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Political Notes

	March 20, 2006

MPs named in scam suspended



The four Lok Sabha members named in the MP Local Area Development Scheme (MPLADS) scam have got the “benefit of doubt” from a parliamentary committee probe. The committee said that there was a lack of “clinching” evidence to show that they had accepted money for recommending the release of funds under MPLADS. The probe panel recommended that they be reprimanded and suspended till March 22 when the first leg of the Budget session of Parliament comes to an end.



The 7-member V. Kishore Chandra Deo panel’s recommendations came within months of the expulsion of 10 Lok Sabha members in the cash-for-query scam.



The 51-page report maintained that the conduct of none of the four members was above board and they needed to be handed out appropriate punishment.



It gave the benefit of doubt to the four lawmakers, saying the improper conduct on their part did not, strictly speaking, relate to their parliamentary duties and none of the said members was actually shown as accepting money.



Meanwhile, Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee has rubbished a BBC report alleging that he drew huge sums as advance for foreign tours and did not submit supporting papers as chairman of the West Bengal Industrial Development Corporation between 1996 and 1999. The Speaker’s office said on Friday, March 17, that the BBC should have verified figures while writing on a constitutional functionary. Sources said, “the BBC report is absolutely rubbish and written with malicious intentions.”



NDA demands Election Commissioner Nawin Chawla’s sack



Two hundred and five members of Parliament belonging to the National Democratic Alliance have demanded the immediate removal of Election Commissioner Nawin Chawla for his alleged ties with the ruling Congress. The demand has been made in a 12-page Memorandum submitted to the President on March 16. The memorandum said that the Election Commission must be absolutely impartial and must also appear to be impartial. The memorandum said in the NDA’s view, Chawla was an extremely close family friend of Congress president Sonia Gandhi. Those who presented the memorandum to President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam included BJP leaders L.K. Advani and Rajnath Singh, NDA convener George Fernandes and Akali Dal leader S.S. Dhindsa.



The petition has a detailed reference about Chawla’s role during the Emergency days, an annexe with an extract of Justice J.C. Shah Commission’s report saying the election Commissioner and his wife Rupika ran the Jaipur-based Lala Chaman Lal Education trust which had secured MPLAD funds from Congress MPs - A.A. Khan, R.P. Goenka, Ambika Soni, Dr. Karan Singh and Mr. A.R. Kidwai.



Advani said the delegation told the President about the important role played by the EC in holding fair and objective elections in Bihar and Jharkhand and it was overwhelmingly felt that Chawla’s presence in the constitutional body would hinder its effective functioning at a time when elections have been scheduled in four states and the Union Territory of Pondicherry.



The petition casts doubts about the conduct of Chawla in the EC saying the suggestions made by him were “excessively partisan” in nature and were moves to help the Congress party.





George Fernandes off the hook in Kargil cases



The CBI is reported to have cleared George Fernandes of any wrong doing in five of the 25 cases relating to the Kargil scams referred to the investigating agency. The Defence Ministry has decided to launch departmental proceedings, excluding George Fernandes’ role, against officials in four other purchases, totaling Rs. 77.94 crores. The five cases in which George Fernandes has been cleared related to Kargil purchases worth Rs. 134 crore.



The information was given by the Centre in its affidavit before the Supreme Court in a PIL. Regarding nine other cases pending investigation, the Defence Ministry said that the CBI may be able to complete its preliminary examination in another four months.





Three killed in Mumbai clash



A minor brawl, allegedly over an eve-teasing incident led to clashes between two groups of people at a village in Navi Mumbai, in Maharashtra on Thursday, March 16, resulting in the death of three persons. Two persons died in police firing while another was stabbed to death. About 80 other persons were injured in the rioting and firing. Tension continues in the area which has been placed under curfew.



The trouble started when residents of a village and porters clashed following the alleged molestation of a girl by the porters during Holi celebrations.





Gujarat Government accused of indifference towards riot victims



The National Human Rights Commission, in a report tabled in Parliament, has criticised the Gujarat Government for adopting a red-tapist approach to providing compensation and relief to riot victims. The Commission’s annual report for 2003-04 says that it continues to be concerned about the relief, rehabilitation and resettlement of the victims of the communal violence in the state. The report said not only is the State Government indifferent to the issue, the compensation being paid to the riot victims is also grossly inadequate.



As per the report of the police, the total damage to property is to the tune of Rs. 687.34 crore. But the state government has distributed only 56.37 crore to the affected persons, which works out to just about nine percent of the total loss.





ISI and terrorism in Punjab



The Union Home Ministry’s annual report for 2005-06 says that Pakistan’s Inter-services Intelligence (ISI) and Pakistan-based Sikh militant leaders are continuing with their efforts to create violence and revive militancy in Punjab. The report said that the Centre and the State Government are keeping a close watch on the situation and remain committed to ensuring that militancy in Punjab is not revived by anti-national elements. The Government is also pursuing its efforts for deportation of Pakistan-based Khalistani militants to India.





National Commission for Minorities gets new chief



Former diplomat Mohd. Hamid Ansari has taken over as chairperson of the National Commission for Minorities. Earlier, he was a member of the National Security Advisory Board. Ansari was Permanent Representative of India to the United Nations, High Commissioner to Australia and Ambassador to the United Arab Emirates, Afghanistan, Iran and Saudi Arabia. He was Vice Chancellor of the Aligarh Muslim University from May 2000 to March 2002. The other two members of the Commission are Lama Chosphel Zotpa and Harcharan Singh Josh. They will be in office for three years.