visits to the houses of Dalits were the only ones taken note of.

Speaker adamant, may quit both House and party

NEW DELHI, July 16: Less than week before Manmohan Singh goes to Parliament to save his government, the suspense over who will preside over the test continues.

Somnath Chatterjee showed no intention of stepping down as Speaker on Wednesday; there were in fact, hints that if pushed beyond a point, he may quit both the Lok Sabha and the CPM.

Appearing on a TV channel, Chatterjee was non-committal: “Whatever I have had to say, I have said. I stand by my decision. I am requesting that the media may not speculate. This is an important session. Give me a little time.”

Asked specifically if he intended to be in the chair for the July 22 trust vote, the Speaker was enigmatic: “That is the million dollar question. Please go on speculating.”

As the impression that he intended to stay sunk deeper, the Congress backed Chatterjee gently in Delhi and strongly in Kolkata.

“Once elected, the Speaker rises above party affiliation,” spokesperson Jayanti Natarajan said in response to reports that Chatterjee was under pressure to resign. “The controversy has set a potentially dangerous precedent of the presiding officer being asked to quit before any... no-trust vote. This could be a precursor to destabilization of parliamentary democracy.”

Bengal Congress chief Manas Bhuiyan was openly exultant: “Somnath Chatterjee has taken a courageous stand to protest the (CPM) move to vote along with the BJP,” PTI quoted him as saying. “We congratulate Chatterjee...”

The BJP gave its own spin to the crisis: “If reports about his (Chatterjee’s) unwillingness to vote with our party are true, it only shows that he is no longer non-partisan,” spokesman Rajiv Pratap Rudy said.

In the CPM, there was growing frustration with the Speaker. Kerala MP Varkala Radhakrishnan launched the first open attack on him since the controversy began. “His argument (that he does not want to vote with BJP) does not hold water. He didn’t have a problem when BJP supported him for Speaker,” Radhakrishnan, himself a former Kerala assembly speaker, was quoted by PTI as saying. “This is childish.”

In Kolkata, CPM state secretary Biman Bose avoided the press. But party sources said he rang general secretary Prakash Karat to tell him that Bengal Transport Minister Subhas Chakraborty has been told to explain why he had questioned the party line and defended Chatterjee.

Chakraborty, a maverick leader known to be close to Jyoti Basu, however, refused to withdraw the statement. "Why should I withdraw it?" he demanded on Wednesday. It is learnt that Karat has been very upset with Chakraborty since he came out in Chatterjee's defence on Monday.

In Delhi, Karat's senior comrade Sitaram Yechury issued a clarification on reports that he had opposed putting Chatterjee's name on the list of CPM MPs withdrawing support.

"I said the Speaker's name should be included as he was elected as CPM candidate. (But) there should have been an asterisk denoting that he is Lok Sabha Speaker, as is the normal parliamentary practice," Yechury said in a statement.

Indo-US agreement will not impinge on strategic programme: PM

NEW DELHI, July 15: In an expression of confidence that Government will win the July 22 trust vote in Lok Sabha, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Tuesday said that people understand the significance of the initiatives taken by it and "endorse them".

"The Prime Minister expressed confidence that the people of India understood the significance of the initiatives being taken by the UPA Government and endorse them," a brief note, issued by PM's media advisor after Singh's meeting with a group of editors at his residence here, said.

In his first public comments after the Left parties withdrew support to the Government, the Prime Minister dismissed allegations by the Left and the main opposition BJP that the IAEA safeguards agreement would compromise India's strategic programme.

"The agreement will in no way impinge on our strategic programme, which is entirely outside the purview of the IAEA safeguards agreement," he said.

Highlighting the opportunities for international cooperation in civil nuclear energy to meet the challenge of energy security and high technology development, Singh said the IAEA accord would enable India to cooperate in this sector with all the 45 members of the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG).

These include USA, Russia, France and China, he said adding concluding the agreements with IAEA and the NSG would end the era of nuclear apartheid against India.

The Prime Minister also used the occasion to reject charges by the opposition and Left that Government was compromising the country's foreign policy.

"India will never allow any extraneous interference in the conduct of our independent foreign policy," he asserted while making it clear that New Delhi would continue to seek good relations with all its Asian neighbours.

Facing criticism over inflation and rising prices, the Prime Minister outlined the steps taken by his Government to sustain the growth momentum and curb inflation "in the face of external pressures" on account of rising crude oil prices.

He also spelt out measures to insulate the poor "to the extent possible" from inflation.

The Prime Minister also spoke about the initiatives being taken to boost agricultural production and farmers' welfare.

India close to creating history with nuke deal: PM

NEW DELHI, July 11: With the top Congress leadership closing ranks over the Indo-US nuclear deal, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Friday night said India is in the process of making history by going ahead with the deal.

Another highlight of the two-hour long meeting of the Congress Working Committee, the first after the Left withdrawal of support, was an attack on the Left parties by some members and veiled criticism of the Samajwadi Party by a member.

The apex policy making body of the party, which also heard External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee, endorsed the deal and the Government's decision to seek a trust vote.

Presided over by party chief Sonia Gandhi with the Prime Minister by her side, the meeting saw several members, including Rahul Gandhi, asserting that there was no need to be defensive on the deal.

