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

ramana · Post by **ramana** » 13 Dec 2010 21:34

SwamyG, Thanks. here is the Hindu link with story to make it clear.

Was Rahul Gandhi detained by FBI?

Was Rahul Gandhi detained by FBI?

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI, SEPT. 29. With the U.S. security agencies leaving nothing to chance after the September 11 terrorist strikes, sleuths of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) ``detained'' Mr. Rahul Gandhi, son of the former Prime Minister, Rajiv Gandhi, and the Leader of the Opposition, Ms. Sonia Gandhi, for about an hour at the Boston airport early this week, sources here said.

According to sources, Mr. Gandhi, reportedly travelling from Boston to Washington, was detained by the FBI agents who would not let him go even after checking his travel documents thoroughly. They checked his baggage, despite being told that he was the son of a former Indian Prime Minister.

Sources here maintain that only when the news reached 10, Janpath, and the Congress president, Ms. Sonia Gandhi, reportedly spoke to the Indian Ambassador in the U.S., Mr. Lalit Mansingh, Mr. Gandhi was able to proceed with his onward journey.

Though official circles were silent over the incident, Congress sources said they were concerned. Mr. Gandhi's movement should have been known to the U.S. security agencies because he is a Special Protection Group protectee. And, under the security drill, any movement of a SPG protectee abroad is communicated in advance to their counterparts in that country.

`Envoy did not intercede'

Meanwhile, Sridhar Krishnaswami reports from Washington, quoting well-placed diplomatic sources, that media reports of Mr. Mansingh having been brought into the picture to allow Mr. Gandhi to proceed on his onward journey from Boston to Washington ``are simply not true.''

The sources also said since Mr. Gandhi did not get any security protection here, the U.S. agencies were not under any obligation to inform the Indian Embassy of any contact they may have had with him.

In fact, some Embassy officials here have no knowledge of Mr. Gandhi's trip from Boston to Washington. ``But reports of Ms. Sonia Gandhi calling the Indian Ambassador and asking him to intercede with authorities on the `detention' of Mr. Rahul Gandhi are simply not true,'' a senior Indian diplomat told The Hindu.

Diplomats are pointing to the heightened security precautions in the U.S. in the aftermath of the terrorist attacks. Besides different layers of security check at airports, many are subjected to some intense questioning by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and other investigative agencies. But for official purposes, in the case of the movement of VVIPs - and in some cases VIPs - the Embassy notifies Diplomatic Security for necessary courtesies.

Elsewhere it was told that Brajesh Misra, then NSA had contacted the US folks. Will dig that info too.

SwamyG · Post by **SwamyG** » 13 Dec 2010 21:35

^^^
ramana garu: yeah, I spent one more minute to get that....and you posted it too

)) I wanted to say great minds think alike....I know I am great for sure, dunno about you

)))))))))))))))) {ducks for cover}

ashokpachori · Post by **ashokpachori** » 13 Dec 2010 21:57

Brijesh mishra´s daughter, Joshna Mishra is married to a Italian, and lives in Italy.......It is said that she is connected with Sonia´s family.

Muppalla · Post by **Muppalla** » 13 Dec 2010 22:02

ashokpachori wrote:Brijesh mishra´s daughter, Joshna Mishra is married to a Italian, and lives in Italy.......It is said that she is connected with Sonia´s family.

Every day you get a new news. Are all Italians whoever are married to Indians are that extremely close knit or what?

ashokpachori · Post by **ashokpachori** » 13 Dec 2010 22:18

Muppalla wrote:
ashokpachori wrote:Brijesh mishra´s daughter, Joshna Mishra is married to a Italian, and lives in Italy.......It is said that she is connected with Sonia´s family.
Every day you get a new news. Are all Italians whoever are married to Indians are that extremely close knit or what?

Not every such Italian is kith n kin of India´s former NSA, who is alleged to be instrumental in releasing RG on Bajpayi´s request.

But you also have the option to disregard it.

Thanks for comments though.

Rahul Mehta · Post by **Rahul Mehta** » 13 Dec 2010 22:24

Pratyush wrote:May be he has had no need to [visit US].........

ashokpachori wrote: He has been visiting most of the countries in the mean time (perticularly europe), but did not touch the said country for a decade? In sep 2004 RG was invitee of the white house as were other new MPs of India, (Milind Deora, Rajeev Shukla, Dushant Sing, Manvinder Singh) who visited the US, but RG skipped. why? People just dont travel for the need alone..... Let the jury decide. .... Dr. Swamy on Rahul Gandhi's education & citizenship http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z5As3uAc ... re=related

If RG goes to US, he will be going on Diplomatic Passport, which means FBI cant arrest him anyway. Also, he will go only after full diplomatic clearance which will ensure that FBI wont deport him either. Also, RG is now a US agent. So why would US arrest RG?

