Two-G (2G) Spectrum Scam Tapes and follow-up

Dhiman · Post by **Dhiman** » 30 Mar 2011 09:26

No action against Radia yet? Seems like the bi*ch has almost been forgotten. If nothing else, surely there must be some obscure law under which she can be booked or is there no space for females in Tihar?

SSridhar · Post by **SSridhar** » 30 Mar 2011 12:49

Murugan wrote:Shahid's Brother Asif Balwa and one Rajiv Agarwal arrested

This is incomplete without the arrest of Kanimozhi and the CEO of Kalagnar TV. After all, these two were at the receiving end of that money trail. The next step should be to see whether Karunanidhi himself was involved in it somehow.

Aditya_V · Post by **Aditya_V** » 30 Mar 2011 15:01

SSridhar wrote:
Murugan wrote:Shahid's Brother Asif Balwa and one Rajiv Agarwal arrested
This is incomplete without the arrest of Kanimozhi and the CEO of Kalagnar TV. After all, these two were at the receiving end of that money trail. The next step should be to see whether Karunanidhi himself was involved in it somehow.

Saar if a ~~company~~ Channel owned artiste second wife and daughter from 3rd wife are involved, no matter how much he denies everybody will say he is involved, he is too old to go to jail so as long his family guilt is proven, its a big slap on him.

Murugan · Post by **Murugan** » 31 Mar 2011 09:10

Anna Hazare Will Began Fast Unto Death from 5 April

On April 5, Anna Hazare will begin a fast unto death if the Prime Minister does not commit to instituting a tougher Lokpal (or Ombudsman) Bill. Hazare believes this Bill will go a long way in reducing corruption

Kisan Baburao Hazare a.k.a. Anna Hazare
Age: 73
Career: Served in Indian Army as a driver for 15 years. He has been an activist since he left the army around 1975 and has been one of the main persons responsible for the Right to Information Act. Has been working in other areas like development of villages, and against corruption
Education: Studied till the standard seven; has a doctorate from Gandhigram Rural Institute, Deemed University
Hobbies: Reading, especially Swami Vivekananda’s works

What is lacking in the current draft of the Lokpal Bill?
The current legislation gives no power to... people. If a person has any complaint then he... is expected to get in touch with the Speaker of the Lok Sabha. We should use things such as SMSes to ease the process of raising a complaint. Secondly, this law should not be under the government. This institution should be independent of the government just like the High Courts or the Election Commission. To dissuade corruption, we must have strict action against the guilty.

Is that not the case right now?
No. At present the penalty is not commensurate to the amount of corruption. For example, A. Raja has swindled Rs. 1.76 lakh crore. He went to jail and within four months he is out while he has made enough money for five generations... the money should be recovered from his property and other assets. Only then will the people be afraid of committing corruption.

So how can we improve the prosecution process?
The Bill should be drafted by equal number of members from the civil society and the government. If we leave it to the government... the Bill will not have [strict enough] provisions.

Corruption has been a long-standing problem in India. What prompted you to call for a fast unto death now?
Today, the poor man in India can barely survive. This trend has increased under the UPA because it is a coalition. Bulk of their [the coalition partners’] time is spent managing each other like in the case of A. Raja. But the prime minister (PM) has repeatedly said that the guilty will be punished. That is just misleading the people. He is the PM… why doesn’t he decide? When I met the PM... I asked him whether all his Cabinet colleagues share his values and views.

So what was his response?
He just kept quiet (laughs). It seems he does not have the power to effect change… matters are remote controlled [by someone else]. So now there is just one way [to bring about change]. And that is through public pressure. The government will only listen when it feels there is enough public pressure to threaten even its existence.

Corruption is not limited to the government. It is more widespread. Are you confident that the people will join you in this fight against corruption?
Yatha raja, ratha praja [The people closely follow the ruler]. If the ruler is corrupt then even the ruled become corrupt. Today there is a decline in the moral rectitude of the ruler... the situation has reached a tipping point and that will ensure that people join in.

How do you plan to take this movement forward?
I do not know how many will join. But I have Arvind Kejriwal, Baba Ramdevji, Swami Agnivesh and Sri Sri Ravishankarji... We have already received six crore SMSes... and 55 lakh [people] have assured that they are with us. And this inspires me and gives me hope.

(The interview was conducted in Hindi)

Read more: http://business.in.com/interview/close- ... z1I9BgBJvH

Murugan · Post by **Murugan** » 01 Apr 2011 09:48

Mocking The Memory of 26/11

No political stunt can help defuse the public anger in India over mega-corruption

BRAHMA CHELLANEY

In a fundamentally competitive world marked by assertive advancement of national interest, India has stood out over the past six decades for not learning from mistakes and continuing to operate on ingenuous premises. Spanishborn US philosopher George Santayana’s saying is particularly applicable to India: “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it”. Ad hoc, personality-driven policy-making has long been India’s curse.

Pakistan, although widely perceived to be a failing state, is still able to outwit India diplomatically. It is India, not Pakistan, that has climbed down diplomatically and sought a cricket-inspired thaw in bilateral relations.

India has again demonstrated its inability to stick to its stated position. The new bonhomie with Pakistan in the form of cricket diplomacy actually mocks the memory of those killed in the 2008 Mumbai terrorist siege that was planned on Pakistani soil. Pakistan not only has done nothing to bring perpetrators of the Mumbai attacks to justice, but has also managed to get India to unconditionally resume dialogue at the highest level.

Singh was clearly motivated by a desire to divert attention away from a series of scandals that have destabilised his government and tarnished his reputation. So desperate Singh was to get a Pakistani leader to come to Mohali that he invited both President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani. Although Gilani effectively ranks No. 4 in the Pakistani power hierarchy after the Army chief, ISI chief and president, Singh and Sonia Gandhi leaned over backward to treat him as if he were Pakistan’s real power wielder.

