Huh, strange and weirder. Only. But great pic, no?Narendra Modi's strategists believe that the five articulate female leaders of the BJP are critical as they might help counter the appeal of his nearest competitor, Sushma Swaraj.
Aditya Ji. You are correct. All scams happened in UPA1. Most probably, allies and INC itself didn't give themselves a shot for second term. There could be bad governance in UPA1 but 'left' unwittingly took the blame for it and walked out.Aditya_V wrote:Sri- All the coalgate and 2G scams took place in UPA-1. UPA-1 inherited a relatively good governance and like Hitler spent the money of Jalnagyam's, Bogus Farm loan waiver. Now we are back to dynasty and cronies rate of growth. It has all the media in its pocket to do its marketing and Indian public fell for it.
You are correct even if bJP wins in 2014 it will be there only for 5 years.
I personally believe that the Karat's and Top leftists are with UPA, thier fights are just a way to Keep BJP from gettign a foothold IN Kerala and WB.Sri wrote:
Aditya Ji. You are correct. All scams happened in UPA1. Most probably, allies and INC itself didn't give themselves a shot for second term. There could be bad governance in UPA1 but 'left' unwittingly took the blame for it and walked out.
Absolutely. This is going to happen when push comes to shove.Aditya_V wrote: I personally believe that the Karat's and Top leftists are with UPA, thier fights are just a way to Keep BJP from gettign a foothold IN Kerala and WB.
After what has happened in GOA , INC hopes are based on BSP, SP and CPI who will keep voting for UPA in confidence motions when needed as the real hope.
Absolutely. I don't care if India grows or not. I don't care if India story is even like 10% of Gujarat's story. All I want is a game change and a fair chance to future of India. Truthful electoral reforms is the answer to everything. Current westminister style that is easily manipulatable has to go. This is achievable with one baby step and that does not need 2/3 majorities in LS and RS.Sanku wrote: True, and that is why I have ONLY one expectation/hope/wish from a NaMo PM --> destroy the dynasty utterly. All the scams, from Cash for votes, to oil for food Volker, to AW to coal gate should be unleashed with such fury that they spend their nights and days in a court room if not in Tihar.
This time there should be no mistakes of ABV of underestimating the C-system. Kill the system, from the root.
Aditya Ji, this goes to heart of all this inclusiveness and exclusiveness debate isn't it? Why is that Left, SP, BSP etc will compete with INC on a common / shared vote bank but at the end of it will NEVER operate in a way that BJP gains at cost of INC?Aditya_V wrote:
I personally believe that the Karat's and Top leftists are with UPA, thier fights are just a way to Keep BJP from gettign a foothold IN Kerala and WB.
After what has happened in GOA , INC hopes are based on BSP, SP and CPI who will keep voting for UPA in confidence motions when needed as the real hope.
http://www.mediacrooks.com/2013/02/spur ... STBG6U73r1ramana wrote:Twitter is agog with this:
Congress Corporator Mer Singh Chaudhary killed Ehsan Jaffri in Guj 2002 riots
Apparently in a conversation with Katju some one revealed this.
It was intra INC fight.
I dont even know if Mer Singh Chaudhary exists?
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/in-cu ... der/426607In addition to the bellies-ripped story, JK also cites the killing of Ehsan Jafri as a planned attack. It took Meenakshi Lekhi to point out to him that leading the killers of Jafri was not a BJP man but a Congress MLA called Meghsingh Chaudhary.
On Friday, Meghsingh Chaudhary, one of the accused in the Gulbarg Society massacre of 2002, surrendered before the Supreme Court-appointed Special Investigation Team (SIT) along with VHP leader Atul Vaidya.
http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes ... ga-societyAmong the 70 people who were killed that day was former Congress MP Ehsan Jaffri. In a photograph The Sunday Express managed to get, Chaudhary is seen sitting almost reverentially at Jaffri's feet at a prayer meet on communal harmony held in the 1980s outside Sabarmati Ashram.
The irony is not lost on Saeed Khan—ten of his kin, including his wife, mother, grandchild and nephews, were killed that day in Gulbarg—who points to the photo and says, "The man in the grey safari suit is Meghsingh, and the one with white hair and specs on his left is Jaffri saheb."
Chaudhary's father Rupsingh was Khan's friend, and Chaudhary used to address him as 'Chacha'.