And most importantly, there are NO Juries in India anymore. Nehru/SCjs killed Jury System in 1956. We only have judges, and mostly they are available on rent.

munna · Post by **munna** » 13 Dec 2010 22:37

Rahul Mehta wrote:If RG goes to US, he will be going on Diplomatic Passport, which means FBI cant arrest him anyway. Also, he will go only after full diplomatic clearance which will ensure that FBI wont deport him either. Also, RG is now a US agent. So why would US arrest RG?

And most importantly, there are NO Juries in India anymore. Nehru/SCjs killed Jury System in 1956. We only have judges, and mostly they are available on rent.

Diplomatic passport does not guarantee diplomat status in a foreign country by default, it depends on mutual agreements between the two countries. A D series or a Service passport of the Government of India merely confirms one's identity as a functionary or ward of a functionary of the Government of India. In US one can get two kinds of diplomatic or offiicial visas ie the A and the G class. While political diplomats are granted A-1, A-2 and A-3 category visas. Diplomats and officials of international organizations such as UN and World Bank etc get a G-1 or G-4 visa. These visas come with progressive levels of immunities with the most basic being tax exemption. Unless he held an A or G visa concurrently with a Diplomatic/Service or even a personal passport, he won't be immune to anything. Hence there is likelihood of an arrest even if you hold a D passport and arrive on a personal visit visa. Hint hint: Guj CM has a D passport but he was denied an A category visa by US and asked to apply for a personal visa which would have made him vulnerable to court cases.

PS: There is a reason why visiting officials present credentials (sigh) in a ceremonial manner

Jarita · Post by **Jarita** » 13 Dec 2010 22:40

Subramanium Swam's latest letter to MMS
December 10, 2010

Dr. Manmohan Singh,
Prime Minister of India,
South Block,
New Delhi.
Re: Cancellation of all 2G Licences
Dear Prime Minister:

This letter is in continuation of my earlier letters on the same subject.

There is now much evidence within your Government itself that Etisalat DB, the new name for Swan Telecom, and one of the favoured few which got the UASL 2G licenses for 15 circles in 2008, is a company that is a partner with the Pakistan Government’s Telecom Company: the PTCL (incidentally which is dominated by ISI, a pro-terrorist intelligence agency of the Pakistan army). Etisalat is also connected to China’s PLA. Etisalat DB’s Shahid Balwas is a close associate of Dawood Ibrahim (the underworld ‘Don’ and criminal who is a proclaimed offender). Balwas is also close associate of one of your Cabinet Ministers.
These data are available with your Home Ministry. The Home Ministry has also information that Etisalat DB has Telecom Surveillance Software that will enable it to track movements of anyone who takes a SIM card from it for its service.

Hence to safeguard our national integrity, you must use your residuary extraordinary power vested in you as PM, to cancel all the 2G licences awarded, and order an auction for Indian bidders. The Supreme Court judgment in the Petrol Pump allotment matter also empowers the government. Therefore, Mr.Sibal’s 60 day notice to 2G Spectrum allottees is foolish in this background.

In this context, it is of concern that financial sleaze operator, Ottavio Quattrocchi, who has a temporary respite from incarceration thanks the indulgence of yours and your predecessor NDA governments, has become again active in India’s business fixing, sometimes operating from Malaysia on behalf of a large East Asian nation, sometimes from Milan for European interests. He leverages his son’s presence in India and extraordinary access to the Gandhis (Sonia and Rahul). It is essential that he be declared an‘undesirable alien’. I believe the CBI maintains such a list of undesirable persons and circulates that list to bureaucrats to ensure that no one entertains any persons on that list.
I
Perhaps because of her influence, an important member of the core group of the Congress Party called the Mumbai and Maharashtra police officials to his suite in Oberoi Hotel Mumbai after the 26/11 terrorist attack, and directed that “Indian collaboration” in 26/11 should not be probed.
All these facts put together paint a grim picture of the national security scenario in the country. Pakistan was defeated four times in open military warfare by us but because of corruption in high places today flowing from the well known “Gangotri”, Pakistan may succeed in undermining our national integrity through such well placed persons and effect a soft subversion of the Indian nation.
I write this letter to you place my concerns on record. As a public person who has been elected to Parliament five times and held Cabinet rank posts twice in the Union Government, I have a duty to inform you of these developments that I have been apprised of by my trusted friends in India and abroad. Please verify for yourself these facts and accordingly discharge the oath of office that you have sworn to uphold.

Yours sincerely,
( SUBRAMANIAN SWAMY )

Jarita · Post by **Jarita** » 13 Dec 2010 22:41

^^^

The latest news is that Rahul Gandhi has gone to Malaysia with inadequate security arrangements. Someone who knows Tamil can translate. (Read above to see where Quattrocchi has base)

http://thatstamil.oneindia.in/news/2010 ... visit.html

ashokpachori · Post by **ashokpachori** » 13 Dec 2010 22:43

Rahul Mehta wrote:
Pratyush wrote:
If RG goes to US, he will be going on Diplomatic Passport, which means FBI cant arrest him anyway. Also, he will go only after full diplomatic clearance which will ensure that FBI wont deport him either. Also, RG is now a US agent. So why would US arrest RG?

