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Political Notes

	September 11, 2006

Vande Mataram centenary celebrated amid controversy



Controversy marred the centenary celebrations of Vande Mataram on Sept. 7 with the BJP raking up the issue of the absence of Congress president Sonia Gandhi and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh at a Congress-organised group singing of the national song. Muslim institutions in BJP ruled states by and large defied the Government directive for reciting the national song.



The BJP accused Sonia Gandhi of playing vote bank and appeasement politics by staying away from the place where the national song was sung.



Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha L.K. Advani said, “Those who cannot with conviction defend the sacred legacy of our national movement, are unfit to be India’s rulers.”



Rebutting the BJP criticism, AICC spokesperson Satyavrat Chaturvedi said Sonia Gandhi and the Prime Minister were not invited to the programme in accordance with Congress convention. In a counter attack on the BJP and the Sangh Parivar, the Congress put a question mark on their respect for the national song, national anthem and national flag and their contribution and role in the country’s freedom struggle.





CPI(M) warns UPA Government against deviating from CMP



The Left parties have prepared their report card on the two-year performance of the Congress-led UPA Government, which they are supporting from outside. This is to be discussed at the next meeting of the Left-UPA Coordination Committee meeting likely to take place later this month.



In the meantime, CPI(M) general secretary Prakash Karat said in Bhopal that if the UPA Government fails to implement the CMP and meet Left demands, the Government will have to pay a political price. He said, “the UPA Government should not take us for granted.”





EC rejects complaints against Speaker, others under OoP



The Election Commission has rejected complaints against 12 MPs, including Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee and Samajwadi Party leader Amar Singh, that they held offices of profit.

Election Commission sources said in New Delhi on Saturday, Sept. 9 that the Commission’s opinion on the 12 MPs comes nearly three weeks after President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam gave his assent to legislation, which exempted more than 50 posts from being considered as offices of profit.



The “first batch” of opinion concerning the MPs was sent to the President by the Commission on Friday, EC sources said.



However, the Commission is yet to tender its opinion on complaints against Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Finance Minister P. Chidambaram on the charge that as trustees of the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation they were holding offices of profit. The complaint against Dr. Singh and Chidambaram is “under consideration.”





Parliament’s power to expel MPs : Apex court starts hearing



The Supreme Court has started hearing the Cash-for-Query scam to examine whether Parliament has power to expel Members of Parliament. The 11 MPs, who were expelled from Parliament ten months back in the wake of the Cash for Query scam had filed the petition. Their counsel, former Law Minister Ram Jethmalani said, “Neither House of the Indian Parliament has the jurisdiction and power to terminate the membership of an elected member, and thus expel him from Parliament.”



A five judge Constitution Bench headed by Chief Justice Y.K. Sabharwal is hearing the matter. Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee has taken the plea that decision to expel the 11 MPs was beyond the pale of judicial scrutiny.



ED notice to Natwar Singh in Iraq oil-for-food scandal



The Enforcement Directorate has issued show cause notices to nine individuals and firms including former External Affairs Minister K. Natwar Singh and his son Jagat Singh in the Iraq oil for food scandal. Natwar Singh has been suspended from the Congress following his indictment in the scandal by the Pathak probe panel. Jagat Singh has now been expelled from the party.



Sources say that the 12-page ED show cause establishes Jagat Singh’s links with the mysterious offshore firms, Coburg and Fynmores. But no specific allegations have been listed against Natwar Singh in the notice.



The ED notice takes the money trail in the scandal significantly further, revealing that from the oil-for-food funds, Jagat Singh allegedly transferred $45,000 illegally to bank accounts in Cyprus, Korea and Israel.



The show cause notice also states that part of the $89,000, Jagat Singh allegedly transferred in contravention of Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA) rules was used for “obtaining” a Mercedes Benz car, now liable to be confiscated by the Central Government.