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Watch: India Watch, 12th June 2019

After continuous barbs during elections campaigning, Prime Minister Narendra Modi today paid tribute to former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi on his death anniversary. "Tributes to former PM Shri Rajiv Gandhi on his death anniversary," Prime Minister Modi tweeted.

Ex-PM Manmohan Singh, PM Modi pays tribute to Rajiv Gandhi on his 28th death anniversary

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley hit out at Indian Overseas Congress chief Sam Pitroda on Friday over his remarks on 1984 anti-Sikh riots.

On being asked to respond on the BJP's claim citing the Nanavati commission report that the instructions for the violence had come from late Rajiv Gandhi who had taken up the post of Prime Minister after his mother Indira Gandhi was assassinated, Pitroda had said, "it happened in 1984, so what?"

"I don't think so, this is also another lie, and what about 1984? You speak about what you have done in five years. It happened in 1984, so what? (1984 hua toh hua). What have you done? (Ab kya hai 84 ka? Aapne kya kiya 5 saal mein, uski baat kariye. 84 mein hua to hua. Aapne kya kiya?)"

Taking Twitter to slam Pitroda, Jaitley said, "It is a matter of disgrace that the Congress Party has no remorse over the Sikh killings of 1984."

"Sam Pitroda's 'Hua to Hua' reaction to the 1984 Sikh killings is reflective of the lack of remorse on the part of Congress Party with respect to the 1984 genocide," he continued in another tweet.

"Will the Congress President oust his 'Guru', who rubbishes the genocide of India's most patriotic community in 1984?" Jaitley asked in another tweet.

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Will the Congress President oust his 'Guru', who rubbishes the genocide of India's most patriotic community in 1984?
— Chowkidar Arun Jaitley (@arunjaitley) <a href="https://twitter.com/arunjaitley/status/1126710704390541312?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 10, 2019</a></blockquote>
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Yesterday, BJP party president Amit Shah slammed Pitroda saying that India will never forgive "murderer" Congress for its sins."

"Agony of the entire Sikh community. Suffering of all those Sikh families killed by Congress leaders in 1984. Attack on Delhi’s secular ethos. All Summed up in these three words by Sam Pitroda - Hua To Hua. &nbsp;India will never forgive #MurdererCongress for its sins," Shah's tweet read.

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Agony of the entire Sikh community. 
 
Suffering of all those Sikh families killed by Congress leaders in 1984. 
 
Attack on Delhi’s secular ethos. 
 
All Summed up in these three words by Sam Pitroda - Hua To Hua. 
 
India will never forgive <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MurdererCongress?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MurdererCongress</a> for its sins. <a href="https://t.co/ouYXeHJHlf">pic.twitter.com/ouYXeHJHlf</a>
— Chowkidar Amit Shah (@AmitShah) <a href="https://twitter.com/AmitShah/status/1126497512280313862?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 9, 2019</a></blockquote>
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The anti-Sikh riots took place after the assassination of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi.

According to official records, about 2,800 Sikhs were killed across India, including 2,100 in Delhi, during the pogrom that broke out after then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi was assassinated by her Sikh bodyguards.

(With inputs from agencies)

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley hit out at Indian Overseas Congress chief Sam Pitroda on Friday over his remarks on 1984 anti-Sikh riots. On being asked to respond on the BJP's claim citing the Nanavati commission report that the instructions for the violence had come from late Rajiv Gandhi who had taken up the post of Prime Minister after his mother Indira Gandhi was assassinated, Pitroda had said, "it happened in 1984, so what?

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley hit out at Indian Overseas Congress chief Sam Pitroda on Friday over his remarks on 1984 anti-Sikh riots. On being asked to respond on the BJP's claim citing the Nanavati commission report that the instructions for the violence had come from late Rajiv Gandhi who had taken up the post of Prime Minister after his mother Indira Gandhi was assassinated, Pitroda had said, "it happened in 1984, so what?" "I don't think so, this is also another lie, and what about 1984? You speak about what you have done in five years. It happened in 1984, so what? (1984 hua toh hua). What have you done? (Ab kya hai 84 ka? Aapne kya kiya 5 saal mein, uski baat kariye. 84 mein hua to hua. Aapne kya kiya?)" Taking Twitter to slam Pitroda, Jaitley said, "It is a matter of disgrace that the Congress Party has no remorse over the Sikh killings of 1984." "Sam Pitroda's 'Hua to Hua' reaction to the 1984 Sikh killings is reflective of the lack of remorse on the part of Congress Party with respect to the 1984 genocide," he continued in another tweet. "Will the Congress President oust his 'Guru', who rubbishes the genocide of India's most patriotic community in 1984?" Jaitley asked in another tweet. Will the Congress President oust his 'Guru', who rubbishes the genocide of India's most patriotic community in 1984? — Chowkidar Arun Jaitley (@arunjaitley) May 10, 2019 × Yesterday, BJP party president Amit Shah slammed Pitroda saying that India will never forgive "murderer" Congress for its sins." "Agony of the entire Sikh community. Suffering of all those Sikh families killed by Congress leaders in 1984. Attack on Delhi’s secular ethos. All Summed up in these three words by Sam Pitroda - Hua To Hua. India will never forgive #MurdererCongress for its sins," Shah's tweet read. Agony of the entire Sikh community. Suffering of all those Sikh families killed by Congress leaders in 1984. Attack on Delhi’s secular ethos. All Summed up in these three words by Sam Pitroda - Hua To Hua. India will never forgive #MurdererCongress for its sins. pic.twitter.com/ouYXeHJHlf — Chowkidar Amit Shah (@AmitShah) May 9, 2019 × The anti-Sikh riots took place after the assassination of former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. According to official records, about 2,800 Sikhs were killed across India, including 2,100 in Delhi, during the pogrom that broke out after then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi was assassinated by her Sikh bodyguards. (With inputs from agencies)

Arun Jaitley, Amit Shah slams Sam Pitroda over his remark on 1984 anti-Sikh riots

PM Modi says former PM Rajiv Gandhi used a naval ship to take his in-laws for a holiday. Watch video to know more.

IEW: PM Modi's fresh attack on Rajiv Gandhi

Watch 'India Election Watch.' This is the show that brings you the latest on world's biggest electoral exercise, Verified updates & Unbiased analysis.

India Election Watch; 09th May, 2019

In an <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-general-elections-2019/bjp-will-win-lok-sabha-polls-opposition-can-keep-dreaming-pm-modi-to-wion-217331">exclusive interview with WION Editor-in-Chief Sudhir Chaudhary</a>, Prime Minister Narendra Modi reacted over his recent remark on former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi. He said that he had "given factual information" and nothing else.

The prime minister lashed out at the Congress party and said that "if you want votes in the name of someone's legacy then you must be ready to answer questions as well".

The incidents that happened during a prime minister's tenure, won't those be discussed?" the prime minister enquired adding that "I have not made any allegations on anyone".

"You are answerable and you will have to answer questions... on the Bhopal gas tragedy, on the Bofors defence deal," the PM said.&nbsp;

Last week, PM Modi had targeted the former prime minister while attacking Congress chief Rahul Gandhi.&nbsp;

"Your father (<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-general-elections-2019/why-is-rahul-disturbed-if-integrity-of-rajiv-gandhi-government-are-questioned-arun-jaitley-216175">Rajiv Gandhi) was termed Mr Clean</a> by his courtiers, but his life ended as bhrashtachari No 1," Modi had said during a rally in Uttar Pradesh on Saturday.&nbsp;

Responding to PM Modi's comments Rahul Gandhi had tweeted, "Modi Ji, the battle is over. Your Karma awaits you. Projecting your inner beliefs about yourself onto my father won't protect you. All my love and a huge hug".

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Sunday wondered why Congress president Rahul Gandhi gets disturbed when integrity issues of his late father Rajiv Gandhi-led government are raised and the 'Q' connection in the Bofors gun-deal is questioned. 
&nbsp;

In an exclusive interview with WION Editor-in-Chief Sudhir Chaudhary, Prime Minister Narendra Modi reacted over his recent remark on former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi.

In an exclusive interview with WION Editor-in-Chief Sudhir Chaudhary, Prime Minister Narendra Modi reacted over his recent remark on former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi. He said that he had "given factual information" and nothing else. The prime minister lashed out at the Congress party and said that "if you want votes in the name of someone's legacy then you must be ready to answer questions as well". The incidents that happened during a prime minister's tenure, won't those be discussed?" the prime minister enquired adding that "I have not made any allegations on anyone". "You are answerable and you will have to answer questions... on the Bhopal gas tragedy, on the Bofors defence deal," the PM said. Last week, PM Modi had targeted the former prime minister while attacking Congress chief Rahul Gandhi. "Your father (Rajiv Gandhi) was termed Mr Clean by his courtiers, but his life ended as bhrashtachari No 1," Modi had said during a rally in Uttar Pradesh on Saturday. Responding to PM Modi's comments Rahul Gandhi had tweeted, "Modi Ji, the battle is over. Your Karma awaits you. Projecting your inner beliefs about yourself onto my father won't protect you. All my love and a huge hug". Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Sunday wondered why Congress president Rahul Gandhi gets disturbed when integrity issues of his late father Rajiv Gandhi-led government are raised and the 'Q' connection in the Bofors gun-deal is questioned.

I have not made any allegations on anyone, just stated facts: PM Modi on his remark on Rajiv Gandhi 

Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra Wednesday <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/priyanka-gandhi-will-be-wasting-her-time-campaigning-in-the-national-capital-kejriwal-216999">invoked her Delhi roots</a> during a roadshow here, and threw an open challenge at Prime Minister <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-general-elections-2019/india-will-stop-flow-of-our-share-of-water-to-pakistan-pm-modi-at-kurukshetra-poll-rally-217039">Narendra Modi</a> to fight the last two phases of the Lok Sabha election on the issue of the "false promises" he made to people.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-general-elections-2019/ncpcr-notice-to-priyanka-gandhi-over-use-of-children-in-electioneering-215473">Priyanka Gandhi</a>, 47, said she was born in Delhi and knows the city like the back of her hand.

She held two roadshows in a span of four hours in favour of party candidates from the Northeast Delhi and the South Delhi constituencies -- Sheila Dikshit and Vijender Singh.&nbsp;

During her first roadshow in support of Dikshit, she said the people of the city were tired of Modi's "purposeless talk".

"Being a Delhi girl, I challenge you to fight the last two phases on the issues of demonetisation, GST, women security and the false promises you made to the people of the country," she said, as the crowd clapped, cheered and whistled.

Modi had challenged the Congress to fight the last two phases in the name of Rajiv Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi's father and former prime minister who he has described as "Bhrashtachari No 1" (corrupt no 1).

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Priyanka Gandhi said Modi has been shifting the blame on former prime ministers Jawaharlal Nehru and Indira Gandhi, like a school child trying to escape punishment from teachers.&nbsp;

She also accused Modi of "destroying" institutions and the BJP of "playing politics in the name of religion".

Perched atop a minibus, she said, "I cannot disrespect you (people of Delhi). We are not arrogant like BJP. We know you have made us what we are today."

"Modi ji has been in Delhi for five years. I was born in the city. I have seen every bylane, every nook and cranny of the city. I will tell you (Modi) what the people of Delhi think. They (people) are tired of your purposeless talk. You keep yourself confined to your Race Course Road residence," she said.

The prime minister's officials residence is 7, Race Course Road. The name of the road was changed to Lok Kalyan Marg in 2016.

Priyanka Gandhi accused Modi of indulging in negative politics and said he cannot give a direct answer to questions asked about the work he did in the past five years.

Raking up the issue of GST, she said the new indirect tax regime broke the back of businessmen.

The AICC general secretary also referred to the BJP's 2014 poll promises, including that of providing two&nbsp;crore jobs every year.

"You talk about nationalism. Is securing a better future for the youth of the country, not nationalism?" she asked.

She asked the crowd if they got the jobs to which the people responded in the negative.

"He (Modi) failed to protect soldiers, youths and women but who will hold him accountable and who will seek answers from him," she asked the gathering which replied, "We will."

"You have to vote and strengthen yourself. He (Modi) is destroying all institutions and they (BJP) are playing politics in the name of religion. Delhi is the heart of the nation. Raise your voice...We have had enough," she said.

The roadshow started in Seelampur, a minority-dominated area, and meandered with a sea of people towards the Yamuna Vihar depot, where it culminated.

The Congress leaders waved at the ebullient hordes of supporters who raised slogans "Desh me andhi, Priyanka Gandhi" Gandhi&nbsp;and "Priyanka nahi ye andhi hai dusri Indira Gandhi hai''.&nbsp;

As people jostled with each other to catch a glimpse of Priyanka Gandhi, women in the balconies of the houses lining the streets showered her with bucket loads of rose petals.

Her cavalcade curled through the lanes amid a cacophony of claps, hooting, sloganeering and drum beating.

"Sanitation is the main issue here. Manoj Tiwari (the BJP MP seeking reelection from the seat) was never seen here. (Chief Minister) Arvind Kejriwal cannot run the government," said Zubair Ahmed, a resident of Seelampur.

Priyanka Gandhi also held another roadshow in support of the party's candidate for the South Delhi seat, Vijender Singh.

The hour-long roadshow began from Virat Cinema and culminated at the Tigri traffic intersection, after winding its way through people-filled streets.

Slogans of "Boxer bhai zindabad, Priyanka Gandhi zindabad" rented the air, as the two leaders waved at the elated crowd that included people of all ages.

"When I see her, she reminds me of Indira Gandhi. And her entering politics has lent fresh energy to Congress. Our party will do well," Om Wati, 54, a former municipal councillor of Delhi, said.

Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra Wednesday invoked her Delhi roots during a roadshow here, and threw an open challenge at Prime Minister Narendra Modi to fight the last two phases of the Lok Sabha election on the issue of the "false promises" he made to people.

Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra Wednesday invoked her Delhi roots during a roadshow here, and threw an open challenge at Prime Minister Narendra Modi to fight the last two phases of the Lok Sabha election on the issue of the "false promises" he made to people. Priyanka Gandhi, 47, said she was born in Delhi and knows the city like the back of her hand. She held two roadshows in a span of four hours in favour of party candidates from the Northeast Delhi and the South Delhi constituencies -- Sheila Dikshit and Vijender Singh. During her first roadshow in support of Dikshit, she said the people of the city were tired of Modi's "purposeless talk". "Being a Delhi girl, I challenge you to fight the last two phases on the issues of demonetisation, GST, women security and the false promises you made to the people of the country," she said, as the crowd clapped, cheered and whistled. Modi had challenged the Congress to fight the last two phases in the name of Rajiv Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi's father and former prime minister who he has described as "Bhrashtachari No 1" (corrupt no 1). × Priyanka Gandhi said Modi has been shifting the blame on former prime ministers Jawaharlal Nehru and Indira Gandhi, like a school child trying to escape punishment from teachers. She also accused Modi of "destroying" institutions and the BJP of "playing politics in the name of religion". Perched atop a minibus, she said, "I cannot disrespect you (people of Delhi). We are not arrogant like BJP. We know you have made us what we are today." "Modi ji has been in Delhi for five years. I was born in the city. I have seen every bylane, every nook and cranny of the city. I will tell you (Modi) what the people of Delhi think. They (people) are tired of your purposeless talk. You keep yourself confined to your Race Course Road residence," she said. The prime minister's officials residence is 7, Race Course Road. The name of the road was changed to Lok Kalyan Marg in 2016. Priyanka Gandhi accused Modi of indulging in negative politics and said he cannot give a direct answer to questions asked about the work he did in the past five years. Raking up the issue of GST, she said the new indirect tax regime broke the back of businessmen. The AICC general secretary also referred to the BJP's 2014 poll promises, including that of providing two crore jobs every year. "You talk about nationalism. Is securing a better future for the youth of the country, not nationalism?" she asked. She asked the crowd if they got the jobs to which the people responded in the negative. "He (Modi) failed to protect soldiers, youths and women but who will hold him accountable and who will seek answers from him," she asked the gathering which replied, "We will." "You have to vote and strengthen yourself. He (Modi) is destroying all institutions and they (BJP) are playing politics in the name of religion. Delhi is the heart of the nation. Raise your voice...We have had enough," she said. The roadshow started in Seelampur, a minority-dominated area, and meandered with a sea of people towards the Yamuna Vihar depot, where it culminated. The Congress leaders waved at the ebullient hordes of supporters who raised slogans "Desh me andhi, Priyanka Gandhi" Gandhi and "Priyanka nahi ye andhi hai dusri Indira Gandhi hai''. As people jostled with each other to catch a glimpse of Priyanka Gandhi, women in the balconies of the houses lining the streets showered her with bucket loads of rose petals. Her cavalcade curled through the lanes amid a cacophony of claps, hooting, sloganeering and drum beating. "Sanitation is the main issue here. Manoj Tiwari (the BJP MP seeking reelection from the seat) was never seen here. (Chief Minister) Arvind Kejriwal cannot run the government," said Zubair Ahmed, a resident of Seelampur. Priyanka Gandhi also held another roadshow in support of the party's candidate for the South Delhi seat, Vijender Singh. The hour-long roadshow began from Virat Cinema and culminated at the Tigri traffic intersection, after winding its way through people-filled streets. Slogans of "Boxer bhai zindabad, Priyanka Gandhi zindabad" rented the air, as the two leaders waved at the elated crowd that included people of all ages. "When I see her, she reminds me of Indira Gandhi. And her entering politics has lent fresh energy to Congress. Our party will do well," Om Wati, 54, a former municipal councillor of Delhi, said.

Priyanka Gandhi invokes Delhi roots, challenges PM Modi to fight elections on false promises

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Thursday said a "desperate Congress" has "discovered" Bharatiya Janata Party's role in the assassination of Rajiv Gandhi 28 years after the incident.

