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Political Notes

	December 12, 2005

Cabinet reshuffle after winter session



The Prime Minister has said that a reshuffle of his cabinet would be undertaken after the winter session of Parliament. He was speaking to mediapersons on board the special Air India flight to Moscow for the summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin. There are several vacancies in the Union Council of Ministers including the one caused by the exit of former External Affairs Minister Natwar Singh.





Uttar Pradesh : BSP wins two by-elections, set back for Mulayam



The ruling Samajwadi Party in Uttar Pradesh received a setback in Assembly by-elections when Mayawati’s Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) won both seats for which polling had taken place. In the results declared on Monday, December 5, the BSP retained one seat, while wresting the other from the Samajwadi Party. Mayawati claimed that if elections are held in Uttar Pradesh, her party would emerge as an alternative to Mulayam Singh Yadav’s Samajwadi Party. Samajwadi party general secretary Amar Singh said the defeat was the result of his party’s over-confidence.





Babri demolition anniversary peaceful



The 13th anniversary of the demolition of Babri Masjid in Ayodhya passed off peacefully in the town. Members of the Muslim community observed the day as one of sorrow by downing shutters of shops and business establishments. The Vishwa Hindu Parishad, which has been working for construction of a Ram Temple in Ayodhya, observed the day as Shaurya Divas.



In New Delhi, the Congress condemned the BJP and the Sangh Parivar over the alleged involvement of their leaders in the demolition of the Babri Masjid. Party spokesman Anand Sharma said, “it is sad that the perpetrators of the Babri Masjid demolition have still not been brought to justice and some of them are occupying important positions in public life.”



The Congress singled out L.K. Advani for continuing in his post of BJP president and leader of the opposition despite being charge-sheeted in the Babri Masjid demolition case.





Waqf Board order on Taj Mahal stayed



The Supreme Court has stayed the order of the Uttar Pradesh Sunni Waqf Board declaring the Taj Mahal as Waqf property. The Archaeological Survey of India, custodian of the world heritage monument, had challenged the order. The Supreme Court Bench hearing the case has issued notices to the Waqf Board and the Uttar Pradesh Government, among others, on the ASI petition.



The ASI in its petition said if the Waqf Board order was not immediately stayed, it would result in the Taj losing the status of “world heritage” monument conferred by UNESCO. It asked whether a national monument, declared as world heritage, could be declared the property of a particular entity or community.





Policy to tackle Naxalites unveiled



The Centre has unveiled a multi-pronged carrot and stick policy to deal with the Naxalite problem in the country. Winding up a short-duration discussion in the Rajya Sabha on the internal security situation, Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil said that the Government is willing to hold a dialogue with all those laying down arms. Plans are being chalked out to wean away misguided youth from violence and bring them into the mainstream by providing employment. At the same time, the Centre has decided to raise additional paramilitary battalions by modernising and strengthening state police forces.



Shivraj Patil asserted that Left extremism in the country had grown, but was not as serious as is often made out.





West Bengal : Greater autonomy for Darjeeling Council



The Centre has announced that the Darjeeling Gorkha Hill Council in West Bengal will be given Sixth Schedule status which would give it greater autonomy. A tripartite Memorandum of Settlement (MoS) was signed in New Delhi between the Centre, West Bengal Government and the Subhas Ghising-led Gorkha National Liberation Front (GNLF) after days of hectic deliberations. Home Minister Shivraj Patil said the amendment Bill to grant Sixth Schedule status to the DGHC on the lines of such district councils in the North East is likely to be introduced in the budget session of Parliament.



Under the Sixth Schedule, the district council will get more powers similar to those enjoyed by the Autonomous District Councils of Assam, Meghalaya, Mizoram and Tripura.





Gujarat riots : Nanavati panel’s plea turned down



The President’s Secretariat has finally turned down the Nanavati Shah Commission’s request for a copy of former President K.R. Narayanan’s letter to the then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee on the Gujarat riots. In a letter to the Commission, Secretary to the President said no further correspondence on the subject would be entertained. Narayanan in his letter to Vajpayee is reported to have spoken of the need to deploy troops quickly in the riot-hit areas of Gujarat. This was reportedly not acted upon by the Vajpayee Government.