Sources said Singh told the meeting that "we are in the process of making history" as the deal was a unique achievement and that was why many countries, including Pakistan, have not liked it.

Even western media was going to town impressing that India has got away very easily "without paying the price".

Rahul Gandhi reportedly said that the deal was in the national interest and if the Government falls on the issue then it is out of bad luck.

The sources said that Karan Singh and Saifuddin Soz were critical of the Left parties with the former accusing them of indulging in blackmail.

Soz's target of attack was CPM General Secretary Prakash Karat. The Union Minister was a member of the UPA-Left committee on the Indo-US nuclear deal of which Karat was also a member.

They said at the outset, AICC General Secretary Janardan Dwiwedi spoke of the damage to the party due to the alliances and coalitions it made. His comment was in the backdrop of the SP giving support to the coalition at the Centre when the Left has walked out.

His contention was that tying up at the Centre with political rivals in the states harms the party because it fails to take them head on.

Another party General Secretary Mohsina Kidwai cautioned against attempts by BSP's Mayawati as also Left to go in for a "communal" campaign. When a member said that constitutionally there was no need to take a trust vote, Mukherjee said that politically it was necessary. "We do not want to give any opportunity to our opponents".

UPA will win the trust vote on July 22: CWC

In the two-hour meeting, Congress Working Committee endorsed the decision of the government to seek a trust vote.

"The CWC supported the decision taken by the government to seek a trust vote. It also expressed confidence and determination to win the vote of confidence in the Lok Sabha," Congress media department chief and CWC member M Veerappa Moily told reporters after the meeting.

Sonia all praise for Left despite all bitterness

Congress Chief Sonia Gandhi regretted the Left parties' dissociation with the ruling UPA and put on record her appreciation for them.

"Without their support, the UPA could not have been formed and a good deal of what we have achieved would not have been possible," Gandhi said in her opening remarks at a meeting of UPA Coordination Committee in New Delhi.

Thanking the Left parties "who have been with us during these last four years", she said, "unfortunately, we could not carry them with us on the nuclear agreement despite our best efforts. "While we regret their withdrawal of support, it is now time to look ahead," Gandhi said.

Her appreciation came even though the Left have been spewing venom on the Government for its "obsession" with the nuclear deal.

The Left parties ended their over four-year sweet and sour relationship with the UPA after its efforts to dissuade the Government from the Indo-US nuclear deal failed.

UPA confident, to face trust vote on July 22

NEW DELHI, July 11: The UPA has said that it is confident of numbers after meeting its allies on Friday, according to Pranab Mukherjee. The Government is expected to seek a trust vote on July 22 at the special session of Parliament.

Congress President Sonia Gandhi said the party welcomed and thanked the support of Samajwadi Party and that it was ready to face a trust vote.

"The UPA government wishes to seek a trust vote as early as possible. A special session of the Lok Sabha will be convened soon," said the Congress President.

"Before the Left withdrew its support, the PM had said that he would not operationalise the agreement without taking Parliament into confidence. We stand by that position," she said. The Congress had been dealt a blow when Vaiko's MDMK declined to support it on the nuclear deal issue soon after the Left withdrew support to the UPA government.

Meanwhile, Pranab Mukherjee said they appreciated the long standing relationship with the Left. Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Lalu Prasad said the Congress president, too, had appreciated the contribution of the Left parties saying without them the government could not have been formed.

“Left is not our enemy. They have some compulsions, may be some confusions. But we will be together,” said Lalu.

India, Brazil working together for overall development of world: Speaker

By Deepak Arora

NEW DELHI, July 10: The Lok Sabha Speaker, Mr Somnath Chatterjee, has said that India and Brazil are working together for the overall development of the world.

Interacting with the Ambassador of Brazil, Mr. Marco Brandao, who called on him at his residence today, Mr Chatterjee called for enhanced trade and commerce between the two countries.

Mr Chatterjee said India is looking forward for the forthcoming visit of the Brazilian President to participate in the India-Brazil-South Africa Summit.

Referring to the importance of parliamentary exchanges, Mr Chatterjee said that parliamentarians can promote people-to-people contact and bring about better affinity among nations and peoples.

Mr Chatterjee also referred to the successful working of Parliamentary Committees, Parliamentary Forums, Parliament Museum and the Bureau of Parliamentary Studies & Training.

Responding to the views expressed by Mr Chatterjee, Mr. Marco Brandao lauded India's democratic traditions and said that there should be more interaction between the two countries in all spheres, including their Parliaments.

Lok Sabha Speaker launds vibrancy of Parliamentary democracy

NEW DELHI, July 9: During an interaction with a Delegation of the East African Legislative Assembly, led by its Speaker, Mr. Abdirahin Haithar Abdi, currently on a study visit to the Bureau of Parliamentary Studies and Training (BPST) of the Lok Sabha Secretariat, Lok Sabha Speaker, Mr Somnath Chatterjee, lauded the concept of a regional Parliament.
Welcoming it as a praiseworthy experiment, he offered all possible support and cooperation to the East African Legislative Assembly.

During the interaction, Mr Chatterjee referred to some of the major initiatives taken by him such as the Lok Sabha Television Channel, parliamentary fora, parliamentary friendship groups, etc. and emphasized the need for closer interaction between the Parliaments of the two countries.