He took to the micro-blogging web site to mount a scathing attack on the Congress party and said, "From December 1990 till May 1991, when Shri Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated, the Congress Party supported Chandra Shekhar government (which) was in power."

"From May 1991 till 2004, the Congress blamed its present ally the DMK for Shri Rajiv Gandhi's assassination. It even withdrew support from the United Front government on this ground. 28 years later, today a desperate Congress has discovered a BJP role," he continued in another tweet.

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From May 1991 till 2004, the Congress blamed its present ally the DMK for Shri Rajiv Gandhi's assassination. It even withdrew support from the United Front government on this ground. 28 years later, today a desperate Congress has discovered a BJP role.
— Chowkidar Arun Jaitley (@arunjaitley) <a href="https://twitter.com/arunjaitley/status/1126359466624991233?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 9, 2019</a></blockquote>
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From December 1990 till May 1991, when Shri Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated, the Congress Party supported Chandra Shekhar government was in power.
— Chowkidar Arun Jaitley (@arunjaitley) <a href="https://twitter.com/arunjaitley/status/1126359464343265280?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 9, 2019</a></blockquote>
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His comments came after senior Congress leader Ahmed Patel said that Rajiv Gandhi lost his life due to BJP's hatred.

Rajiv Gandhi became a campaign point after Modi called the late prime minister a "bhrashtachari no 1" (corrupt no 1) a few days ago.

While addressing an election rally in Uttar Pradesh on May 4, Prime Minister Modi had said Congress chief Rahul Gandhi's father was termed 'Mr. Clean'&nbsp;by his courtiers, but his life ended as ''Bhrashtachari No 1." Ever since there have been attacks and counter-attacks between BJP and Congress leaders.

Following the remarks, a delegation of senior Congress leaders including Abhishek Manu Singhvi, Rajiv Shukla, and Salman Khurshid met officials of the Election Commission and apprised the poll body of their objection over the Prime Minister's statement.&nbsp;

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Thursday said a "desperate Congress" has "discovered" Bharatiya Janata Party's role in the assassination of Rajiv Gandhi 28 years after the incident.

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Thursday said a "desperate Congress" has "discovered" Bharatiya Janata Party's role in the assassination of Rajiv Gandhi 28 years after the incident. He took to the micro-blogging web site to mount a scathing attack on the Congress party and said, "From December 1990 till May 1991, when Shri Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated, the Congress Party supported Chandra Shekhar government (which) was in power." "From May 1991 till 2004, the Congress blamed its present ally the DMK for Shri Rajiv Gandhi's assassination. It even withdrew support from the United Front government on this ground. 28 years later, today a desperate Congress has discovered a BJP role," he continued in another tweet. From May 1991 till 2004, the Congress blamed its present ally the DMK for Shri Rajiv Gandhi's assassination. It even withdrew support from the United Front government on this ground. 28 years later, today a desperate Congress has discovered a BJP role. — Chowkidar Arun Jaitley (@arunjaitley) May 9, 2019 × From December 1990 till May 1991, when Shri Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated, the Congress Party supported Chandra Shekhar government was in power. — Chowkidar Arun Jaitley (@arunjaitley) May 9, 2019 × His comments came after senior Congress leader Ahmed Patel said that Rajiv Gandhi lost his life due to BJP's hatred. Rajiv Gandhi became a campaign point after Modi called the late prime minister a "bhrashtachari no 1" (corrupt no 1) a few days ago. While addressing an election rally in Uttar Pradesh on May 4, Prime Minister Modi had said Congress chief Rahul Gandhi's father was termed 'Mr. Clean' by his courtiers, but his life ended as ''Bhrashtachari No 1." Ever since there have been attacks and counter-attacks between BJP and Congress leaders. Following the remarks, a delegation of senior Congress leaders including Abhishek Manu Singhvi, Rajiv Shukla, and Salman Khurshid met officials of the Election Commission and apprised the poll body of their objection over the Prime Minister's statement.

'Desperate' Congress has now discovered BJP's role in Rajiv Gandhi assassination: Arun Jaitley

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Sunday wondered why Congress President Rahul Gandhi gets disturbed when integrity issues of his late father Rajiv Gandhi-led government are raised and the 'Q' connection in the Bofors gun-deal is questioned.

In a series of tweets, Jaitley said that Rahul Gandhi thinks that "dynast" does not have to answer any question even though he can attack Prime Minister Narendra Modi -- a man of utmost integrity.

Responding to comments of Modi that Rajiv Gandhi's life ended as bhrashtachari No 1," Rahul Gandhi had tweeted: "Modi Ji, The battle is over. Your Karma awaits you. Projecting your inner beliefs about yourself onto my father won't protect you. All my love and a huge hug".

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Modi Ji, 
 
The battle is over. Your Karma awaits you. Projecting your inner beliefs about yourself onto my father won’t protect you. 
 
All my love and a huge hug. 
 
Rahul
— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) <a href="https://twitter.com/RahulGandhi/status/1124912990581452800?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 5, 2019</a></blockquote>
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Jaitley in his tweet said, "Why is Rahul Gandhi so disturbed if the integrity issues of the Rajiv Gandhi government are raised? Why did Ottavio Quattrocchi get kickbacks in Bofors? Who was the 'Q' connection? No reply has come."

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Why is Rahul Gandhi so disturbed if integrity issues of the Rajiv Gandhi Government are raised? Why did Ottavio Quattrocchi get kickbacks in Bofors? Who was the ‘Q’ connection? No reply has come.
— Chowkidar Arun Jaitley (@arunjaitley) <a href="https://twitter.com/arunjaitley/status/1125024496681807873?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 5, 2019</a></blockquote>
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Modi, addressing a poll rally in Uttar Pradesh on Saturday, had targeted the former prime minister while attacking Rahul. "Your father (Rajiv Gandhi) was termed Mr Clean by his courtiers, but his life ended as bhrashtachari No 1," Modi had said.

Jaitley said that even former prime minister Indira Gandhi was also assassinated and yet the Congress is questioned about the Emergency and the Operation Blue Star. "The Dynast can attack the integrity of India's Prime Minister - a man of utmost honesty. Does he believe that the dynasty does not have to answer any questions?" the Minister said.

The Bofors defence deal was believed to be one of the primary reasons for the Rajiv Gandhi-led Congress's defeat in the 1989 Lok Sabha polls.

On former prime minister Manmohan Singh accusing the Modi government of leaving the economy in dire straits, Jaitley said, "When an economist turns into a politician, he loses the sense of both economy and politics. Dr Manmohan Singh left behind in 2014 an economic slowdown, policy paralysis and corruption. He brought down his party to lowest ever strength in Parliament. India was a part of the fragile five. Today he regards the World's the fastest growing major economy as disastrous," Jaitley said.

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Dr. Manmohan Singh left behind in 2014 an economic slowdown, policy paralysis and corruption. He brought down his party to lowest ever strength in Parliament. India was a part of the fragile five.
— Chowkidar Arun Jaitley (@arunjaitley) <a href="https://twitter.com/arunjaitley/status/1125026222428250114?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 5, 2019</a></blockquote>
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In an interview to PTI, Singh on Sunday said India is headed for an economic slowdown and accused the Modi government of leaving the economy in dire straits due to its "lack of economic vision". Singh also alleged that the lack of any vision or understanding of the country's dynamics of the economy by the Narendra Modi-led government has led to "disruptive" decisions like demonetisation.

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Sunday wondered why Congress President Rahul Gandhi gets disturbed when integrity issues of his late father Rajiv Gandhi-led government are raised and the 'Q' connection in the Bofors gun-deal is questioned.

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Sunday wondered why Congress President Rahul Gandhi gets disturbed when integrity issues of his late father Rajiv Gandhi-led government are raised and the 'Q' connection in the Bofors gun-deal is questioned. In a series of tweets, Jaitley said that Rahul Gandhi thinks that "dynast" does not have to answer any question even though he can attack Prime Minister Narendra Modi -- a man of utmost integrity. Responding to comments of Modi that Rajiv Gandhi's life ended as bhrashtachari No 1," Rahul Gandhi had tweeted: "Modi Ji, The battle is over. Your Karma awaits you. Projecting your inner beliefs about yourself onto my father won't protect you. All my love and a huge hug". Modi Ji, The battle is over. Your Karma awaits you. Projecting your inner beliefs about yourself onto my father won’t protect you. All my love and a huge hug. Rahul — Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) May 5, 2019 × Jaitley in his tweet said, "Why is Rahul Gandhi so disturbed if the integrity issues of the Rajiv Gandhi government are raised? Why did Ottavio Quattrocchi get kickbacks in Bofors? Who was the 'Q' connection? No reply has come." Why is Rahul Gandhi so disturbed if integrity issues of the Rajiv Gandhi Government are raised? Why did Ottavio Quattrocchi get kickbacks in Bofors? Who was the ‘Q’ connection? No reply has come. — Chowkidar Arun Jaitley (@arunjaitley) May 5, 2019 × Modi, addressing a poll rally in Uttar Pradesh on Saturday, had targeted the former prime minister while attacking Rahul. "Your father (Rajiv Gandhi) was termed Mr Clean by his courtiers, but his life ended as bhrashtachari No 1," Modi had said. Jaitley said that even former prime minister Indira Gandhi was also assassinated and yet the Congress is questioned about the Emergency and the Operation Blue Star. "The Dynast can attack the integrity of India's Prime Minister - a man of utmost honesty. Does he believe that the dynasty does not have to answer any questions?" the Minister said. The Bofors defence deal was believed to be one of the primary reasons for the Rajiv Gandhi-led Congress's defeat in the 1989 Lok Sabha polls. On former prime minister Manmohan Singh accusing the Modi government of leaving the economy in dire straits, Jaitley said, "When an economist turns into a politician, he loses the sense of both economy and politics. Dr Manmohan Singh left behind in 2014 an economic slowdown, policy paralysis and corruption. He brought down his party to lowest ever strength in Parliament. India was a part of the fragile five. Today he regards the World's the fastest growing major economy as disastrous," Jaitley said. Dr. Manmohan Singh left behind in 2014 an economic slowdown, policy paralysis and corruption. He brought down his party to lowest ever strength in Parliament. India was a part of the fragile five. — Chowkidar Arun Jaitley (@arunjaitley) May 5, 2019 × In an interview to PTI, Singh on Sunday said India is headed for an economic slowdown and accused the Modi government of leaving the economy in dire straits due to its "lack of economic vision". Singh also alleged that the lack of any vision or understanding of the country's dynamics of the economy by the Narendra Modi-led government has led to "disruptive" decisions like demonetisation.

Why is Rahul disturbed if integrity of Rajiv Gandhi government is questioned: Arun Jaitley

Iconic pictures of Indian General Elections

Priyanka Gandhi Vadra became the latest member of India's storied Nehru-Gandhi dynasty to enter politics in January, but the boost she brings the opposition campaign may not turn the tide against Prime Minister Narendra Modi, polls show.

After years of speculation, the charismatic Vadra joined Congress to help its leader, her brother Rahul, in general elections that begin next week, pitching the party and regional groups against Modi.

Congress hopes the fourth-generation siblings of a dynasty that ruled India for decades after independence from Britain in 1947 and is still revered by many will help energise its ranks and counter Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

In the run-up to the election that starts on Thursday, the 47-year-old Vadra has spent hours campaigning in cars, trucks and even a boat, to woo voters in Uttar Pradesh, which sends more lawmakers to parliament than any other Indian state.

Reuters followed her at two roadshows where she smiled, waved, and shook hands, occasionally wading into crowds as her security detail scrambled along. Her father and grandmother, both former prime ministers, were assassinated.

Thousands of people lined the streets for several kilometres, waving Congress flags and chanting her name.

"There is support for Congress because of Priyanka," said Mahesh Gupta, a shopkeeper in the temple town of Ayodhya, where she visited a shrine in late March.

Gupta, who referred to Vadra by her first name, as many Indians do, voted for Modi in the last election, but said he was considering Congress after seeing her campaign.

Vadra, a marquee campaigner for Congress, chose Ayodhya as one of her first tours to take on the BJP in its own bastion.

Even so, in the face of the formidable political machine of the BJP which also rules the state, Congress may be unable to capitalise on her appeal, pollsters and some party leaders said.

Vadra's campaigning was getting attention for Congress it would not have got otherwise, but it did not look like the party was making gains, said Milan Vaishnav, an analyst at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.

"Many in Congress say the Priyanka play is more about building up the party for 2022 assembly elections and beyond," he said, referring to state elections in Uttar Pradesh.

Last month, polling agencies CVoter and CNX separately estimated Congress would win just 4 of the 80 seats up for grabs in the state, doubling its tally since the last general election in 2014.

That year's sweep of 71 seats for the BJP paved the way for Modi's clear majority in India’s 545-member Lok Sabha.

A broader poll published by a newspaper on Friday showed Modi's approval ratings across India were higher even than in 2014 when he was making a bid for power.

The poll, by the newspaper CSDS-Lokniti, showed 43 per cent of respondents wanted Modi as the next prime minister, with 24 per cent for Congress leader Rahul Gandhi.

Vote wisely

For years, Vadra helped manage elections for her brother and mother, former Congress president Sonia Gandhi, in their own constituencies, but was reluctant to get into politics herself.

A mother of two, she is married to businessman Robert Vadra and has long been seen as a natural politician with strong speaking skills and an ability to easily connect with people.

One afternoon last week, her 12-car convoy sped past lush fields and small settlements, kicking up a cloud of dust before stopping at the village of Atka in the Ayodhya district.

The saree-clad Vadra jumped out of her car and settled down on the ground surrounded by a group of women, many veiled and others smiling.

"If someone doesn’t work for you, how will you teach them a lesson?" she asked, imploring them to vote wisely. "Vote for those who want to work for you."

CVoter, which has run a daily opinion poll since January, said Congress support in Uttar Pradesh has dropped off after jumping 10 percentage points in the days following the news that Vadra had taken a party post.

Late in March, about 8.9 per cent of state voters backed Congress, a far cry from the 43.4 per cent supporting the BJP and the 44 per cent behind an alliance of two major regional parties.

However, even with Vadra's hectic campaigning, Congress is struggling to get its message of welfare to voters, party officials said.

Six voters in Uttar Pradesh said they had not heard of a Congress election promise for a programme to give India's poorest families monthly handouts of 6,000 rupees.

"They brought her in at a very wrong time," said one Congress official, who declined to be identified because he was not authorised to speak formally to media.

A better time would have been December, just days after Congress won power in three key states, giving her more time to prepare, he added. Others in the party have said it should have been years earlier.

The BJP has dismissed Vadra's formal entry into politics as inconsequential and Modi said it only showed that for some "the family is the party".

Vadra's office did not respond to a request from Reuters for an interview.

But Congress will seize on momentum building against the BJP, said Kamal Nath, a top Congress leader and chief minister of Madhya Pradesh.

"You have to time everything," he told Reuters. "You don't want to peak out too fast."

Priyanka Gandhi Vadra became the latest member of India's storied Nehru-Gandhi dynasty to enter politics in January, but the boost she brings the opposition campaign may not turn the tide against Prime Minister Narendra Modi, polls show.

Priyanka Gandhi Vadra became the latest member of India's storied Nehru-Gandhi dynasty to enter politics in January, but the boost she brings the opposition campaign may not turn the tide against Prime Minister Narendra Modi, polls show. After years of speculation, the charismatic Vadra joined Congress to help its leader, her brother Rahul, in general elections that begin next week, pitching the party and regional groups against Modi. Congress hopes the fourth-generation siblings of a dynasty that ruled India for decades after independence from Britain in 1947 and is still revered by many will help energise its ranks and counter Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). In the run-up to the election that starts on Thursday, the 47-year-old Vadra has spent hours campaigning in cars, trucks and even a boat, to woo voters in Uttar Pradesh, which sends more lawmakers to parliament than any other Indian state. Reuters followed her at two roadshows where she smiled, waved, and shook hands, occasionally wading into crowds as her security detail scrambled along. Her father and grandmother, both former prime ministers, were assassinated. Thousands of people lined the streets for several kilometres, waving Congress flags and chanting her name. "There is support for Congress because of Priyanka," said Mahesh Gupta, a shopkeeper in the temple town of Ayodhya, where she visited a shrine in late March. Gupta, who referred to Vadra by her first name, as many Indians do, voted for Modi in the last election, but said he was considering Congress after seeing her campaign. Vadra, a marquee campaigner for Congress, chose Ayodhya as one of her first tours to take on the BJP in its own bastion. Even so, in the face of the formidable political machine of the BJP which also rules the state, Congress may be unable to capitalise on her appeal, pollsters and some party leaders said. Vadra's campaigning was getting attention for Congress it would not have got otherwise, but it did not look like the party was making gains, said Milan Vaishnav, an analyst at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. "Many in Congress say the Priyanka play is more about building up the party for 2022 assembly elections and beyond," he said, referring to state elections in Uttar Pradesh. Last month, polling agencies CVoter and CNX separately estimated Congress would win just 4 of the 80 seats up for grabs in the state, doubling its tally since the last general election in 2014. That year's sweep of 71 seats for the BJP paved the way for Modi's clear majority in India’s 545-member Lok Sabha. A broader poll published by a newspaper on Friday showed Modi's approval ratings across India were higher even than in 2014 when he was making a bid for power. The poll, by the newspaper CSDS-Lokniti, showed 43 per cent of respondents wanted Modi as the next prime minister, with 24 per cent for Congress leader Rahul Gandhi. Vote wisely For years, Vadra helped manage elections for her brother and mother, former Congress president Sonia Gandhi, in their own constituencies, but was reluctant to get into politics herself. A mother of two, she is married to businessman Robert Vadra and has long been seen as a natural politician with strong speaking skills and an ability to easily connect with people. One afternoon last week, her 12-car convoy sped past lush fields and small settlements, kicking up a cloud of dust before stopping at the village of Atka in the Ayodhya district. The saree-clad Vadra jumped out of her car and settled down on the ground surrounded by a group of women, many veiled and others smiling. "If someone doesn’t work for you, how will you teach them a lesson?" she asked, imploring them to vote wisely. "Vote for those who want to work for you." CVoter, which has run a daily opinion poll since January, said Congress support in Uttar Pradesh has dropped off after jumping 10 percentage points in the days following the news that Vadra had taken a party post. Late in March, about 8.9 per cent of state voters backed Congress, a far cry from the 43.4 per cent supporting the BJP and the 44 per cent behind an alliance of two major regional parties. However, even with Vadra's hectic campaigning, Congress is struggling to get its message of welfare to voters, party officials said. Six voters in Uttar Pradesh said they had not heard of a Congress election promise for a programme to give India's poorest families monthly handouts of 6,000 rupees. "They brought her in at a very wrong time," said one Congress official, who declined to be identified because he was not authorised to speak formally to media. A better time would have been December, just days after Congress won power in three key states, giving her more time to prepare, he added. Others in the party have said it should have been years earlier. The BJP has dismissed Vadra's formal entry into politics as inconsequential and Modi said it only showed that for some "the family is the party". Vadra's office did not respond to a request from Reuters for an interview. But Congress will seize on momentum building against the BJP, said Kamal Nath, a top Congress leader and chief minister of Madhya Pradesh. "You have to time everything," he told Reuters. "You don't want to peak out too fast."