Gushy expectations and wishful thinking have long blighted Indian foreign policy. In dealing with Pakistan, a succession of Indian leaders have assumed that the others do what they often do — jettison beliefs, perceptions and policies overnight. Singh’s initiative indeed serves as more evidence for Pakistan that Indian policy is inconsistent and confused and that there are no real costs to be paid for continuing to wage a “war of a thousand cuts” against India. Few things stir greater public passions in India than cricket and politics. And yet Mohali represented the third occasion when an Indian prime minister blended cricket and politics to court Pakistan since it launched a proxy war against India. It was Rajiv Gandhi who first politicised cricket by playing host to Pakistani military dictator Zia ul-Haq at an India-Pakistan match in Jaipur in 1987. That example prompted Singh to similarly invite another Pakistani dictator, Pervez Musharraf, to a match in New Delhi in 2005. Tellingly, only India has practised cricket diplomacy — that too to propitiate Pakistani rulers.

Singh’s shifting policy on Pakistan has actually drawn encouragement from the record of his sphinx-like predecessor, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, under whose leadership there was a troubling lack of both consistency and clarity on how to deal with Pakistan. India’s roller-coaster policy on Pakistan between 1998 and 2004 exacted a heavy toll.

In that period, personal rather than professional characteristics defined India’s shifting Pakistan stance, as the policy jarringly traversed through Lahore, Kargil, Kandahar, Agra, Parliament House, Srinagar and Islamabad. In a situation with no parallel in modern world history, much of the Indian military was kept in war-ready position for nearly 10 months by Vajpayee and then demobilised without any results to show.

Vajpayee’s swinging policy pendulum undermined professionalism and institutionalised policymaking, and exposed India’s glaring inadequacy to set and unwaveringly pursue clear, longterm goals. Instead of replacing the cynicism that has now crept into the Indian system with a clearheaded, goal-oriented policy, Singh has gladly chosen to follow in Vajpayee’s footsteps.

At a time when multiple scandals have engulfed his government, Singh was eager to shift the public spotlight to a big diplomatic initiative. So the entry of India and Pakistan into the World Cup semi-finals came as a godsend opportunity for him, although he is no great cricket fan.

Singh’s unexpected gambit caught everyone by surprise, although impulsive moves (as Sharm-el-Sheikh and Havana showed) are usually counterproductive to national interest. In diplomacy, preparatory work is a must.
For example, the Ping-Pong diplomacy that jumpstarted US-China relations in the early 1970s was part of careful, two-year policy groundwork.

Ping-Pong with China was just a cover for the US to quietly initiate an alliance with Beijing to contain the Soviet Union. Mohali, by contrast, represented a meeting of beleaguered leaders, bringing together two prime ministers that are politically wounded at home. The Indian and Pakistani governments are both battered by allegations of corruption, mismanagement and poor administration. Indeed, there is little prospect of any kind of breakthrough in India-Pakistan relations, given that Pakistan’s real power broker — army chief, Ashfaq Parvez Kayani — is considered one of the most anti-India generals in his country’s history. Peace on the subcontinent thus remains as far off as ever. Dialogue between the two countries, in any case, is founded on conflicting expectations. India’s premise is that the process of dialogue will persuade Pakistan to cease sending armed terrorists into India and start building good-neighbourly ties. Pakistan, in contrast, has viewed the process as a means to nudge India to ‘make progress on Kashmir’, a euphemism for Indian concessions.

Singh, for his part, has refused to learn from his past blunders at Sharm el-Sheikh (where he included Baluchistan) and Havana (where he turned the terror sponsor into a fellow victim of terror by setting up the infamous Joint Anti-Terror Mechanism). But if he thought he could use the Mohali hoopla to distract the Indian public from the swirling scandals, he is likely to be disappointed. No political stunt can help defuse the public anger in India over megacorruption.

(The writer is Professor of Strategic Studies at Centre for Policy Research)

ET, 1 April 11

rajeshkathiriya · Post by **rajeshkathiriya** » 03 Apr 2011 10:55

Now they are making chandoliya as center of scam.
No mention of Reliance or Tata

http://www.bhaskar.com/article/NAT-what ... 87300.html

2जी घोटाला: क्या कहती है चार्जशीट ?
2-जी स्पेक्ट्रम आवंटन घोटाले की कहानी 2007 से शुरू हुई, जब ए राजा दूसरी बार दूरसंचार मंत्री बने। मंत्रालय ने वर्ष 2008 में नए पैन इंडिया यूनिवर्सल एक्सेस सर्विस (यूएएस) लाइसेंसों की कीमत 1658 करोड़ रुपए तय की। मंत्रालय ने वर्ष 2001 में बोली के बाद इसी कीमत पर सेलुलर मोबाइल टेलीफोन सर्विस (सीएमटीएस) लाइसेंस जारी किया था। 2008 में मंत्रालय की तरफ से बिना कोई प्रतियोगी बोली लगाए पहले आओ पहले पाओ के आधार पर यूएएस लाइसेंस जारी कर दिए गए थे।

25 सितंबर 2007 को मंत्रालय की ओर से अखबारों में प्रेस विज्ञप्ति के जरिए जानकारी दी गई कि यूएएस लाइसेंसों के लिए नए आवेदन 1 अक्टूबर 2007 के बाद स्वीकार नहीं किए जाएंगे। हालांकि आवेदन सिर्फ 25 सितंबर तक ही लिए गए, जोकि ट्राई की सिफारिशों के खिलाफ था, जिसमें यह बताया गया था कि आवेदनकर्ताओं की संख्या पर कोई सीमा तय नहीं है।

मंत्रालय ने पहले आओ पहले पाओ की नीति लागू की, जिस कारण कुछ कंपनियों को गलत तरीके से फायदा मिला। आरोप है कि मंत्रालय के कुछ अधिकारियों (जिनकी निष्ठा संदेह के घेरे में थी) ने कुछ टेलीकॉम कंपनियों को सूचना लीक कर दी थी। अधिकारियों ने इन कंपनियों को पहले ही बता दिया था कि 10 जनवरी 2008 को उन्हें मंत्रालय की तरफ से लाइसेंस पाने की चि_ी मिल जाएगी। 10 जनवरी 2008 को मंत्रालय की तरफ से जारी किए गए लेटर ऑफ इंटेट में एक शर्त मनमाने तरीके से जोड़ दी गई। शर्त यह थी कि लेटर ऑफ इंटेट पाने के बाद जो सबसे पहले लाइसेंस फीस जमा करेगा उसे सबसे पहले लाइसेंस मिलेगा। चूंकि चहेती कंपनियों को यह सूचना पहले ही लीक कर दी गई थी इसलिए उन्होंने फीस तुरंत जमा करा दी। जांच में यह आरोप सिद्ध हुआ।