In his response, the Speaker of the East African Legislative Assembly hailed the achievements of India as the world’s largest democracy and observed that there should be more exchanges among Parliaments to consolidate democracy across the world.

Earlier in the day, interacting with Mr. Levent Bilman, Ambassador of Turkey, who called on him, the Lok Sabha Speaker said that the healthy and warm relationship between India and Turkey should be carried forward.

Condemning the dastardly attack on the Indian Embassy in Kabul, Shri Chatterjee expressed the need that there should be united action by the international community against terrorism in all forms and manifestations.

Responding to the sentiments expressed by Mr Chatterjee, the Turkish Ambassador said that both India and Turkey are rising stars and emphasized the imperative of peace at home and around the world.

Somnath calls for greater cooperation between India and Austria

By Deepak Arora

NEW DELHI, July 8: The Lok Sabha Speaker, Mr Somnath Chatterjee, has emphasized the need for further consolidating the relationship between India and Austria in a comprehensive manner.

During an interaction with Austrian Ambassador, Dr. Ferdinand Maultaschi, who called on him at his residence today, Mr observed that the potential of bilateral trade needs to be fully realized.

Mr Chatterjee highlighted the imperative of parliamentary interaction between the two countries and said that the Indian Parliament is always keen for closer relations with the Austrian Parliament.

Recalling his earlier visit to Austria, Mr Chatterjee said that Austria is one of the greenest and cleanest countries.

Referring to the bomb blast at the Indian embassy in Kabul, the Speaker called for collective action against terrorism.

The Austrian Ambassador invited the Lok Sabha Speaker to visit Austria next year on the occasion of the 60th year of the establishment of diplomatic relations between India and Austria. He also expressed his condolences at the loss of lives in the bomb blast at the Embassy of India in Kabul.

Haryana to hold workshop to promote energy

CHANDIGARH, July 9: A national level workshop on promoting Energy Conservation Building Code (ECBC) is being organised by the Haryana Renewable Energy Department in collaboration with Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE) of the Union Power Ministry on July 11 at Gurgaon.

stating this today, Haryana Financial Commissioner and Principal Secretary, Renewable Energy and Power, Ashok Lavasa said that workshop aimed at highlighting the issues of energy efficient building design, create awareness about ECBC and technological options and project achievements made in energy efficiency in building operational strategies.

He said that Chief Minister, Bhupinder Singh Hooda would be the chief guest at the inaugural function of the workshop.

Hooda would also release a hand book on Energy Conservation Tips for buildings and homes prepared by the Renewable Energy Department.

He said that energy being an essential requirement for human existence and conventional sources of energy being limited, it was high time to create an awakening about efficient use of energy and cutting energy waste as it would be cheapest, easiest and fastest way to solve many energy related problems and improve environment and enhance both energy security and economic development.

He said that it had been observed that adequate attention was not being paid to energy efficiency while designing new buildings.

Left withdraws support; UPA may take trust test on July 21 ahead of approaching IAEA

NEW DELHI, July 8: With time running out for the Indo-US nuclear deal, the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government is likely to seek a vote of confidence tentatively on July 21 before formally approaching the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) for an India-specific safeguards agreement required to operationalise the controversial idea.

Although Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said in Japan his government will be approaching the IAEA "very soon", government managers said the formal approach will be made only after a floor test as the Left parties have withdrawn support to it.

A senior minister said, "Going to the IAEA when the government has lost one significant ally and an unproven majority will handicap our case in Vienna."

Meanwhile, the reports suggest that the IAEA has fixed July 28 as the date for a meeting of the IAEA board of governors to consider India's case.

"The main consideration here is the fact that countries opposed to India going ahead with the nuclear deal without signing the nuclear non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), like China, Pakistan and Australia, may create problems at the IAEA if the government does not renew its mandate in Parliament," said the source.

"Domestic opposition too will ensure that the government is embarrassed if it does not clear a floor test," added the source.

If the special session is held, a question arises over whether a normal monsoon session, due in the last week of July, will be held at all.

"A combined monsoon-winter session will probably be held later, after this abbreviated special session," said the minister. Usually, the government informs the President of India of the likely dates for a session, and the President is supposed to give three weeks notice to call a session.

However, under the previous National Democratic Alliance and UPA governments this three-week notice period has been shortened several times.Once the government has cleared a floor test, it cannot be asked to prove its majority again for the next six months, a fact that favours the government.

India to approach IAEA 'very soon': PM

NEW DELHI, July 7: India's Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Monday announced that India will "very soon" approach the IAEA for a safeguards agreement for the controversial Indo-US nuclear deal where the "process will move very fast".

The Prime Minister's statement to journalists on board the aircraft carrying him to Sapporo in Japan for the G-8 Summit comes amid reports from Vienna, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) headquarters, that the Board of the international nuclear watchdog will meet on July 28 to approve the safeguards agreement.

He said assurances have been given that once India goes to the IAEA, the process will move very fast.

A relaxed and confident Singh made it clear that Government was not afraid of facing Parliament if the Left parties withdraw support.

Having a dig at Leader of Opposition L K Advani, Singh said the BJP leader "need not give any advice" on the issue.

