The Tribune – Sheikh Hasina urges India to be liberal in resolving water issues

Bijay Sankar Bora, Tribune News Service

Agartala, January 11. Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Wajed today urged the Government of “vast” India to be liberal in the efforts to resolve water issues between the two countries as well as to remove the prevailing bilateral trade imbalance.

Addressing the India-Bangladesh conclave at Pragna Bhawan here, Hasina, who arrived this afternoon to a red carpet welcome, said “Improved bilateral trade relations hold the key to remove poverty, the common problem of both the countries.

“We need peace in the region for trade to flourish across the borders and Bangladesh will not tolerate any act of terror and insurgency in the region.”

She added, “The stage has been set for the resolution of many issues between the two countries including those related to demarcation of the border in the wake of my earlier visit to India and the visit of Indian Prime Minister to Bangladesh last year. We expect our vast neighbour India to adopt a liberal approach in resolving the water issues.”

She said the trade imbalance between the countries was in favour of India. “Bangladesh imports goods worth about $4.5 billion from India every year compared to Indian import from Bangladesh worth about $521 million.

“There is, of course, need for political cooperation between the two countries for bilateral trade to flourish. Now that India and Bangladesh are enjoying close political ties, industry and business communities from both the countries need to exploit it to their advantage.”

Calling upon Indian businessmen to invest more in various sectors like power, telecommunication, textiles, health care etc, Hasina, at the same time, appealed to Bangladesh industry captains to improve their output to make inroads into the vast Indian market at this juncture when the Government of India was opening it up for them.

Earlier, Bangladesh Foreign Minister Dipu Moni, who accompanied Hasina, lauded the recent statement by Indian Home Minister P Chidambaram about Government of India’s intention to accord most-favoured-nation status to Bangladesh in trade and commerce.

Union Minister for Human Resource Development Kapil Sibal, who was here to welcome Hasina, said India was keen to help Bangladesh in skill development of its youth.

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2012/20120112/main5.htm

The Asian Age – PM heaps praise on Chidambaram

A R Meyyammai, Asian Age Correspondent

Karaikudi, Tamil Nadu, 27 December 2011. In a strong message to Opposition parties gunning for Union home minister P. Chidambaram’s resignation for his alleged role in the 2G spectrum affair, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said his friend and Cabinet colleague has been performing the task given to him with “superb aplomb”.

“From 2004, I derive immense support from his enlightened leadership, first as finance minister and then as home minister. Whatever task is given to him, he performs with superb aplomb,” the Prime Minister said at a function at Alagappa University.

Thanking his “friend” for bringing him to this part of the country, Dr Singh, referring to Mr Chidambaram seated in the front row in the audience, said, “He and I have been colleagues since the 1990s. I was the finance minister and he the commerce minister then and we worked hand in hand.”

At the opening ceremony of two private hospitals, the Prime Minister went a step ahead for his friend. “We worked as colleagues in the Narasimha Rao government. It was his wisdom that economic reform was implemented.”

On Mr Chidambaram’s present portfolio, Dr Singh said that in handling an important ministry filled with challenges he has been working with great dedication, ensuring internal security.

http://www.asianage.com/india/pm-heaps-praise-chidambaram-948

The Asian Age – Parliament disrupted over anti-Chidambaram protests

New Delhi, 16 December 2011. Noisy protests by opposition members demanding removal of Home Minister P. Chidambaram stalled proceedings in both houses of parliament on Friday, forcing cancellation of the crucial question hour.

Presiding officers of the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha adjourned the houses till noon after the ruckus over

Chidambaram, who is accused of quashing criminal cases against a businessman he represented as a lawyer in 1999.

In the Rajya Sabha, Chairman Hamid Ansari tried to pacify the protesting Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) members, asking them to let the Question Hour continue after he had read an obituary reference of a former member.

The protesting MPs refused to let him read the obituary, angering Ansari.

“At least respect the dead if you cannot respect each other,” Ansari said, bringing some calm in the house.

MPs stood in silence for sometime to mourn the death of the former member, but the din returned soon after.

“Since the Question Hour cannot be held, the house is adjourned till 12,” Ansari said.

Similar protests were witnessed in the Lok Sabha, forcing Speaker Meira Kumar to adjourn the house till noon.