Priyanka Gandhi in uphill battle against BJP in eastern Uttar Pradesh

Both the big Tamil Nadu parties said Tuesday that they would urge the government of India to order the release of <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/opinion-heres-why-rajiv-gandhis-assassins-should-be-freed-165057">the seven people convicted in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case</a>.&nbsp;

"AIADMK will urge Government of India and the President to give due direction to the Governor of Tamil Nadu for release of the seven Tamil convicts as ordered by Supreme Court and approved by," the ruling AIADMK said.&nbsp;

And DMK chief MK Stalin said "the seven prisoners of Rajiv Gandhi assassination case will be released on humanitarian basis".&nbsp;

The announcement by both parties was made at the release of their election manifestos.&nbsp;

The DMK were the first to release its manifesto from its party office Anna Arivalayam, where Party President MK Stalin read out the salient features of their manifesto. Some of its salient features were&nbsp;providing Indian citizenship for Sri Lankan Tamils who have been living in refugee camps, abolition of the NEET entrance exam, Central Government Offices in Tamil Nadu would use Tamil as a co-official language, fuel prices would be regulated using an administered pricing mechanism, among others.

Additionally it also mentioned Metro Rail projects for cities such as Madurai, Trichy, Salem, Coimbatore, introducing measures to protect the firecracker industry in Tamil Nadu, offering free train passes for school and college students, and an initiative to link rivers in South India.&nbsp;

About an hour later, the Coordinator of the AIADMK O Panneerselvam released his party’s manifesto. Its highlights included an Amma Poverty Alleviation Scheme, monthly aid of Rs1500 to below poverty line families, the differently-abled and landless agricultural labourers, ensuring that Tamil Nadu is exempt from the NEET exam, and a Cauvery-Godavari river linkage scheme. It also made mention of waiving education loans, transferring education from the concurrent list to the state list, and called for a probe led by an international committee into the genocide of Tamils in Sri Lanka.&nbsp;

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AIADMK in its election manifesto: AIADMK will urge Government of India and the President to give due direction to the Governor of Tamil Nadu for release of the seven Tamil convicts as ordered by Supreme Court and approved by 
cabinet of Tamil Nadu govt. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/LokSabhaElections2019?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#LokSabhaElections2019</a> <a href="https://t.co/22UtSl55s4">https://t.co/22UtSl55s4</a>
— ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1107893986650411010?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 19, 2019</a></blockquote>
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DMK Chief MK Stalin during the release of DMK Election Manifesto in Chennai: The seven prisoners of Rajiv Gandhi assassination case will be released on humanitarian basis. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/LokSabhaElections2019?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#LokSabhaElections2019</a> <a href="https://t.co/KUmmjiNMIB">pic.twitter.com/KUmmjiNMIB</a>
— ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1107893143347826688?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 19, 2019</a></blockquote>
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Most of the seven convicted in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case are Sri Lankan Tamils.&nbsp;

This is not the first time a Tamil Nadu government has said it will release the seven, but the proposal has been turned down by the Centre.&nbsp;&nbsp;

On Tuesday, the DMK also said at the release of its manifesto that it would restart the Sethu Samudram project which envisages the creation of a shipping lane in the Gulf of Mannar which runs between India and the western coast of Sri Lanka.&nbsp;The Congress government at the Centre had to pull back a similar proposal in 2007 because of massive resistance&nbsp;— a number of Hindus believe the Gulf of Mannar is the site of the mythical Ram Setu.&nbsp;

The DMK added that it would introduce a quota in the private sector.&nbsp;

Tamil Nadu goes to polls over a single phase on April 18.&nbsp;

AIADMK and DMK candidates will be in a direct face-off in eight of Tamil Nadu’s 39 constituencies. They include Chennai South, Kanchipuram, Tiruvannamalai, Tirunelveli, Mayiladuthurai, Salem, Nilgiris and Pollachi.

The AIADMK alliance includes the BJP, PMK, DMDK and smaller regional outfits, while the DMK alliance includes the Congress, Left Parties and smaller regional outfits.

BJP and Congress candidates meanwhile will face off in Kanyakumari and Sivaganga.

The AIADMK and DMK have given 20 seats to their candidates while the rest have been distributed among allies.&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

Both the big Tamil Nadu parties said Tuesday that they would urge the government of India to order the release of the seven people convicted in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case.

Both the big Tamil Nadu parties said Tuesday that they would urge the government of India to order the release of the seven people convicted in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case. "AIADMK will urge Government of India and the President to give due direction to the Governor of Tamil Nadu for release of the seven Tamil convicts as ordered by Supreme Court and approved by," the ruling AIADMK said. And DMK chief MK Stalin said "the seven prisoners of Rajiv Gandhi assassination case will be released on humanitarian basis". The announcement by both parties was made at the release of their election manifestos. The DMK were the first to release its manifesto from its party office Anna Arivalayam, where Party President MK Stalin read out the salient features of their manifesto. Some of its salient features were providing Indian citizenship for Sri Lankan Tamils who have been living in refugee camps, abolition of the NEET entrance exam, Central Government Offices in Tamil Nadu would use Tamil as a co-official language, fuel prices would be regulated using an administered pricing mechanism, among others. Additionally it also mentioned Metro Rail projects for cities such as Madurai, Trichy, Salem, Coimbatore, introducing measures to protect the firecracker industry in Tamil Nadu, offering free train passes for school and college students, and an initiative to link rivers in South India. About an hour later, the Coordinator of the AIADMK O Panneerselvam released his party’s manifesto. Its highlights included an Amma Poverty Alleviation Scheme, monthly aid of Rs1500 to below poverty line families, the differently-abled and landless agricultural labourers, ensuring that Tamil Nadu is exempt from the NEET exam, and a Cauvery-Godavari river linkage scheme. It also made mention of waiving education loans, transferring education from the concurrent list to the state list, and called for a probe led by an international committee into the genocide of Tamils in Sri Lanka. AIADMK in its election manifesto: AIADMK will urge Government of India and the President to give due direction to the Governor of Tamil Nadu for release of the seven Tamil convicts as ordered by Supreme Court and approved by cabinet of Tamil Nadu govt. #LokSabhaElections2019 https://t.co/22UtSl55s4 — ANI (@ANI) March 19, 2019 × DMK Chief MK Stalin during the release of DMK Election Manifesto in Chennai: The seven prisoners of Rajiv Gandhi assassination case will be released on humanitarian basis. #LokSabhaElections2019 pic.twitter.com/KUmmjiNMIB — ANI (@ANI) March 19, 2019 × Most of the seven convicted in the Rajiv Gandhi assassination case are Sri Lankan Tamils. This is not the first time a Tamil Nadu government has said it will release the seven, but the proposal has been turned down by the Centre. On Tuesday, the DMK also said at the release of its manifesto that it would restart the Sethu Samudram project which envisages the creation of a shipping lane in the Gulf of Mannar which runs between India and the western coast of Sri Lanka. The Congress government at the Centre had to pull back a similar proposal in 2007 because of massive resistance — a number of Hindus believe the Gulf of Mannar is the site of the mythical Ram Setu. The DMK added that it would introduce a quota in the private sector. Tamil Nadu goes to polls over a single phase on April 18. AIADMK and DMK candidates will be in a direct face-off in eight of Tamil Nadu’s 39 constituencies. They include Chennai South, Kanchipuram, Tiruvannamalai, Tirunelveli, Mayiladuthurai, Salem, Nilgiris and Pollachi. The AIADMK alliance includes the BJP, PMK, DMDK and smaller regional outfits, while the DMK alliance includes the Congress, Left Parties and smaller regional outfits. BJP and Congress candidates meanwhile will face off in Kanyakumari and Sivaganga. The AIADMK and DMK have given 20 seats to their candidates while the rest have been distributed among allies.

2019 Lok Sabha polls: AIADMK, DMK say will urge Centre to release 7 convicted in Rajiv Gandhi assassination case

Digvijay Singh’s comment that the Pulwama attack was an accident has drawn a terse reaction from Minister of State for External Affairs VK Singh.&nbsp;

The Union minister, who is also the former Chief of Army Staff, &nbsp;asked the Congress leader if he would term the assassination of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi an accident too. Digvijaya Singh had termed the February 14 Pulwama car bomb attack on a CRPF convoy that killed over 40 jawans as an accident.&nbsp;

The Indian government had reacted strongly to the Pulwama attack and bombed Jaish-e-Muhammad camps in Pakistan’s Balakot town.

“With due respect, I would like to ask Digvijaya Singh Ji, was Rajiv Gandhi’s assassination an accident or a terrorist incident?” he asked, according to a video shared by news agency ANI.

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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WATCH?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WATCH</a> Union minister VK Singh on Congress leader Digvijaya Singh terming <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Pulwama?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Pulwama</a> terrorist attack an “accident”,says, "With due respect, I would like to ask Digvijaya Singh Ji, was Rajiv Gandhi's assassination an accident or a terror incident?" <a href="https://t.co/Sm1blc2Gjj">pic.twitter.com/Sm1blc2Gjj</a>
— ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1102813336150986752?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 5, 2019</a></blockquote>
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When asked about the claims of casualties in Balakot in the air strike carried out by IAF, he said, “The figure is of the attack on Balakot (250 casualties), the attack was only at one place, nowhere else. The target was selected carefully, away from residential areas to avoid civilian casualty.”

The remark comes a few hours after Digvijaya Singh dubbed the Pulwama terror attack an accident and sought proof from the Modi government about air strike carried out by IAF in Balakot of Pakistan on February 26. At least 40 CRPF soldiers were killed in one of the worst terror attacks in Kashmir in the last three decades.

“After the Pulwama accident and IAF’s air strike (in Pakistan), some foreign media reports have expressed doubt following which credibility of our Indian government is under question,” he said in a tweet on Tuesday morning. In another tweet, Singh questioned the claim of casualty caused to terrorists in Balakot.

“Prime Minister, some ministers of your government say 300 terrorists killed, BJP president says 250 are killed, Yogi Adityanath says 400 people were killed and your minister SS Ahluwalia says that no one died. And you are silent about this issue. The country wants to know who is a liar in this,” he said.

Meanwhile, another BJP leader Prakash Javadekar has slammed Digvijaya for his insensitive remark. “What has happened to the Congress? They are speaking against the sentiments of the country. They are calling lie the claims of defence forces. There is no democracy where questions are raised on the defence forces,” he said.

Meanwhile, senior Congress leader Kapil Sibal has joined the league of leaders who are demanding evidence from Prime Minister Narendra Modi about IAF’s air strike in Pakistan. He even alleged that PM Modi and his party colleagues are guilty of politicising terror.

“Modi ji must answer as the international media like New York Times, Washington Post, London-based Jane Information group, Daily Telegraph, the Guardian and Reuters, are reporting that there is no proof of militant losses at Balakot in Pakistan,” Sibal said.

Digvijay Singh’s comment that the Pulwama attack was an accident has drawn a terse reaction from Minister of State for External Affairs VK Singh. The Union minister, who is also the former Chief of Army Staff, asked the Congress leader if he would term the assassination of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi an accident too.

Digvijay Singh’s comment that the Pulwama attack was an accident has drawn a terse reaction from Minister of State for External Affairs VK Singh. The Union minister, who is also the former Chief of Army Staff, asked the Congress leader if he would term the assassination of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi an accident too. Digvijaya Singh had termed the February 14 Pulwama car bomb attack on a CRPF convoy that killed over 40 jawans as an accident. The Indian government had reacted strongly to the Pulwama attack and bombed Jaish-e-Muhammad camps in Pakistan’s Balakot town. “With due respect, I would like to ask Digvijaya Singh Ji, was Rajiv Gandhi’s assassination an accident or a terrorist incident?” he asked, according to a video shared by news agency ANI. #WATCH Union minister VK Singh on Congress leader Digvijaya Singh terming #Pulwama terrorist attack an “accident”,says, "With due respect, I would like to ask Digvijaya Singh Ji, was Rajiv Gandhi's assassination an accident or a terror incident?" pic.twitter.com/Sm1blc2Gjj — ANI (@ANI) March 5, 2019 × When asked about the claims of casualties in Balakot in the air strike carried out by IAF, he said, “The figure is of the attack on Balakot (250 casualties), the attack was only at one place, nowhere else. The target was selected carefully, away from residential areas to avoid civilian casualty.” The remark comes a few hours after Digvijaya Singh dubbed the Pulwama terror attack an accident and sought proof from the Modi government about air strike carried out by IAF in Balakot of Pakistan on February 26. At least 40 CRPF soldiers were killed in one of the worst terror attacks in Kashmir in the last three decades. “After the Pulwama accident and IAF’s air strike (in Pakistan), some foreign media reports have expressed doubt following which credibility of our Indian government is under question,” he said in a tweet on Tuesday morning. In another tweet, Singh questioned the claim of casualty caused to terrorists in Balakot. “Prime Minister, some ministers of your government say 300 terrorists killed, BJP president says 250 are killed, Yogi Adityanath says 400 people were killed and your minister SS Ahluwalia says that no one died. And you are silent about this issue. The country wants to know who is a liar in this,” he said. Meanwhile, another BJP leader Prakash Javadekar has slammed Digvijaya for his insensitive remark. “What has happened to the Congress? They are speaking against the sentiments of the country. They are calling lie the claims of defence forces. There is no democracy where questions are raised on the defence forces,” he said. Meanwhile, senior Congress leader Kapil Sibal has joined the league of leaders who are demanding evidence from Prime Minister Narendra Modi about IAF’s air strike in Pakistan. He even alleged that PM Modi and his party colleagues are guilty of politicising terror. “Modi ji must answer as the international media like New York Times, Washington Post, London-based Jane Information group, Daily Telegraph, the Guardian and Reuters, are reporting that there is no proof of militant losses at Balakot in Pakistan,” Sibal said.

Was Rajiv Gandhi’s assassination also an accident? VK Singh responds to Digvijaya Singh’s Pulwama remark

When people ask me if the NDA government under Prime Minister Narendra Modi has done anything wrong in the procurement of Rafale fighter jets from France's Dassault, my typical answer is: "I don't think so, but...."

You may ask why the "but' -- and thereby hangs the tale of how to understand the purchase of military jets which has turned controversial with Congress president Rahul Gandhi accusing the BJP of corruption in the deal, though there is no evidence of payoffs at all. Compared to what happened in the Bofors arms purchase scandal in the late 1980s, the Rafale deal allegations look like a picnic. 
 
In the well-documented Bofors case, the very same Narasimhan Ram, the journalist at The Hindu who is now writing articles critical of the NDA government because it overruled dissent by defence ministry officials, was speaking of Swiss bank accounts and secret payoffs that pointed at the very least to a cover-up by the then Congress government under Rahul's father, the then Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi.

But then, the problem is that the Rafale deal is a colourful one with circumstantial evidence pointing to unusual procedures that can be questioned on grounds of transparency. This is where we need a "But." The fact is that confidentiality is required in defence deals. The fact is that no less than the chief justice of the Supreme Court of India said he found nothing amiss in the confidential details of pricing involving the Rafale jets. The fact is also that the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (the institution that in the Bofors case criticised the Rajiv Gandhi government) has also said the Rafale deal value was cheaper than that negotiated by the UPA government led by the Congress.

But there are 'buts' still hanging in the air of New Delhi because the CAG is yet to pronounce its views on the controversial offset deal in which Dassault was left to choose its partner, which turned out to be the Anil Ambani-led Reliance ADAG group. The key point is that the government says it did not intervene in Dassault's choice of partner in which public sector HAL was pushed to the sidelines. The public sector is a holy cow in India and I do not rule out questions continuing to pour out on the issue. It is perfectly normal and acceptable for political bosses to overrule bureaucratic recommendations, as it has happened in the Rafale case, but in a politically charged atmosphere, questions do not go away.

The big questions: Is not intervening in the choice of offset partners by a government a good practice or not when the money in question goes out of the Indian taxpayer's pocket? In politics, sometimes, "not doing" is perceived as a form of doing (an error of omission) and this is what leaves Congress with one more round of ammunition that leads to a "but" being left open in the game.

Also, there is the nagging question of whether the rules of confidentiality applied by the NDA government will be employed by a future government formed by some other party or coalition to cloak things. In the Bofors case, there was a lot of attempted secrecy. The Rafale case sets a precedent that may worry long-term thinkers. How does one establish a technical difference between desirable confidentiality and undesirable secrecy? That is the source of another "But" on my part.