चूंकि दूरसंचार क्षेत्र में विदेशी पूंजी निवेश की सीमा दिसंबर 2005 में 49 प्रतिशत से बढ़ाकर 74 प्रतिशत कर दी गई थी, लिहाजा इक्विटी की बिक्री के लिए कोई शर्त नहीं थी। इसके चलते स्वॉन टेलीकॉम ने दूरसंचार विभाग को 1537 करोड़ रुपए अदा कर 13 परिक्षेत्रों का लाइसेंस हासिल कर लिया। स्वॉन टेलीकॉम ने मेसर्स एतिस्लात को अपनी 45 प्रतिशत इक्विटी 4200 करोड़ में बेच दी। इसी तरह यूनिटेक वायरलेस ने 1658 करोड़ रुपए की कीमत पर 22 परिक्षेत्रों का लाइसेंस हासिल कर लिया लेकिन लाइसेंस मिलने के कुछ दिन बाद ही यूनिटेक ने अपनी 60 प्रतिशत हिस्सेदारी नॉर्वे की टेलीकॉम कंपनी टेलिनॉर को 6100 करोड़ में बेच दी। जांच में यह बात सामने आई है कि इन कंपनियों ने अपनी हिस्सेदारी सेवा शुरू करने से पहले ही बेच दी थी। इस तरह की प्रक्रिया के तहत लाइसेंस देने के चलते सरकारी खजाने को 22 हजार करोड़ रुपए का नुकसान हुआ।

आरके चंदोलिया ने संचार मंत्री राजा, शाहिद बलवा, विवेक गोयनका, संजय चंद्रा तथा अन्य व्यक्तियों के साथ मिलकर षड्यंत्र के तहत लाइसेंस देने की समय सीमा 25 सितंबर 2007 कर दी। इसके चलते बलवा के स्वॉन टेलीकॉम और संजय चंद्रा की यूनिटेक लिमिटेड को फायदा मिल गया।

आरोप है कि चंदोलिया ने राजा को 2 नवंबर 2007 और 26 दिसंबर 2007 को पत्र लिखा, जिससे स्पेक्ट्रम लाइसेंस की मौजूदा नीति में बदलाव हो गया।

आरोप है कि इस पूरे षड्यंत्र में चंदोलिया की केंद्रीय भूमिका थी और उसी ने 2-जी स्पेक्ट्रम लाइसेंस के आवंटन के लिए भेजे गए लेटर ऑफ इंटेंट को चहेती कंपनियों को दिया। चंदोलिया ने 10 जनवरी 2008 को संचार भवन के अपने कमरे में इस काम को अंजाम दिया और इसी षड्यंत्र के तहत चंदोलिया ने डॉट के उप महाप्रबंधक एके श्रीवास्तव से संचार मंत्री के नाम पर लेटर ऑफ इंटेट जारी करवा दिया।

आरोप है कि चंदोलिया ने स्वॉन टेलीकॉम को जीएसएम स्पेक्ट्रम दिए जाने में महत्वपूर्ण भूमिका निभाई। स्वान को दिल्ली परिक्षेत्र का लाइसेंस मिल गया, जबकि यह लाइसेंस टाटा टेली सर्विसेज के लिए था, जिसके पास दोहरी तकनीक का भी लाइसेंस था। चंदोलिया ने अपने पद का दुरुपयोग कर मंत्रालय के वायरलेस सेक्शन के मुखिया आरपी अग्रवाल को धमकाकर स्वॉन टेलीकॉम को स्पेक्ट्रम दिलवा दिया।
चंदोलिया के इस कृत्य के लिए उसके खिलाफ आईपीसी की धारा 120 बी, 420 तथा भ्रष्टाचार निरोधक अधिनियम की धारा 13 (2) सहित 13 (1) (डी) के तहत अपराध सिद्ध होने का दावा सीबीआई ने किया है।

vijayk · Post by **vijayk** » 03 Apr 2011 16:27

Speaking of publicity stunts, look at this

http://www.indianexpress.com/news/sonia ... to/770838/

Congress President Sonia Gandhi tonight came out on the street of Delhi and joined thousands of ecstatic fans in celebrating India's World Cup cricket triumph.

As soon as the Sports Utility Vehicle carrying her stopped on Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg near the busy ITO crossing at around 11pm, a beaming Gandhi came out of it, waved the national flag, shook hands with the fans, displayed Victory and thumbs-up signs, drawing lusty cheers from the crowd around.

Pranav · Post by **Pranav** » 05 Apr 2011 17:02

Has Ramdev Baba been banned on Aastha TV? See http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city ... 820768.cms

Pranav · Post by **Pranav** » 05 Apr 2011 17:16

Anna Hazare begins fast unto death over Lok Pal Bill: http://www.hindustantimes.com/rssfeed/N ... 81415.aspx

Congress unfazed by Hazare's hunger strike plans: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/indi ... 865711.cms

Aditya_V · Post by **Aditya_V** » 05 Apr 2011 17:24

Meanwhile, some more news on CBI credibility

Govt lied in SC, HC on Bofors probe expenses

To aid Quattrocchi, CBI claimed that `250 crore had been spent on Bofors probe since January 22, 1990.
But RTI documents reveal that the actual expenses incurred by the agency were just over `5 crore

If the above news is true , then the Govt need not waste money on CBI employees, they can sell all the CBI offices to reduce Deficit. Hire 10 stenos who can take dictation outside 10 Janpath and issue press realeases.