Singh, who will be meeting US President George W Bush on the sidelines of the summit on 9th July, said he would also be holding parleys with other world leaders and seek their support for the nuclear deal at the IAEA and the Nuclear Suppliers' Group.

Singh still sounded conciliatory about the Left parties, who have threatened to withdraw support to his government the moment it takes the next step on the deal, that they were "patriots" and would like to find a way out which would address their concerns and also see the deal through.

He asserted that the deal was in national interest and the government would not compromise India's foreign policy or its strategic programme.

"I have been telling him (George W Bush) and I have always told him that I am committed to the civil nuclear cooperation agreement. That it has been my effort and it will always be my effort to push the agreement and that our government stands committed," Singh said.

"As for the precise date I wouldn't like to say while I am abroad. But we will take a decision very soon."

Initially he was reluctant to say when the government would approach the IAEA.

But when pressed for a specific time-frame and asked how soon, he replied "well I can't tell right now. But you will hear about it when we take such a decision."

Basu to Karat: Go slow over pullout

NEW DELHI/ KOLKATA, July 7: With hours to go for the deadline set by the Communists for their much-talked-about withdrawal of support, the mood in the Red citadel of West Bengal is anything but charged. Apart from Left leaders in New Delhi, cracks have surfaced in the state CPI(M) over the hawkish stance of party general secretary Prakash Karat and his determination to withdraw support from the UPA government over the Indo-US nuclear deal.

Sources in Kolkata said both West Bengal chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee and CPI(M) state secretary Biman Bose were extremely unwilling to toe the Karat line. Former chief minister and party veteran Jyoti Basu has also pointed out the futility of such a step.
"Now that the Samajwadi Party has come out into the open with its decision to bail out the Congress, the Manmohan Singh government will not fall even if the Left pulls out," he indicated after his meeting with Mr Karat on Saturday. An unconvinced Mr Basu also advised Mr Karat against taking any "hasty step."

The CPI(M) general secretary, however, made an impassioned plea and argued that if the party withdrew support on the nuclear issue, it would be viewed as taking a principled stand. His logic was that taking a hard line against "US imperialism" would reaffirm the CPI(M)’s "ideological steadfastness" and offset the damage done by Nandigram.
"Even if the government does not fall, our stand will help us assume the high moral ground," Mr Karat reportedly said.

Despite this, the Left leaders feel they are being pushed towards a "political misadventure" by Mr Karat singlehandedly. A RSP leader said that the Left parties, particularly the CPI(M), were in a "electorally weak" situation. Another leader predicted that the Left would be badly hit during the forthcoming general elections in both West Bengal and Kerala.

The Left has 35 Lok Sabha seats from Bengal, of which the CPI(M) has 26. The Left could be "hit in at least 10 seats if the situation doesn’t improve," a RSP leader said. The same could be true in Kerala. The CPI(M) and CPI have 19 seats. "This time the Left will lose at least 10 seats in Kerala," a CPI leader said.

In Bengal, for the first time in three decades, the Reds are not looking forward to an election. The Congress’ growing proximity to the Trinamul Congress is adding to its worries.

With only a few hours remaining for the reply from external affairs minister Pranab Mukherjee, the moderates in the CPI(M) and other Left parties are hoping that the situation "somewhow turns in our favour."
The Left leaders are now desperately looking for ways to switch the agenda from the nuclear deal to issues like inflation. "We know that we have gone so far that a retreat is now difficult, but if Pranab Mukherjee sends a reply which addresses our concerns then it may, even now, give us some breathing space and possibly a facesaver," a Kolkata district party leader said. And perhaps for a change, the Marxists are praying.

UPA govt. to sign N-deal come what may: Dasmunshi

Raiganj (West Bengal), July 5: The UPA government will sign the civil nuclear deal with the USA in time 'come what may' and there was no threat to the Manmohan Singh government, Union Minister Priya Ranjan Dasmunshi said here on Saturday.

"There is absolutely no threat to the UPA government which will sign the nuclear deal with the US in time, come what may. There is no hesitation in this regard," Dasmunshi, Information and Broadcasting minister, told reporters here.

Ruling out immediate Lok Sabha polls, the minister accused 'a section of the media' of spreading 'disinformation' about early polls and termed the reports as 'misleading and confusing'.

"Lok Sabha elections will be held as per the schedule," he asserted.

Without naming either the CPI(M) or BJP for mounting moves to topple the UPA government, he said "the UPA, under the Congress, will complete its full term."

Sonia greets people on 796th 'Urs' of Khwaja Gareeb Nawaj

NEW DELHI, July 5: Congress President Sonia Gandhi on Saturday greeted the people on the 796th 'Urs' of Khwaja Gareeb Nawaj, being celebrated from 5th to 15th July.

In a statement released on Saturday, Sonia said Hazrat Khwaja Moinuddin Chisti is one of the great Sufis who have contributed in a big way to our great country occupying the pride of place as the land of peace and harmony through the ages.

"That his ideas have endured over the centuries is the greatest tribute that can be paid to this great saint," she said.

Indian Govt weighing options on Nuke deal issue

NEW DELHI, June 27: A day after the virtual collapse of talks between the UPA and Left over the Indo-US nuclear deal, the Indian government on Thursday appeared to be weighing various options before it on whether to push the agreement forward.