Jaffri, says Khan, helped Chaudhary get a Congress ticket for the councillor's post. "But the second time, Jaffri saheb did not help him," recollects Khan, at his electrical shop on Vejalpur Road. Formerly employed in a textile mill, Khan relocated to the neighbourhood soon after the riots.
"Meghsingh was different in those days. He was not a bad man," Khan says. "His father was a nice man too, we were friends. He would address me only as Chacha. His office was right opposite the gate of Gulbarg Society, where we lived."
The arrest of Congress leader Meghsingh Chaudhary at the instance of the Supreme Court-appointed Special Investigative Team for his active participation in the Gulbarga Society massacre in Ahmedabad in 2002 confirms what knowledgeable people in Gujarat have for long alleged that many Congressmen enthusiastically joined hands with members of the sangh parivar in the anti-Muslim riots of 2002.
Without doubt, serious problems do arise when politicians decide to use select religious symbols and manipulate religious sentiments of people in order to acquire power. However, history is witness to the fact that religion and politics do not make as lethal a mix as do politics and violence.
Plea to recuse judge for his daughter's link to Teesta
WEDNESDAY, 20 FEBRUARY 2013 00:19
Aone-time associate of social activist Teesta Setalvad has moved an application in the Supreme Court seeking withdrawal of Justice Aftab Alam from Gujarat riots-related cases. In his petition, Rais Khan Pathan alleged link between Setalvad’s NGO and the daughter of Justice Alam.
Setalvad’s NGO Citizens for Justice and Peace (CJP) is pursuing the cause of justice for riot victims in the apex court. Justice Alam’s daughter Shahrukh runs an NGO by the name, Patna Collective, which is linked to a Netherlands-based NGO, HIVOS. Incidentally, HIVOS funds both Teesta Setalvad and her NGO.
HIVOS, along with Kosmopolis Institute of Netherlands, co-organised a series of papers published in 2010 by “The Promoting Pluralism Knowledge Programme” (PPKP). One paper, “The Idea of Secularism and Supreme Court of India” was authored by Justice Alam. The said paper was presented by the judge in London in October 2009.
Yet another NGO, which is quoted by Khan as a coordinator of the Promoting Pluralism Knowledge Programme and also the London event, is the Centre for Study of Culture and Society (CSCS), Bangalore. Interestingly, the Centre for Study of Culture and Society had coordinated with PPKP working paper No 5 presented by Justice Alam.
This NGO, the application suggested, is also jointly working with HIVOS on a web portal ‘Pluralism.in’ which has as its core team member the daughter of the judge in question. This site has a dedicated section on “Gujarat archives” having a collection of 60 articles of which one is written by Sabrang Communications and Publishing Private Limited, Mumbai, a company run by Teesta Setalvad.
Incidentally, Shahrukh Alam is on the payroll of Centre for Study of Culture and Society as a research fellow under the PPKP. Between July 2008 and March 2010, she received Rs4,45,000 from CSCS as salary, and Rs11,48,680 for her NGO, the application stated.
CSCS has stated on record that these payments were paid from the foreign grants/contributions received from HIVOS and Kosmopolis Institute of Netherlands, the main fund giver and organiser of Pluralism Working Papers 5, 6, and 7. But no funds can be paid to NGO Patna Collective as in the records of Ministry of Finance, it is unregistered and that is why it cannot receive foreign funds under the Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Act 2010. This is the reason why the application raises doubt that the money meant for Patna Collective and Shahrukh Alam could be routed through CSCS.
HIVOS is also an active donor to Teesta’s NGO Citizens for Justice and Peace and to her lawyer Mihir Desai. “HIVOS made direct payments of Euro 10,000 (approx Rs7 lakh) to Citizens for Justice and Peace (CJP) in November 2009. Payment of 10,000 Euros got credited in the account of CJP on November 23, 2009.” This was for her budget to cover expenses incurred on organising meetings and workshops on Gujarat riots cases, including travel expenses.
In addition, Teesta’s lawyer received a direct fund of Rs45,000 and Rs75000 in November 2009. The second component amounting to 1,150 Euros was received from HIVOS into the account of CSCS on November 24, 2009. This was the only payment made by HIVOS to CSCS in 2009.
The applicant, Rais Khan, demanded that Justice Alam must withdraw from hearing the case in the “interest of justice” and “dignity of the institution” as the above facts and circumstances created a “reasonable likelihood of bias”.