Pranav · Post by **Pranav** » 05 Apr 2011 18:20

Pranav wrote:Anna Hazare begins fast unto death over Lok Pal Bill: http://www.hindustantimes.com/rssfeed/N ... 81415.aspx

Congress unfazed by Hazare's hunger strike plans: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/indi ... 865711.cms

Folks, the coalition working for the Jan Lok Pal bill is India Against Corruption (http://www.indiaagainstcorruption.org) . Please visit their website and participate and help out in any way you can. Time to put shoulder to the wheel. Follow on twitter at http://twitter.com/janlokpal

Pranav · Post by **Pranav** » 05 Apr 2011 19:06

What is the Jan Lokpal Bill, why it's important

NDTV Correspondent, Updated: April 05, 2011 18:02 IST

New Delhi: The Jan Lokpal Bill (Citizen's ombudsman Bill) is a draft anti-corruption bill drawn up by prominent civil society activists seeking the appointment of a Jan Lokpal, an independent body that would investigate corruption cases, complete the investigation within a year and envisages trial in the case getting over in the next one year.

Drafted by Justice Santosh Hegde (former Supreme Court Judge and present Lokayukta of Karnataka), Prashant Bhushan (Supreme Court Lawyer) and Arvind Kejriwal (RTI activist), the draft Bill envisages a system where a corrupt person found guilty would go to jail within two years of the complaint being made and his ill-gotten wealth being confiscated. It also seeks power to the Jan Lokpal to prosecute politicians and bureaucrats without government permission.

Retired IPS officer Kiran Bedi and other known people like Swami Agnivesh, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, Anna Hazare and Mallika Sarabhai are also part of the movement, called India Against Corruption. Its website describes the movement as "an expression of collective anger of people of India against corruption. We have all come together to force/request/persuade/pressurize the Government to enact the Jan Lokpal Bill. We feel that if this Bill were enacted it would create an effective deterrence against corruption."

Anna Hazare, anti-corruption crusader, began a fast-unto-death today, demanding that this bill, drafted by the civil society, be adopted. The website of the India Against Corruption movement calls the Lokpal Bill of the government an "eyewash" and has on it a critique of that government Bill. It also lists the difference between the Bills drafted by the government and civil society.

A look at the salient features of Jan Lokpal Bill:

1. An institution called LOKPAL at the centre and LOKAYUKTA in each state will be set up

2. Like Supreme Court and Election Commission, they will be completely independent of the governments. No minister or bureaucrat will be able to influence their investigations.

3. Cases against corrupt people will not linger on for years anymore: Investigations in any case will have to be completed in one year. Trial should be completed in next one year so that the corrupt politician, officer or judge is sent to jail within two years.

4. The loss that a corrupt person caused to the government will be recovered at the time of conviction.

5. How will it help a common citizen: If any work of any citizen is not done in prescribed time in any government office, Lokpal will impose financial penalty on guilty officers, which will be given as compensation to the complainant.

6. So, you could approach Lokpal if your ration card or passport or voter card is not being made or if police is not registering your case or any other work is not being done in prescribed time. Lokpal will have to get it done in a month's time. You could also report any case of corruption to Lokpal like ration being siphoned off, poor quality roads been constructed or panchayat funds being siphoned off. Lokpal will have to complete its investigations in a year, trial will be over in next one year and the guilty will go to jail within two years.

7. But won't the government appoint corrupt and weak people as Lokpal members? That won't be possible because its members will be selected by judges, citizens and constitutional authorities and not by politicians, through a completely transparent and participatory process.

8. What if some officer in Lokpal becomes corrupt? The entire functioning of Lokpal/ Lokayukta will be completely transparent. Any complaint against any officer of Lokpal shall be investigated and the officer dismissed within two months.

9. What will happen to existing anti-corruption agencies? CVC, departmental vigilance and anti-corruption branch of CBI will be merged into Lokpal. Lokpal will have complete powers and machinery to independently investigate and prosecute any officer, judge or politician.

10. It will be the duty of the Lokpal to provide protection to those who are being victimized for raising their voice against corruption.

Source: http://indiaagainstcorruption.org/

http://www.ndtv.com/article/india/what- ... rendingnow

vijayk · Post by **vijayk** » 05 Apr 2011 20:43

http://vinodksharma.blogspot.com/2010/0 ... -ugly.html

Corruption is now a reality on an unprecedented scale at the highest echelons of the government. But do we hear even a whimper? On the contrary, Barkha Dutt says she has become shock-proof to it. What that means and what that says about the integrity levels of journalists is not difficult to figure. What is of even greater significance, shocking in fact, is that Tehelka has not done a single sting on any Congress minister or senior party leader, much less on a scale and at the level that it did against the NDA government. In six long years. Even during these years, it has focused primarily on the BJP and outfits whose deeds can spoil the image of that party.

Can this be a mere coincidence? Or is there something more to it? Tarun Tejpal is the editor of Tehelka. As a journalist, he should have learnt how to at least pretend to be politically neutral. He did that too for a long time. But the victory of the Congress party in 2009 apparently gave him so much of personal joy, for reasons not yet known, that he could not control himself from writing a demeaning open letter in praise of Sonia Gandhi. I had written a post on it then itself. The same is reproduced below. Read it and them decide what Tehelka is and what kind of media rot it represents.

In perhaps a first for Indian journalists - and that is saying a lot considering the lot we have - Tarun J Tejpal, editor of Tehelka, has crossed every possible red line that separates journalism and political sycophancy.

In an open letter “to the unlikely woman whose tenacity in staying the course changed the contours of Indian politics”, this paragon of secularism not only belittles India's many gods but lays obscene praise at her feet, including her famous 'renunciation' of the PM's post, by - hold your breath - crediting it to Tenth Commandment (Though shall not covet) of the "extra god" that he says she has brought along with her from Italy! Quoting Mathew's exhortation in 10:7, he lays bare his deeply ingrained religious and political hatred for the "devils", "the bigots who divide us" and the ones "who have taken a fourth of our dominions".