And most importantly, there are NO Juries in India anymore. Nehru/SCjs killed Jury System in 1956. We only have judges, and mostly they are available on rent.

It is not a matter of arrest per se, The likelyhood of him being detained and questioned by FBI (for which he does not have any immunity) may bother him.

As for the jury, when I said that, I meant jury in the form of BR members. It is well known India has no jury system, and more, RG is not even indicted, hence of course no jury.

ramana · Post by **ramana** » 13 Dec 2010 22:46

Can we come back to topic please? The topic in case you don't know is 2G spectrum scam.

Any non-related post after this will lead to warning.

ramana · Post by **ramana** » 14 Dec 2010 01:26

Pioneer, Op-Ed on what the reluctance means

Belligerence tells a story

December 14, 2010

A Surya Prakash

Why is the Congress so adamant about refusing to set up a JPC to probe the 2G Spectrum scam? Whom is the party trying to shield?

The Congress has been blocking a Joint Parliamentary Committee probe into the 2G Spectrum scam and behaving as if such an inquiry could prove fatal to the party’s image and political prospects. Going by past record, it must be said at the very outset that the party has never held out this long and staked its reputation merely to protect a Minister, that too one from an alliance party. Is there a message in the party’s obduracy?

A glimpse at what transpired in three earlier JPCs may help us answer this Rs 1.76 lakh crore question. The first of the three JPCs in question was the one which probed the Bofors deal. This committee was set up, after much resistance, following revelations made by Swedish Radio on April 16, 1987 that Indian politicians and officials had been bribed by the Swedish arms-maker Bofors to win the contract to supply field guns to the Indian Army.

The deal was signed by the Rajiv Gandhi Government just a year before news of the scandal broke. Though the Congress had 410 MPs in the Lok Sabha, it was rattled by the ‘breaking news’ from Sweden and launched a massive cover-up to shield Rajiv Gandhi and his family from the allegation that they had received commissions from Bofors via front companies and friends with Swiss bank accounts. As more and more information about the payoffs poured in, the Opposition stepped up the pressure for a JPC.

The Congress conceded the demand three months hence when it realised that the people had begun to believe that the Prime Minister had something to hide. However, even as it did so, it ensured that the terms of reference put the committee in a straitjacket. It did not want the committee to travel abroad or record the testimonies of witnesses in Sweden and Switzerland.

Given these constraints, the Opposition felt that the JPC was a toothless wonder and decided to stay away. The Congress, however, went ahead with this lame duck inquiry, packed the committee with loyalists of the Nehru-Gandhi family and chose the most trusted loyalist — Mr B Shankaranand — as its chairman.

Since it had over 400 members in the Lok Sabha, this JPC was an overwhelmingly ‘Congress Parliamentary Committee’. Further, in order to give the committee an ‘all-party’ veneer, some MPs of the smaller ‘friendly’ parties, which reluctantly occupy Opposition benches, were drafted as members.

As can be seen from the final outcome, Mr Shankaranand lived up to the great expectations that his leader had in him and produced a report which was dubbed a ‘whitewash’ by all citizens who could sift fiction from fact. The committee claimed in its April 1988 report that no middleman was involved in the field gun deal and there was no evidence of commissions or bribes having been paid.

The committee did not summon a single Minister or pose a single question that would have embarrassed the Government. Within weeks, the media produced damning evidence of payments made by Bofors to several entities, including Ottavio Quattrocchi, a friend of Rajiv and Sonia Gandhi, in whose account Bofors had deposited $7.3 million.

A year later, the Comptroller and Auditor-General questioned many conclusions of this JPC, including the ones pertaining to agents and commissions. He wondered why the Government had not acted on the advice of the Indian Ambassador in Sweden that Bofors’s books of account be examined by Indian auditors and why the Bofors contract did not specifically contain the “No Agents” clause. As all this evidence tumbled out, it became obvious that the Shankaranand Committee Report was not worth the paper it was printed in. No other parliamentary committee has wrought such damage to the institution of Parliament as this one.

But then, the credibility and dignity of Parliament has always been sacrificed by the Congress to protect its first family. The party even reduced Parliament to a rubber stamp to enable Mrs Indira Gandhi to survive in office after she was unseated by the Allahabad High Court for corrupt electoral practice.

However, the party displays sweet reasonableness and becomes responsive to public opinion when the Nehru-Gandhis are not involved, for example, the sacking of Mr Ashok Chavan over the Adarsh Cooperative Housing scandal.