The Left parties, which are virtually reconciled to the possibility of the government approaching the IAEA to sign the safeguards agreement, still appeared to have not given up hopes.

CPI(M) leader Sitaram Yechury met External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee and is understood to have discussed whether a way out of the logjam could be still be found on the issue. However, he refused to speak to the press about his discussions with Mukherjee.

Sources in the Government, meanwhile, maintained that it was committed to signing the safeguards agreement with IAEA and the political leadership was weighing the options in this regard.

The various scenarios included a possible trial of strength if the government goes ahead with the deal and the Left withdraws support.

Ruling UPA sources said in such a scenario the role of 39-member Samajwadi Party would become crucial for survival of the government.

A senior minister, who is in favour of the deal, sounded a note of caution on the government going ahead with the deal. Speaking on condition of anonymity, he said there are various processes involved in operationalisation of the deal even after signing the agreement with IAEA.

US President George W Bush, the minister felt, did not have the political capital to push the deal through at the 45-nation Nuclear Suppliers Group and wondered what the government would gain at the end of all this if the deal does not go through.

He felt that the government may have invited early elections and antagonised the Left parties whose support may be required again after the next Lok Sabha elections.

He said an evaluation process was on in the party and the government of all these issues and it was now a political call to be taken by the leadership.

Government sources also rubbished the Left contention that the nuclear deal would be on "auto pilot" if India signs the agreement with IAEA.

They argued that after the agreement with IAEA, NSG would have to be approached for a waiver to allow India to have nuclear trade with international community.

While sounding optimistic about the IAEA Board of Directors approving the safeguards agreement with India, the sources said the NSG would not on its own decide on the issue, the sources said.

Any proposal like not going beyond the IAEA agreement would also not be logical, the sources contended.

Insisting that there was no time-frame for concluding the deal, the sources said the timing does not depend on India, but on the IAEA, NSG and the US Congress, who have to go by their procedures and calender.

IAEA Board of Directors' meeting can be called within 72 hours but the "sovereign" decision lies with the UN body itself.

Left-UPA stand-off shows no sign of resolution

NEW DELHI, June 24: The Left-UPA stand-off showed no signs of resolution with both sides sticking to their guns ahead of Wednesday's crucial meeting of their Committee on the Indo-US nuclear deal, as Samajwadi Party appeared to be emerging as a key player in case of a trial of strength in Parliament.

Two key constituents of the UPA backed the government on the deal but felt that the Left parties' concerns should be taken into account before taking the next step on the deal. DMK representative and Union Minister T R Baalu met Congress president Sonia Gandhi on Tuesday and discussed the situation.

The Congress party backed Prime Minister Manmohan Singh fully on government's determination to approach the IAEA for a safeguards agreement, a demand the Left parties have strongly opposed.

Mulayam Singh Yadav, supremo of the Samajwadi Party, which has 39 MPs in Lok Sabha, arrived in town but kept his cards close to the chest on what his party would do in case the Left parties withdrew support

Congress sources privy to the discussions in the Left-UPA Committee ruled out any compromise by the government on taking the next step and a decision will depend on Wednesday's meeting.

However, the Left parties also ruled out any compromise on the issue and rejected reports of accepting a formula doing the rounds under which the government would be allowed to go to IAEA after accepting an assurance from UPA constituents that the government would not go to the Nuclear Suppliers Group.

The meeting of the Left-UPA Committee last week was postponed after no meeting ground could be found by the two sides when government insisted that it was keen on approaching the IAEA.

External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee, the government's chief negotiator on the deal, returns late on Tuesday night from his Australian trip to attend the meeting on Wednesday.

Congress sources said that at Wednesday's meeting, the government would make it clear that it wanted to go to IAEA and would like to persuade the Left in the move. It would also assure the Left that it would come back to the Committee before going to the NSG.

Sources said the Prime Minister has indicated that he would like to have a sense of the House before operationalising the nuclear deal. They also said that the safeguards agreement with IAEA and a waiver from the NSG guidelines was a "package deal".

"We will be conceding a lot of things at the IAEA and we should also get something in return," the sources said. Depending on the Left's response, the government would have to take a political call if the outside allies do not agree.

The political call would have to be taken by Gandhi and the Prime Minister and that would include whether to go to IAEA and in that case also anticipate the possibility of polls and decide the appropriate time for it, they said.

But the government is also cautious that its action should not lead to early elections.

Congress General Secretary Digvijay Singh said the organisation would stand by the Prime Minister and there was no impasse as consultations were on with the Left.

Asked about his party's stand, Mulayam Singh said his party would decide on the issue after a meeting with the UNPA allies on July three. "We will not take any decision on our own as we are part of the UNPA we cannot go against our allies."

Meanwhile, CPI General Secretary A B Bardhan asked the government to refrain from forcing elections by pushing ahead with the deal.

He said the government seemed to be in a hurry to move with the agreement instead of giving the IAEA safeguards draft and relevant information to the UPA-Left Committee.

Bardhan appealed to Gandhi to take into account the feelings of alliance partners and stop the government from going ahead with the deal. "But if they are so keen about bringing their own fall, how can we prevent it," he asked at a press conference in Bhubaneshwar.