He does not stop here. Craftily, he even roots for dynastic rule and Rahul Gandhi: "No doubt with the help of your extra god, you have done a fine job of bringing up your son. He has humility, decorum, diligence, and he takes the long and inclusive view. We do not like the idea of dynasty, but we abhor the idea of divisiveness more". And then he drops the inevitable big bombshell, not wanting to take even the slightest risk of being found wanting along any dimension: "And yes, as I bid you speed and strength, with the extra god by your side, may I make a final plea. You have given us of yourself, and of your son. Now will you kindly also give unto us your luminous daughter"!

Remember how Tehelka did the original sting when the BJP was in power and crowed about its dishonest party President who was filmed receiving Rs 1 lakh in cash? Remember how Defence Minister George Fernandes, an absolutely honest man, was hounded by the Congress for corruption without even a shred of evidence except that some money was paid by Tejpal's flunkies to Jaya Jaitley in his residence? Remember how just before the Assembly elections in Gujarat, Tehelka did another sting on Narendra Modi solely to ensure that the Congress party won? Who can forget the recent Pink Chaddi campaign launched by one of Tejpal's reporters to bring the Congress back on track in Karnataka? I will not be surprised if that sting on Varun Gandhi was also done by Tejpal, to literally force Muslims into the arms of the Congress in UP. As is well known now, that did happen. Of course credit for that has, expectedly, been given to the genius of Rahul Gandhi.

Doing sting operations is a costly and time consuming affair, particularly if they are aimed at getting stunning political rewards for your political masters. Many, many stings have to be done before you get the kind of dramatic result that you are looking for in just one of them. One can only imagine the kind of effort that Tejpal's Tehelka hounds must have put in over the years to bring windfall gains for the Congress party, while pretending to be on a great unbiased and selfless national mission. No prizes for guessing where the huge funding and possibly more could have come from, for long years.

Tarun Tejpal manifestly represents all that is rotten and stinking in India's media. Unfortunately he is not alone. There are many smug faces you can see out there, some hiding behind beards like him, who appear to be using the same route to riches and power. Recently in a TV discussion about Indian money in Swiss banks, Kapil Sibal, if my memory serves me right, told off a clever TV anchor that there were people even from the media who had parked ill-gotten money there. The problem is clearly far more serious than the glimpse that has been given in the WSJ.

When Shashi Tharoor sucks up to Sonia, everyone knows that like a seasoned bureaucrat, he is using that powerful, even if demeaning, tool to get rehabilitated respectably in India. But when a hardcore journalist like Tejpal crosses every single boundary of self-respect and honesty to do so, you have to question his motive.

Has this lick ass article been written out of gratitude for an overdose of Swiss fragrance received for a job well done or is it another you-pay-I-write job? Whatever it be, there is little doubt that it is a very loud signal that India's media and its democracy are far more rotten than ordinary Indians suspect.

ramana · Post by **ramana** » 05 Apr 2011 20:54

MMS might be clean but the 2g scam has tarnsihed India Inc., and this will have its own blowback of extra baggage in international fora where they will operate in future.

Pranav · Post by **Pranav** » 05 Apr 2011 23:34

ramana wrote:MMS might be clean but the 2g scam has tarnsihed India Inc., and this will have its own blowback of extra baggage in international fora where they will operate in future.

It is misplaced to blame India Inc. They are not under oath. It is the politicians who take the oath, and they are the ones who are extorting. Even if a businessman wants to give a bribe, it is the politician who accepts the bribe who has committed the far greater crime.

ramana · Post by **ramana** » 05 Apr 2011 23:39

Pranav, The politicians are under no pressure to operate abroad. Its the business men that have to. There are many laws abroad (Foreign Corrupt Practices Act etc) that will be invoked when these people try to do business.

The reason I posted was the BBC mention of the big names in the radio report.

-----

It takes two hands to clap and all that....

SSridhar · Post by **SSridhar** » 06 Apr 2011 09:09

Pranav wrote:It is misplaced to blame India Inc. They are not under oath. It is the politicians who take the oath, and they are the ones who are extorting. Even if a businessman wants to give a bribe, it is the politician who accepts the bribe who has committed the far greater crime.

Pranav, bribe-giving is equally a crime and unacceptable. IMO, the 2G scam equally tarnishes India Inc. because it was willing to go to extraordinarily illegal means to get its ends meet. Even big industrial houses,like the TATAs who had a reputation for being honest, have been found to be on shaky grounds.

Aditya_V · Post by **Aditya_V** » 06 Apr 2011 09:43

ramana wrote:Pranav, The politicians are under no pressure to operate abroad. Its the business men that have to. There are many laws abroad (Foreign Corrupt Practices Act etc) that will be invoked when these people try to do business.

The reason I posted was the BBC mention of the big names in the radio report.

-----

It takes two hands to clap and all that....

Boss are these 2 different, cause the Business Empires run by relatives of Politicans is so Huge today, I think it is fair to accept that the top 200 Politicans in Government are Businessmen as well.

Pranav · Post by **Pranav** » 06 Apr 2011 10:36

SSridhar wrote: Pranav, bribe-giving is equally a crime and unacceptable. IMO, the 2G scam equally tarnishes India Inc. because it was willing to go to extraordinarily illegal means to get its ends meet. Even big industrial houses,like the TATAs who had a reputation for being honest, have been found to be on shaky grounds.

It is less of a crime. For example, a Judge who accepts a bribe from a small time petty thief is the bigger criminal. Because the people have put their faith in the Judge, but not in the petty thief.

Pranav · Post by **Pranav** » 06 Apr 2011 10:41

Jittery Cong calls Anna Hazare an RSS agent - http://indiatoday.intoday.in/site/Story ... f-rss.html

Arjun · Post by **Arjun** » 06 Apr 2011 10:43

SSridhar wrote:Pranav, bribe-giving is equally a crime and unacceptable. IMO, the 2G scam equally tarnishes India Inc. because it was willing to go to extraordinarily illegal means to get its ends meet. Even big industrial houses,like the TATAs who had a reputation for being honest, have been found to be on shaky grounds.

It might seem unfair, but the onus has to be more on the 'public servant'. As a public servant, the moral standards he / she is bound to are supposed to be higher.