There is also the issue of whether there has been any "influence peddling" and "undue advantage" which are not exactly bribery in the conventional sense of the term but falls within the international lexicon of corruption.

The Anti Bribery Guidance website says 'influence peddling' occurs "when an undue payment or benefit in kind is promised or given to a person who has a real or apparent influence on the decision-making of a public official with the intent that the person persuades the decision maker to act in a desired manner. The emphasis here is on 'undue' to distinguish it from legitimate influence seeking such as lobbying or advocacy."

In the coming days, some of the issues related to the Rafale deal will be examined from this point of view. You can say the deal is nowhere near the murkiness of Bofors, but then, this is not same India. New era decisions will face newer questions. 
 
(This article was originally published on Zee News. Read the <a href="https://zeenews.india.com/blogs/narendra-modi-emerges-from-rafale-in-better-shape-than-rajiv-gandhi-from-bofors-2180524.html">original article</a>)

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)

 
&nbsp;

When people ask me if the NDA government under Prime Minister Narendra Modi has done anything wrong in the procurement of Rafale fighter jets from France's Dassault, my typical answer is: "I don't think so, but.

When people ask me if the NDA government under Prime Minister Narendra Modi has done anything wrong in the procurement of Rafale fighter jets from France's Dassault, my typical answer is: "I don't think so, but...." You may ask why the "but' -- and thereby hangs the tale of how to understand the purchase of military jets which has turned controversial with Congress president Rahul Gandhi accusing the BJP of corruption in the deal, though there is no evidence of payoffs at all. Compared to what happened in the Bofors arms purchase scandal in the late 1980s, the Rafale deal allegations look like a picnic. In the well-documented Bofors case, the very same Narasimhan Ram, the journalist at The Hindu who is now writing articles critical of the NDA government because it overruled dissent by defence ministry officials, was speaking of Swiss bank accounts and secret payoffs that pointed at the very least to a cover-up by the then Congress government under Rahul's father, the then Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. But then, the problem is that the Rafale deal is a colourful one with circumstantial evidence pointing to unusual procedures that can be questioned on grounds of transparency. This is where we need a "But." The fact is that confidentiality is required in defence deals. The fact is that no less than the chief justice of the Supreme Court of India said he found nothing amiss in the confidential details of pricing involving the Rafale jets. The fact is also that the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (the institution that in the Bofors case criticised the Rajiv Gandhi government) has also said the Rafale deal value was cheaper than that negotiated by the UPA government led by the Congress. But there are 'buts' still hanging in the air of New Delhi because the CAG is yet to pronounce its views on the controversial offset deal in which Dassault was left to choose its partner, which turned out to be the Anil Ambani-led Reliance ADAG group. The key point is that the government says it did not intervene in Dassault's choice of partner in which public sector HAL was pushed to the sidelines. The public sector is a holy cow in India and I do not rule out questions continuing to pour out on the issue. It is perfectly normal and acceptable for political bosses to overrule bureaucratic recommendations, as it has happened in the Rafale case, but in a politically charged atmosphere, questions do not go away. The big questions: Is not intervening in the choice of offset partners by a government a good practice or not when the money in question goes out of the Indian taxpayer's pocket? In politics, sometimes, "not doing" is perceived as a form of doing (an error of omission) and this is what leaves Congress with one more round of ammunition that leads to a "but" being left open in the game. Also, there is the nagging question of whether the rules of confidentiality applied by the NDA government will be employed by a future government formed by some other party or coalition to cloak things. In the Bofors case, there was a lot of attempted secrecy. The Rafale case sets a precedent that may worry long-term thinkers. How does one establish a technical difference between desirable confidentiality and undesirable secrecy? That is the source of another "But" on my part. There is also the issue of whether there has been any "influence peddling" and "undue advantage" which are not exactly bribery in the conventional sense of the term but falls within the international lexicon of corruption. The Anti Bribery Guidance website says 'influence peddling' occurs "when an undue payment or benefit in kind is promised or given to a person who has a real or apparent influence on the decision-making of a public official with the intent that the person persuades the decision maker to act in a desired manner. The emphasis here is on 'undue' to distinguish it from legitimate influence seeking such as lobbying or advocacy." In the coming days, some of the issues related to the Rafale deal will be examined from this point of view. You can say the deal is nowhere near the murkiness of Bofors, but then, this is not same India. New era decisions will face newer questions. (This article was originally published on Zee News. Read the original article) (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)

Narendra Modi emerges from Rafale in better shape than Rajiv Gandhi from Bofors

The Delhi Assembly witnessed uproar over a recent controversial resolution on former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi, leading to the suspension of three Opposition MLAs for the day and adjournment of proceedings for 15 minutes.

BJP MLA Manjinder Singh Sirsa, who was marshalled out of the House when he came into the Well, alleged that he was manhandled and his turban was allegedly forcefully removed during the adjournment in the House. As the House proceedings began, Sirsa moved a notice for the “removal of Speaker Ram Niwas Goel” over alleged “changes in recent resolution” moved by a ruling party MLA demanding to strip former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi of Bharat Ratna.

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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WATCH?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WATCH</a> BJP MLAs marshaled out from the Delhi Assembly, reportedly for protesting over 1984 anti-Sikh riots resolution. <a href="https://t.co/vtL5Ci13Pc">pic.twitter.com/vtL5Ci13Pc</a>
— ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1080775729552322560?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 3, 2019</a></blockquote>
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Following the request, Goel said that he cannot accept it as such a notice has to be given 14 days in advance.

When the Speaker turned down the Opposition’s request, Sirsa came into the Well, prompting Goel to order the BJP legislator to be marshalled out.

The Speaker then suspended Opposition Leader Vijender Gupta, Sirsa and BJP MLA Jagdish Pradhan for the day from House proceedings. Thereafter, Goel adjourned the House for 15 minutes. Talking to reporters outside the House, Gupta and Sirsa alleged that the “content of resolution was changed” as the ruling party wants to forge alliance with the Congress in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.

The BJP MLAs strongly protested against deletion of the demand asking the Centre to take back Bharat Ratna from Rajiv Gandhi from the proposal approved by the House in the last meeting.

The Delhi Assembly witnessed uproar over a recent controversial resolution on former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi, leading to the suspension of three Opposition MLAs for the day and adjournment of proceedings for 15 minutes.

The Delhi Assembly witnessed uproar over a recent controversial resolution on former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi, leading to the suspension of three Opposition MLAs for the day and adjournment of proceedings for 15 minutes. BJP MLA Manjinder Singh Sirsa, who was marshalled out of the House when he came into the Well, alleged that he was manhandled and his turban was allegedly forcefully removed during the adjournment in the House. As the House proceedings began, Sirsa moved a notice for the “removal of Speaker Ram Niwas Goel” over alleged “changes in recent resolution” moved by a ruling party MLA demanding to strip former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi of Bharat Ratna. #WATCH BJP MLAs marshaled out from the Delhi Assembly, reportedly for protesting over 1984 anti-Sikh riots resolution. pic.twitter.com/vtL5Ci13Pc — ANI (@ANI) January 3, 2019 × Following the request, Goel said that he cannot accept it as such a notice has to be given 14 days in advance. When the Speaker turned down the Opposition’s request, Sirsa came into the Well, prompting Goel to order the BJP legislator to be marshalled out. The Speaker then suspended Opposition Leader Vijender Gupta, Sirsa and BJP MLA Jagdish Pradhan for the day from House proceedings. Thereafter, Goel adjourned the House for 15 minutes. Talking to reporters outside the House, Gupta and Sirsa alleged that the “content of resolution was changed” as the ruling party wants to forge alliance with the Congress in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. The BJP MLAs strongly protested against deletion of the demand asking the Centre to take back Bharat Ratna from Rajiv Gandhi from the proposal approved by the House in the last meeting.

Uproar in Delhi Assembly over Rajiv Gandhi resolution, BJP MLAs marshalled out

AAP MLA Alka Lamba said Friday night she will tender her resignation as "demanded" by Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal for not supporting a resolution in the assembly on revoking late PM Rajiv Gandhi's Bharat Ratna.&nbsp;

The Delhi Assembly on Friday adopted a resolution on the 1984 anti-Sikh riots in which it was demanded that the Bharat Ratna awarded to former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi be withdrawn, but the AAP swiftly distanced itself from the reference to the Congress leader.

The matter became a major crisis with AAP MLA Alka Lamba alleging she was "put under pressure" to support the resolution, which she resisted and boycotted.

Lamba said she was ready to face "any consequences" and claimed she spoke to AAP supremo and CM Kejriwal who, she said, asked her to resign as MLA. "I am ready to do so", she said.

The Chandni Chowk MLA said she was not happy with the demand to take back Bharat Ratna from Gandhi and staged a walkout in protest.

Interestingly, the AAP later distanced itself from the resolution.

"After I staged a walkout, I got a message from the chief minister to tender my resignation," she said.

When asked whether she will quit, Lamba added, "I have won on a party ticket. I will tender my resignation as demanded by the party," the former Youth Congress leader said.

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आज <a href="https://twitter.com/DelhiAssembly?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@DelhiAssembly</a> में प्रस्ताव लाया गया की पूर्व प्रधानमंत्री स्वर्गीय श्री राजीव गांधी जी को दिया गया भारत रत्न वापस लिया जाना चाहिये, 
मुझे मेरे भाषण में इसका समर्थन करने को कहा गया,जो मुझे मंजूर नही था,मैंने सदन से वॉक आउट किया। 
अब इसकी जो सज़ा मिलेगी,मैं उसके लिये तैयार हूँ। <a href="https://t.co/ykZ54XJSAv">pic.twitter.com/ykZ54XJSAv</a>
— Alka Lamba (@LambaAlka) <a href="https://twitter.com/LambaAlka/status/1076169781324251136?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 21, 2018</a></blockquote>
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In a tweet, she said, "I was asked to support the resolution demanding taking back the Bharat Ratna awarded to former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. Since I didn't agree with this, I staged a walk out. I am ready to accept whatever punishment is given to me."&nbsp;

AAP MLA Alka Lamba said Friday night she will tender her resignation as "demanded" by Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal for not supporting a resolution in the assembly on revoking late PM Rajiv Gandhi's Bharat Ratna.

AAP MLA Alka Lamba said Friday night she will tender her resignation as "demanded" by Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal for not supporting a resolution in the assembly on revoking late PM Rajiv Gandhi's Bharat Ratna. The Delhi Assembly on Friday adopted a resolution on the 1984 anti-Sikh riots in which it was demanded that the Bharat Ratna awarded to former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi be withdrawn, but the AAP swiftly distanced itself from the reference to the Congress leader. The matter became a major crisis with AAP MLA Alka Lamba alleging she was "put under pressure" to support the resolution, which she resisted and boycotted. Lamba said she was ready to face "any consequences" and claimed she spoke to AAP supremo and CM Kejriwal who, she said, asked her to resign as MLA. "I am ready to do so", she said. The Chandni Chowk MLA said she was not happy with the demand to take back Bharat Ratna from Gandhi and staged a walkout in protest. Interestingly, the AAP later distanced itself from the resolution. "After I staged a walkout, I got a message from the chief minister to tender my resignation," she said. When asked whether she will quit, Lamba added, "I have won on a party ticket. I will tender my resignation as demanded by the party," the former Youth Congress leader said. आज @DelhiAssembly में प्रस्ताव लाया गया की पूर्व प्रधानमंत्री स्वर्गीय श्री राजीव गांधी जी को दिया गया भारत रत्न वापस लिया जाना चाहिये, मुझे मेरे भाषण में इसका समर्थन करने को कहा गया,जो मुझे मंजूर नही था,मैंने सदन से वॉक आउट किया। अब इसकी जो सज़ा मिलेगी,मैं उसके लिये तैयार हूँ। pic.twitter.com/ykZ54XJSAv — Alka Lamba (@LambaAlka) December 21, 2018 × In a tweet, she said, "I was asked to support the resolution demanding taking back the Bharat Ratna awarded to former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi. Since I didn't agree with this, I staged a walk out. I am ready to accept whatever punishment is given to me."

'Will tender resignation': AAP MLA Alka Lamba over resolution to revoke Rajiv Gandhi's Bharat Ratna

A day after <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/will-tender-resignation-aap-mla-alka-lamba-over-resolution-to-revoke-rajiv-gandhis-bharat-ratna-185744">AAP MLA</a> Jarnail Singh said that the Delhi Assembly passed a resolution demanding the stripping off of <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/delhi-assembly-passes-resolution-demanding-withdrawal-of-bharat-ratna-from-rajiv-gandhi-185725">Bharat Ratna award from former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi</a>, AAP leaders Arvind Kejriwal and Manish Sisodia clarified on Saturday that the resolution was not yet passed.

Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal in a press briefing on Saturday said that though the amendment was presented in the assembly, it was not passed yet.

Deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia also clarified saying that the resolution presented in the assembly was handwritten and it cannot be passed in such manner.

"The aim of the original resolution, moved by MLA Jarnail Singh, was only to help the victims of 1984 riots get justice. No resolution mentioning late PM Rajiv Gandhi was passed in the assembly as being reported in the media," Sisodia said.

The Delhi Assembly on Friday adopted a resolution on the 1984 anti-Sikh riots in which it was demanded that Bharat Ratna awarded to former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi be withdrawn.

Jarnail Singh, while moving the resolution in the assembly, had mentioned Gandhi's name while reading the text and demanded that the Congress leader's Bharat Ratna be withdrawn for "justifying the anti-Sikh riots".

Later, he had said though the reference to Gandhi in the resolution was not there in the written copies, it was made orally and passed by the House by voice vote.

(With input&nbsp;from agencies)

A day after AAP MLA Jarnail Singh said that the Delhi Assembly passed a resolution demanding the stripping off of Bharat Ratna award from former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi, AAP leaders Arvind Kejriwal and Manish Sisodia clarified on Saturday that the resolution was not yet passed.

A day after AAP MLA Jarnail Singh said that the Delhi Assembly passed a resolution demanding the stripping off of Bharat Ratna award from former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi, AAP leaders Arvind Kejriwal and Manish Sisodia clarified on Saturday that the resolution was not yet passed. Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal in a press briefing on Saturday said that though the amendment was presented in the assembly, it was not passed yet. Deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia also clarified saying that the resolution presented in the assembly was handwritten and it cannot be passed in such manner. "The aim of the original resolution, moved by MLA Jarnail Singh, was only to help the victims of 1984 riots get justice. No resolution mentioning late PM Rajiv Gandhi was passed in the assembly as being reported in the media," Sisodia said. The Delhi Assembly on Friday adopted a resolution on the 1984 anti-Sikh riots in which it was demanded that Bharat Ratna awarded to former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi be withdrawn. Jarnail Singh, while moving the resolution in the assembly, had mentioned Gandhi's name while reading the text and demanded that the Congress leader's Bharat Ratna be withdrawn for "justifying the anti-Sikh riots". Later, he had said though the reference to Gandhi in the resolution was not there in the written copies, it was made orally and passed by the House by voice vote. (With input from agencies)

Did not pass resolution demanding withdrawal of Rajiv Gandhi's Bharat Ratna, AAP clarifies

The Delhi Assembly on Friday passed a resolution demanding the withdrawal of the Bharat Ratna&nbsp;awarded to the former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi in 1991.

The resolution, passed by a voice vote, cited the 1984 <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/1984-anti-sikh-riots-no-ground-for-granting-relief-to-sajjan-kumar-says-high-court-185604">anti-Sikh riots</a> as the reason behind its demand for the withdrawal of the award.

AAP MLA Jarnail Singh who moved the resolution said, "Delhi Assembly today declared 1984 anti-Sikh riots as worst genocide in the history of India’s national capital. In a resolution that has been passed today, we have demanded from the Centre that Bharat Ratna should be withdrawn from Former PM Rajiv Gandhi".

The resolution said the Delhi government should "strongly" convey in writing to the Union Home Ministry (MHA) that justice continues to elude the families and near-dear ones of the victims of the worst "genocide" in the history of India's national capital.

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Jarnail Singh,AAP MLA: Delhi Assembly today declared 1984 anti-Sikh riots as worst genocide in the history of India’s national capital. In a resolution that has been passed today we have demanded from the Centre that Bharat Ratna should be withdrawn from Former PM Rajiv Gandhi. <a href="https://t.co/g9uskxBe36">pic.twitter.com/g9uskxBe36</a>
— ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1076140237481402369?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 21, 2018</a></blockquote>
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The resolution was passed days after the High Court passed a historic verdict on the anti-Sikh riots. The court on December 17 reversed the acquittal of former Congress leader Sajjan Kumar by the trial court and sentenced him to life imprisonment on charges ranging from murder to criminal conspiracy.

Rajiv Gandhi was posthumously awarded the Bharat Ratna award in 1991.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

The Delhi Assembly on Friday passed a resolution demanding the withdrawal of the Bharat Ratna awarded to the former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi in 1991. The resolution, passed by a voice vote, cited the 1984 anti-Sikh riots as the reason behind its demand for the withdrawal of the award.

