That is why Vikas there weren't any answers. An apt headline from a IBN report:VikasRaina wrote: Was he reading from Paper while answering questions. Surprisingly This was the first time he was facing questions without SG behind him to approve or disapprove his answers.
It is unbelievable. The entire interaction and answering questions is almost like a stage managed one. The questions to be asked are all sent by the editors of the media houses well ahead. The answers are carefully prepared by SG, Pranab Da and MMS. Why there should be nervousness?Venkarl wrote:He sounded nervous and was searching for words few times...is it normal or is it just me agnaani?
At least he is being truthful about one thing.VikasRaina wrote:I asked Raja,wassup, He said ,"all is well", I went back to sleep.
New Delhi: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Wednesday listed stabilisation of Indian economy during the global meltdown as the biggest achievements of his government but mentioned the series of corruption scams as the greatest regret of his tenure. 'These irregularities that have happened that has certainly given me...I am not very happy about these developments,' he said when a journalist asked him about his biggest regret and achievement of his tenure.
more reforms in Budget, but Oppn delaying process: PM
The very fact that during unfavourable economic (conditions), we managed to ensure' that India's economy remained stable, the Prime Minister said was his greatest achievement.
Man this is truly a Banana republic situation when a private entity is threatening the government with legal consequences in order to gouge out strategic spectrum that is a public resource. Welcome to lala land.Devas Multimedia on Wednesday issued a statement stating that its deal with Antrix Corporation has not been cancelled or annuled by the government. Devas says it expects the government to fulfill all its obligations under the agreement and threatened that it will take strong legal steps to protect the company's rights and interests.Devas says it has not decided to terminate the agreement despite the Department of Space, ISRO and Antrix being in material breach of the pact. The company has expressed grave concern over the government's statement on pre-meditated annulment of the agreement saying that the unilateral decision is disturbing and inappropriate.
<snip>
"Devas Multimedia has a legally binding Agreement with Antrix Corporation, the wholly owned commercial arm of the Government of India's Dept of Space / ISRO, dated January 28, 2005. Devas proceeded with the project after required consents and approvals were obtained within GOI, culminating with Space Commission and Union Cabinet, and the same were confirmed to us by Antrix in Feb 2006," said the statement.
Well if he gives in to this threat then we might as well kiss goodbye to any pretence of sovereignty or independence. If ministries like Space (ISRO) are this thoroughly penetrated and well gripped by foreign security appratuses with our PM totally clueless in dealing with them, all I can say isramana wrote:No thye (Devas) have the UPA in a fix and have foreign national security apparatus backing. They are daring the MMS to cancel. Looks like they needs fourth option. They steals and says its legal.
He doesn't understand the power of the state as described in Levithian.
.The real pivotal battle is over the EVM issue.munna wrote:all I can say is
Dhanya ho, so 2009 LS elections were actually 1191 redux, India falls once again. Sobering thought, time to hit that bottle of Oban.
I was right in my three points.....
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Wednesday gave an assurance that his government was “dead serious in bringing to book all wrongdoers.” But even as he repeated his commitment to punish the guilty, Dr. Singh refused to accept any personal responsibility for the policy decisions that led to the 2G spectrum and S-Band scams.
Pressed on whether he absolved himself completely, the Prime Minister blamed his coalition partners. “No one should doubt that I am conscious of my responsibilities. But I have some compulsions. One has to tolerate a great deal in coalition politics, or else go for elections every six months, which is also not the proper course to adopt.”
Later, he added: “I have never said I have never made a mistake…I am not as much of a culprit as I am being made out.”
The Prime Minister also used his hour-long interaction with editors of television channels to slam the Opposition and chide the media for creating the impression of a “scam-driven country,” something that was “weakening the self-confidence of the people” and spoiling the “image of India.”
“In reporting the affairs of our nation, we mustn't focus excessively on the negative features, important though it is that the government should deal with them,” he said.
Dr. Singh was, however, very clear that he was “not afraid of appearing before any committee, including a JPC [the proposed Joint Parliamentary Committee to examine the 2G spectrum scam].” Indeed, he stressed that there was a wrong impression that he had blocked an agreement on a JPC.
He added that he had also never felt like quitting even though things were not entirely the way he would have wished them to be. [b]“I never felt like resigning because I have a job to do. The country voted our party to be the leader of the coalition, and we have a lot of unfinished business to accomplish...I will stay the course[/b].”