Pranav · Post by **Pranav** » 06 Apr 2011 17:18

Anna Hazare's 5-point letter to PM

Updated: April 06, 2011 17:37 IST

New Delhi: In a five-point letter to the Prime Minister, veteran activist and Gandhian Anna Hazare has explained why he is continuing with the hunger fast that the government has asked him to re-consider. Mr Hazare is clear that his agenda is not just to push for the bill, but to ensure that it is not drafted by the government alone - this, he says, would be undemocratic and would allow politicians to provide far too many loopholes to let themselves off the hook.

Here's the letter:

Dear Dr. Singh,

I have started my indefinite fast at Jantar mantar. I had invited you also to fast and pray for a corruption free India on 5th April. Though I did not receive any reply from you, I am hopeful that you must have done that.

I am pained to read and hear about government's reaction to my fast. I consider it my duty to clarify the points raised on behalf of Congress party and the government by their spokespersons, as they appear in media:

1. It is being alleged that I am being instigated by some people to sit on this fast. Dear Manmohan Singh ji, this is an insult to my sense of wisdom and intelligence. I am not a kid that I could be "instigated" into going on an indefinite fast. I am a fiercely independent person. I take advice from many friends and critics, but do what my conscience directs me to do. It is my experience that when cornered, governments resort to such malicious slandering. I am pained that the government, rather than addressing the issue of corruption, is trying to allege conspiracies, when there are none.

2. It is being said that I have shown impatience. Dear Prime Minister, so far, every government has shown complete insensitivity and lack of political commitment to tackling corruption. 62 years after independence, we still do not have independent and effective anti‐corruption systems. Very weak versions of Lokpal Bill were presented in Parliament eight times in last 42 years. Even these weak versions were not passed by Parliament. This means, left to themselves, the politicians and bureaucrats will never pass any law which subjects them to any kind of objective scrutiny. At a time, when the country has witnessed scams of unprecedented scale, the impatience of the entire country is justified. And we call upon you, not to look for precedents, but show courage to take unprecedented steps.

3. It is being said that I have shown impatience when the government has "initiated" the process. I would urge you to tell me - exactly what processes are underway?

a. You say that your Group of Ministers are drafting the anti‐corruption law. Many of the members of this Group of Ministers have such a shady past that if effective anticorruption systems had been in place, some of them would have been behind bars. Do you want us to have faith in a process in which some of the most corrupt people of this country should draft the anti‐corruption law?

b. NAC sub‐committee has discussed Jan Lokpal Bill. But what does that actually mean? Will the government accept the recommendations of NAC sub‐committee? So far, UPA II has shown complete contempt for even the most innocuous issues raised by NAC.

c. I and many other friends from India Against Corruption movement wrote several letters to you after 1st December. I also sent you a copy of Jan Lokpal Bill on 1st December. We did not get any response. It is only when I wrote to you that I will sit on an indefinite fast, we were promptly invited for discussions on 7th March. I wonder whether the government responds only to threats of indefinite fast. Before that, representatives of India Against Corruption had been meeting various Ministers seeking their support for the Jan Lokpal Bill. They met Mr Moily also and personally handed over copy of Jan Lokpal to him. A few hours before our meeting with you, we received a phone call from Mr Moily's office that the copy of Jan Lokpal Bill had been misplaced by his office and they wanted another copy. This is the seriousness with which the government has dealt with Jan Lokpal Bill.

d. Dear Dr Manmohan Singh ji, if you were in my place, would you have any faith in the aforesaid processes? Kindly let me know if there are any other processes underway. If you still feel that I am impatient, I am happy that I am because the whole nation is feeling impatient at the lack of credible efforts from your government against corruption.

4. What are we asking for? We are not saying that you should accept the Bill drafted by us. But kindly create a credible platform for discussions - a joint committee with at least half members from civil society suggested by us. Your spokespersons are misleading the nation when they say that there is no precedent for setting up a joint committee. At least seven laws in Maharashtra were drafted by similar joint committees and presented in Maharashtra Assembly. Maharashtra RTI Act, one of the best laws of those times, was drafted by a joint committee. Even at the centre, when 25,000 tribals came to Delhi two years ago, your government set up a joint committee on land issues within 48 hours. You yourself are the Chairperson of that committee.

This means that the government is willing to set up joint committees on all other issues, but not on corruption. Why?

5. It is being said that the government wants to talk to us and we are not talking to them. This is utterly false. Tell me a single meeting when you called us and we did not come. We strongly believe in dialogue and engagement. Kindly do not mislead the country by saying that we are shunning dialogue.

We request you to take some credible steps at stemming corruption. Kindly stop finding faults and suspecting conspiracies in our movement. There are none. Even if there were, it does not absolve you of your responsibilities to stop corruption.

With warm regards,
K B Hazare

http://www.ndtv.com/article/india/anna- ... rendingnow

Chandragupta · Post by **Chandragupta** » 06 Apr 2011 17:33

Pranav wrote:Jittery Cong calls Anna Hazare an RSS agent - http://indiatoday.intoday.in/site/Story ... f-rss.html

Wow, there is truly no limit to how low this traitorous government will fall down to. Everyone that speaks against CON party has to be a RSS backed Hindu terrorist. Shame on India to have elected this government.

SandeepA · Post by **SandeepA** » 06 Apr 2011 17:35

This is alarming..
I am seeing English channels on TV and they are talking abt this Anna Hazare movement as some Indian equivalent of the Tahir Square. I'm now sure this is being instigated from outside interests (cant be RSS for sure if Desi channels develop a love for this) just like all the color and flower coded agitations we are now used to seeing.
Since when did Anna become such a mass leader??

Chandragupta · Post by **Chandragupta** » 06 Apr 2011 17:40

SandeepA wrote:This is alarming..
I am seeing English channels on TV and they are talking abt this Anna Hazare movement as some Indian equivalent of the Tahir Square. I'm now sure this is being instigated from outside interests (cant be RSS for sure if Desi channels develop a love for this) just like all the color and flower coded agitations we are now used to seeing.
Since when did Anna become such a mass leader??

