Parliament adjourned without business for 12th day

Both houses of Parliament were adjourned Monday, again without conducting any business, as the stalemate over appointing a joint parliamentary committee to probe the alleged scam in 2G spectrum allotment continued for the 12th day. The government's every effort to break the logjam has yielded no result and question hours in both houses of parliament were derailed again with an unrelenting opposition persisting with its demand that a parliamentary panel probe the controversial second generation telephony spectrum allocation in 2008.

There were moments of peace, but these were very brief. Speaker Meira Kumar asked Lok Sabha members to join her in congratulating Indian sportspersons for their best ever medals tally in Asian Games in China.

However, as soon as she finished reading out her felicitation for the Indian medal winners at the Asiad, opposition MPs trooped near her podium and started shouting slogans "We want JPC". The speaker then adjourned the house till 12 noon.

When the house resumed the sitting at noon, the sloganeering continued and deputy speaker Karia Munda ordered the adjournment of the Lok Sabha till Tuesday.

Scenes in the Rajya Sabha were no different as the upper house was also adjourned soon after it met after the weekend. Chairman Hamid Ansari adjourned the house to meet again at noon and then for the rest of the day when MPs met at 12.

This is the 12th successive day of the Nov 9-Dec 13 winter session that parliament has not transacted any significant business and both houses have witnessed adjournments barely minutes after meeting.

There is no end in sight to the deadlock as the opposition has rebuffed the government's every request to it to give up the demand for a JPC probe into the scandal.

Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee Sunday spoke to Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders Sushma Swaraj and L.K. Advani and Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) leader Sitaram Yechury to break the logjam.

But the opposition leaders refused to give up their JPC demand even as the government maintained its stance that such a panel was "not possible" to inquire into the allegations.

The two houses had some 125 working hours scheduled in the first 11 days of the session.

According to the PRS Legislative Research, the Lok Sabha has met for only 5.4 hours in 12 days of the session, which is only nine percent of the scheduled time.

The opposition, which has united over the 2G issue, and the government are blaming each other for the wasted parliament time that has also cost the national exchequer over Rs.90 crore.

Source http://www.hindustantimes.com/Parliament-adjourned-without-business-for-12th-day/Article1-632225.aspx

Yeddyurappa bends, says 'ready to obey' BJP

After striking a defiant note for days, Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yeddyurappa on Tuesday said he would abide by the decision of the BJP high command on him. "Whatever decision our national leaders are going to take about me, I am going to obey their orders," he told reporters here this morning.

"Today, I am going to meet all our national leaders and I am going to explain the situation in Karnataka, We are facing Zila panchayat elections within a month," he said.

Asked if he would step down, the chief minister said, "I have not committed any mistake. I will meet the central leaders. Whatever they say, I will obey. But so far no body has asked my resignation".

The chief minister said he had discussed the "political situation" in Karnataka with senior leader Arun Jaitley and would meet other central leaders today.

Yeddyurappa is likely to meet BJP leader Nitin Gadkari later in the afternoon to discuss the crisis.

He maintained that the central leadership has not asked him to step down, adding that he had ordered an inquiry into the alleged land scams by a retired high court judge Justice B Patmaraj.

Yeddyurappa, who is claiming to have the support of 110-120 MLAs, said all community people were supporting him.

Top party leaders, including LK Advani, MM Joshi and Rajnath Singh are understood to have decided that the Chief Minister's continuance has become untenable and that he should be told to make way.

The Chief Minister has, however, kept the party guessing on his moves.

Yeddyurappa has reportedly told the party leadership that his removal might harm the first-ever BJP government in the South, for whose formation he had played a key part.

Yeddyurappa has earlier deputed a team of his loyalists, including Home Minister R Ashok, a prominent Vokkaliga leader, Higher Education Minister VS Acharya, a probable to replace the Chief Minister in the event of his exit, and some others to Delhi to persuade the party against change in leadership.

Source http://www.hindustantimes.com/Yeddyurappa-bends-says-ready-to-obey-BJP/H1-Article1-629837.aspx

CBI raids CWG office, registers two cases

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) Monday raided the Commonwealth Games (CWG) Organising Committee office here in connection with corruption allegations and registered two cases, officials said.

"Teams of CBI are conducting raids at the organising committee office near Jantar Mantar and the houses of several officials of the committee," a CBI official told IANS.

The CBI has also registered cases against T.S. Darbari and Sanjay Mahindroo, who were allegedly involved in the Queen's Baton Relay scam, the official said.

The organising committee is understood to have paid AM Films, an Indian-owned firm, over 450,000 pounds for services during the Queen's Baton Relay function in London in October allegedly without following proper tendering procedure and paper work.

The Oct 3-14 CWG held in the capital was mired in controversy due to corruption allegations, glitches and delays.

Source http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/articleshow/6928683.cms

Chavan's selection 101 per cent right decision: Deshmukh

Describing the selection of Prithviraj Chavan as new Maharashtra Chief Minister as a "101 per cent right decision", Union Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh today said he would provide "full support and cooperation" to his party colleague.

"This is 101 per cent right decision. Our leader Sonia Gandhi has appointed Prithviraj Chavan as the Chief Minister and we welcome it. We will provide full cooperation and support to him," he told reporters here.

Asked if Chavan would be able to run the government without having much experience in state politics, Deshmukh said, "running Maharashtra is not a very difficult thing and that is something I can tell you from my experience."

"He is a very senior leader and has experience of working in organisation and has been active in state election campaign and knows Maharashtra very well," he added.

On whether he felt left out in the race, the former Maharashtra Chief Minister said, "I was not even in the race. I am a cabinet minister and I have been the Chief Minister of the sate for eight years. Coming here is a promotion for me in my political life."

On whether the new Chief minister would get the support of Sharad Pawar, Deshmukh said, "Sharad pawar will definitely support him as we are running a coalition government there."

Asked if his alleged involvement in the Adarsh scam resulted in his ouster from the race, he said a probe was on in the case and after its completion, the truth will emerge.

Source http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics/nation/Chavans-selection-101-per-cent-right-decision-Deshmukh/articleshow/6901109.cms

Ayodhya verdict does not condone demolition: Sonia Gandhi

The Allahabad High Court's verdict on the Ayodhya dispute did not condone the demolition of the Babri Masjid, Congress president Sondia Gandhi said, on Tuesday, while asserting that the perpetrators must be "brought to justice". "The judgment in no way condones the demolition of the Babri Masjid," Gandhi said at a meeting of the All India Congress Committee, in the capital, on Tuesday. "It was shameful, criminal act. Perpetrators should be brought to justice," she said.

The Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court, on September 30, divided the disputed land into three equal parts - one going to the Hindu parties, one to the Nirmohi Akhara and one to a Muslim litigant.

She praised the Indian people for ensuring that there was peace and harmony after the verdict was announced.

"The broader message for all is that our fight against communalism and fanaticism of all types has to continue unabated. The abuse of religion to inflame passions will be forcefully resisted by our government," she said.

Source http://www.hindustantimes.com/Ayodhya-verdict-does-not-condone-demolition-Sonia-Gandhi/Article1-621062.aspx