That is why the JPC that probed irregularities in securities and banking transactions between August 1992 and December 1993 when PV Narasimha Rao was Prime Minister produced a comprehensive report with minimal interference by the Congress. Similarly, the JPC on the Stock Market Scam (constituted in April 2001; report submitted in December 2002) when Mr Atal Bihari Vajpayee was Prime Minister did an exhaustive analysis of the problem and compelled the Government to step up vigilance and regulation in the financial sector.

Mr Manmohan Singh was examined by both these JPCs (as Finance Minister in 1993 and former Finance Minister in 2002). Apart from Mr Singh, the 1992-93 JPC examined Mr Shankaranand, Health Minister, who earlier held the petroleum portfolio, and Madhu Dandavate, former Finance Minister. The 2001-2002 JPC examined two Ministers — Finance Minister Jaswant Singh and External Affairs Minister Yashwant Sinha — and two former Ministers, Mr Manmohan Singh and Mr P Chidambaram.

But, despite all this experience, why is the Prime Minister blocking a JPC probe into the 2G Scam and why is he afraid of possible summons from the committee? Why should a man with such abundant familiarity with JPCs flinch at the prospect of another tete-a-tete with a JPC now? Whom is he protecting? Those who say nothing comes of JPC investigations have obviously not read the reports of these two committees. It is rather strange to hear spokespersons of the Congress saying this, unless of course they have the Bofors JPC in mind.

According to the CAG, the 2G scam could have cost us Rs 1.76 lakh crore. This is possibly the biggest loss that a Minister has caused to the exchequer via a single policy in the democratic world. If this is not worthy of a JPC probe, pray, what is? Yet, the Congress has held out throughout the Winter session of Parliament and, displaying utter contempt for public opinion and parliamentary processes.

There are enough clues in history as to when the party displays such crass obstinacy. So, if you think the 2G Spectrum scam is all about Mr A Raja and the DMK, think again. You could be barking up the wrong tree.

A polemic but an informative one.

Muppalla · Post by **Muppalla** » 14 Dec 2010 09:15

Praful a ‘minister for Naresh Goyal’, Deora ‘incompetent’: N K Singh

New Delhi : Among the latest tapes of corporate lobbyist Niira Radia’s conversations posted on the website of news magazine Outlook, Rajya Sabha member N K Singh, a former secretary in the finance ministry, purportedly calls Petroleum Minister Murli Deora “incompetent”, refers to Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel as having “worked as a minister for Naresh Goyal” and says Kamal Nath “is literally on the road” — referring to the fact that Nath got only the Surface Transport portfolio, with Shipping going to G K Vasan.
Singh, who is Deputy Chairman of the Bihar Planning Commission, talks in detail about the “spectacular decline of Kamal Nath”. “He is on the road... literally on the road... well you can always hide it by saying highways are after all one black point of the government and they want to make up for it. But I think there is much more than meets the eye... In Kamal Nath’s case enough is enough... and I do not think right now he needs another ATM. He has one going on for many years and that is enough for him,” Singh is heard saying.

In another tape posted on the Outlook’s site, Singh tells Radia, “Every time any question comes up in any house of Parliament, he is more busy trying to appease that questioner to see if he can stay out... perhaps Mukesh has swung it for him... the continuity in the petroleum ministry... Murli is an incompetent minister. He may be a good man. So hopefully there is a chance for Jitendra Prasad to do something.”

Contacted for a comment, Singh told The Indian Express, “I categorically deny that it was in any way my intention to have cast any aspersions either on his (Deora’s) competence or ability as an important minister of the Union Cabinet. There is also no question of Mr Murli Deora’s incompetence in Parliament or elsewhere. There is no question of Mr Ambani or anyone else seeking to secure a Cabinet Berth for Mr Murli Deora.”

Deora declined to comment.

Singh is also heard expressing surprise at Commerce and Industry Minister Anand Sharma’s “spectacular jump”. He says, “I know he was close to 10 Janpath but in the meantime he had done a lot to cultivate PM personally, hanging around PMO, Nair’s room and PM.”

Radia is heard telling Singh that Praful Patel has “destroyed the (aviation) sector. I am sorry I do have a view about it. I do not think he has done justice with the sector.”

To this, Singh replies, “He has worked as a minister for Naresh Goyal”.

Radia says, “Yes, yes, and now Vijay Mallya at the cost of the national carrier.”

Singh told The Indian Express that “the bits of the conversation are selective and blown out of context. They form part of a more general conversation of an analytical nature on the Cabinet well after it was formed.”

Pratyush · Post by **Pratyush** » 14 Dec 2010 09:34

Apologies if posted before

SC wants to see complaint about Niira being 'spy'

First telcom now land what will it end for raja

A Raja now at centre of Tamil Nadu land grab

Muppalla · Post by **Muppalla** » 14 Dec 2010 10:41

As per news - M.J.Akbar joins India Today in place of Prabhu Chawla. Prabhu moves to IE.

