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Political Notes

	November 18, 2002

Congress affairs : Signs of confidence

Political analysts have noted signs of confidence in the Congress. The recent Mount Abu (Rajasthan) meeting was held immediately after the Congress victory in Jammu and Kashmir. This electoral triumph means that the Congress now rules over 15 of the 26 States. This situation makes the Congress a major contender for power in the next Lok Sabha elections. With the popularity of the Bharatiya Janata Party on the decline, the Congress is the obvious single largest player. The source of this momentum, which is taking the Congress from strength to strength, is the organizational streamlining implemented by party chief Sonia Gandhi. The Congress, for the first time in its history, has become a centralized party. Sonia Gandhi has curtailed the influence of regional satraps. She has managed to silence those who revelled in snide comments. The party now speaks in one voice and recognizes only one power centre. This may have made the Congress more personality-oriented but it has also made the party more effective and credible. There is no longer any ambiguity about the Congress, within and without the party. The impact of this should not be underestimated.

Sonia Gandhi is in the process of making the Congress a modern political entity. The emphasis, in the Congress-run states, is on governance rather than on the nurturing of traditional vote banks. She is looking at the long-term transformation of the Congress and not at flash-in-the-pan electoral triumphs. However, the Hindi heartland, which often determines India’s political future, remains untouched by the Congress and by modern political consciousness. Those areas are still influenced by markers like caste and religion.



Winter session: Key issues to Parliament

Coming in the shadow of Assembly polls in Gujarat, the month-long winter session of Parliament beginning on Monday (Nov 18) is likely to be a stormy affair with the Opposition bracing up to put the Government on the mat on several issues.

The VHP’s controversial Yatra, the poll campaign in Gujarat, political developments in Uttar Pradesh, lynching of Dalits (Scheduled Caste Hindus) in Haryana and the drought situation in several parts of the country are issues likely to be raised by the Opposition.

With the crucial Gujarat elections scheduled for December 12, the BJP-led coalition at the Centre is likely to come under attack over the VHP attitude, the targeting of Chief Election Commissioner Lyngdoh and Chief Minister Narendra Modi’s controversial campaign.

The main Opposition, Congress, has already made it known that it would raise vigorously the Centre’s “insensitive” attitude towards drought-hit areas particularly discrimination in the matter against the Congress-ruled States.

The disinvestment issue, on which there have been differences within the NDA, is also likely to cause much embarrassment to the Government with the Congress attempting to highlight the “confusion” within the ruling coalition and the Left parties gearing up to launch a scathing attack for “selling Public Sector Undertakings cheaply”.

Concerned over frequent stalling of the House after a tumultuous monsoon session was concluded abruptly three days ahead of schedule, Speaker Manohar Joshi has made efforts for seeking cooperation of the leaders of political parties to ensure its smooth running.

However, a fiery Opposition is in no mood to let go of any opportunity to pillory the Government on a range of matters, economic or political. With the political scenario in Uttar Pradesh putting a question mark on the stability of the BSP-BJP coalition, a buoyant Samajwadi Party in search of power at Lucknow would use every trick in the trade to highlight the turmoil in the State.

The other Opposition parties are also expected to take up the Uttar Pradesh issue in the context of dissidence in the ruling coalition parties and demand that the Governor convene the Assembly so that the State Government’s majority is proved on the floor of the House.

On Jammu and Kashmir, where the elections threw up a verdict against the ruling National Conference, the Opposition parties are likely to demand to know from the Centre its stand on the question of autonomy.

The Left parties have decided to take up some economic issues like labour reforms, the splitting of the Unit Trust of India and repeal of the IDBI Act very strongly in Parliament. The Opposition, which has been boycotting Defence Minister George Fernandes in the Lok Sabha since his reinduction into the Government, has given no signs so far of giving up its protest.



Anti-terror steps

As part of the tightened anti-terrorism measures, the use of digital camera, even for a routine click at a shopping complex, is being checked by the police. In the absence of an ID card, there could be questioning at the police station. Other measures suggested by the intelligence authorities include making it mandatory for cyber cafes and PCO owners to maintain a logbook of surfers and calls placed detailing the identity of the user; registering with the police a new tenant or servant; informing the cops of the sale of a second-hand car; reporting the presence of a foreigner for a night stay; single person entry at all vulnerable areas such as shopping malls; and the installation of bunkers in all insecure areas. Other steps include metal detectors at the entry of residential colonies as well as anti-explosive mirror devices to check vehicles.

Citing the reason for inquiry into use of digital cameras, an official pointed out , “It has been found that most terror strikes are preceded by careful scrutiny of the area by taking snaps that are then sent across to area commanders on the Web,” Hence, people using digital cameras in crowded places chould be questioned.”