The Delhi Assembly on Friday passed a resolution demanding the withdrawal of the Bharat Ratna awarded to the former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi in 1991. The resolution, passed by a voice vote, cited the 1984 anti-Sikh riots as the reason behind its demand for the withdrawal of the award. AAP MLA Jarnail Singh who moved the resolution said, "Delhi Assembly today declared 1984 anti-Sikh riots as worst genocide in the history of India’s national capital. In a resolution that has been passed today, we have demanded from the Centre that Bharat Ratna should be withdrawn from Former PM Rajiv Gandhi". The resolution said the Delhi government should "strongly" convey in writing to the Union Home Ministry (MHA) that justice continues to elude the families and near-dear ones of the victims of the worst "genocide" in the history of India's national capital. Jarnail Singh,AAP MLA: Delhi Assembly today declared 1984 anti-Sikh riots as worst genocide in the history of India’s national capital. In a resolution that has been passed today we have demanded from the Centre that Bharat Ratna should be withdrawn from Former PM Rajiv Gandhi. pic.twitter.com/g9uskxBe36 — ANI (@ANI) December 21, 2018 × The resolution was passed days after the High Court passed a historic verdict on the anti-Sikh riots. The court on December 17 reversed the acquittal of former Congress leader Sajjan Kumar by the trial court and sentenced him to life imprisonment on charges ranging from murder to criminal conspiracy. Rajiv Gandhi was posthumously awarded the Bharat Ratna award in 1991. (With inputs from agencies)

Delhi Assembly passes resolution demanding withdrawal of Rajiv Gandhi's Bharat Ratna

Union Minister&nbsp;Harsimrat Kaur Badal on Monday hailed the Delhi High Court ruling that convicted Congress leader Sajjan Kumar for his involvement in 1984 anti-Sikh carnage.

The Delhi High Court reversed the acquittal of Congress MP Sajjan Kumar for alleged involvement in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots and sentenced him to life imprisonment.

"I want to thank PM Modi that on Shiromani Akali Dal's request in 2015 he set up a SIT to probe 1984 massacre. It's a historic judgement. Wheels of justice have finally moved. It is Sajjan Kumar today, it will be Jagdish Tytler tomorrow then Kamal Nath and eventually the Gandhi family," said Harsimrat Kaur Badal.

Shortly after the verdict, Harsimrat Badal took to microblogging site Twitter saying “Justice at last! Sajjan Kumar to spend life in jail for taking Sikh lives. SIT formed by PM Narendra Modi Ji shows impact. This is what change in government can do”.

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Justice at last! Sajjan Kumar to spend life in jail for taking Sikh lives. SIT formed by PM <a href="https://twitter.com/narendramodi?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@narendramodi</a> ji shows impact. This is what change in government can do. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/1984SikhGenocide?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#1984SikhGenocide</a>
— Harsimrat Kaur Badal (@HarsimratBadal_) <a href="https://twitter.com/HarsimratBadal_/status/1074561820906655744?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 17, 2018</a></blockquote>
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The court has asked Sajjan Kumar to surrender by 31 December.

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Bikram Singh Majithia, Akali Dal: Like in the case of Christian Michel where Congress lawyers were representing him, Congress party senior intervention is done only when some sort of Gandhis’ interest is there. Kapil Sibal’s son Amit Sibal is the main lawyer for Sajjan Kumar. <a href="https://t.co/zZzsuQxvND">pic.twitter.com/zZzsuQxvND</a>
— ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1074579657746337792?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 17, 2018</a></blockquote>
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"Khoon ka badla khoon, jab ek bada darakht girta hai to dharti hilti hi hai.' When a PM says these words on national television...we were trying to protect ourselves and were saved by the almighty. Thousands of innocent were brutally killed before their families. Congress leaders, at the behest of the PM, went to Sikh houses along with police. Even today when I think of all that happened, it gives me goosebumps. Children were crying, they could not utter a word. I still remember it today," Union Minister added. 
 
(With inputs from ANI)

Union Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal on Monday hailed the Delhi High Court ruling that convicted Congress leader Sajjan Kumar for his involvement in 1984 anti-Sikh carnage.

Union Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal on Monday hailed the Delhi High Court ruling that convicted Congress leader Sajjan Kumar for his involvement in 1984 anti-Sikh carnage. The Delhi High Court reversed the acquittal of Congress MP Sajjan Kumar for alleged involvement in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots and sentenced him to life imprisonment. "I want to thank PM Modi that on Shiromani Akali Dal's request in 2015 he set up a SIT to probe 1984 massacre. It's a historic judgement. Wheels of justice have finally moved. It is Sajjan Kumar today, it will be Jagdish Tytler tomorrow then Kamal Nath and eventually the Gandhi family," said Harsimrat Kaur Badal. Shortly after the verdict, Harsimrat Badal took to microblogging site Twitter saying “Justice at last! Sajjan Kumar to spend life in jail for taking Sikh lives. SIT formed by PM Narendra Modi Ji shows impact. This is what change in government can do”. Justice at last! Sajjan Kumar to spend life in jail for taking Sikh lives. SIT formed by PM @narendramodi ji shows impact. This is what change in government can do. #1984SikhGenocide — Harsimrat Kaur Badal (@HarsimratBadal_) December 17, 2018 × The court has asked Sajjan Kumar to surrender by 31 December. Bikram Singh Majithia, Akali Dal: Like in the case of Christian Michel where Congress lawyers were representing him, Congress party senior intervention is done only when some sort of Gandhis’ interest is there. Kapil Sibal’s son Amit Sibal is the main lawyer for Sajjan Kumar. pic.twitter.com/zZzsuQxvND — ANI (@ANI) December 17, 2018 × "Khoon ka badla khoon, jab ek bada darakht girta hai to dharti hilti hi hai.' When a PM says these words on national television...we were trying to protect ourselves and were saved by the almighty. Thousands of innocent were brutally killed before their families. Congress leaders, at the behest of the PM, went to Sikh houses along with police. Even today when I think of all that happened, it gives me goosebumps. Children were crying, they could not utter a word. I still remember it today," Union Minister added. (With inputs from ANI)

1984 anti-Sikh riots case: After Sajjan Kumar's sentencing, Harsimrat targets Gandhi family

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/act-now-or-risk-disaster-world-told-at-un-climate-summit-181034">Act now or risk disaster, world told at UN climate summit</a>

After the starkest warnings yet of the catastrophic threat posed by climate change, nations gathered in Poland on Sunday to chart a way for mankind to avert runaway global warming.&nbsp;

The COP24 climate summit comes at a crucial juncture in the battle to rein in the effects of our heating planet.&nbsp;

UN General Assembly president Maria Espinosa said mankind was "in danger of disappearing" if climate change was allowed to progress at its current rate.

 
<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/will-speaking-against-pm-modi-or-bjp-require-me-to-leave-is-it-not-my-country-owaisi-181036">History </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/will-speaking-against-pm-modi-or-bjp-require-me-to-leave-is-it-not-my-country-owaisi-181036">mein</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/will-speaking-against-pm-modi-or-bjp-require-me-to-leave-is-it-not-my-country-owaisi-181036"> zero </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/will-speaking-against-pm-modi-or-bjp-require-me-to-leave-is-it-not-my-country-owaisi-181036">hain</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/will-speaking-against-pm-modi-or-bjp-require-me-to-leave-is-it-not-my-country-owaisi-181036"> </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/will-speaking-against-pm-modi-or-bjp-require-me-to-leave-is-it-not-my-country-owaisi-181036">aap</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/will-speaking-against-pm-modi-or-bjp-require-me-to-leave-is-it-not-my-country-owaisi-181036">: Asaduddin Owaisi responds to Yogi Adityanath</a>

AIMIM chief, Asaduddin Owaisi, on Sunday launched an attack on BJP asking if those who speak against the saffron party or its leadership will be asked to leave the country.&nbsp;

Owaisi's comments came as a reaction to Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's remark wherein he stated that Owaisi will have to flee the state if BJP comes to power in Telangana.&nbsp;

 
<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/trump-will-grant-kim-jong-uns-wishes-after-denuclearisation-south-korea-president-181032">Trump will grant Kim Jong Un's wishes after denuclearisation: South Korea president</a>

US President Donald Trump will grant North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un his wishes if he delivers on denuclearisation, the South Korean president said Sunday, following talks on the sidelines of the G20 summit.

As officials work to arrange a second meeting between Trump and Kim, South Korea's Moon Jae-in relayed a message to reporters given to him by the US president to pass on to the North's leader.&nbsp;

 
<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/no-link-to-rajiv-gandhis-assassination-claims-ltte-181030">'No link' to Rajiv Gandhi's assassination, claims LTTE</a>

In an alleged statement, the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) has claimed that they had 'no link' in the assassination of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi in May 1991.

The alleged letter from LTTE has been signed by their Political Wing representative Kurburan Guruswami and Legal Wing representative Lathan Chandralingam.

 
<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/un-doctors-hammer-australia-over-refugee-camps-181042">UN, doctors hammer Australia over refugee camps</a>

Australia's under-pressure government received a double blow Monday from the United Nations and a leading doctors' group over harsh treatment of refugees on off-shore island camps.

In an unusual broadside, a top official for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees accused "bureaucrats and politicians" of overruling doctors and putting lives at risk at camps on Nauru and Manus.

Act now or risk disaster, world told at UN climate summit After the starkest warnings yet of the catastrophic threat posed by climate change, nations gathered in Poland on Sunday to chart a way for mankind to avert runaway global warming.

Act now or risk disaster, world told at UN climate summit After the starkest warnings yet of the catastrophic threat posed by climate change, nations gathered in Poland on Sunday to chart a way for mankind to avert runaway global warming. The COP24 climate summit comes at a crucial juncture in the battle to rein in the effects of our heating planet. UN General Assembly president Maria Espinosa said mankind was "in danger of disappearing" if climate change was allowed to progress at its current rate. History mein zero hain aap: Asaduddin Owaisi responds to Yogi Adityanath AIMIM chief, Asaduddin Owaisi, on Sunday launched an attack on BJP asking if those who speak against the saffron party or its leadership will be asked to leave the country. Owaisi's comments came as a reaction to Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's remark wherein he stated that Owaisi will have to flee the state if BJP comes to power in Telangana. Trump will grant Kim Jong Un's wishes after denuclearisation: South Korea president US President Donald Trump will grant North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un his wishes if he delivers on denuclearisation, the South Korean president said Sunday, following talks on the sidelines of the G20 summit. As officials work to arrange a second meeting between Trump and Kim, South Korea's Moon Jae-in relayed a message to reporters given to him by the US president to pass on to the North's leader. 'No link' to Rajiv Gandhi's assassination, claims LTTE In an alleged statement, the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) has claimed that they had 'no link' in the assassination of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi in May 1991. The alleged letter from LTTE has been signed by their Political Wing representative Kurburan Guruswami and Legal Wing representative Lathan Chandralingam. UN, doctors hammer Australia over refugee camps Australia's under-pressure government received a double blow Monday from the United Nations and a leading doctors' group over harsh treatment of refugees on off-shore island camps. In an unusual broadside, a top official for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees accused "bureaucrats and politicians" of overruling doctors and putting lives at risk at camps on Nauru and Manus.

News brief: Big stories of the day

Union minister Prakash Javadekar Sunday said Congress leader <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/ravi-shankar-prasad-hits-out-at-shashi-tharoor-over-shiv-linga-remarks-174058">Shashi Tharoor's remark on Prime Minister Narendra Modi</a> and Shiv Linga reflected the party's mentality which had become evident when former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi dubbed the opposition a "scorpion" in 1984 polls.

He also accused the Congress of "indirectly supporting" Maoists and said the BJP governments at the Centre and in Chhattisgarh, where elections would be held next month, were determined to finish the Naxal menace in the coming years.

No Congress leader was available for comments.

"When Chhattisgarh was formed and the Congress was in power in the state, Naxalism was at its peak. Now it has come down to one-third of the total area which was in control of Naxalites earlier," the human resource development minister said in a press conference in Raipur.

Javadekar criticised Tharoor for his reported remark Saturday in which he claimed that an unnamed RSS source had told a journalist that "Prime Minister Modi was like a scorpion sitting on a Shiv Linga who cannot be removed by hand or hit with a chappal (slipper)".

When asked about the remark, Javadekar said, "The Congress is wondering on how to take on Modi at the political level and therefore it has resorted to abusing. Rahul baba keeps on abusing daily. People will do only those things which they know. Shashi Tharoor is a bit sophisticated but he has also come down to the 'bichhu' remark."

"This was the Congress' advertisement in 1984. Rajiv Gandhi had brought this advertisement of calling the opposition a scorpion in the 1984 elections. It reflects the mentality of Congress," the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) leader claimed.

On Naxalism, he said 350 ultras were gunned down in the last five years in Chhattisgarh.

"Not only that, around 5,000 misguided tribals have surrendered while thousands of Naxals have been arrested," he said.

Hitting back at Congress leader Abhishek Manu Sanghvi who Sunday accused the Chhattisgarh government of being weak in tackling Naxalism, Javadekar said on the contrary the menace was at its peak during the Congress' rule in Chhattisgarh between 2000 and 2003.

"The Congress gave birth to Naxalism and it is the party which has encouraged it. The senior Congress leader indirectly supports Maoists. The party had appointed overground supporters of Maoist to the planning commission. It is the record of the Congress," he alleged.

Accusing the Congress of adopting "double standards", Javadekar alleged the party had backed overground supporters of Maoists.

"Their sympathy towards Maoist is not hidden. No decisive action was taken by the previous UPA government against Naxals. However, the action has been taken against Maoists since the last four years under Modi government and very soon the menace will be neutralised," he claimed.

"Chhattisgarh will be free from Maoist activities in the next three years. We are determined to finish the Maoist challenge in the next couple of years which is totally violent and undemocratic. Our policy is clear," the minister said.

Slamming Tharoor, Javadekar said the Congress leader had recently said Ram Mandir should not be built in Ramjanmabhoomi in Ayodhya because a mosque existed at that place.

"Tharoor has forgotten that Lord Ram was born in Ayodhya and his temple existed at the spot. A mosque was built after demolishing the temple.

"A public protest for Ram temple has been on from last 500 years. No BJP or Congress were there in the movement. It was a public protest. Now, the Supreme Court has fixed the dates of hearing (the Ayodhya title suit). We are hopeful that soon justice will be done and Ram Mandir will be built in Ramjanmabhoomi," he said.

When asked if Ram Mandir will be the BJP's agenda for Lok Sabha elections in 2019, Javdekar said, "Ram Mandir had never been an agenda of our politics or election but the temple should be built in Ramjanmabhoomi because people of the country want it. This is a national demand and sentiments of people are attached with it. This is a matter of faith of people and we never do politics over it."

Responding to a query on a row over a Supreme Court judgment allowing women of all age to visit Sabarimala shrine in Kerala, Javadekar said people reacted because orders were passed against public sentiments.

"Despite peaceful opposition by the devotees, the brutal treatment meted against them by the incumbent Communist government is severely criticised by the Bharatiya Janata Party," he added.

Union minister Prakash Javadekar Sunday said Congress leader Shashi Tharoor's remark on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Shiv Linga reflected the party's mentality which had become evident when former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi dubbed the opposition a "scorpion" in 1984 polls.

Union minister Prakash Javadekar Sunday said Congress leader Shashi Tharoor's remark on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Shiv Linga reflected the party's mentality which had become evident when former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi dubbed the opposition a "scorpion" in 1984 polls. He also accused the Congress of "indirectly supporting" Maoists and said the BJP governments at the Centre and in Chhattisgarh, where elections would be held next month, were determined to finish the Naxal menace in the coming years. No Congress leader was available for comments. "When Chhattisgarh was formed and the Congress was in power in the state, Naxalism was at its peak. Now it has come down to one-third of the total area which was in control of Naxalites earlier," the human resource development minister said in a press conference in Raipur. Javadekar criticised Tharoor for his reported remark Saturday in which he claimed that an unnamed RSS source had told a journalist that "Prime Minister Modi was like a scorpion sitting on a Shiv Linga who cannot be removed by hand or hit with a chappal (slipper)". When asked about the remark, Javadekar said, "The Congress is wondering on how to take on Modi at the political level and therefore it has resorted to abusing. Rahul baba keeps on abusing daily. People will do only those things which they know. Shashi Tharoor is a bit sophisticated but he has also come down to the 'bichhu' remark." "This was the Congress' advertisement in 1984. Rajiv Gandhi had brought this advertisement of calling the opposition a scorpion in the 1984 elections. It reflects the mentality of Congress," the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) leader claimed. On Naxalism, he said 350 ultras were gunned down in the last five years in Chhattisgarh. "Not only that, around 5,000 misguided tribals have surrendered while thousands of Naxals have been arrested," he said. Hitting back at Congress leader Abhishek Manu Sanghvi who Sunday accused the Chhattisgarh government of being weak in tackling Naxalism, Javadekar said on the contrary the menace was at its peak during the Congress' rule in Chhattisgarh between 2000 and 2003. "The Congress gave birth to Naxalism and it is the party which has encouraged it. The senior Congress leader indirectly supports Maoists. The party had appointed overground supporters of Maoist to the planning commission. It is the record of the Congress," he alleged. Accusing the Congress of adopting "double standards", Javadekar alleged the party had backed overground supporters of Maoists. "Their sympathy towards Maoist is not hidden. No decisive action was taken by the previous UPA government against Naxals. However, the action has been taken against Maoists since the last four years under Modi government and very soon the menace will be neutralised," he claimed. "Chhattisgarh will be free from Maoist activities in the next three years. We are determined to finish the Maoist challenge in the next couple of years which is totally violent and undemocratic. Our policy is clear," the minister said. Slamming Tharoor, Javadekar said the Congress leader had recently said Ram Mandir should not be built in Ramjanmabhoomi in Ayodhya because a mosque existed at that place. "Tharoor has forgotten that Lord Ram was born in Ayodhya and his temple existed at the spot. A mosque was built after demolishing the temple. "A public protest for Ram temple has been on from last 500 years. No BJP or Congress were there in the movement. It was a public protest. Now, the Supreme Court has fixed the dates of hearing (the Ayodhya title suit). We are hopeful that soon justice will be done and Ram Mandir will be built in Ramjanmabhoomi," he said. When asked if Ram Mandir will be the BJP's agenda for Lok Sabha elections in 2019, Javdekar said, "Ram Mandir had never been an agenda of our politics or election but the temple should be built in Ramjanmabhoomi because people of the country want it. This is a national demand and sentiments of people are attached with it. This is a matter of faith of people and we never do politics over it." Responding to a query on a row over a Supreme Court judgment allowing women of all age to visit Sabarimala shrine in Kerala, Javadekar said people reacted because orders were passed against public sentiments. "Despite peaceful opposition by the devotees, the brutal treatment meted against them by the incumbent Communist government is severely criticised by the Bharatiya Janata Party," he added.