In signs that the constituents would not like a break with the Left, Baalu said after his meeting with the Congress President that his party was in favour of "both the government as well as the comrades" and ruled out the possibility of early elections.

He said the stand-off would be resolved through consensus.

TDP leader Rammohan Rao and Forward Bloc General Secretary Debabrata Biswas had separate meetings with Prakash Karat and discussed the political fallout of the nuclear issue.

'UPA-Left parties' unity shouldn't be disrupted'

CHENNAI, June 22: DMK Chief M Karunanidhi on Sunday said that the unity between the UPA and Left parties should not be disrupted over the latter's opposition to the Indo-US nuclear deal, as it would affect the nation's progress.

Emerging from Karunanidhi's residence after a 40-minute meeting with him and CPI leader D Raja, Karat told reporters that the Chief Minister had told them that the disruption would only pave the way for 'communal forces' to gain the upper hand.

Karat said they had assured Karunanidhi that the Left parties would meet again to find a solution to the Indo-US nuclear deal.

"We will meet Karunanidhi again," he said.

Karat said they had put forth the Left parties' views on the UPA government's move to go ahead with negotiations with the IAEA board of governors on the safeguards agreement.

"We are against it. We have explained to him our stand. As a senior leader of the UPA, Karunanidhi will take up the issue with the Congress," he said.

"We have assured him that the Left parties will discuss the matter and come out with a solution," he said.

On the Indo-Pakistan-Iran pipeline, he said, "We want the negotiations to continue so that the deal is completed".

Double digit inflation hits India after 13-year gap

NEW DELHI, June 20: The rate of inflation in India has galloped to a 13-year high to 11.05 per cent for the week ended June 7, confounding the worst fears of the United Progressive Alliance Government as general elections loom. This has been caused mainly by the June 5 increases in fuel prices and its cascading effect on all food commodities and other manufactured items, such as consumer durable goods and steel.

The unexpected spurt in the wholesale price index-based inflation from 8.75 per cent in the previous week evoked sharp criticism from all political parties, including the UPA’s coalition partners and Left allies, of the government’s failure to hold the price line and sustain the benefits of high growth.

Reserve Bank of India data show that the last time inflation was in double digits was in April-May 1995 when it ruled above 11 per cent.

Stalemate on nuclear deal continues

NEW DELHI: Amid efforts to keep both the Indo-U.S. nuclear deal and the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) arrangement alive, External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee on Friday said there was no improvement or deterioration on the deal.

Mukherjee made the remark after an evening meeting with Communist Party of India (Marxist) general secretary Prakash Karat.

While reiterating the Left parties’ opposition to the deal, Karat is learnt to have told Mukherjee and Defence Minister A. K. Antony that the government should not go to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) without the approval of the UPA-Left joint committee on the deal.

Karat told the Ministers that the committee – set up to discuss the problems arising out of the provisions of the Hyde Act and its impact on the 123 Agreement, as well as India’s foreign policy – had not arrived at its findings. Therefore, the government should not proceed any further with the deal.

The Congress, while stressing the need to maintain the coalition with the Left parties, echoed the oft-repeated comment of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh that the UPA was not a “one issue government.”

The party’s reiteration came just hours after Karat quoted Dr. Singh’s comment.

While expressing the hope that the UPA government would last its full term, Karat said at a seminar that serious efforts were on in this direction.

“The Prime Minister had sometime back said that this is not a one-issue government. I hope it will last its full term,” he said without referring to the stand-off.

In the morning, Karat met Nationalist Congress Party president Sharad Pawar. Pawar supports the deal but is in favour of addressing the concerns of the Left.

Mukherjee also met Communist Party of India national secretary D. Raja.

Ahead of their meetings with Mr. Mukherjee, the two Left leaders met to take stock of the situation arising out of the urgency shown by the government to take the draft of the India-specific safeguards agreement to the IAEA Board of Governors.

Congress spokesman Shakeel Ahmed echoed the views of the UPA constituents. “The deal is in national interest. The Left parties have some reservations and we should carry them along with us.”

As to whether the party was diluting its position on the deal and not backing the Prime Minister on the issue, the answer was in the negative.

Ahmed pointed out that party president Sonia Gandhi herself had pitched for it in Guwahati last week.

Hectic parleys to resolve N-deal issue

NEW DELHI: The main ruling Congress party and the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) it leads are expected to authorise Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to take a final decision on the India-US nuclear deal which is facing uncertainties.

The Congress Working Committee (CWC), the apex decision-making body of the party, is likely to meet in the weekend, followed by a meeting of the UPA, and both were likely to authorise the prime minister to decide the future of the nuclear deal amid continued resistance from the Left parties, government sources said late Thursday.

Thursday saw a series of meetings involving Congress ministers, alliance leaders and communists as they discussed a range of possibilities to resolve the stalemate over the nuclear deal.

The Left parties that prop up the Manmohan Singh government have refused to dilute their opposition to the deal, even as the Congress wants to save the pact that can open doors of global civil nuclear commerce for India.

External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee, Defence Minister A.K. Antony, Science and Technology Minister Kapil Sibal and Prithviraj Chavan, minister of state in the Prime Minister's Office, held a meeting.

Mukherjee later separately met Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar, who heads the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), and Railway Minister Lalu Prasad, who heads the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) - both key allies of the Congress.