I doubt there is outside instigation. He is a respected man, raising an issue that hits a chord with the masses, hence the support.

SandeepA · Post by **SandeepA** » 06 Apr 2011 17:42

Ok there is Swami Agnivesh now...he has Maoist links.

Pranav · Post by **Pranav** » 06 Apr 2011 17:45

SandeepA wrote:Ok there is Swami Agnivesh now...he has Maoist links.

There is Kiran Bedi as well. Agnivesh is not there to promote Maoism.

Sushupti · Post by **Sushupti** » 06 Apr 2011 18:32

'Detained Goa minister released after phone from Pranab's office'

http://www.deccanherald.com/content/151 ... phone.html

kasthuri · Post by **kasthuri** » 06 Apr 2011 19:26

ha...ha...March 31 is moved to April 25. Wonder where does CNN-IBN gets all these rubbish reports.

2G: Kanimozhi likely to be charged on April 25

Sushupti · Post by **Sushupti** » 06 Apr 2011 22:40

Rothschild behind Barmer oil deal push

http://www.vijayvaani.com/FrmPublicDisp ... px?id=1694

somnath · Post by **somnath** » 07 Apr 2011 07:45

The Jan Lokpal Bill, there are various versions of it, has been circluated by Anna Hazare and his group...A version of the same is here..

indiaagainstcorruption.org/docs/Jan%20Lokpal%20bill%201.8.doc

Anna Hazare has tremendous moral equity, and cannot and should not be ignored..But the PoA being suggested is not just impratical, but also undemocratic..

One, the whoe structure..It is supposed to have its own investigative machinery, which can can suo motu cognizance of any "corruption" and deliver a result in 1 year's time...The Lokpal is supposed to have authority to issue warrants, issue letters rogatory, have special judges hearing its cases...Some sort of a policeman-prosecutor-quasi-judge, all rolled into one!

Two, the appojntment of the Lokpal is to be done by a group of people runnign into the dozens - including the "last two Magsaysay award" winnders, all Indian Nobel winners and assorted other "civil society" members...How can any reasonable consensus develop in such a large group is beyond comprehension..

Last, the Jan Lokpal Bill suggests, as Pratap Mehta says in an article in IE today, a dangerous disonnct between politics and civil society - "of the few, for the few"...

While the intentions are noble, in this case, the plnned exeution is very very faulty...IMO..

ShyamSP · Post by **ShyamSP** » 07 Apr 2011 07:56

Just like how Gandhis rule and engage in corruption by showing old Gandhi photo, all hazar "Award" winners show Hazare (assuming he is not fake) and get into the "Lokpal" body to get cuts from those corrupt politicians.

A reasonable and democratic way is they can make Lokpal body directly electable by people and get authority to look corruption issue.

Pranav · Post by **Pranav** » 07 Apr 2011 08:14

somnath wrote: Anna Hazare has tremendous moral equity, and cannot and should not be ignored..But the PoA being suggested is not just impratical, but also undemocratic..

One, the whoe structure..It is supposed to have its own investigative machinery, which can can suo motu cognizance of any "corruption" and deliver a result in 1 year's time...The Lokpal is supposed to have authority to issue warrants, issue letters rogatory, have special judges hearing its cases...Some sort of a policeman-prosecutor-quasi-judge, all rolled into one!

Having special fast track courts does not mean that prosecutor and judge are the same! The judge does not work under the Lok Pal.

Two, the appojntment of the Lokpal is to be done by a group of people runnign into the dozens - including the "last two Magsaysay award" winnders, all Indian Nobel winners and assorted other "civil society" members...How can any reasonable consensus develop in such a large group is beyond comprehension..

I don't think it is that hard to reach a consensus ... and I suppose that it should be possible to have a voting procedure.

The contemplated selection process is in fact remarkably transparent and open. Also, the latest draft http://indiaagainstcorruption.org/docs/ ... %202.1.doc does not have any mention of foreign awardees (which imho is dangerous). Here is the relevant section:

6. Appointment of the Chairperson and members:
1. The Chairperson and members shall be appointed by the President on the recommendation of a selection committee.
2. The following shall not be eligible to become Chairperson or Member of Lokpal:
(a) Any person, who is not a citizen of India
(b) Any person, who was ever chargesheeted for any offence under IPC or PC Act or any other Act or was ever penalized under CCS Conduct Rules.
(c) Any person, who is less than 40 years in age.
3. At least four members of Lokpal shall have legal background. Not more than two members, including Chairman, shall be former civil servants.
Explanation: “Legal Background” means that the person should have held a judicial office in the territory of India for at least ten years or has been an advocate in High Court or Supreme Court for at least fifteen years.
4. The members and Chairperson should have unimpeachable integrity and should have demonstrated their resolve to fight corruption in the past.
5. A selection committee consisting of the following shall be set up:
a. The Vice President of India
b. Speaker of Lok Sabha
c. Two senior most judges of Supreme Court
d. Two senior most Chief Justices of High Courts.
e. Retired army personnel who are five star Generals.
f. Chairperson of National Human Rights Commission
g. Comptroller and Auditor General of India
h. Chief Election Commissioner
i. After the first set of selection process, the outgoing members and Chairperson of Lokpal.
6. The Vice President shall act as the Chairperson of the selection committee.
7. The following selection process shall be followed:
a. Recommendations shall be invited through open advertisements in prescribed format.
b. Each person recommending shall be expected to justify the selection of his candidate giving examples from the past achievements of the candidate.
c. The list of candidates along with their recommendations received in the format mentioned above shall be displayed on a website.
d. Each member of the selection committee, on the basis of the above material, shall recommend such number of names as there are vacancies.
e. This list shall be displayed on the website.
f. Public feedback shall be invited on the shortlisted names by putting these names on the website.
g. The selection committee may decide to use any means to collect more information about the background and past achievements of the shortlisted candidates.
h. All the material obtained so far about the candidates shall be made available to each member of the selection committee in advance. The members shall make their own assessment of each candidate.
i. The selection committee shall meet and discuss the material so received about each candidate. The final selections for the Chairperson and members shall be made preferably through consensus.
Provided that if three or more members, for reasons to be recorded in writing, object to the selection of any member, he shall not be selected.
j. All meetings of selection committee shall be video recorded and shall be made public.
8. The Prime Minister shall recommend the names finalized by the selection committee to the President immediately, who shall order such appointments within a month of receipt of the same.
9. If any of the members of the selection committee retires while a selection process is going on, that member will continue on the selection committee till the end of that process.