“The proximate financial and other links of Ms Shahrukh Alam with institutions, bodies, NGOs and individuals related to the Gujarat riots and various litigations ensuing from there, by their very nature require that Justice Aftab Alam (should) decline to adjudicate the present case,” the application stated, demanding that the same be heard by a bench of which Justice Alam was not a member.
http://www.dailypioneer.com/home/online ... eesta.html
No question as to who would benefit if the Muslim community followed Akbar's advice. The biggest beneficiaries would be Muslims themselves, and then Modi.Veteran journalist M.J. Akbar has questioned the minority status of Muslims, saying they had ruled India for decades and Brahmins were a bigger minority. He called upon Muslims to unshackle themselves from the “politics of fear” and adopt the “politics of development.”
Next time you visit, pla take some interviews from locals...kumarn wrote:Just returned from a trip to Surat. Had the opportunity to visit villages 20-35 kms around Surat. Too bad I did not take pics. Neither I have the Singha ji like flourish to describe what I saw. But I can assure you, a visit to these villages would cure any secular fundamentalist. There is visible prosperity all around. Those villages looked like some Eurpoean villages in prosperity, with clean and pucca roads and india gate style foot paths. My friend of the above variety was transformed after this visit. If we can bring all of our villages to the level I saw in Gujrat, India would be heaven.
This is the video - Meenakshi made some strong points.ramana wrote:Twitter is agog with this:
Congress Corporator Mer Singh Chaudhary killed Ehsan Jaffri in Guj 2002 riots
Apparently in a conversation with Katju some one revealed this.
It was intra INC fight.
I dont even know if Mer Singh Chaudhary exists?
I think she was quoting SIT report or some court judgement. I saw the link for it on twitter.ramana wrote:Twitter is agog with this:
Congress Corporator Mer Singh Chaudhary killed Ehsan Jaffri in Guj 2002 riots
Apparently in a conversation with Katju some one revealed this.
It was intra INC fight.
I dont even know if Mer Singh Chaudhary exists?
MARATHON MAN
Narendra Modi is being awaited in Delhi as never before.
By N.V. Subramanian
New Delhi: The situation of 1996 will repeat for the Bharatiya Janata Party after the 2013 or 2014 general elections, not so much in the number of Lok Sabha seats won, which may be more or less (more, according to this writer’s analysis), but in the advent of a popular prime minister following an interval. Back then, in the still quasi-innocent days of few cellphones, fewer news channels and little internet, it was A.B.Vajpayee who took centrestage. This time around, it will be Narendra Modi. Modi’s latest endorser, believe it or not, is the head of the Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind, which has usually rooted for the Congress.
Atal Vajpayee had to go through two tumbles, being prime minister for 13 days and 13 months, provoking honest regrets all around, before he got a proper inauguration in 1999, whereafter, he ran a splendid government. Pre-1999, public opinion was behind him. But the false ideology of “secularism”, made baser by an opportunistic political class, impeded him, till his popularity broke all bounds. Something similar has happened with Narendra Modi, although in his case, his imminent movement from Gujarat to the Centre has united his enemies, who will be overcome. When the time for an idea arrives, no barriers survive.
At their core, and although they are two different men, holding perhaps different worldviews, A.B.Vajpayee and Narendra Modi come packaged as ideas. Ideas animate them. That Vajpayee was an ideas man was evident from his decision to approve the second nuclear test, which gave India the required heft internationally. To that heft, Vajpayee added high growth, brilliant schemes like highway connectivity, low interest rates which prospered industry and made housing affordable to the middle class for the first time, and clean governance, whilst keeping inflation in brutal check, and no wonder, India was a success story. Compared to the nine dreary and wasted years of Manmohan Singh, the Vajpayee era has a golden shimmer. There was something to look forward to, than stare at the abyss of deathly taxes, the calling card of Manmohan Singh and his finance minister. Vajpayee gave Indians the last “feel good” years.
Narendra Modi, like it or not, generates that same thrill. The Gujarat chief minister was an astonishing success at his political outing in the Sriram College of Commerce in Delhi. The young finally found a politician who shared their vision and energy, and they knew his actions counted for as much as his words, Gujarat being a living testimony to his genius, and they were clear they wouldn’t be stopped in their admiration and support for him. Narendra Modi has the vote of the young. The young are harbingers of change, and they will bring Modi to power at the Centre. The middle-aged and older voters will follow their lead. Of this, there can be no doubt.