Mukherjee also met Sitaram Yechury, a politburo member of the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M), which leads the four-party Left Front.

According to the sources, one of the suggestions emerging from the meetings was that the government could approach the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) with the draft of the India-specific safeguards agreement with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), which is yet to be signed pending a green signal from the Left, before taking the pact to the board of governors of the UN atomic watchdog.

The pact with the IAEA, followed by a change in the NSG's guidelines, are the next two key steps required to make the nuclear deal operational.

According to the sources, the Left parties indicated to the government that even if they withdrew support they would not seek a floor test in parliament that could jeopardise the UPA regime.

Parliament's monsoon session was also likely to be postponed to mid-August, the sources said, adding that if the prime minister decided to go ahead and sign the nuclear deal, it would take place only after the monsoon session.

Left-UPA Govt meet on nuke deal postponed

NEW DELHI, June 18: The crucial talks between the Left parties and the Government on the Indo-US nuclear deal was suddenly postponed on Wednesday apparently as the two sides saw no meeting ground on their positions.

No reason was given for the last minute postponement but Left leaders linked it to the ministers being preoccupied with the visit of Syrian President Hafez Assad.

There was also talk in political circles that the government declined to make public the draft safeguards agreement.

Left sources said they have been told that the meeting will now be held on June 25.

Responding to a question on postponement of the meeting, a Congress spokesperson Jayanthi Natarajan said the Congress Party stands committed to this important Indo-US nuclear agreement, commonly known as 123, because it keeps open the option of clean nuclear energy which is absolutely vital for the energy security of the nation.

She said the announcement has already been made that due to the visit of the Syrian President, External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee, who is an important part of the negotiations for the UPA, has requested that some more time be given.

Jayanthi said "a fresh date has already been announced and we are confident that we will be able to convince our allies who are part of the government."

However, leaders of Left parties, who maintain that they continue to oppose the deal, including the India-specific safeguards agreement with IAEA, met in the evening to review the situation.

As the government made a last ditch attempt to arrive at a consensus, CPI(M) leader Sitaram Yechury met Congress President Sonia Gandhi on Tuesday night while National Security Advisor M K Narayanan talked to CPI(M) General Secretary Prakash Karat.

External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee, the government's pointsman on the deal, too had a meeting with Karat on Tuesday for about half an hour, after which he met Union Minister Kapil Sibal separately.

The meeting between Mukherjee and Karat was the second within 24 hours after their previous talks on Monday night when the Left's stand was once again conveyed to the government.

Mukherjee, who heads the UPA-Left Committee on the nuclear deal, is understood to have urged the Left parties to allow the government seal the India-specific safeguards agreement with International Atomic Energy Agency, a plea that was rejected by the Left leader.

The safeguards agreement with the IAEA is a step towards implementing the deal.

Karat also had an hour-long meeting with his CPI counterpart A B Bardhan on Tuesday, though the latter maintained that the nuclear issue did not come up for discussion.

Indo-US N-deal not dead: Yechury

NEW DELHI, June 12: In a surprise development, a senior CPI-M leader Sitaram Yechury on Thursday said that the Indo-US nuclear deal was not dead. However, he also added that he did not agree with the PM's views that the deal was crucial to India.

On Wednesday, the Prime Minister had made a last-ditch appeal for the Indo-US nuclear deal saying that it was important for India strategically.

But Ashley Trellis, one of the authors of the deal, had said in the London Financial Times that now it was too late to execute the Indo-US deal.

Maintaining that it is committed to the Indo-US nuclear deal, the US had on Thursday sought to push the ball into India's court saying it was for the country's leadership to decide on the pact.

''This administration has been firm in its support for this deal. It continues to be so. Right now we're at a situation where this is with the Indian government and literally with the Indian people. This is a matter for them to decide and then follow through with,'' acting US spokesman for the deal Gonzolo Gallegos said.

Jassal is India's new envoy to Turkey, Chitra Narayanan to Switzerland

NEW DELHI, June 12: Raminder Singh Jassal, India's Deputy Chief of Mission in Washington, has been appointed the Ambassador to Turkey.

Jassal succeeds Chitra Narayanan, the daughter of former President late K R Narayanan, who moves as India's envoy in Switzerland.

Jassal, who served as Joint Secretary in the External Publicity Division of the Ministry of External Affairs from 1999-2001, had the task of communicating India's position to the world at the height of the Kargil war.

As India's official spokesman, the 1976 batch IFS officer also handled media arrangements for all foreign visits of the Prime Minister and all incoming state and official visits including that of President Bill Clinton in March 2000.

Jassal was also a member of the Indian negotiating team for the Indo-US civil nuclear deal, which is now stuck due to the opposition by Left parties.

Jassal served as India's Ambassador to Israel from 2001-2004 and had joined as Deputy Chief of Mission Embassy of India, Washington on 17th January 2005.

N-power can be doubled immediately if sanctions lifted

MUMBAI, June 12: Nuclear power generation can be doubled in the existing plants with the lifting of sanctions on dual-use technology and fuel that may follow after the signing of Indo-US civil nuclear deal, a senior NPCIL official said on Thursday.

