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Political Notes

	August 01, 2005

UPA-Left close ranks



Despite their differences over economic issues, the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) and the Left parties have decided to close ranks to collectively check any bid by the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) to put the Government in a spot. To assuage the Left feelings, the Government has decided to bring out a White Paper on Disinvestment to explain its decision to divest 10 per cent of Government stake in the Bharat Heavy Electrical Ltd. (BHEL). The Government’s move will also satisfy the Left’s desire for a structured debate on the BHEL issue during the ongoing Monsoon Session of Parliament.

Significantly, though the Left parties are continuing their boycott of the UPA-Left Coordination Committee, they attended a meeting involving the leader of the House in the Lok Sabha on Monday, July 25 where floor coordination inside Parliament was discussed. The meeting is reported to have worked out a common strategy to counter the BJP’s attack on various issues.

So the Left parties would not move any censure or other damaging motion on any of the economic or non-economic issues against the Government that could in any way pose a question mark over the Government’s stability. “We have not given any notice on disinvestment to the Speaker,” CPI(M) leader in the Rajya Sabha Nilotpal Basu said.

A Government functionary shed light on the Congress-Left arrangement during the session. He said : “The Left will express its reservations and differences on various issues aggressively, but they will also support the Government fiercely to the hilt.



Uproar over tainted Ministers washes out BHEL discussion



Persistent uproar over the chargesheet against BJP president L.K. Advani in the Babri Masjid Case and the issue of tainted ministers, including Railway Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav continuing in the UPA Government, led to three adjournments of the Lok Sabha on July 29, washing out a Left-sponsored discussion on the BHEL disinvestment issue. As soon as Prime Minister Manmohan Singh finished his statement on his US visit, RJD members demanded the resignation of L.K. Advani as a Rai Bareli court had framed charges against him in the Babri Masjid demolition case. Speaker Somnath Chatterjee wanted the House to take up a Call Attention Motion by CPI’s Gurudas Dasgupta and S. Sudhakar Reddy on the BHEL issue. Meanwhile, BJP members rose to vociferously demand the Rail Minister’s resignation for his alleged involvement in corruption. Failing to restore calm, the Speaker adjourned the House till lunch. When the House reassembled, similar scenes were witnessed forcing the Chair to adjourn the House twice. This virtually blocked the call attention motion on the BHEL issue.



Congress to push for job-guarantee for all



Congress president Sonia Gandhi has urged the Manmohan Singh Government to strengthen the National Rural Employment Bill by extending its coverage from below poverty line families to all job-seekers. In her speech at the Congress Parliamentary Party (CPP) meeting on Wednesday, July 27, she suggested three amendments to buttress the Congress pitch for the common man and a human face to economic reforms.

The job guarantee, once applicable, must not be withdrawn at Government’s discretion, she exhorted MPs in the presence of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. She urged the Centre to bear the entire financial burden to make the Act effective with the states extending unemployment allowances where jobs are not available.

The political import of the Bill has made the parties jostle for credit for the proposed scheme - an improvement over the Bill introduced in 2004. As the Bill addresses a huge constituency, the Left and other UPA allies stressed that the legislation figures in the CMP because of them. “I hope these changes will be incorporated in the Act,” Sonia said. The proposals she underscored emerged from the National Advisory Council’s discussions and feedback from party colleagues. The proposals were also discussed at the Congress Chief Ministers’ conclave in Guwahati in 2002.



President’s Rule in Bihar to be extended



The Union Cabinet has decided to extend President’s Rule in Bihar by another six months, ahead of the expiry of the present term on September 6. The extension has become necessary as fresh elections made necessary in the state cannot be held by the first week of September. Union Ministers, Lalu Prasad Yadav and Ram Bilas Paswan whose bitter rivalry led to deadlock in ministry formation in the state, kept away from the cabinet meeting held on July 25.

Meanwhile, the Supreme Court has issued a Notice to the Centre on the petition filed by the NDA challenging the dissolution of the Bihar Assembly. The Government has been directed to file a reply within three weeks after which the petitioner has been given a week to file a rejoinder. The court will then decide whether a three-judge Bench, a larger bench or a constitution bench should hear the case. Observers say that the Supreme Court in earlier cases has said that it has the power to set aside dissolution of state Assemblies.

In another related development, state Chief Secretary G.S. Kang, has gone on long leave reportedly in protest against the shifting of 17 senior police officers of the state. One of the persons transferred is Siwan district SP of police, Ratan Sanjay, who had recently raided Siwan-RJD MP, Mohd. Shahabuddin’s House and recovered a of weapons and incriminating evidence suggesting the MP’s links with international crime syndicates.

Kang, not a favourite with the former Rabri Devi administration, returned his official vehicles, turned in his mobile phone and, according to sources, said he was doing so to protest “the Governor’s action in posting of some IPS officers having doubtful credentials” to key posts.



According to sources, Kang had openly expressed his displeasure over the transfers of two young, honest and hardworking officials - city SP Shalin and Siwan SP Ratan Sanjay - who had fallen foul of close Lalu aide and local toughie Mohammed Shahabuddin.



Former Shiv Sena leader joins Congress



Expelled Shiv Sena leader Narayan Rane formally joined the Congress along with several of his supporters at a function in Mumbai on July 30. Later in the evening, he was sworn in as a Cabinet Minister in the Congress-led Vilasrao Deshmukh Government. Observers say the Congress objective in admitting Narayan Rane in the party is to gain in the Konkan region of the state. It will also put an obstacle in the advance of its ally, the Nationalist Congress Party of Sharad Pawar, in the region.



While the Congress is confident that it has enhanced its hold over Mumbai by making a virtual clean sweep in the Lok Sabha elections and putting up a credible performance in the Assembly elections, the one area where it has practically no presence today is the Konkan. Although the region does not yield much by way of seats either to Parliament or to the State Assembly, it has a psychological significance because of its link to Mumbai. The Sena consolidated its base in Mumbai in areas dominated by migrants from the Konkan.



Former Punjab DGP convicted



The Supreme Court has upheld the conviction of former Punjab Director General of Police K.P.S. Gill for outraging the modesty of a senior lady IAS officer, Rupan Deol Bajaj. Gill who is widely credited with breaking the back of militancy in Punjab, is at present president of the Indian Hockey Federation.

Dismissing his appeal against the conviction and the award of the sentence, a Bench of Justices K.G. Balakrishnan and B.N. Srikrishna said : “The Punjab and Haryana High Court judgement is upheld.”

The apex court directed that Rs. 2 lakh compensation deposited by Gill with the High Court for payment to Ms. Bajaj would go to some woman’s organisations as she had declined to accept it.

The former Punjab Police Chief was found guilty by the Chandigarh Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM) under section 345 (outraging the modesty of a woman) and under section 500 (insulting a woman with word and gesture) in an initial verdict on January 6, 1996, for patting Ms. Bajaj on the posterior while he was allegedly in inebriated condition at a party hosted by the then Finance Commissioner (Home) S.L. Kapur at his residence on July 18, 1988.