Dr. Singh said that while the scams that the government had got engulfed in were his biggest regret, the fact that his government had ensured, despite a very unfavourable international economic environment, that the Indian economy's growth rhythm was not grossly affected was its biggest achievement.
Wednesday's news conference was intended to clear the air on the issue of corruption and present a strong and confident Prime Minister. But his answers on the scale of the 2G scam — in the light of Telecom Minister Kapil Sibal's controversial claim that there had been “zero loss” — suggested a continuing unwillingness to concede that there had been wrongdoing on a massive scale.
Since auctions had not taken place, Dr. Singh said that calculating the loss was difficult. He then went on to compare the (underpriced) sale of 2G spectrum with the subsidies given for food and fertilizers, asking whether these subsidies should also be described as a loss of revenue.
The Prime Minister also vigorously rejected any suggestion that his office had continued talks with Devas Multimedia — on its controversial deal with Antrix Corporation, ISRO's commercial arm, for the lease of 90 per cent transponders in two satellites to be built by ISRO, a deal into which was bundled 70 MHz of S-Band spectrum, priced at Rs.1,000 crore — after the Space Commission decided to scrap it.
“There have been no backroom talks...there has been no effort in the PMO [Prime Minister's Office] to dilute in any way the decision taken by the Space Commission in July 2010,” he said. However, he did admit that there had been a delay in scrapping the deal, but said this had been “only procedural.” {Important.}
Dismissing a question on whether he would be the Congress' prime ministerial candidate in the next general elections as “premature,” Dr. Singh, however, stressed that he would complete his term in office.
Asked to comment on the attacks on him from within the party, he said: “I would, of course, like a cohesive party to back the government,” adding: “I think we are a democratic party and we have a lot of internal discussions. When decisions are taken, I think our party stands united in support of the government.”
Accusing the BJP of obstructing economic reforms for petty reasons, the Prime Minister pointed out that the BJP had “taken a hostile attitude [to the Goods and Services Tax] because of a decision against a particular person, who was a minister in Gujarat.” The reference was to Amit Shah, who was arrested in the Sohrabuddin case by the CBI.
Dr. Singh said he had not given up on his job while underscoring the fact that when Parliament was not able to perform its essential function of passing laws, “that is one area where our nation has to rethink how our parliamentary institutions should function.”
CT,munna wrote:ramana wrote:Well if he gives in to this threat then we might as well kiss goodbye to any pretence of sovereignty or independence. If ministries like Space (ISRO) are this thoroughly penetrated and well gripped by foreign security appratuses with our PM totally clueless in dealing with them, all I can say is
Dhanya ho, so 2009 LS elections were actually 1191 redux, India falls once again. Sobering thought, time to hit that bottle of Oban.
National interest is above all business contracts and deals.munna wrote:Oh boy!! Just look at the Chutzpah of these fellows.
Devas warns government of legal action
Devas Multimedia on Wednesday issued a statement stating that its deal with Antrix Corporation has not been cancelled or annuled by the government. Devas says it expects the government to fulfill all its obligations under the agreement and threatened that it will take strong legal steps to protect the company's rights and interests
Ah, so now we are in steps 5 to 7 of the 10 step cycle described earlier. Playing per script of every politician's handbook.Addressing editors of prominent television news channels in New Delhi, the Prime Minister said: "I have never said that I have never committed any mistake, but I am not such a big culprit as is being projected. I wish to assure the country as a whole our government is dead serious to bring to book all the wrongdoers regardless of their position in 2G spectrum, CWG, ISRO and Adarsh scams."
...
Step 5: Did I make poor judgment, yes. Did I fail to excercise authority and caution. Yes.
Step 6: Conduct musical chairs, reshuffle cabinet so all the opposition is entertained with this tamasha.
Step 7: There is nothing proven. Not a shred of evidence is presented. Did I do anything against law. No.
...
Things that caught my attentionramana wrote:Hindu reports:
Manmohan "dead serious" about tackling wrongdoers
I was right in my three points.
The media interaction is for the three idiots.
Everything else is timepass.
In his own diffident manner he is telling all he will complete his term and nothing will stop him. Its more for his party high commanders.
And that DevaS guy is toast.
My dear saar! Let me tickle your memory a bit!!For the congressi vadis - ABV and BJP hid behind the "same coalition dharma" for their non-performance on UCC, A370, and such issues.