The BJP forced parliament to shut for the day Thursday without conducting any significant business alleging that Chidambaram had favoured S.P. Gupta, chairman of Sunair Hotels Pvt Ltd, by misusing his office for his “former client”. (IANS)

http://www.asianage.com/india/parliament-disrupted-over-anti-chidambaram-protests-674

The Hindu – Provide enough security for Bhatt, Centre tells Gujarat

Centre’s intervention comes after officer’s wife writes to Chidambaram

Special Correspondent

New Delhi, 4 October 2011. The Union government on Tuesday asked the Gujarat government to provide adequate security to IPS officer Sanjeev Bhatt, who was arrested after he accused Chief Minister Narendra Modi of complicity in the 2002 post-Godhra massacre.

The Centre’s intervention came after Mr. Bhatt’s wife, Shweta Bhatt, wrote to Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram, expressing the fear that he could be “physically ill-treated” and that there was a “danger to his life” from a “vindictive administration.” She also asked for protection for the Bhatt family.

Home Secretary R.K. Singh convened a high-level meeting to take stock of Ms. Bhatt’s complaint, shortly after which an official said: “The Home Ministry has written to the Gujarat government to ensure adequate security to Mr. Bhatt and his family as per local threat perception. We are also independently carrying out threat assessment at our level.”

Mr. Bhatt was arrested on September 30 after an FIR was filed against him by police constable K.D. Pant, who was Mr. Bhatt’s driver. Mr. Pant accused Mr. Bhatt of threatening and forcing him to sign a “false” affidavit on the contents of a meeting called by Mr. Modi on February 27, 2002, soon after the Godhra train carnage.

In his bail application, Mr. Bhatt said he had been framed at the behest of political functionaries and senior police officers. Mr. Pant appeared to be following “diktats” from political members of the State government, he added. His arrest, Mr. Bhatt alleged, was aimed at getting hold of the evidence he had about Mr. Modi’s role in the 2002 communal riots, and destroying it.

In her letter to Mr. Chidambaram, Ms. Bhatt wrote: “My husband has been victimised and arrested merely because a few politicians apprehended serious action against them because of the evidence Sanjeev is likely to give in the pending criminal cases.”

http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/article2512232.ece

BBC News – Delhi bomb: Indian group ‘may be behind’ court attack

By Sanjoy Majumder, BBC News, Delhi

9 September 2011

India’s Home Minister P Chidambaram has said it is likely that an attack on the Delhi high court was carried out by militants based in India.

“We can no longer point to cross-border terrorism as a source of terror attacks in India,” Mr Chidambaram told the BBC.

He said the authorities were still trying to verify emails allegedly sent by two groups claiming responsibility for Wednesday’s attack.

The death toll from the blast has now risen to 13, with 76 others wounded.

The two groups who have purportedly said they carried out the attack are Harkat-ul Jihad al-Islami (Huji), which has Pakistani origins and is accused of links to al-Qaeda, and the Indian Mujahideen.

The email reportedly sent by Huji was traced to a cyber cafe in Indian-administered Kashmir and police there have detained five people.

‘Fairly certain’

Mr Chidambaram said that even though Huji had claimed responsibility for the blast, the group had not been active in India for a while.

“There have been three major attacks in India recently – in Pune, Mumbai (Bombay) and Delhi.

“In respect of the Mumbai and Pune attacks, we are fairly certain they were carried out by Indian modules or India-based modules,” Mr Chidambaram said, in his first media interview since the court bombing.

In the past, India has often blamed Pakistan-based groups for carrying out attacks on Indian soil.

“That threat remains – but we must also look at Indian modules or India-based modules which are capable of carrying out terror attacks,” he said.

Mr Chidambaram said India would now have to focus on improving its counter-terrorism abilities and go after militant groups based in India.

He said the country’s proximity to Pakistan and Afghanistan was a cause for worry and India was concerned about how to prevent the radicalisation of its youth.

The Indian government is under increasing pressure following the latest attack, with concerns that its security and intelligence agencies are still not in a position to handle the growing threat despite pledges to do so following the attacks on Mumbai in 2008.

“The government can build capacity and extend the intelligence network, but policing is a very complex task and there will be cases where the terrorist is able to slip through the cracks,” Mr Chidambaram said.

Later, he told a news conference that those being questioned in Indian-administered Kashmir included the person suspected of sending the “Huji email”.

He described the leads as “promising but not conclusive”, and added that the likelihood of more attacks was high as India was in a troubled neighbourhood.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-south-asia-14849681