The Tribune – Parliament resolution condemns Sarabjit’s killing

Prime Minister calls him ‘brave son of India’, assails Pakistan – Rajnath Singh wants envoy recalled

Ashok Tuteja & Syed Ali Ahmed, Tribune News Service

New Delhi, May 2. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today expressed outrage over Sarabjit Singh’s death and attacked Pakistan for not heeding to India’s pleas for taking a humanitarian view of the Indian death row convict’s case. The BJP went a step further and demanded the scaling down of diplomatic relations with Islamabad.

Parliament passed a unanimous resolution, condemning the “inhuman treatment” meted out to Sarabjit in Pakistan’s Kot Lakhpat Jail leading to his death and asked the Pakistan authorities to bring to book those who carried out the murderous assault on him.

As protests erupted in parts of the National Capital following Sarabjit’s death, his distraught family members met Union Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde, AICC vice-president Rahul Gandhi, Punjab Congress chief Partap Singh Bajwa and other leaders at National Commission for Scheduled Castes vice-chairman Raj Kumar Verka’s residence here and demanded that he be declared a “martyr” and cremated with full state honours.

They also asked the government to take full responsibility of the family – Sarabjit’s wife Sukhpreet Kaur, daughters Poonam and Swapandeep and sister Dalbir Kaur.

Dalbir Kaur complained that her brother had been killed in the Pakistan jail due to government’s negligence. Had the government taken the case seriously, Sarabjit would have come home alive.

She alleged that a Pakistan official had demanded Rs 25 crore as bribe for Sarabjit’s life. When she expressed her helplessness, the official concerned reduced the bribe amount to Rs 2 crore.

Soon after India woke up to the news of Sarabjit’s death in Pakistan, the Prime Minister said: “I am deeply saddened by the passing away of Sarabjit. He was a brave son of India who bore his tribulations with valiant fortitude.”

Manmohan Singh underlined that the criminals responsible for the “barbaric and murderous attack” must be brought to justice.

External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid said he was “extremely anguished” by Sarabjit’s death, adding it had hurt the relations with Islamabad.

New Delhi asserted that it had been taking up Sarabjit’s case with the Pakistan authorities at every level since 2005. “If we were not convinced that Sarabjit is innocent, we would not have taken up his case,” MEA spokesman Syed Akbaruddin said.

BJP president Rajnath Singh criticised the manner in which the government handled the Sarabjit issue. Had India taken effective diplomatic steps, such an incident would not have taken place, he said, demanding the recall of the Indian envoy to Islamabad as a mark of protest.

Members in both Houses of Parliament also expressed their anguish over Sarabjit’s death and adopted a resolution, condemning the “inhuman treatment” meted out to the Indian prisoner. The members also conveyed their condolences to the bereaved family and stood in silence as a mark of respect to the departed.

While Information and Broadcasting Minister Manish Tewari cancelled the dinner he was to host in honour of National Film award winners, Rajya Sabha member MS Gill asked the government to ensure that Sarabjit’s family members were adequately compensated.

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2013/20130503/main1.htm

The Hindu – NDA to hold dharna on House premises

Against Centre’s refusal to cancel allotments of coal blocks and order an impartial probe

Special Correspondent

New Delhi, 7 September 2012. National Democratic Alliance (NDA) MPs will hold a dharna on the premises of Parliament on Friday, last day of the monsoon session, in protest against the refusal of the government to cancel coal blocks allotment and order an “impartial enquiry.”

The objective of the NDA in holding the dharna is two-fold.

It wants to demonstrate that all the constituents of the alliance are united in the strategy to disrupt Parliament on the Comptroller and Auditor General’s report and also signal the NDA’s resolve to keep the issue alive and take it to the people.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which leads the alliance, is expected to work out a plan after the return of party president Nitin Gadkari from his trip abroad next week.

In response to a series of questions posed by Rural Development Minister Jairam Ramesh to the BJP on Wednesday on the allotments, the party came up with queries of its own addressed to the Congress.

Party spokesperson Prakash Javadekar told journalists here that the Congress had no answers to the questions being asked on coalgate and “it is defending the indefensible.”

“In this strategy, they first deny the existence of any scam.