If DMK wins, then there will be no incentive for these netas to prosecute the corrupt. This is not just simple state election (IMHO offcourse), its a landmark election that will determine the future course of Indian governance.Sri wrote: DMK faces polls in sometime.... I wonder what will Karunanidhi make of it.
Did you see the full conference? It was Id Mubarak to the people, ied mubarak to Chidu company...VikasRaina wrote:Who was this interview far?
Its like a thief returning all the stolen public goods back in the hope that the public will forget about prosecuting the thief. Nice execution by the corruption lobby. The corruption loby is hoping that this will be the end of discussion regarding Devas-ISRO discussionNarad wrote:Cabinet Committee on Security decides to scrap Devas-ISRO deal | The deal was under the scanner for illegal kickbacks
confirmation?Government Agrees to Set Up JPC on 2G: The decision, which was clinched following a meeting on Wednesday between Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Bharatiya Janata Party leaders Sushma Swaraj and Arun Jaitley, comes just in time for the budget session of Parliament, which begins on February 21. (Source: The Hindu)
Any reference for this bit??geeth wrote:Jaya finally colluded with Swamy uncle and over a chai-biscoot meeting between Amma, Swamy and Sonia, support was withdrawn by Amma and ABV govt was ousted by a majority of one vote.
Why, you don't remember those days?? It was covered so widely by media those days (like 2G now). The meeting was in Delhi and Jayalalitha submitted the notice of withdrawal of support soon after. ABV was Swamy's bete noire from RSS days..Any reference for this bit??
Modi said the Prime Minister was levelling allegation against Gujarat to “divert public attention from his failures”.
Modi told television channels at his official residence on Thursday: "Yesterday's press conference by the PM was a failed attempt to wash black spots from his image. To save his self, he is trying to corner Gujarat and levelling allegations on a Gujarat minister.”
“"Gujarat and the BJP has cleared its stand on reforms like GST since the beginning. A year ago, when I met finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, I told him we cannot implement it before creating the nationwide information technology network for GST. Mukherjee also agreed to my suggestion and immediately called his personal secretary and ordered him to form a taskforce for this. However, till date, there is no progress. I challenge the PM to make the minutes of the GST empowerment committee public and let the people know what suggestions Gujarat and other states have made in last two years."
Here is an article that describes Swamy's collaboration with Jayalalitha - http://www.hinduonnet.com/fline/fl1609/16090040.htm .geeth wrote:Why, you don't remember those days?? It was covered so widely by media those days (like 2G now). The meeting was in Delhi and Jayalalitha submitted the notice of withdrawal of support soon after. ABV was Swamy's bete noire from RSS days..Any reference for this bit??
Shekhar Deorukhkar, Suresh Kalmadi’s man Friday, person with all the answers?.
http://www.dnaindia.com/mumbai/report_s ... rs_1507097
Published: Sunday, Feb 13, 2011, 10:43 IST
By Ashish Jadhav | Place: Pune | Agency: DNA
It is not at all surprising that the arrest of 45-year-old Shekhar Mukund Deorukhkar by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Friday sent shock waves in the city because of the extraordinary proximity of Deorukhkar to Congress MP Suresh Kalmadi.
Deorukhkar, as he is known in Pune circles, first came in contact with Kalmadi when he was serving as a protocol officer in the Indian Railways in the mid-1990s when Kalmadi was minister of state for railways.
Deorukhkar then left the Railways to become Kalmadi’s personal assistant and emerged as Kalmadi’s man Friday — a person who could surmount whatever challenges were thrown at him.
Appointed as a director in the organising committee of the CWG, Deorukhkar has been charged by the CBI with criminal conspiracy, cheating and dishonestly inducing delivery of property, under IPC and the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988.
The anti-corruption bureau (ACB) of the CBI searched his residence on the 6th floor of Uma Mahesh Apartment before nabbing him in the afternoon.
Intelligent and resourceful, one of Deorukhkar’s top qualities
was that of ‘jugaad’ (Mr Fix It) which made him valuable to Kalmadi, say Pune Congress unit leaders.
The two hit off very well and Deorukhkar rose in life, shifting
his residence from Pulachi Wadi behind Deccan Gymkhana bus stop to the Uma Mahesh Apartments, say those who have seen him closely over the last 15 years.
“Deorukhkar was trusted immensely by Kalmadi and knows A to Z about the Congress MP. He would be by his side constantly. If the CBI grills him thoroughly, he will have many things to tell,’’ a Congressman said.
According to another Congressman, Deorukhkar did not interfere in Kalmadi’s political arena but took care of many other matters.