In the case of both Vajpayee and Modi, it is clear that public opinion cannot be contained. Respecting Vajpayee, the public wanted to give him a decent shot at prime ministership, and it didn’t rest until he got a full term. The vote was both for the BJP and for Vajpayee, in a 40:60 proportion. With Narendra Modi, the sums are more complex. Obviously, he is seen as a BJP successor to Vajpayee, who can build on his vision and statesmanship. The transformation of Gujarat gives the electorate a fair idea of Modi’s potential, and it wants it fully realized by giving him Delhi. In that sense, Modi is Vajpayee II.
But Modi also means a lot to the young for being special in his own way. He is not a complainer. He does things exactly as the young do. Modi is like an entrepreneur who knows how to squeeze the best out of the system. In this, he exhibits very Gujarati traits, but it fits the entrepreneur-driven template of India. Modi is a wealth-creator, precisely what the young seek, and the Gujarat chief minister, unlike Manmohan Singh and other World Bank/ IMF economists who have seized Raisina Hill, is at home with the Indian model, and considers it superior to the West, much as the youth do. In that sense, with his practices and successes, Modi comes across as an outsider, whilst India is tired of the insiders, who have come to be represented by the Nehru-Gandhis in the main.
There are clearly forces at play that no one understands that are propelling Narendra Modi to Delhi. It would be futile to stop him. Like in 1996, many Congress stalwarts are prepared to jump ship. They have opened negotiations with the Bharatiya Janata Party. They want Modi to come and clean up the system. This is bad news for the Congress. Then consider the bureaucracy. After the Indian Administrative Service, the Indian Police Service ranks second in corruption and venality, and because it has so much at stake, it keeps robustly abreast of the current political wind direction. Senior IPS officers are openly talking about an imminent Narendra Modi government at the Centre, and they are a scared lot. Six months ago, this writer was alone to bet that the gates of Delhi would open wide to welcome Modi. That’s happening now. Contrary to the fears of most, however, this writer’s own understanding is that Modi will not be vindictive, and will single-mindedly strive to be an outstanding prime minister. He will aim to surpass Vajpayee and even Jawaharlal Nehru, and history is on his side.
http://www.newsinsight.net/MarathonMan.aspx#page=page-1
I don't think in AP, Modi can pull any seat at all even thought there is a huge fan club. It is a psychologically strife torn state. He has to play it post poll.SwamyG wrote:Muppalla garu: Do you think BJP can win in AP without coalition? IMO, as far as TN goes BJP/NaMo needs coalition - the best bet is JJ; but then then have to pray that she does not do anything crazy. She is going for all the 40 (?) seats in TN. http://www.governancenow.com/news/regul ... -elections. In AP, can NaMo alone pull seats for BJP? AP is an important state with 42 seats.
I think we in BRF noticed it before it became obvious to the national media.Hari Seldon wrote:Just gotta love the India Today snapshot of this story.... BTWm since when did these gutsy ladies become "Modi's firebrand women politicos', eh? I understand MSM is nowadays too happy to include NM's name in their story headlines by hook or by crook since, data show, it leads to a bump is pageviews, FB likes, comments,. referrals etc. But such characterization as done below??
ravi_g wrote:One thing that is getting rather obvious. The women folk in BJP have better and faster replies and come better prepared to take on the opponent.SwamyG wrote: Smriti Irani single placed every one in their place, including Arnab in Arnab's show. Renuka Chowdry tried her bullying tactic, but was ably defended by Smriti. Renuka was left smiling in her defeat. Stupid Arnab tried making lame points. I thought none could answer or challenge Smriti.
Nirmala Sitaraman is one such lady no person in his right mind would argue against. There is one more lady Meenakshi Lekhi seen often enough on TV, who recently took on Farukh Dhondy and Lard Desai and made them look like idiots. Lawyers and TV personalities have a distinct advantage in TV debates where time is a constraint and catchiing the pulse of the viewer in real time is very important. Sushma Swaraj has done well on Parliament debates.
Comparatively the menfolk are chalta hai or too gentle and just do not come prepared:
Ravishankar Prasad - perhaps the only one who come prepared
Prakash Javadekar - he is a senior member but is always acting eccentric. Kabhi ladte hain kabhi haste hain and the message gets lost.
Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi - More articulate from Hindi speakers POV. Always ready for a good fight but cannot be fielded where legal issues are involved.
Tarun Vijay - mostly speaking on liberal issues
Shahnawaz Hussain - lacks the ability to confront
Daily Pioneer gang is well informed but too much of a gentlemen crowd. Even Kanchan Gupta is entirely unable to come out on top. These should be the ones actually appearing on liberal causes. For more important confrontations these womenfolk should be given more latitude.
Then we hire him as a lobbyist and a person who represents India in western fora....and gives an impression of India just as the Paki 24 families gave their gora friends in the 60s and 70s.RamaY wrote:Ramanaji
I disagree. ST as a central minister was a disaster. ST as an MP is a disaster. ST as an Indian visiting Pakistan was a disaster (my blog has a post on this - http://bharata-bhuti.blogspot.com/2012/ ... r-inc.html). How can he be an asset to India if he were to be elected as SG? He would have pulled his "universal citizenship" nonsense the moment he gets elected.
An Indian becoming the president of USA will mean nothing, if the individual thinks, works and believes in US self-interests and acts as any other USA president. We have been learning from Bobby Jinxal experience ain't it.
I would rather have any individual from any race in any position as long as he stands for SD world view.
What did he sell?mahadevbhu wrote: Then we hire him as a lobbyist and a person who represents India in western fora....and gives an impression of India just as the Paki 24 families gave their gora friends in the 60s and 70s.
We need sales and marketing people.
It's a satire. But the comments are more funnier than the article itself. They just looked at the title and started bashing it without looking at the content.ramana wrote:This is an example of double-speak. This guy is no liberal but a psec fundamentalist.
RamaY wrote:What did he sell?mahadevbhu wrote: Then we hire him as a lobbyist and a person who represents India in western fora....and gives an impression of India just as the Paki 24 families gave their gora friends in the 60s and 70s.
We need sales and marketing people.
I am sorry, I do not have any respect or admiration or value for him. May be it is my ignorance.
Well, one way to think about it is, could NM win a seat on an urban area of a state of interest if he were to contest there himself?Muppalla garu: Do you think BJP can win in AP without coalition?
ramanaji and sanku-saar, I usually dont explicitly post on politics, as I said above. But from whatever I know of the Kerala scene, there are not many leaders (from the dominant castes) in the horizon, who can project a half-competent appeal at this point. I suspect that is why Dr Tharoor was drafted in by Congress. The same issue is there for the LDF and BJP too, unfortunately. Current Chief Minister is the most incompetent (and disrespected) one yet. After Shree Anthony left for Central Cabinet, the only remaining person, whom I can say, is capable of being a CM from the UDF coalition is the current Speaker.ramana wrote:No thats not right. If he had won it would be feather in the cap for India.
at reading BRF posts) current Gujarat CM were co-ordinating on that affair. There was no corruption investigation, despite his resigning and asking for it. No one is happy, including public is another matter.
But why would it be necessary to win everywhere in India? Even in the land of Lincoln their president cannot win in every state.Hari Seldon wrote:Well, one way to think about it is, could NM win a seat on an urban area of a state of interest if he were to contest there himself?Muppalla garu: Do you think BJP can win in AP without coalition?
For instance, if NM were to contest LS polls in urban centers in MH (say, Mumbai, Nasik, Pune, Nagpur or Aurangabad), I'd wager he'd win big. This is even more true if anything, of K'taka.
AP? In Hyd - maybe.... In say, a Warangal or Tirupati or Vizag or Vijaywada, I'd say he could atbest make second place... there lies the (d)rub. Same story in Kerala too, I guess. He might stand a long shot in Trivandrum maybe but that's about it.... TN - in chennai or coimbattur, a long shot, maybe...
What about WB, Kolkata? I dunno, really. A long shot, perhaps?
Any state where the BJP has been in power before, YES. There's enough org network on the ground to get out the vote.
States of interest now would be WB, Asom, Jammu, Jharkhand Odisha...
He can potentially win in Trivandrum, but he need not take the risk. It is not worth it.Hari Seldon wrote: He might stand a long shot in Trivandrum maybe but that's about it.... TN - in chennai or coimbattur, a long shot, maybe...