Rajiv Gandhi had dubbed opposition scorpion in 1984: Prakash Javadekar

Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee Chief N Uttam Kumar Reddy and other party leaders Monday inspected the arrangements for the visit of party President Rahul Gandhi to Telangana on October 20.

Reddy and others left from Hyderabad by a chopper to Bhainsa near Adilabad where Gandhi will address a public meeting.

Speaking on the occasion, Reddy attacked the TRS government in Telangana for allegedly ignoring farmers' and other sections and highlighted the promises of Congress for the December 7 Legislative Assembly elections.

Gandhi would address two public meetings in Telangana on October 20.

He would hoist the Congress flag near Charminar here and address the gathering on the occasion of Rajiv Gandhi Sadbhavana Yatra commemoration day, they said.

Former Chief Minister of undivided Andhra Pradesh K Rosaiah will be conferred the Rajiv Gandhi Sadbhavana Yatra commemoration award.

Later, the Congress leader would visit Bhainsa town and address a public meeting and another one in Kamareddy, they added.

The party has formed an alliance with the TDP, CPI and Telangana Jana Samiti (TJS) and been holding talks on seat-sharing for the polls.

Gandhi had visited Telangana in August last and interacted with women of Self Help Groups (SHGs) and others.

The state Congress hoped Gandhi's visit would give a boost to its prospects in the assembly elections.&nbsp;

Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee Chief N Uttam Kumar Reddy and other party leaders Monday inspected the arrangements for the visit of party President Rahul Gandhi to Telangana on October 20.

Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee Chief N Uttam Kumar Reddy and other party leaders Monday inspected the arrangements for the visit of party President Rahul Gandhi to Telangana on October 20. Reddy and others left from Hyderabad by a chopper to Bhainsa near Adilabad where Gandhi will address a public meeting. Speaking on the occasion, Reddy attacked the TRS government in Telangana for allegedly ignoring farmers' and other sections and highlighted the promises of Congress for the December 7 Legislative Assembly elections. Gandhi would address two public meetings in Telangana on October 20. He would hoist the Congress flag near Charminar here and address the gathering on the occasion of Rajiv Gandhi Sadbhavana Yatra commemoration day, they said. Former Chief Minister of undivided Andhra Pradesh K Rosaiah will be conferred the Rajiv Gandhi Sadbhavana Yatra commemoration award. Later, the Congress leader would visit Bhainsa town and address a public meeting and another one in Kamareddy, they added. The party has formed an alliance with the TDP, CPI and Telangana Jana Samiti (TJS) and been holding talks on seat-sharing for the polls. Gandhi had visited Telangana in August last and interacted with women of Self Help Groups (SHGs) and others. The state Congress hoped Gandhi's visit would give a boost to its prospects in the assembly elections.

Telangana Congress gearing up for Rahul Gandhi's visit

Whether it accepts it or not, the furore over the Rafale fighter jet with France's Dassault has become a problem, a big one, for the BJP-led NDA government. 
 
Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has declared it to be a "perception problem" and in what seems like an eerie coincidence, the name of Robert Vadra, son-in-law of Congress leader Sonia Gandhi, has cropped up as "one who failed to get a cut" and therefore an interested party in the deal in which Congress president Rahul Gandhi accuses Prime Minister Narendra Modi of dubiously bringing in Anil Ambani-led Reliance Defence as Dassault's partner.

In this war of mostly noisy and pointless TV news show debates, it has become fashionable to throw cow dung in return for bull droppings. But we must learn to look beyond these to ask some hard questions:

&nbsp;1. Why was the public sector Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) sidestepped by its sole shareholder, the government of India, all of a sudden?&nbsp;

&nbsp;2.&nbsp; Since Anil Ambani publicly announced an Rs 30,000-crore revenue opportunity from the Dassault "offset" partnership, is there not a need to ask how his company there got in the first place without any bidding involved?

&nbsp;3. Why would a former president of a G-20 country, Francois Hollande, say the Indian government played a role in Dassault's choice of partner?

4. If Dassault added features to its fighters while cutting down the number of jets in the deal to 36 from 126, and it was indeed because of a secrecy clause linked to sweetheart features for India's added security, does that not set a secrecy precedent for any defence deal where any future government can escape the scrutiny of auditors, Parliament or media by citing a secrecy clause? How does that weigh in with a culture of transparency to cut corruption?

I would look for best practices to guide us in these matters. When the government is itself in the dock, it is best to look at global practices to arrive at an idea of fair play because the rule-makers cannot be judged on the basis of their own rules when they are themselves the purchasers.

In 2012, the European Court of Justice in a landmark ruling "significantly restricted the ability of EU governments to use sole-source or negotiated procedures with selected suppliers for purchases of defence and security equipment."

The ECJ ruled that procurement agencies "must" use competitive tendering procedures unless the supplies have been specially designed or modified for military use and the procurement involved an "essential national security interest."

Now, the NDA government is citing both modifications of supplies and essential national security interest among the reasons for the less-than-transparent Rafale deal, but it is pertinent to ask if a government in a democracy that runs under institutional supervision can be its own judge.

The fact of the matter is that "offset" deals forming part of defence purchases to aid local suppliers are a regular part of defence contracts. If the main purchase is an apple, the offset part is an orange. But the key point to note is that both the apple of the fighter jet and the orange of the offset components are paid for by the same taxpayer. If you follow the money, the government of India has both the right and the duty to determine the offset partner. A public purchase cannot be subject to the same rules as a private purchase.

Therefore, a statement by the government made last week that it had no role in Dassault's choice of partner is in itself questionable. In coal linkages for power plants, the NDA government reversed the UPA's policies and set the tone for auctions. In the case of 2G spectrum, the Supreme Court supervised auctions even before the NDA came to power.

Should not the logic that was applied to 2G spectrum and coal applied to defence offsets as well? The Reliance Defence contract falls into the "sole source" category ECJ mentions above and goes against the principle of transparency.&nbsp;

No wonder the Congress has been talking of either a parliamentary probe into the Rafale deal or a Comptroller and Auditor General report.

The Supreme Court is looking into a public interest litigation that is due for hearing on October 10. Don't expect a miracle there, but I do anticipate the honourable judges to ask some sharp questions on transparency -- enough to give the Congress ammunition in an election year. If national interest is monitored solely by a political leadership in power and kept outside other institutions, it does raise hard questions.

However, the fact is that Congress is not overly confident of getting Supreme Court support. A senior Congress source told me it was not keen on the PIL track as it did not "want to lose the narrative." Between the Congress party's 'narrative' and the BJP's 'perception problem' true insights may yet come from the CAG and/or the Supreme Court.

(This article was originally published on Zee News. Read the <a href="http://zeenews.india.com/blogs/not-just-a-perception-problem-rafale-deal-could-set-a-bad-precedent-2143942.html">original article</a>)

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Whether it accepts it or not, the furore over the Rafale fighter jet with France's Dassault has become a problem, a big one, for the BJP-led NDA government. Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has declared it to be a "perception problem" and in what seems like an eerie coincidence, the name of Robert Vadra, son-in-law of Congress leader Sonia Gandhi, has cropped up as "one who failed to get a cut" and therefore an interested party in the deal in which Congress president Rahul Gandhi accuses Prime Minister Narendra Modi of dubiously bringing in Anil Ambani-led Reliance Defence as Dassault's partner.

Whether it accepts it or not, the furore over the Rafale fighter jet with France's Dassault has become a problem, a big one, for the BJP-led NDA government. Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has declared it to be a "perception problem" and in what seems like an eerie coincidence, the name of Robert Vadra, son-in-law of Congress leader Sonia Gandhi, has cropped up as "one who failed to get a cut" and therefore an interested party in the deal in which Congress president Rahul Gandhi accuses Prime Minister Narendra Modi of dubiously bringing in Anil Ambani-led Reliance Defence as Dassault's partner. In this war of mostly noisy and pointless TV news show debates, it has become fashionable to throw cow dung in return for bull droppings. But we must learn to look beyond these to ask some hard questions: 1. Why was the public sector Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) sidestepped by its sole shareholder, the government of India, all of a sudden? 2. Since Anil Ambani publicly announced an Rs 30,000-crore revenue opportunity from the Dassault "offset" partnership, is there not a need to ask how his company there got in the first place without any bidding involved? 3. Why would a former president of a G-20 country, Francois Hollande, say the Indian government played a role in Dassault's choice of partner? 4. If Dassault added features to its fighters while cutting down the number of jets in the deal to 36 from 126, and it was indeed because of a secrecy clause linked to sweetheart features for India's added security, does that not set a secrecy precedent for any defence deal where any future government can escape the scrutiny of auditors, Parliament or media by citing a secrecy clause? How does that weigh in with a culture of transparency to cut corruption? I would look for best practices to guide us in these matters. When the government is itself in the dock, it is best to look at global practices to arrive at an idea of fair play because the rule-makers cannot be judged on the basis of their own rules when they are themselves the purchasers. In 2012, the European Court of Justice in a landmark ruling "significantly restricted the ability of EU governments to use sole-source or negotiated procedures with selected suppliers for purchases of defence and security equipment." The ECJ ruled that procurement agencies "must" use competitive tendering procedures unless the supplies have been specially designed or modified for military use and the procurement involved an "essential national security interest." Now, the NDA government is citing both modifications of supplies and essential national security interest among the reasons for the less-than-transparent Rafale deal, but it is pertinent to ask if a government in a democracy that runs under institutional supervision can be its own judge. The fact of the matter is that "offset" deals forming part of defence purchases to aid local suppliers are a regular part of defence contracts. If the main purchase is an apple, the offset part is an orange. But the key point to note is that both the apple of the fighter jet and the orange of the offset components are paid for by the same taxpayer. If you follow the money, the government of India has both the right and the duty to determine the offset partner. A public purchase cannot be subject to the same rules as a private purchase. Therefore, a statement by the government made last week that it had no role in Dassault's choice of partner is in itself questionable. In coal linkages for power plants, the NDA government reversed the UPA's policies and set the tone for auctions. In the case of 2G spectrum, the Supreme Court supervised auctions even before the NDA came to power. Should not the logic that was applied to 2G spectrum and coal applied to defence offsets as well? The Reliance Defence contract falls into the "sole source" category ECJ mentions above and goes against the principle of transparency. No wonder the Congress has been talking of either a parliamentary probe into the Rafale deal or a Comptroller and Auditor General report. The Supreme Court is looking into a public interest litigation that is due for hearing on October 10. Don't expect a miracle there, but I do anticipate the honourable judges to ask some sharp questions on transparency -- enough to give the Congress ammunition in an election year. If national interest is monitored solely by a political leadership in power and kept outside other institutions, it does raise hard questions. However, the fact is that Congress is not overly confident of getting Supreme Court support. A senior Congress source told me it was not keen on the PIL track as it did not "want to lose the narrative." Between the Congress party's 'narrative' and the BJP's 'perception problem' true insights may yet come from the CAG and/or the Supreme Court. (This article was originally published on Zee News. Read the original article) (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Rafale deal could set a bad precedent

A letter allegedly found in the house of one of the five persons arrested for "links" with the banned CPI (Maoist) talks about the ultras mulling "another Rajiv Gandhi incident", Pune police told a court on Thursday.

Police had arrested a Dalit activist Sudhir Dhawale on Wednesday, lawyer Surendra Gadling, activists Mahesh Raut and Shoma Sen and Rona Wilson from Mumbai, Nagpur and Delhi respectively in connection with 'Elgar Parishad' held here in December and the subsequent Bhima-Koregaon violence in the district.

All five were produced before the sessions court today which remanded them in police custody till&nbsp;June 14.

A letter found in Rona Wilson's house in Delhi talks about requirement of Rs 8 crore to procure M-4 rifle and four lakh rounds, and also about "another Rajiv Gandhi incident", prosecutor Ujjwala Pawar told the court.

"We are thinking along the lines of another Rajiv Gandhi incident. It sounds suicidal and there is a chance that we might fail but party must deliberate on our proposal," Pawar quoted the letter as saying.

Seeking their remand, Pawar told judge A S Bhailsare, that documents seized also showed that preparation for the Elgar Parishad -- which police believe was backed and funded by the Maoists -- was going on for two months.

Quoting another letter allegedly seized from Wilson's house, Pawar said, "The higher Committee has appreciated the endearing efforts of all urban comrades for the specific tasks given to them... There is a lot of ground to be covered. Comrade Mangalu and Deepu have been coordinating the Koregaon programme (for) last two months with Comrade Sudhir.

"They have been able to gather support from the larger sections of Dalits across the state," Pawar quoted the letter as saying.

Evidence also showed that funds were provided by the CPI (Maoist) to "comrade Sudhir" for Koregaon Bhima "task" and "Comrade Shoma and Surendra" were authorised to provide funds for future programs, the prosecutor said.

In one of the letters from one Prakash to Wilson, it is stated that the Bhima Koregaon agitation was losing its steam, and cadres should keep it alive, Pawar said.

An investigation also revealed that senior Maoist leaders were asking lower-rung cadres to target and recruit "intelligent" students from "renowned" institutes, she said.

The lawyers of the accused said the documents cited by the prosecution were fabricated, and the accused have been framed up.

One of the defence lawyers pointed out that while police invoked the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) against the five accused, the stringent law was not applied against right-wing activists Milind Ekbote and Sambhaji Bhide, who are accused of inciting anti-Dalit violence at Bhima Koregaon on&nbsp;January 1.

Earlier in the day, Joint Commissioner of Police Ravindra Kadam told reporters that a letter allegedly seized from Wilson's house had been sent by fugitive Maoist leader Milind Teltumbde.

When asked if it refers to the Congress and Bharip Bahujan Mahasangh president Prakash Ambedkar (as alleged by a BJP leader today), he said, "The letter has their references, but we are still investigating the details."

Documents seized from Gadling's house in Nagpur show his indirect connection to recent Maoist attacks in Gadchiroli in Maharashtra and in Chhattisgarh, Kadam said.

Dhawale was one of the organisers of Elgar Parishad, organised to commemorate 200 years of the Koregaon Bhima battle, on&nbsp;December 31.

Police had earlier claimed that Kabir Kala Manch activists made provocative speeches at the gathering, leading to violence at Bhima Koregaon the next day.

Police today also said that Teltumbde, comrade Prakash, comrade Manglu and comrade Deepu have been added as absconding accused in the present case.

A day before Kadam had claimed that some of the arrested activists were the "top brass of the Urban Maoists".&nbsp;

Dalits commemorate the 1818 battle of Bhima Koregaon where British forces, mostly consisting of Mahar soldiers (who were Dalits), defeated the forces of Peshwa, ending the Maratha rule. Some Hindu organisations had opposed the celebration this year.

A letter found in Rona Wilson's house in Delhi talks about requirement of Rs 8 crore to procure M-4 rifle and four lakh rounds

A letter allegedly found in the house of one of the five persons arrested for "links" with the banned CPI (Maoist) talks about the ultras mulling "another Rajiv Gandhi incident", Pune police told a court on Thursday. Police had arrested a Dalit activist Sudhir Dhawale on Wednesday, lawyer Surendra Gadling, activists Mahesh Raut and Shoma Sen and Rona Wilson from Mumbai, Nagpur and Delhi respectively in connection with 'Elgar Parishad' held here in December and the subsequent Bhima-Koregaon violence in the district. All five were produced before the sessions court today which remanded them in police custody till June 14. A letter found in Rona Wilson's house in Delhi talks about requirement of Rs 8 crore to procure M-4 rifle and four lakh rounds, and also about "another Rajiv Gandhi incident", prosecutor Ujjwala Pawar told the court. "We are thinking along the lines of another Rajiv Gandhi incident. It sounds suicidal and there is a chance that we might fail but party must deliberate on our proposal," Pawar quoted the letter as saying. Seeking their remand, Pawar told judge A S Bhailsare, that documents seized also showed that preparation for the Elgar Parishad -- which police believe was backed and funded by the Maoists -- was going on for two months. Quoting another letter allegedly seized from Wilson's house, Pawar said, "The higher Committee has appreciated the endearing efforts of all urban comrades for the specific tasks given to them... There is a lot of ground to be covered. Comrade Mangalu and Deepu have been coordinating the Koregaon programme (for) last two months with Comrade Sudhir. "They have been able to gather support from the larger sections of Dalits across the state," Pawar quoted the letter as saying. Evidence also showed that funds were provided by the CPI (Maoist) to "comrade Sudhir" for Koregaon Bhima "task" and "Comrade Shoma and Surendra" were authorised to provide funds for future programs, the prosecutor said. In one of the letters from one Prakash to Wilson, it is stated that the Bhima Koregaon agitation was losing its steam, and cadres should keep it alive, Pawar said. An investigation also revealed that senior Maoist leaders were asking lower-rung cadres to target and recruit "intelligent" students from "renowned" institutes, she said. The lawyers of the accused said the documents cited by the prosecution were fabricated, and the accused have been framed up. One of the defence lawyers pointed out that while police invoked the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) against the five accused, the stringent law was not applied against right-wing activists Milind Ekbote and Sambhaji Bhide, who are accused of inciting anti-Dalit violence at Bhima Koregaon on January 1. Earlier in the day, Joint Commissioner of Police Ravindra Kadam told reporters that a letter allegedly seized from Wilson's house had been sent by fugitive Maoist leader Milind Teltumbde. When asked if it refers to the Congress and Bharip Bahujan Mahasangh president Prakash Ambedkar (as alleged by a BJP leader today), he said, "The letter has their references, but we are still investigating the details." Documents seized from Gadling's house in Nagpur show his indirect connection to recent Maoist attacks in Gadchiroli in Maharashtra and in Chhattisgarh, Kadam said. Dhawale was one of the organisers of Elgar Parishad, organised to commemorate 200 years of the Koregaon Bhima battle, on December 31. Police had earlier claimed that Kabir Kala Manch activists made provocative speeches at the gathering, leading to violence at Bhima Koregaon the next day. Police today also said that Teltumbde, comrade Prakash, comrade Manglu and comrade Deepu have been added as absconding accused in the present case. A day before Kadam had claimed that some of the arrested activists were the "top brass of the Urban Maoists". Dalits commemorate the 1818 battle of Bhima Koregaon where British forces, mostly consisting of Mahar soldiers (who were Dalits), defeated the forces of Peshwa, ending the Maratha rule. Some Hindu organisations had opposed the celebration this year.