At a later stage, they try to destroy the credibility of the Constitutional agency which brings out their corruption and after failing in both these ruses, they resort to diversionary tactics.”

PM’s stamp of approval

He wanted the Congress to disclose how many of the party Chief Ministers were opposed to allotments by auction and asserted that each allotment had the “stamp of approval” by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

“Is it not a fact that every allotment of the coal block carried the stamp of approval of Manmohan Singh as the Coal Minister?

He was the Coal Minister during most of these arbitrary allotments. How then are the hierarchical subordinates responsible and not the approving authority?” Mr. Javadekar asked.

“Moot the idea of auction but don’t move ahead with required speed. Delay the proposal and its implementation. Keep the sword of auction hanging so that the black-gold rush will convert into net gain for Congress coffers. This is mala fide and the crux of the scam,” he said.

On the charges that Ajay Sancheti, party MP and close associate of party president Nitin Gadkari, was a beneficiary of the allocation, Mr. Javadekar said he got the block through competitive bidding and the State held a majority share. However, he conceded that Mr. Sancheti was the sole bidder.

http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/article3867403.ece

The Asian Age – PM ready with 6-point reply to CAG charge

New Delhi, 23 August 2012. In the light of the main Opposition BJP’s scathing attack on his government, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is all geared up to counter the charges by contending that there were ‘inaccuracies’ in the ‘misleading’ CAG assessment of loss of Rs1.85 lakh crores in the coal block allocations.

Sources informed that the Prime Minister has prepared a six-point response, but he could not present them in Parliament due to the stalemate caused by the Opposition.

Dr Singh will be underlining that the coal blocks were allocated in a transparent and appropriate manner through checks and balances without any favour to any company.

The thrust of the Prime Minister’s response is that Chhattisgarh, West Bengal, Rajasthan, Orissa and Jharkhand, all ruled by non-UPA governments, had opposed in 2005 the Centre’s move to bring a legislation on the auction process, sources said.

The Prime Minister holds that the Opposition by these states is responsible for the delay in introduction of a competitive bidding for allocation of coal blocks, sources said, adding that the law for auction bidding is now in place.

Contesting the CAG’s contention that private firms gained around Rs1.85 lakh crores in coal block allocation between 2005 and 2009, Dr Singh’s assertion is that it reflects “inaccuracies” in the report.

The Prime Minister’s point is that the CAG has computed on the basis of allocation of 57 mines but out of these, 31 coal blocks belong to the period prior to 2006. He also has objection to the CAG questioning the policy decision of the government by making reference to law ministry opinion that the option to be chosen between the alternative and legislative change and administrative instruction for introducing competitive bidding was a policy decision to be taken by the ministry.

With regard to the allegation about delay in making auction bidding a law, Dr Singh’s assertion is that even normal legislative enactments take considerable time, not only because of the procedures involved but also in view of the various consultations required to be held in order to arrive at a decision in a consensual manner, the sources said.

http://www.asianage.com/india/pm-ready-6-point-reply-cag-charge-170

The Asian Age – ‘I will fight for Lokpal Bill’: Sonia

New Delhi, 21 December 2011. Asserting that she will fight for the passage of the Lokpal bill in Parliament, a combative Congress President Sonia Gandhi on Wednesday hit out at the Opposition for ‘obstructionist’ tactics and Team Anna for ‘deliberate and malicious’ criticism of the Government.

“We are being criticised and attacked for not tackling the scourge of corruption. This is deliberate and malicious misinformation,” Gandhi told the Congress Parliamentary Party (CPP) meeting without referring to Team Anna or Anna Hazare, who has threatened to go on a fast from December 27 over the Lokpal issue.

“I will fight for Lokpal and women’s reservation issue”, she told reporters close on the heels of telling the Parliamentary Party, “I cannot see any reason for us to be defeatist”.

She said that to tackle the issue of corruption, three bills with major implications are to be passed soon – those relating to the protection of whistle blowers, enhancing judicial accountability, strengthening anti-money laundering operations and controlling bribery of Indian public officials by foreign companies. (IANS)

http://www.asianage.com/india/i-will-fight-lokpal-bill-sonia-770