Any way per MJA - All these leaks are done by P.Chidambaram. Now you see the spy talk by Pillai.

ramana · Post by **ramana** » 14 Dec 2010 10:48

Muppalla wrote:As per news - M.J.Akbar joins India Today in place of Prabhu Chawla. Prabhu moves to IE.

Any way per MJA - All these leaks are done by P.Chidambaram. Now you see the spy talk by Pillai.

Pranav · Post by **Pranav** » 14 Dec 2010 11:39

Honestly Speaking

I fail to understand why almost every commentator, every TV anchor, every editorial writer feels compelled to pay ritual obeisance to the “personal honesty and integrity” of Dr Manmohan Singh

MADHU PURNIMA KISHWAR

http://www.outlookindia.com/article.aspx?268620

Pratyush · Post by **Pratyush** » 14 Dec 2010 12:03

Why are people not asking how is it possible for a clean PM to lead the most unclean administration ever.

krishnan · Post by **krishnan** » 14 Dec 2010 12:06

What ever good name he had earned is going down the drain

Philip · Post by **Philip** » 14 Dec 2010 12:15

Wrong Krishnan,"gone" and not into the drain, but the sewer!
Even if one stretches credulity to its elastic limit,the inescapable fact is that MMS has acted like the three proverbial monkeys and he should be "job-transfered" to a circus tent.

Pratyush · Post by **Pratyush** » 14 Dec 2010 12:22

Aware of corporate nervousness over phone tapping: PM

Selected quotes

"I am aware of the nervousness in the corporate sector arising out of the powers conferred upon the government authorities to tap the phones for protecting national security and preventing tax evasion and money laundering," Manmohan Singh said at the inaugural session of the India Corporate Week here.

"While these powers are needed, they have to be exercised with utmost care and under well defined rules, procedures and mechanism so that they are not misused."

"Legal mechanisms already in place should be stringent for more effective enforcement. I am asking the cabinet secretary to look into these issues and report back to the cabinet within the next month," the Prime Minister added.

Yagnasri · Post by **Yagnasri** » 14 Dec 2010 14:09

why our honest and upright business people are afraid to this extent. They are the real power behind this governament.

Pratyush · Post by **Pratyush** » 14 Dec 2010 15:15

2G scam: Advani reiterates demand for JPC probe

Pranay · Post by **Pranay** » 14 Dec 2010 19:16

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/14/world ... ml?_r=1&hp

The telecom industry in India was essentially born in the mud pit of corruption. Telephones were once a rarity in India — made rarer by the plodding intransigence of the government service provider, which might take one year, or three, to fulfill a customer’s order for a new line. Then in 1994, three years after India began embracing market reforms, telecom was opened to the private sector.

The move unleashed nothing short of a revolution, eventually providing hundreds of millions with their first telephone service. But corruption also soon surfaced: in 1996, the minister overseeing the telecom field was charged with accepting bribes. Investigators searching his home discovered more than 24 million rupees, or roughly $550,000, stuffed inside trunks, pillowcases and toilet tanks.

Nearly 15 years later, the style of corruption is far different, as is the money. This year, India’s cellphone customers are expected to pay nearly $20 billion in bills, according to the technology research company Gartner. Most of this revenue will go to a handful of big players — Reliance Communications, Airtel, Vodafone, Tata Teleservices and Idea Cellular — which together account for almost 80 percent of the market.

“When the entire government structure sees that people are getting away with taking bribes and no one is getting punished, right down the line everyone starts trying to do it,” said Raghuram G. Rajan, a professor of finance at the University of Chicago.

Muppalla · Post by **Muppalla** » 14 Dec 2010 19:42

Spectrum probe judge kin of Shivraj Patil

Retired Supreme Court judge Shivaraj V. Patil, appointed by Telecom Minister Kapil Sibal to probe spectrum allocation policies since 2001, is the relative of senior Congress leader, now Punjab Governor, Shivraj Patil who was Union Home Minister before P. Chidambaram.

Justice Patil's younger son, Basavaprabhu S. Patil, a practicing advocate at the Karnataka High Court was married to Shivraj Patil's daughter Sapna B. Patil when Patil, the politician, was Lok Sabha Speaker in 1994. She, however, committed suicide in May 2002 Bangalore where she lived with her husband.

Justice Patil, after retirement, was appointed member of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), from where he resigned suddenly in January 2008 for unexplained "personal" reason even though he had more than two years left.

Muppalla · Post by **Muppalla** » 14 Dec 2010 21:24

Chiki Leaks

Memo from G.K. Pillai, home secretary by special appointment to His Excellency P. Chidambaram:

To all hacks and their secondary lifestyle providers, with particular attention to peacocks and peahens: You ain't seen nothing yet, baby. You thought the icing was cool? Wait for the cake. If you believe the 150-odd conversations we floated your way was a bombshell, then the 6,000 in the storehouse will be an artillery barrage of World War I proportions. That was a tremor. This will be an earthquake. Trust me. I have read them.