In letter, banned CPI (Maoist) talks of 'another Rajiv Gandhi incident'

<a href="http://wionews.com/world/trump-says-looking-forward-to-resolving-trade-disputes-at-g7-143162">Trump says 'looking forward' to resolving trade disputes at G7</a>

President Donald Trump said Friday he wants to use the G7 summit to resolve what he called unfair trade deals with US allies.

<a href="http://wionews.com/india-news/maoist-letter-reveals-rajiv-gandhi-type-assassination-bid-on-pm-modi--143143">Maoist</a><a href="http://wionews.com/india-news/maoist-letter-reveals-rajiv-gandhi-type-assassination-bid-on-pm-modi--143143"> letter reveals 'Rajiv Gandhi-type' assassination bid on PM Modi</a>

Pune police have chanced upon a letter from the residence of one of the five persons they had arrested in connection with the Bhima-Koregaon violence. The letter discusses 'Rajiv Gandhi-type' assassination bid on Prime Minister Narendra Modi.&nbsp

<a href="http://wionews.com/world/south-koreas-president-moon-to-visit-russia-meet-putin-on-june-23-25-143090">South Korea's President Moon to visit Russia, meet Putin, on June 23-25</a>

South Korea's President Moon Jae -in will visit Russia at the invitation of Russia's President Vladimir Putin from June 23 to 25, South Korea's presidential Blue House said on Friday.

<a href="http://wionews.com/world/celebrity-chef-anthony-bourdain-found-dead-in-france-hotel-room--143149">Celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain found dead in France hotel room</a>

Noted celebrity chef and television host Anthony Bourdain was found dead in his hotel roomStrasbourg, France on Friday. The police is suspecting a case of suicide.

<a href="http://wionews.com/india-news/economic-growth-may-cross-8-in-next-2-years-suresh-prabhu-143118">Economic growth may cross 8% in next 2 years: Suresh Prabhu</a>

India's GDP growth is likely to cross 8 per cent in the next two years and the government is taking a number of steps including formulation of a new industrial policy to double the economy's size to USD 5 trillion in 7-8 years, Commerce Minister Suresh Prabhu said on Friday.

&nbsp

&nbsp

Trump says 'looking forward' to resolving trade disputes at G7 President Donald Trump said Friday he wants to use the G7 summit to resolve what he called unfair trade deals with US allies. Maoist letter reveals 'Rajiv Gandhi-type' assassination bid on PM Modi Pune police have chanced upon a letter from the residence of one of the five persons they had arrested in connection with the Bhima-Koregaon violence. The letter discusses 'Rajiv Gandhi-type' assassination bid on Prime Minister Narendra Modi. South Korea's President Moon to visit Russia, meet Putin, on June 23-25 South Korea's President Moon Jae -in will visit Russia at the invitation of Russia's President Vladimir Putin from June 23 to 25, South Korea's presidential Blue House said on Friday. Celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain found dead in France hotel room Noted celebrity chef and television host Anthony Bourdain was found dead in his hotel roomStrasbourg, France on Friday. The police is suspecting a case of suicide. Economic growth may cross 8% in next 2 years: Suresh Prabhu India's GDP growth is likely to cross 8 per cent in the next two years and the government is taking a number of steps including formulation of a new industrial policy to double the economy's size to USD 5 trillion in 7-8 years, Commerce Minister Suresh Prabhu said on Friday.

Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Monday remembered his father former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi on his 27th death anniversary today.&nbsp;

Taking to Twitter, the Congress president posted a picture of his father whose caption read: "My father taught me that hate is a prison for those who carry it. Today, on his death anniversary, I thank him for teaching me to love and respect all beings, the most valuable gifts a father can give a son," he tweeted.

"Rajiv Gandhi, those of us that love you hold you forever in our hearts," he added.

On Monday morning, Rahul Gandhi along with his sister Priyanka and her husband &nbsp;Robert Vadra paid homage to the former PM at Vir Bhumi in Delhi.&nbsp;

Rajiv Gandhi became the youngest PM of India at 40 when he assumed office after his mother and former PM Indira Gandhi was assassinated in 1984.

He was assassinated in Tamil Nadu’s Sriperumbudur, a village located about 40 kms from Chennai in a suicide bombing.

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My father taught me that hate is a prison for those who carry it. Today, on his death anniversary, I thank him for teaching me to love and respect all beings, the most valuable gifts a father can give a son. 
 
Rajiv Gandhi, those of us that love you hold you forever in our hearts. <a href="https://t.co/BBjESe4D3S">pic.twitter.com/BBjESe4D3S</a>
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Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi pay homage to their father Rajiv Gandhi at Vir Bhumi in Delhi, on the 27th death anniversary of the former Prime Minister. Former President Pranab Mukherjee and Priyanka's husband Robert Vadra also pay homage <a href="https://t.co/DFmThKwtI0">pic.twitter.com/DFmThKwtI0</a>
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He was assassinated in Tamil Nadu’s Sriperumbudur, a village located about 40 kms from Chennai in a suicide bombing.

Congress president Rahul Gandhi on Monday remembered his father former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi on his 27th death anniversary today. Taking to Twitter, the Congress president posted a picture of his father whose caption read: "My father taught me that hate is a prison for those who carry it. Today, on his death anniversary, I thank him for teaching me to love and respect all beings, the most valuable gifts a father can give a son," he tweeted. "Rajiv Gandhi, those of us that love you hold you forever in our hearts," he added. On Monday morning, Rahul Gandhi along with his sister Priyanka and her husband Robert Vadra paid homage to the former PM at Vir Bhumi in Delhi. Rajiv Gandhi became the youngest PM of India at 40 when he assumed office after his mother and former PM Indira Gandhi was assassinated in 1984. He was assassinated in Tamil Nadu’s Sriperumbudur, a village located about 40 kms from Chennai in a suicide bombing. My father taught me that hate is a prison for those who carry it. Today, on his death anniversary, I thank him for teaching me to love and respect all beings, the most valuable gifts a father can give a son. Rajiv Gandhi, those of us that love you hold you forever in our hearts. pic.twitter.com/BBjESe4D3S — Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) May 21, 2018 × Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi pay homage to their father Rajiv Gandhi at Vir Bhumi in Delhi, on the 27th death anniversary of the former Prime Minister. Former President Pranab Mukherjee and Priyanka's husband Robert Vadra also pay homage pic.twitter.com/DFmThKwtI0 — ANI (@ANI) May 21, 2018 ×

'Hate is a prison,' says Rahul Gandhi on father Rajiv's 27th death anniversary

Electoral commitment reigns supreme in Indian politics but the desperation that politicians in Karnataka have shown for electoral benefits is as good as playing with fire. Now the Karnataka government has accepted the proposal of Justice Nagamohan Das Committee and decided to forward it to the Centre to make the final call on the issue, the outcome is anyone's guess.

The ramification will be felt nationally as the debate mutates from a sect's right to secede and acquire a separate identity to question of division of Hinduism into lesser denominations. On top of it, the larger Veer Shaiva community is opposed to this idea though Lingayats say that they are different from them. 

After the unceremonious sacking of Karnataka CM Virendra Patil by the Congress government, the Lingayat community never voted for the Congress in-block since then. Today the community stands behind the BJP but with this move, political blocks in Karnataka will no doubt be rearranged. The decision might suit the BJP nationally but in the state it will have to redefine its position.
 
Lingayats have a substantial presence in Karnataka and can play a make-or-break role in assembly elections. Even former BJP chief minister Yeddyurappa belongs to the Lingayat community. The birth of religions has never been an easy process in any part of the world as it involves the process of differentiation and codification which is always marked with social upheaval and violence. 

New religious ecosystems are always linked to an idea of God, society and salvation which stands in opposition to the existing practice. 

But in Karnataka, the Lingayat churning has acquired an overt electoral colour. Caste reservations or linguistic reorganisation of states in the past too have been products of powerful agitations, but the demand for a separate religious status through a political agitation and mass rallies is a first in post-independent India. 

Hinduism or as it is sometimes referred - Sanatan Dharma - is one of the five acknowledged religions in the Constitution of India. The Constitution provides freedom to practice and propagate religion in the country and this is enshrined as a fundamental right. In this context, the movement and protest in Karnataka is neither illegal nor outside the civilizational ethos of the subcontinent. 

The difference this time is that politicians in Karnataka have decided to play with a social movement within Hinduism whose attempt was to establish an egalitarian society opposed to the prevalent caste structure and upper caste practices.
 
Hinduism over time has seen the rise and fall of various sects which are primarily described as sampradayas. In this context, Lingayats say that they have been different from 12th century AD and also want to be differentiated from Veershaivas, who they feel are using the word "Lingayats" far too loosely. 

Broadly, reform movements through centuries have made an impact on Hinduism, but eventually become part of the larger Hindu family. The ability to absorb and live peacefully with differences is one of the strengths of Hinduism.
 
With political manoeuvring, it opens up a Pandora's box whose impact can be constitutional, civilizational and political. It will be constitutional because any addition will have to be legislated and the matter will undergo legal scrutiny. It is civilizational because after Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism, Lingayats will become the fourth religion to be born in India out of a legal and political process and not through social negotiation with other religious cosmologies. 

For example, the birth of Sikhism was bloody and led to sacrifices by the Gurus who led the faith and subsequently codified it. In the Lingayat’s context, the issue was examined a legal luminary and will be followed up by political luminaries at Centre.

The political impact of the Lingayat demand being accepted would be far more pervasive. It will reduce the demographic and numerical strength of Hinduism in Karnataka and secession will open the door to other sects to be recognised as a separate religion.

It can be argued that the strength of Hinduism has been its ability to absorb dissent by creating subspaces like sects which can be independent organizationally and socially, but still share common cultural codes of worship and life in general with Hinduism.

Though the context was different the "Communal Award" announced by the British for a separate electorate touched the same nerve against which Mahatma Gandhi fasted. The time and subject is different but the context remains the same. The party which would pander to this may win Karnataka but will lose India hands down for the polarisation it will create. 

Politicians should remember that only the Goddess rides the tiger.

Lingayats have a substantial presence in Karnataka and can play a make-or-break role in assembly elections

Electoral commitment reigns supreme in Indian politics but the desperation that politicians in Karnataka have shown for electoral benefits is as good as playing with fire. Now the Karnataka government has accepted the proposal of Justice Nagamohan Das Committee and decided to forward it to the Centre to make the final call on the issue, the outcome is anyone's guess. The ramification will be felt nationally as the debate mutates from a sect's right to secede and acquire a separate identity to question of division of Hinduism into lesser denominations. On top of it, the larger Veer Shaiva community is opposed to this idea though Lingayats say that they are different from them. After the unceremonious sacking of Karnataka CM Virendra Patil by the Congress government, the Lingayat community never voted for the Congress in-block since then. Today the community stands behind the BJP but with this move, political blocks in Karnataka will no doubt be rearranged. The decision might suit the BJP nationally but in the state it will have to redefine its position. Lingayats have a substantial presence in Karnataka and can play a make-or-break role in assembly elections. Even former BJP chief minister Yeddyurappa belongs to the Lingayat community. The birth of religions has never been an easy process in any part of the world as it involves the process of differentiation and codification which is always marked with social upheaval and violence. New religious ecosystems are always linked to an idea of God, society and salvation which stands in opposition to the existing practice. But in Karnataka, the Lingayat churning has acquired an overt electoral colour. Caste reservations or linguistic reorganisation of states in the past too have been products of powerful agitations, but the demand for a separate religious status through a political agitation and mass rallies is a first in post-independent India. Hinduism or as it is sometimes referred - Sanatan Dharma - is one of the five acknowledged religions in the Constitution of India. The Constitution provides freedom to practice and propagate religion in the country and this is enshrined as a fundamental right. In this context, the movement and protest in Karnataka is neither illegal nor outside the civilizational ethos of the subcontinent. The difference this time is that politicians in Karnataka have decided to play with a social movement within Hinduism whose attempt was to establish an egalitarian society opposed to the prevalent caste structure and upper caste practices. Hinduism over time has seen the rise and fall of various sects which are primarily described as sampradayas. In this context, Lingayats say that they have been different from 12th century AD and also want to be differentiated from Veershaivas, who they feel are using the word "Lingayats" far too loosely. Broadly, reform movements through centuries have made an impact on Hinduism, but eventually become part of the larger Hindu family. The ability to absorb and live peacefully with differences is one of the strengths of Hinduism. With political manoeuvring, it opens up a Pandora's box whose impact can be constitutional, civilizational and political. It will be constitutional because any addition will have to be legislated and the matter will undergo legal scrutiny. It is civilizational because after Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism, Lingayats will become the fourth religion to be born in India out of a legal and political process and not through social negotiation with other religious cosmologies. For example, the birth of Sikhism was bloody and led to sacrifices by the Gurus who led the faith and subsequently codified it. In the Lingayat’s context, the issue was examined a legal luminary and will be followed up by political luminaries at Centre. The political impact of the Lingayat demand being accepted would be far more pervasive. It will reduce the demographic and numerical strength of Hinduism in Karnataka and secession will open the door to other sects to be recognised as a separate religion. It can be argued that the strength of Hinduism has been its ability to absorb dissent by creating subspaces like sects which can be independent organizationally and socially, but still share common cultural codes of worship and life in general with Hinduism. Though the context was different the "Communal Award" announced by the British for a separate electorate touched the same nerve against which Mahatma Gandhi fasted. The time and subject is different but the context remains the same. The party which would pander to this may win Karnataka but will lose India hands down for the polarisation it will create. Politicians should remember that only the Goddess rides the tiger.

Opinion: Lingayat row - Only Goddess rides the Tiger

Electoral commitment reigns supreme in Indian politics but the desperation that politicians in Karnataka have shown for electoral benefits is as good as playing with fire. Now the Karnataka government has accepted the proposal of Justice Nagamohan Das Committee and decided to forward it to the Centre to make the final call on the issue, the outcome is anyone's guess.

The ramification will be felt nationally as the debate mutates from a sect's right to secede and acquire a separate identity to question of division of Hinduism into lesser denominations. On top of it, the larger Veer Shaiva community is opposed to this idea though Lingayats say that they are different from them.

After the unceremonious sacking of Karnataka CM Virendra Patil by the Congress government, the Lingayat community never voted for the Congress in-block since then. Today the community stands behind the BJP but with this move, political blocks in Karnataka will no doubt be rearranged. The decision might suit the BJP nationally but in the state it will have to redefine its position. 
&nbsp 
Lingayats have a substantial presence in Karnataka and can play a make-or-break role in assembly elections. Even former BJP chief minister Yeddyurappa belongs to the Lingayat community. The birth of religions has never been an easy process in any part of the world as it involves the process of differentiation and codification which is always marked with social upheaval and violence.

New religious ecosystems are always linked to an idea of God, society and salvation which stands in opposition to the existing practice.

But in Karnataka, the Lingayat churning has acquired an overt electoral colour. Caste reservations or linguistic reorganisation of states in the past too have been products of powerful agitations, but the demand for a separate religious status through a political agitation and mass rallies is a first in post-independent India.

Hinduism or as it is sometimes referred - Sanatan Dharma - is one of the five acknowledged religions in the Constitution of India. The Constitution provides freedom to practice and propagate religion in the country and this is enshrined as a fundamental right. In this context, the movement and protest in Karnataka is neither illegal nor outside the civilizational ethos of the subcontinent.

The difference this time is that politicians in Karnataka have decided to play with a social movement within Hinduism whose attempt was to establish an egalitarian society opposed to the prevalent caste structure and upper caste practices. 
&nbsp 
Hinduism over time has seen the rise and fall of various sects which are primarily described as sampradayas. In this context, Lingayats say that they have been different from 12th century AD and also want to be differentiated from Veershaivas, who they feel are using the word "Lingayats" far too loosely.

Broadly, reform movements through centuries have made an impact on Hinduism, but eventually become part of the larger Hindu family. The ability to absorb and live peacefully with differences is one of the strengths of Hinduism. 
&nbsp 
With political manoeuvring, it opens up a Pandora's box whose impact can be constitutional, civilizational and political. It will be constitutional because any addition will have to be legislated and the matter will undergo legal scrutiny. It is civilizational because after Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism, Lingayats will become the fourth religion to be born in India out of a legal and political process and not through social negotiation with other religious cosmologies.

For example, the birth of Sikhism was bloody and led to sacrifices by the Gurus who led the faith and subsequently codified it. In the Lingayat’s context, the issue was examined a legal luminary and will be followed up by political luminaries at Centre.

The political impact of the Lingayat demand being accepted would be far more pervasive. It will reduce the demographic and numerical strength of Hinduism in Karnataka and secession will open the door to other sects to be recognised as a separate religion.