“He was Kalmadi’s shadow but his role was limited to handling vital, non-political matters," a Congressman said.
According to a party leader, Deorukhkar was an expert in identifying the weak points of Kalmadi’s rivals and preparing a plan of action.
The licences for 2G spectrum were not auctioned as many say they should have been. Raja chose to follow a First-Come-First-Served policy which was set by his predecessors.But the CBI's case is based on his office advancing the deadline for payments and informing only some of the players. Companies like Swan and Unitech seemed to have been tipped off to this, because despite the cut-off date being brought forward, they had their payments ready.
After winning their licences, Swan and Unitech sold equity to foreign companies much before they began the rollout of their services. The giant profits they made seemed to underscore the point that spectrum had been sold far too cheaply by the government.
Swan paid Rs. 1,537 crore and sold 45% stake to Etisalat for a profit of Rs. 4, 730 crore.
Unitech paid Rs. 1,661 crore for its licence, and sold 60% stake to Telenor for Rs. 6,200 crore.
Really??But a trilateral meeting with Sonia is difficult to imagine, given what Swamy says about Sonia on his website
http://www.rediff.com/news/1999/mar/31jaya2.htmMonday's tea party hosted by Janata Party member of Parliament Dr Subramanian Swamy, which brought Jayalalitha and Congress president Sonia Gandhi face to face after almost four years, has sent the political temperature soaring once again.
Interesting.geeth wrote:
Monday's tea party hosted by Janata Party member of Parliament Dr Subramanian Swamy, which brought Jayalalitha and Congress president Sonia Gandhi face to face after almost four years, has sent the political temperature soaring once again.
http://www.rediff.com/news/1999/mar/31jaya2.htm
Absolutely. This is going to be the most important election. If DMK wins that is the end of all BS spins (no good leader in the opp ranks, the Govt did pretty good etc.) that a lot of social engineers write post elections. The results will simply conclude that (1) India has utter failed democracy (2) There is no way to fight corruption and nepotism (3) The entire election structure is created only to subvert democracy and values.Dhiman wrote:If DMK wins, then there will be no incentive for these netas to prosecute the corrupt. This is not just simple state election (IMHO offcourse), its a landmark election that will determine the future course of Indian governance.Sri wrote: DMK faces polls in sometime.... I wonder what will Karunanidhi make of it.
What has GST to do with 2G scams?Aditya_V wrote:PM's charge on Gujarat biggest joke in 2011: Narendra Modi
Modi said the Prime Minister was levelling allegation against Gujarat to “divert public attention from his failures”.
Modi told television channels at his official residence on Thursday: "Yesterday's press conference by the PM was a failed attempt to wash black spots from his image. To save his self, he is trying to corner Gujarat and levelling allegations on a Gujarat minister.”
“"Gujarat and the BJP has cleared its stand on reforms like GST since the beginning. A year ago, when I met finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, I told him we cannot implement it before creating the nationwide information technology network for GST. Mukherjee also agreed to my suggestion and immediately called his personal secretary and ordered him to form a taskforce for this. However, till date, there is no progress. I challenge the PM to make the minutes of the GST empowerment committee public and let the people know what suggestions Gujarat and other states have made in last two years."
Might be OT: but brought it here in view of the PM including this in his Press conference on 2G for non action on GST.
Muppalla-ji that is something I have been shouting hoarse about since past few months. He is surely in a mood to attempt a Mountbatten-esque "going out in a blaze of glory" solution to J&K or other Indo-Pak issues. The ISRO's penetration just goes on to show the extent to which we stand compromised under his regime which is essentially Babu-cracy that has made real political will of the people ie elected politicians redundant to Delhi. Jargons and gibberish from west is feed as progressive and modern direction to rustic politicos who assume it to be the best in business owing to "Rin Sa Safed" PM.Muppalla wrote:he may be doing something tectonic behind the scenes. Something like autonomy to valley.
I asked this question one on one to Swamy in 2006 first and again in 2010.geeth wrote:
Monday's tea party hosted by Janata Party member of Parliament Dr Subramanian Swamy, which brought Jayalalitha and Congress president Sonia Gandhi face to face after almost four years, has sent the political temperature soaring once again.
http://www.rediff.com/news/1999/mar/31jaya2.htm
We should ask Swamy to comment on that era ... he later seems to have broken up with Jayalalitha again, suggesting that she succumbed to EJ pressures in the Shankaracharya arrest episode.