Last, the Jan Lokpal Bill suggests, as Pratap Mehta says in an article in IE today, a dangerous disonnct between politics and civil society - "of the few, for the few"...

While the intentions are noble, in this case, the plnned exeution is very very faulty...IMO..

Actually, with riggable EVMs, the description "of the few, by the few", might better describe our electoral politics!

Pranav · Post by **Pranav** » 07 Apr 2011 09:08

Youth, office-goers converge on Hazare's fast venue - http://news.in.msn.com/national/article ... id=5104350

Arjun · Post by **Arjun** » 07 Apr 2011 09:23

Pranav wrote:
Last, the Jan Lokpal Bill suggests, as Pratap Mehta says in an article in IE today, a dangerous disonnct between politics and civil society - "of the few, for the few"...

While the intentions are noble, in this case, the plnned exeution is very very faulty...IMO..
Actually, with riggable EVMs, the description "of the few, by the few", might better describe our electoral politics!

Don't know about EVMs, but dynasticism and rampant electoral bribing in India has already converted India's vaunted democracy to one 'of the few and by the few'.

somnath · Post by **somnath** » 07 Apr 2011 10:04

Pranav wrote:Having special fast track courts does not mean that prosecutor and judge are the same! The judge does not work under the Lok Pal

It takes away from the federal structure of India...So an omnibus Lokpal police force has the authority to go in anywhere and start prosecuting people without the usual system of checks and balances - the remedy will soon be worse than the malady....And given that the LokPal is not a democratcally elected body, a pointer towards diminshing of democracy...

Pranav wrote:Also, the latest draft http://indiaagainstcorruption.org/docs/ ... %202.1.doc does not have any mention of foreign awardees

That's good then..The draft I posted had this..

a. The Chairpersons of both Houses of Parliament
b. Two senior most judges of Supreme Court
c. Two senior most Chief Justices of High Courts.
d. All Nobel Laureates of Indian Origin
e. Chairperson of National Human Rights Commission
f. Last two Magsaysay Award winners of Indian origin
g. Comptroller and Auditor General of India
h. Chief Election Commissioner
i. Bharat Ratna Award winners
j. After the first set of selection process, the outgoing members and Chairperson of Lokpal.
6. The seniormost judge of Supreme Court shall act as the Chairperson of the selection committee.

As of now, seems that a group of "three" has a veto over appointment...

Pranav wrote:Actually, with riggable EVMs, the description "of the few, by the few", might better describe our electoral politics

Well, an opinon on EVMs aside, the political engagement of India has only increased over the last 15-20 years...One has to look at 2 statistics - 1) voting % and 2) no of incumbent governments being returned...So the extent of electoral "give and take" between the politician and the electorate, is only going up..which is good for India's democracy..

Pranav · Post by **Pranav** » 07 Apr 2011 10:13

somnath wrote:
Pranav wrote:Having special fast track courts does not mean that prosecutor and judge are the same! The judge does not work under the Lok Pal
It takes away from the federal structure of India...So an omnibus Lokpal police force has the authority to go in anywhere and start prosecuting people without the usual system of checks and balances - the remedy will soon be worse than the malady....And given that the LokPal is not a democratcally elected body, a pointer towards diminshing of democracy...

The proposal is to have Lok Ayuktas in each state - no dilution of federalism. The "checks and balances" are normally used to shield the corrupt. Which is why there is the need for an independent body that functions transparently. Even the Lok Pak cannot reject a complaint out of hand - a preliminary inquiry is mandatory, the complainant must be heard, and the results and proceedings of the preliminary inquiry have to be made public.

As of now, seems that a group of "three" has a veto over appointment...

I don't think it will be that hard to arrive at a consensus - the candidates are supposed to be exceptional and unblemished individuals, and the whole selection process is transparent. But anyway, I suppose one could consider a voting mechanism which a provision like each appointee must be approved by 2/3rds of the selection committee. These details can be sorted out. Even direct democratic election could be considered (without EVMs!)

Pranav · Post by **Pranav** » 07 Apr 2011 10:36

Video of Anna Hazare's speech on day 3: http://ibnlive.in.com/news/im-not-scare ... 495-3.html

Chinmayanand · Post by **Chinmayanand** » 07 Apr 2011 12:00

Former telecom minister A Raja's nephew dies at gym

Deepak (30), a nephew of former Union minister A Raja, died reportedly of cardiac arrest while working out at a gym in Alwarpet on Wednesday, police said. Police have not registered a case.

CBI, investigating the 2G spectrum case, had raided his house along with those of Raja and his associate Sadhick Batcha in December 2010. Batcha was found hanging in his Chennai residence on March 17, 2011.

Deepak (30), an engineer working with a private company in Chennai had gone to the gym on TTK Road in Alwarpet on Wednesday. While working out, he complained of chest pain to the instructor. He was advised rest and was rushed to a nearby hospital. Doctors declared him 'brought dead'.

I think all the evidence is being drugged to death. Jai ho Manmohanji , Jai ho Soniaji.

alok_m · Post by **alok_m** » 07 Apr 2011 12:10

Explosive talk by Vishwabandhu Gupta (Additional Commissioner of Income Tax who was suspended) talking about P.Chidambaram and how he bailed out Kashiram Tapuria (Hassan's associate) and other details about Pronob da having breakfast at Kashiram's place. Other juicy bits about fake currency, Sharad Pawar, Dawood etc etc. Some GOM (group of ministers) we have trying to legislate anti-corruption bill. No wonder the Lokpal bill is so bad that even an illiterate will see through it in a minute. Mockery of entire system knowing that they (GOM) are untouchables!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nxpahtj0n1Q