It can be argued that the strength of Hinduism has been its ability to absorb dissent by creating subspaces like sects which can be independent organizationally and socially, but still share common cultural codes of worship and life in general with Hinduism.

Though the context was different but the "Communal Award" announced by the British for a separate electorate touched the same nerve against which Mahatma Gandhi fasted. The time and subject is different but the context remains the same. The party which would pander to this may win Karnataka, but will lose India hands down for the polarisation it will create.

Politicians should remember that only the Goddess rides the tiger.

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the authors and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Lingayats have a substantial presence in Karnataka and can play a make-or-break role in assembly elections.

Electoral commitment reigns supreme in Indian politics but the desperation that politicians in Karnataka have shown for electoral benefits is as good as playing with fire. Now the Karnataka government has accepted the proposal of Justice Nagamohan Das Committee and decided to forward it to the Centre to make the final call on the issue, the outcome is anyone's guess. The ramification will be felt nationally as the debate mutates from a sect's right to secede and acquire a separate identity to question of division of Hinduism into lesser denominations. On top of it, the larger Veer Shaiva community is opposed to this idea though Lingayats say that they are different from them. After the unceremonious sacking of Karnataka CM Virendra Patil by the Congress government, the Lingayat community never voted for the Congress in-block since then. Today the community stands behind the BJP but with this move, political blocks in Karnataka will no doubt be rearranged. The decision might suit the BJP nationally but in the state it will have to redefine its position. Lingayats have a substantial presence in Karnataka and can play a make-or-break role in assembly elections. Even former BJP chief minister Yeddyurappa belongs to the Lingayat community. The birth of religions has never been an easy process in any part of the world as it involves the process of differentiation and codification which is always marked with social upheaval and violence. New religious ecosystems are always linked to an idea of God, society and salvation which stands in opposition to the existing practice. But in Karnataka, the Lingayat churning has acquired an overt electoral colour. Caste reservations or linguistic reorganisation of states in the past too have been products of powerful agitations, but the demand for a separate religious status through a political agitation and mass rallies is a first in post-independent India. Hinduism or as it is sometimes referred - Sanatan Dharma - is one of the five acknowledged religions in the Constitution of India. The Constitution provides freedom to practice and propagate religion in the country and this is enshrined as a fundamental right. In this context, the movement and protest in Karnataka is neither illegal nor outside the civilizational ethos of the subcontinent. The difference this time is that politicians in Karnataka have decided to play with a social movement within Hinduism whose attempt was to establish an egalitarian society opposed to the prevalent caste structure and upper caste practices. Hinduism over time has seen the rise and fall of various sects which are primarily described as sampradayas. In this context, Lingayats say that they have been different from 12th century AD and also want to be differentiated from Veershaivas, who they feel are using the word "Lingayats" far too loosely. Broadly, reform movements through centuries have made an impact on Hinduism, but eventually become part of the larger Hindu family. The ability to absorb and live peacefully with differences is one of the strengths of Hinduism. With political manoeuvring, it opens up a Pandora's box whose impact can be constitutional, civilizational and political. It will be constitutional because any addition will have to be legislated and the matter will undergo legal scrutiny. It is civilizational because after Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism, Lingayats will become the fourth religion to be born in India out of a legal and political process and not through social negotiation with other religious cosmologies. For example, the birth of Sikhism was bloody and led to sacrifices by the Gurus who led the faith and subsequently codified it. In the Lingayat’s context, the issue was examined a legal luminary and will be followed up by political luminaries at Centre. The political impact of the Lingayat demand being accepted would be far more pervasive. It will reduce the demographic and numerical strength of Hinduism in Karnataka and secession will open the door to other sects to be recognised as a separate religion. It can be argued that the strength of Hinduism has been its ability to absorb dissent by creating subspaces like sects which can be independent organizationally and socially, but still share common cultural codes of worship and life in general with Hinduism. Though the context was different but the "Communal Award" announced by the British for a separate electorate touched the same nerve against which Mahatma Gandhi fasted. The time and subject is different but the context remains the same. The party which would pander to this may win Karnataka, but will lose India hands down for the polarisation it will create. Politicians should remember that only the Goddess rides the tiger. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the authors and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

The NDA government on Wednesday quoted former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi in the Supreme Court to put forth its arguments supporting the Aadhaar scheme, saying it would stop the leakage of public money.

&quot;A former Prime Minister of this country (late Shri Rajiv Gandhi] has gone on record to say that out of one rupee spent by the Government for welfare of the downtrodden, only 15 paisa thereof actually reaches those persons for whom it is meant.

&quot;It cannot be doubted that with UID/Aadhaar much of the malaise in this field can be taken care of,&quot; Attorney General K K Venugopal told a five judge Constitution bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra.

The bench is hearing a clutch of petitions challenging the constitutional validity of Aadhaar and its 2016 enabling law.

Venugopal said Aadhaar has effectively taken care of the issue of ghost beneficiaries of welfare schemes, besides fake cards for ration, BPL quota and PAN.

It becomes the Government&#39;s duty in a welfare state to come out with various schemes which not only take care of immediate needs of the deprived class but also ensure that adequate opportunities are provided to such persons to enable them make their lives better, economically and socially, Venugopal said.

However, for various reasons including corruption, actual benefit does not reach those who are supposed to receive such benefits he said.

&quot;One of the main reasons is failure to identify these persons for lack of means by which identity could be established of such genuine needy class. Resultantly, lots of ghosts and duplicate beneficiaries are able to take undue and impermissible benefits,&quot; he said.&nbsp;

The NDA government on Wednesday quoted former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi in the Supreme Court to put forth its arguments supporting the Aadhaar scheme, saying it would stop the leakage of public money

The NDA government on Wednesday quoted former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi in the Supreme Court to put forth its arguments supporting the Aadhaar scheme, saying it would stop the leakage of public money. "A former Prime Minister of this country (late Shri Rajiv Gandhi] has gone on record to say that out of one rupee spent by the Government for welfare of the downtrodden, only 15 paisa thereof actually reaches those persons for whom it is meant. "It cannot be doubted that with UID/Aadhaar much of the malaise in this field can be taken care of," Attorney General K K Venugopal told a five judge Constitution bench headed by Chief Justice Dipak Misra. The bench is hearing a clutch of petitions challenging the constitutional validity of Aadhaar and its 2016 enabling law. Venugopal said Aadhaar has effectively taken care of the issue of ghost beneficiaries of welfare schemes, besides fake cards for ration, BPL quota and PAN. It becomes the Government's duty in a welfare state to come out with various schemes which not only take care of immediate needs of the deprived class but also ensure that adequate opportunities are provided to such persons to enable them make their lives better, economically and socially, Venugopal said. However, for various reasons including corruption, actual benefit does not reach those who are supposed to receive such benefits he said. "One of the main reasons is failure to identify these persons for lack of means by which identity could be established of such genuine needy class. Resultantly, lots of ghosts and duplicate beneficiaries are able to take undue and impermissible benefits," he said.

Centre quotes Rajiv Gandhi in Supreme Court to defend Aadhaar scheme

Electoral commitment reigns supreme in Indian politics but the desperation that politicians in Karnataka have shown for electoral benefits is as good as playing with fire.&nbsp;Now the Karnataka government has accepted the proposal of Justice Nagamohan Das Committee and decided to forward it to the Centre to make the final call on the issue, the outcome is anyone&#39;s guess.

The ramification will be felt nationally as the debate mutates from a sect&#39;s right to secede and acquire a separate identity to question of division of Hinduism into lesser denominations.&nbsp;On top of it, the larger Veer Shaiva community is opposed to this idea though Lingayats say that they are different from them.&nbsp;

After the unceremonious sacking of Karnataka CM Virendra Patil by the Congress government, the Lingayat community never voted for the Congress in-block since then.&nbsp;Today the community stands behind the BJP but with this move, political blocks in Karnataka will no doubt be rearranged. The decision might suit the BJP nationally but in the state it will have to redefine its position. 
&nbsp; 
Lingayats have a substantial presence in Karnataka and can play a make-or-break role in assembly elections. Even former BJP chief minister Yeddyurappa belongs to the Lingayat community.&nbsp;The birth of religions has never been an easy process in any part of the world as it involves the process of differentiation and codification which is always marked with social upheaval and violence.&nbsp;

New religious ecosystems are always linked to an idea of God, society and salvation which stands in opposition to the existing practice.&nbsp;

But in Karnataka, the Lingayat churning has acquired an overt electoral colour. Caste reservations or linguistic reorganisation of states in the past too have been products of powerful agitations, but the demand for a separate religious status through a political agitation and mass rallies is a first in post-independent India.&nbsp;

Hinduism or as it is sometimes referred - Sanatan Dharma - is one of the five acknowledged religions in the Constitution of India. The Constitution provides freedom to practice and propagate religion in the country and this is enshrined as a fundamental right. In this context, the movement and protest in Karnataka is neither illegal nor outside the civilizational ethos of the subcontinent.&nbsp;

The difference this time is that politicians in Karnataka have decided to play with a social movement within Hinduism whose attempt was to establish an egalitarian society opposed to the prevalent caste structure and upper caste practices. 
&nbsp; 
Hinduism over time has seen the rise and fall of various sects which are primarily described as sampradayas. In this context, Lingayats say that they have been different from 12th century AD and also want to be differentiated from Veershaivas, who they feel are using the word &quot;Lingayats&quot; far too loosely.&nbsp;

Broadly, reform movements through centuries have made an impact on Hinduism, but eventually become part of the larger Hindu family. The ability to absorb and live peacefully with differences is one of the strengths of Hinduism. 
&nbsp; 
With political manoeuvring, it opens up a Pandora&#39;s box whose impact can be constitutional, civilizational and political. It will be constitutional because any addition will have to be legislated and the matter will undergo legal scrutiny. It is civilizational&nbsp;because after Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism, Lingayats will become the fourth religion to be born in India out of a legal and political process and not through social negotiation with other religious cosmologies.&nbsp;

For example, the birth of Sikhism was bloody and led to sacrifices by the Gurus who led the faith and subsequently codified it. In the Lingayat&rsquo;s context, the issue was examined a legal luminary and will be followed up by political luminaries at Centre.

The political impact of the Lingayat demand being accepted would be far more pervasive. It will reduce the demographic and numerical strength of Hinduism in Karnataka and secession will open the door to other sects to be recognised as a separate religion.

It can be argued that the strength of Hinduism has been its ability to absorb dissent by creating subspaces like sects which can be independent organizationally and socially, but still share common cultural codes of worship and life in general with Hinduism.

Though the context was different but the &quot;Communal Award&quot;&nbsp;announced by the British for a separate electorate touched the same nerve against which Mahatma Gandhi fasted. The time and subject is different but the context remains the same. The party which would pander to this may win Karnataka, but will lose India hands down for the polarisation it will create.&nbsp;

Politicians should remember that only the Goddess rides the tiger.

Electoral commitment reigns supreme in Indian politics but the desperation that politicians in Karnataka have shown for electoral benefits is as good as playing with fire. Now the Karnataka government has accepted the proposal of Justice Nagamohan Das Committee and decided to forward it to the Centre to make the final call on the issue, the outcome is anyone's guess. The ramification will be felt nationally as the debate mutates from a sect's right to secede and acquire a separate identity to question of division of Hinduism into lesser denominations. On top of it, the larger Veer Shaiva community is opposed to this idea though Lingayats say that they are different from them. After the unceremonious sacking of Karnataka CM Virendra Patil by the Congress government, the Lingayat community never voted for the Congress in-block since then. Today the community stands behind the BJP but with this move, political blocks in Karnataka will no doubt be rearranged. The decision might suit the BJP nationally but in the state it will have to redefine its position. Lingayats have a substantial presence in Karnataka and can play a make-or-break role in assembly elections. Even former BJP chief minister Yeddyurappa belongs to the Lingayat community. The birth of religions has never been an easy process in any part of the world as it involves the process of differentiation and codification which is always marked with social upheaval and violence. New religious ecosystems are always linked to an idea of God, society and salvation which stands in opposition to the existing practice. But in Karnataka, the Lingayat churning has acquired an overt electoral colour. Caste reservations or linguistic reorganisation of states in the past too have been products of powerful agitations, but the demand for a separate religious status through a political agitation and mass rallies is a first in post-independent India. Hinduism or as it is sometimes referred - Sanatan Dharma - is one of the five acknowledged religions in the Constitution of India. The Constitution provides freedom to practice and propagate religion in the country and this is enshrined as a fundamental right. In this context, the movement and protest in Karnataka is neither illegal nor outside the civilizational ethos of the subcontinent. The difference this time is that politicians in Karnataka have decided to play with a social movement within Hinduism whose attempt was to establish an egalitarian society opposed to the prevalent caste structure and upper caste practices. Hinduism over time has seen the rise and fall of various sects which are primarily described as sampradayas. In this context, Lingayats say that they have been different from 12th century AD and also want to be differentiated from Veershaivas, who they feel are using the word "Lingayats" far too loosely. Broadly, reform movements through centuries have made an impact on Hinduism, but eventually become part of the larger Hindu family. The ability to absorb and live peacefully with differences is one of the strengths of Hinduism. With political manoeuvring, it opens up a Pandora's box whose impact can be constitutional, civilizational and political. It will be constitutional because any addition will have to be legislated and the matter will undergo legal scrutiny. It is civilizational because after Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism, Lingayats will become the fourth religion to be born in India out of a legal and political process and not through social negotiation with other religious cosmologies. For example, the birth of Sikhism was bloody and led to sacrifices by the Gurus who led the faith and subsequently codified it. In the Lingayat’s context, the issue was examined a legal luminary and will be followed up by political luminaries at Centre. The political impact of the Lingayat demand being accepted would be far more pervasive. It will reduce the demographic and numerical strength of Hinduism in Karnataka and secession will open the door to other sects to be recognised as a separate religion. It can be argued that the strength of Hinduism has been its ability to absorb dissent by creating subspaces like sects which can be independent organizationally and socially, but still share common cultural codes of worship and life in general with Hinduism. Though the context was different but the "Communal Award" announced by the British for a separate electorate touched the same nerve against which Mahatma Gandhi fasted. The time and subject is different but the context remains the same. The party which would pander to this may win Karnataka, but will lose India hands down for the polarisation it will create. Politicians should remember that only the Goddess rides the tiger.

The biggest achievement of Dr Manmohan Singh was that 14 crore people were lifted out of poverty. BJP govt pushed people into poverty, said Congress leader and former finance minister P Chidambaram.

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It&#39;s the biggest achievement of Dr Manmohan Singh that 14 Cr people were listed out of poverty. BJP govt pushed people into poverty. Number of people below poverty line went up. It&#39;s the greatest disservice BJP govt did to people of India: P Chidambaram at <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CongressPlenarySession?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#CongressPlenarySession</a> <a href="https://t.co/gDtkIU1Rci">pic.twitter.com/gDtkIU1Rci</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/975268455917244416?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 18, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Addressing the 84th Congress plenary session in New Delhi on Sunday he said that the biggest achievement of Dr Manmohan Singh that 14 Cr people were lifted out of poverty. BJP government pushed people into poverty. The number of people below poverty line went up. It&#39;s the greatest disservice BJP govt did to people of India, he said.&nbsp;

Praising former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi for sowing the seeds of liberalisation, he said that move gained momentum under Manmohan Singh. 
&nbsp; 
&#39;&#39;The current phase of economic growth started in the 1990s when Rajiv Gandhi sowed seeds of liberalisation. This gained momentum under Dr Manmohan Singh. Whatever the BJP, the NDA may say, records speak for itself,&#39;&#39; Chidambaram said during his speech.&nbsp;

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I would like to tell the RBI officials why don&#39;t you go to Hundi collectors in Tirupati? They count money faster than you - P Chidambaram on demonetisation at <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CongressPlenarySession?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#CongressPlenarySession</a> <a href="https://t.co/oA5e58GMvv">pic.twitter.com/oA5e58GMvv</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/975265140550627328?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 18, 2018</a></blockquote>
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On&nbsp;demonetisation, he said &#39;&#39;I would like to tell the RBI officials why don&#39;t you go to Hundi collectors in Tirupati? They count money faster than you.&#39;&#39;&nbsp;

Praising former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi for sowing the seeds of liberalisation, he said that move gained momentum under Manmohan Singh.

The biggest achievement of Dr Manmohan Singh was that 14 crore people were lifted out of poverty. BJP govt pushed people into poverty, said Congress leader and former finance minister P Chidambaram. It's the biggest achievement of Dr Manmohan Singh that 14 Cr people were listed out of poverty. BJP govt pushed people into poverty. Number of people below poverty line went up. It's the greatest disservice BJP govt did to people of India: P Chidambaram at #CongressPlenarySession pic.twitter.com/gDtkIU1Rci — ANI (@ANI) March 18, 2018 × Addressing the 84th Congress plenary session in New Delhi on Sunday he said that the biggest achievement of Dr Manmohan Singh that 14 Cr people were lifted out of poverty. BJP government pushed people into poverty. The number of people below poverty line went up. It's the greatest disservice BJP govt did to people of India, he said. Praising former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi for sowing the seeds of liberalisation, he said that move gained momentum under Manmohan Singh. ''The current phase of economic growth started in the 1990s when Rajiv Gandhi sowed seeds of liberalisation. This gained momentum under Dr Manmohan Singh. Whatever the BJP, the NDA may say, records speak for itself,'' Chidambaram said during his speech. I would like to tell the RBI officials why don't you go to Hundi collectors in Tirupati? They count money faster than you - P Chidambaram on demonetisation at #CongressPlenarySession pic.twitter.com/oA5e58GMvv — ANI (@ANI) March 18, 2018 × On demonetisation, he said ''I would like to tell the RBI officials why don't you go to Hundi collectors in Tirupati? They count money faster than you.''

Hundi collectors in Tirupati count money faster than RBI: P Chidambaram

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