I am not a journalist with half a head and three masters, or a greasy glad-hander with a coy accent strengthened by a bankroll. My decisions are permission-protected. When I gave the interview to Wall Street Journal promising that there was heavy, serious stuff in the still-secret transcripts, I knew what I was doing. And my boss knew what he was doing when he chose to publicly laugh - all right, make that sneer - at journalists who thought they were running the country. That wasn't an accident, or a slip. Grow up. He has read the file, examined those tapes and charted out his route map.

Can't blame him, or his fellow politicians. They have to take so much nonsense from this sanctimonious tribe of media balloons that the temptation to prick the swellheads must be irresistible. We will, of course, maximise the time taken in the process; must keep the lot trembling in the dread of anticipation for as long as possible. Moreover, nothing undermines a story so much as oversaturation of supply. The media could barely handle those 150 conversations. All these chaps who want to break news at the decibel levels of Babel never manage to find the silence for a bit of reading, even of essentials. Some of them have forgotten how to read, so we will forgive them. So many are simply too lazy. They would rather chatter than study detail.

My boss is a brilliant lawyer. We are going to be judicious. We will hand out stuff selectively, and spread it around. That's fair.

Dumping is not the home minister's style at all. He wants a few media ulcers to turn septic along the way, and that needs time. Remember, there is one lot of superstars which knows, or has a good idea of, what lies in the undisclosed transcripts: those who were phonemates of Niira Radia. You know some of the names from the teaser; they must be dreading the release of the full movie, wondering how much more indiscretion is hidden in the tapes. They escaped in the first round on the oily paths between silence, bluster, fudge and smarminess, but how far? They must be sleeping-pill addicts by now, wondering how much more of hug-and-help is frozen in our machines. Did even a casual line about satisfaction for services escape their lips? That's going to be the big one. Raja is passÃ©. The future of the news wheel belongs to courtiers and paymasters.

India was an apple republic as long as the tapes were unknown. See how quickly it became a banana republic when ants began to crawl up corporate pants.

May I, an anonymous, faceless, gossip-abused bureaucrat, make a confession? What bliss!

Look, this is history in the making. History is forgotten unless it is branded. Watergate will survive in memory long after Richard Nixon has become oblivion. Who will recall Julian Assange, and who can forget Wikileaks?

Why should posterity remember our fling with phones as the Radiatapes? She is desperate to destroy the tapes, not preserve them. It is my boss who wants to prosecute, and maybe even persecute, on the basis of those tapes. The tapes should be named after Chidambaram.

Chikileaks.

Nice ring to it. Roll that over. Good on the tongue. Almost savoury. Works pretty well in a headline too. We must be kind to sub-editors who have to think of headlines; after all, Radia never phones any of them!

ramana · Post by **ramana** » 14 Dec 2010 21:53

MJAkbar fires his first slavo! Thanks. Clears up your earlier post.

Now who is MJA batting for by aiming at PC?

Kanson · Post by **Kanson** » 14 Dec 2010 22:36

Muppalla wrote:Chiki Leaks

Memo from G.K. Pillai, home secretary by special appointment to His Excellency P. Chidambaram:

.................

May I, an anonymous, faceless, gossip-abused bureaucrat, make a confession? What bliss!

Look, this is history in the making. History is forgotten unless it is branded. Watergate will survive in memory long after Richard Nixon has become oblivion. Who will recall Julian Assange, and who can forget Wikileaks?

Why should posterity remember our fling with phones as the Radiatapes? She is desperate to destroy the tapes, not preserve them. It is my boss who wants to prosecute, and maybe even persecute, on the basis of those tapes. The tapes should be named after Chidambaram.

Chikileaks.

Nice ring to it. Roll that over. Good on the tongue. Almost savoury. Works pretty well in a headline too. We must be kind to sub-editors who have to think of headlines; after all, Radia never phones any of them!

Indeed! Chinku became the next intelligent czar when he ousted Narayanan. SS Menon, the NSA, tried to take the title left over, it was immediately clipped at the bud.

There was a long lingering doubt whether Pillai and Chidambaram & team are playing a bad cop good cop routine. I see, others too have such doubt and probably they must have confirmed the theory.

Pillai revealed the nexus between China & Ulfa and its arm training confirming their linkages after a long time. For that he was chided. That didn't stopped his extemporaneous. He went on with Pakistan and then about not sharing of proper intelligence by US in 26/11.

Digvijay's ire may be becoz Chidambaram came sniffing too close to him? who knows.... I will let Amit to share his insights.