"Power generation of all the existing commercial nuclear power plants can be doubled without adding any new capacity (plants) if the three-decade-old sanctions imposed on fuel and dual-use technologies is lifted," a Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL) official said.

Last year NPCIL generated 17 billion units of electricity and if sanctions on fuel and dual-use technologies are lifted, the generation can be increased to 34 billion units immediately, he said.

The current total power generation of India is 704 billion units (2007-08) of which 17 billion units (three per cent of the total) comes from nuclear and this can be doubled straightaway constituting six per cent of the total generation, he said.

The shortage in electricity generation is 10 per cent and if fuel is available, the nuclear industry could take care of three percent of the shortage," he added.

Considering world over 90 per cent plant capacity is possible, NPCIL has already demonstrated over 90 per cent capacity, he said.

However, sanction can be lifted only if the deal is struck, the NPCIL official said adding that sanction was imposed on India over three decades ago after India's first nuclear test in 1974.

Farmer protest turn bloody in Karnataka

BANGALORE, June 10: Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa called for an emergency meeting after farmer protests in Dharwad turned violent. The police first used teargas and lathicharge to dispell them but later used real bullets which hit some farmers who were seriously wounded. The farmers had stages a ‘rasta roko’ for over four hours and also tried to loot fertislisers shops in the city. The farmers were protesting the lack of seeds and fertilisers Tension is rising in the area and additional forces have been rushed as a precautionary measure.

Meanwhile, Yeddyurappa today (June 10) appealed to the farming community, which has been protesting over shortage of fertilisers, not to resort to violence. "I appeal to farmers to maintain peace, harmony and Law and order. I appeal them not to resort to violence as it will cause hardship to people", Yeddyurappa, whose government came under sharp attack from opposition parties and Raitha Sangha leaders, said.

The government is making all out effort to ensure enough supply of fertilisers and seeds, Yeddyurappa said after parts of Haveri district witnessed violent protests and police firing in which one farmer was killed and four injured.

Yeddyurappa alleged that some farmers have been on buying spree, triggering fertiliser shortage and added "hereafter, the government will sell fertiliser to farmers on production of documents to check hoarding". He warned that stern action will be initiated against those traders who resort to hoarding of stocks.

Probe ordered into police firing in Karnataka

Karnataka Government today (June 10) ordered an inquiry into the police firing in Karnataka's Haveri town which left a person dead and four others injured. A compensation of Rs two lakh to the family of the farmer who was killed, Rs 50,000 to those injured seriously and Rs 25,000 to those who suffered minor injuries was also announced by Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa. "Belgaum Division Regional Commissioner Amita Prasad will conduct a probe into the incident and submit a report to the government within ten days," Yeddyurappa told reporters after reviewing the situation at a high level meeting.

Yeddyurappa, who was visibly upset over the shocking incident that occurred 12 days after his government assumed office, said it was a "planned conspiracy to taint the image of the government". Meanwhile, the state government deployed DGP Srikumar to Haveri to take steps to maintain law and order.

Congress reacts

Describing as an act of "terror" against farmers the police firing in Haveri town, Karnataka's main opposition Congress today (June 10) said it would launch a state-wide agitation against the BJP government in the state. "It is just a first warning to those who fight for their problems. The BJP government, which was sworn-in in the name of farmers, has fired bullets at them. My party strongly condemns this", Congress leader M Mallikarjun Kharge said.

Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa kept on claiming that his government was pro-farmer and now it has claimed the life of a farmer, Kharge said. Kharge rejected Yeddyurappa's charge that there was a conspiracy against his government. "Instead of discharging their duty, they are blaming others". Kharge said he will visit Haveri tomorrow.

Underprivileged children celebrate Environment Day at Parliament

By Deepak Arora

NEW DELHI, June 5: To mark the World Environment Day, the Lok Sabha Secretariat today organized an environment awareness programme for the underprivileged children in association with Ambpali, an organization working for children and women on environment related issues at the Children's Corner of Parliament Library.

During the programme, various activities like making of paper bags from recycled papers, making of paper-mache products like pencil covers and painting competition were organized for the participants.

There were awareness talks on maintaining the clean environment by the Environmentalists. A total of 60 children participated in various activities during the day.

Lok Sabha Secretary-General P.D.T. Achary graced the occasion and distributed prizes to the winners of various activities.

It may be recalled that Children's Corner was inaugurated by the Lok Sabha Speaker, Mr Somnath Chatterjee on August 21 2007.

Earlier, a Literary and Cultural Activity Week for the underprivileged children from five NGOs -- Bal Ashram, Mobile Creche, Abhas, Saksham Bharti and Pratham -- was organized in association with Bachpan Society in the Children's Corner of the Parliament Library from May 26 to 30.

The winners of various events during the Literary and Cultural Activity Week were also distributed the prizes today.

Cultural activity week for underprivileged children at Parliament

By Deepak Arora

NEW DELHI, May 30: A Literary and Cultural Activity Week for the underprivileged children from five NGOs -- Bal Ashram, Mobile Creche, Abhas, Saksham Bharti and Pratham -- was organized in association with Bachpan Society in the Children's Corner of the Parliament Library from May 26 to 30, 2008.

During the programme, various activities like story-writing, poetry-recital and Quiz Competition on Festivals of India were organized for the participants.