Detailed photographs of the Indian Parliament were recovered from the laptop of its attackers last year. Intelligence agencies have suggested that such measures be made in the form of a statute with penalties and punitive action in case of non-compliance with the rules.

Recently, the Government had made it compulsory for cellular operators to maintain detailed personal records of all pre-paid cell phone users failing which users faced disconnection. This followed the use of pre-paid cards by nefarious elements to go about their business.



Trinamul to stay with NDA

The tough stand of the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) against the Trinamul Congress “political blackmail” of walking out of the coalition has paid off. Trinamul Congress (TC) chief Mamata Banerjee had tried hard to get the Railway portfolio the Centre but BJP leaders ruled it out and dared her to go her own way. After months of deliberation, the Trinamul has now stated that it would remain in the NDA claiming that it had got a `positive’ response from the ruling coalition at the Centre on the Eastern Railway bifurcation issue.

Briefing newsmen after the crucial Working Committee meeting convened to decide its ties with the NDA, Mamata Banerjee said NDA convenor George Fernandes rang her up twice and invited her to come to Delhi and discuss the bifurcation issue with Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee. She said Fernandes knew the party’s sentiments on the railway bifurcation and appealed to the TC not to take any immediate decision on parting ways with the NDA. She claimed that Fernandes also wanted an amicable settlement. Mamata said her party MPs would occupy the Treasury Benches in Parliament Fduring the winter session beginning on Monday (Nov 18).



Orissa: CM expels three party MPs

Admitting failure of the rapprochement process, Biju Janata Dal (BJD) president and Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has expelled three party MPs of the Lok Sabha - Kumudini Patnaik, Prabhat Samantray and Jagannath Mallick - from the primary membership of the party for six years. The three MPs, who had been suspended from the party on August 9, were served show-cause notices containing charges relating to anti-party activities, and asked to submit their replies within 15 days.

BJD secretary general Damodar Rout alleged that the three rebel MPs were conspiring to oust Naveen as the leader of the BJD by joining hands with Opposition leaders. Rout said the MPs attacked the party leadership ceaselessly in the media, even when efforts were on for a compromise. The decision to expel them was taken finally to protect party discipline, he said. But the expelled MPs have described Naveen’s action as “undemocratic and arbitrary”.



Punjab: Badal faction wants CM summoned

The newly-elected SGPC executive committee would soon meet Akal Takht jathedar Joginder Singh Vedanti for summoning Chief Minister Amarinder Singh for receiving religious punishment for sending police into the Golden Temple complex.

“Along with the executive members, I would personally meet the jathedar of Akal Takht for early action in this regard,” re-elected SGPC president Kirpal Singh Badungar said in Amritsar. Police was despatched to the SGPC complex on Sunday trigerring a controversy but Amarinder Singh had maintained that police “did not enter the Darbar Sahab” in the Golden Temple complex at Amritsar and only went to the guest house in the SGPC complex.

The Chief Minister had denied reports in a section of the media that police had entered Darbar Sahab (the sanctum sanctorum). A general house meeting of the SGPC with new executive in place passed a resolution demanding summoning of Amarinder Singh for police action, Badungar said. He said that Akal Takht jathedar should summon Amarinder for receiving religious punishment for allegedly denigrating the maryada (sanctity) of the shrine.

Earlier in 1984 after operation Blue Star then Union home minister Buta Singh was summoned and later excommunicated from the panth. Former chief minister Surji Singh Barnala was awarded religious punishment in 1986 after police entry into the shrine.

Kirpal Singh Badungar, a Badal loyalist, was re-elected SGPC president defeating Sant Veer Singh, put up by the Tohra faction, by a margin of 23 votes in a straight fight last week.The posts of senior vice-president, junior vice-president and secretary were also bagged by the Badal faction.



Bofors: Hindujas charged with cheating

The Europe-based three Hinduja brothers and the Bofors company have been formally charged with criminal conspiracy and cheating in the Bofors payoff case by a Special Court in Delhi. Special Judge Prem Kumar, who framed the charges against three Hinduja brothers - Srichand, Gopichand and Prakashchand - and the Bofors company, fixed December 4 for the commencement of the trial. The accused pleaded not guilty to the charges.

The Special Judge said prima facie the accused persons, the Hinduja brothers and the Bofors company, were liable to be charged for offences under Sections 120B (criminal conspiracy) and 420 (cheating) of Indian Penal Code and sections 5(1)(d) and 5(2) ofthe Prevention of Corruption Act, 1947. Besides, the court had also ordered framing of charges against the Hinduja brothers for offences under Section 161 read with Section 165A (abetting a public servant to take bribe) and Section 34 (common intention) of the IPC.

According to the 176-page order, additional charges would be framed against the Bofors company under Section 161 read with Section 165A and Section 464 and Section 465 of the IPC.