SwamyG · Post by **SwamyG** » 15 Dec 2010 00:47

Daal mein kooch kala hain is old saying....the new saying is "daal hee kala hain".

Rahul Mehta · Post by **Rahul Mehta** » 15 Dec 2010 08:19

Recently PC commented that crimes in Delhi are due to immigrant.

Was he referring to crimes like corruption CWG, 2G etc. And was he referring to Rajmata, who as we all know is an immigrant?

ramana · Post by **ramana** » 15 Dec 2010 08:32

So in Radia Tapes so far there are no PC related mentions right?

So who is implicated in Radigate?

- A Raja and DMK of Tamil Nadu
- Some UPA cabinet members
- UPA pasand journalists aka chatterati
- Big Business tycoons casting big shadows
- Ultimately MMS and INC powers

Who benefits?
- Anyone no connected to this Radiagate
Who are they?

Need full tapes to figure this out.

Meantime we have Digvijay Singh going full blast at destroying the 26/11 case.

This is a blow to PC even though he doesn't see it that way as he has been making saffron terror remarks by himself.

Then we have the dead-end in the Varanasi blast case. Despite the NIA etc they cant find the explosive.

Overall this there is that nonsense polemic on Mallu IAS officers.

what we are seeing is civil war or gang fight.

If this is correct then we are seeing a huge intra INC leadership fight

Muppalla · Post by **Muppalla** » 15 Dec 2010 09:07

ramana wrote:So in Radia Tapes so far there are no PC related mentions right?
...
...
If this is correct then we are seeing a huge intra INC leadership fight

ramana garu -I see few things from all the rumblings. This is just my reading and TWIW.

(1) Both Pranab Da and Chidu wants MMS place as Rahul G's ascent is ruled out
(2) MMS using his things up his sleeve created a TINA factor for Gandhis though they may what to replace him.
(3) Replacing MMS is improtant as anyone in that seat will not be puppet at least after six years. The Gandhis need a Kiran Kumar Reddy at center too.

In this persuit I see the following actions taken:
(A) Chidu actions:
(1) Release Radiia tapes that has Pranab Da's friends like Ratan Tata (old economy folks)
(2) Conduct CBI raids so that DMK expedites its pull from center
(3) He likes Mamta's exit too
(4) Friend of BJP and NDA and also friend to new economy honchos

(B) Pranab's actions:
(1) Quitely put out the home loan scandal - Chidu was finance during all that scandal
(2) Put the food scandal out to expedite NCP actions
(3) Friend of Left and third fronters and also old economy industrialists
(4) Likes Mamta's exit too. He may want Left to retain its clout

(C) MMS game plan:
(1) Save the gaddi with measure release of stuff related to Gandhis and also Chidu
(2) PMO is facilitating all the stuff to the likes of Subramanium Swamy

(D) Gandhis game plan:
(1) Avoid split of INC due to over exposure of its MPs and leaders to corruption in the open-ended battle between Pranab, Chidu and MMS
(2) Pre-empt it with a snap poll and neutralize all three via elections

Spoilers:
(1) Supreme Court - Judicial activism is back again after the most corrupt CJ retired.
(2) Jagan, Chavan, Hooda
(3) Digvijay

AbhishekD · Post by **AbhishekD** » 15 Dec 2010 09:09

^^^^Kind of agree with the analysis. INC could blow this political situation only due to internal fight. BJP is just riding along.

ramana · Post by **ramana** » 15 Dec 2010 09:41

Is Digvijay a spoiler or de-facto ally of Pranab? His digs hurt PC turf of Internal insecurity.

BJP and saffron are punching bags. To strike a blow between the three they will beat the punching bag.

How is Chavan a spoiler? BTW which Chavan the current CM or ex-CM?

I understand Hooda and Jagan can join up.

Also whats INC noises in Orissa?

Kanson · Post by **Kanson** » 15 Dec 2010 10:19

Who are the bigwigs most affected? Ratan Tata and Raja. Both are nemesis of Maran( ex telecom minister) . It could be that Chinku and Maran have some understanding. Andhra is in mess. TN is currently in a fluid state. The Unshakable DMK is loosing its sheen. It may be that Chinku is creating his own political space in his home state. To be the candidate of PM, he should have some support base to use that as bargain. If YSR survived for another 5 yrs in AP he could be brought into Central politics. This leakage has every mark of political turf battle as well as corporate war.

There was some rumour of some links between Kanimozhi and Chinku....not sure if this is correct. Maybe people know this affair can see any linkages.

I remember in one of the show conducted by Barkha in NDTV in response to Mumbai 26/11 carried in her typical style, after answering everyone's question, Chinku asked the participants, on what measure you choose and elect a politician, is it based on merit and performance or on the usual political line. There was a pin drop silence from the boisterous crowd and who asked all the 'usual' questions with fanfare and none of the participants answered. Chinku once again repeated the question. No answer and the show ended.

ShivaS · Post by **ShivaS** » 15 Dec 2010 10:34

If Ms. Randia is UK citizen our chaps cant pluck a single hair leave alone get her behind the bars.

ramana · Post by **ramana** » 15 Dec 2010 10:39

Maharastra state has its own version of 2G scam in the Lavasa affair. Lets see how that pans out.

Pratyush · Post by **Pratyush** » 15 Dec 2010 10:50

ShivaS wrote:If Ms. Randia is UK citizen our chaps cant pluck a single hair leave alone get her behind the bars.

She can still be arrested and put through the judicial meat grinder. If the GOI has the will to do so.

ShivaS · Post by **ShivaS** » 15 Dec 2010 10:53

what judicial mill if Kasab and guru like people get 5 Star treatment you think Ms. Randia will be jailed. She did not even bother to apply for anticipatory bail indicates she is untouchable unless you pay up ofcourse...

Philip · Post by **Philip** » 15 Dec 2010 11:07

These are "red herring" raids,meant to fool the public that the GOI/MMS is serious about corruption scandals.Drastic action had to be taken given the uproar in he entire country and the staelmate in parliament with the Opposition hounding the Govt. for a JPC.By these actions,the gOI hopes that they can counter the Opposition's charge that they are doing nothing.Raja is the fall guy and Niira Radia,for her loose telephonic talk,the fall(en) girl! The fall of Raja is also very convenient as the Congress can choose at election time its partners in the TN elections depending upon public mood.If it ditches the DMK,then the excuse will be Raja's "betrayal" of the "high values" of the Congress led coalition! It seeks to recapture the moral high ground before any election and scapegoats like Maharashtra politicos,Raja,etc.,those who get caught with their dhotis down,will have to bear the consequences.....and will have to wait awhile before they get "rehabilitated" in the fullness of time!

What hard evidence these long-delayed raids will discover is another matter.In fact,these raids could be also used to discover and destroy key evidence implicating the PMO! The CBI is thoroughly tainted and much scepticism remains about its actions.

Regarding Lavasa,what is striking,as Praful Patel mentioned on telly last night,is that a project which has been going on for so long,with thousands of crores invested by corporate India,without controversy earlier,has suddenly been found to be violating environmental norms.Its timing is significant in the power-play that is happening in Delhi.The latest headlines today about Jairam Ramesh rushing through without ANY scrutiny by concerned ministries a huge agreeement with China on "green tech.",something that we have not even considered with any other nation or group,just one day before the Chinese PM's visit,has shocked even hardened cynical watchers.His international about turn,ditching the poor countries,Kyoto Protocol,etc., has also made him look like a "straw that bends in the wind" and suspicion about his true interests are increasing by the day.

Jairam goes Green with China, govt sees red.
http://green.in.msn.com/greennews/artic ... id=4699567

New Delhi: A day before Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao arrives in India, Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh has sprung a surprise on the Union Cabinet, which meets Thursday, by hurriedly pushing through a proposal for an agreement with China on green technologies

An agreement of this sort, sources said, does not currently exist with any other partner country like the US or Japan.

That proposal was moved barely three days ago, on December 11 -- a Saturday -- and most of the key Ministries affected by such an agreement have not even had the chance to study it and respond to the Cabinet note.

The proposed Memorandum of Understanding includes: green technology in modernisation of electrical grids; joint research in clean energy technology; clean coal technology; sustainable transportation including electrical vehicles; energy conservation, energy efficiency and renewable energy.

The Ministries of Power and Coal, and the Department of Industrial Policy and Planning, have not responded. The Ministry of Science and Technology has not even been given a copy. Yet, the Ministry of Environment and Forests has managed to muscle the proposal through into Wednesday's Cabinet agenda. Clearly, sources said, such a proposal will be met with opposition because China is not really the global leader in clean technologies going by IPRs owned in this sector. More so, the Environment Ministry is not the nodal agency dealing with green technologies as this involves functions of various other Ministries like Industry and, in this case, Power as well as Coal.

Interestingly, the only Ministry that has given its go-ahead is the Ministry of External Affairs without even a detailed consultation process. The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy has been neutral and not offered any comments.

There could be serious objections to this effort as India is itself preparing to lay out an initiative to develop green technologies. Hence, the plan ought to be to develop partnerships with countries possessing high-end technologies and not those who are potential competitors.

The broad view is that this agreement is a sensitive proposal which needs proper debate and inter-ministerial discussion before an informed decision can be made. To push it through at the last moment, sources said, could prove detrimental in the long run.

Yet the MoU has made it to the Cabinet agenda for approval so that it can be signed during Wen's visit. From all accounts, the matter may invite a deeper debate Thursday.

Source: The Indian Express

PS:Was this secret deal struck between Jairam and the Chinese abroad at the last environmental summit and whom does it benefit?