China objects to ADB funds for Arunachal: Krishna

NEW DELHI: China had recently objected to Asian Development Bank (ADB) funding an irrigation project in Arunachal Pradesh which is a "clear violation" of the charter of the multilateral lending agency, the government informed the Rajya Sabha on Thursday.

Replying to questions, external affairs minister S M Krishna said India had made it clear to all member nations of ADB that political considerations cannot be cited for prohibiting the bank for evaluating any project.

All member countries on the board of executive directors of ADB except China supported the India funding plans.

"China did not endorse the Country Partnership Strategy (CPS) 2009-12 for India in the board of the ADB on the ground that the proposed India CPS involved technical assistance funding for the Flood and River Erosion Management Project in Arunachal Pradesh which China claims is its territory," he said.

India had told the ADB and all member countries including the US, Japan, Australia, Canada, Indonesia, Korea, Malaysia, Philippines, Germany and Italy that the CPS is not a political document and it does not make any judgement as to the legal or other status of any territory.

The member countries were also told that "China's objection on political grounds is a clear violation of the ADB's charter which prohibits the Bank from evaluating any proposal on grounds other than economic," he said.

"India's CPS was discussed in the meeting of the Board of Executive Directors of the ADB on June 15 and all member countries except China supported the document," Krishna said.

He said New Delhi had conveyed to the ADB member nations including China that Arunachal Pradesh is "an integral part of India and its status is not negotiable."

ADB assistance has to be strictly decided on economic parameters and not on political considerations, he said. "Ultimately ADB had gone with India's point of view."

"We have put across (to China) in the strongest diplomatic language possible that Arunachal Pradesh is an integral part of India," he said.

New Delhi, he said, wanted to resolve the boundary issue with China amicably.

"We have friendly relations with our neighbour China. We are engaged in a multilateral activity with them. Our trade is growing and we would like to continue in that direction," he said.

India and China will meet in New Delhi next month to discuss the boundary issue, he said. "We certainly would like that China-India relationship is normal (and) extend the relationship to some kind of partnership."

"We will have to engage China and come to an understanding," he said.

Krishna said he plans to visit Arunachal Pradesh shortly. Previously, the President and the Prime Minister had visited the state, which was protested by China, he added.

Source and complete story : Times Of India

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Prabhakaran waited for Indian poll results

NEW DELHI: Velupillai Prabhakaran was waiting for the results of Indian elections to plan his next strategy in the 30-year-old civil war in Sri Lanka and was apparently hoping that either the NDA or the Third Front would come to power in New Delhi, but the army there had different plans.

It has now emerged that the 54-year-old slain guerrilla leader was waiting till May 16, the day results of Lok Sabha elections were known, to decide on his and the outfit's future, but it was too late as the Sri Lankan Army had by then cut off all the escape routes.

"Till May 16, he (Prabhakaran) was hoping that someone will interfere and stop the army from entering the final 'No Fire Zone' where he was held up," Sri Lankan Army sources said.

On May 16th afternoon, LTTE announced that it would allow all civilians trapped in the area held by them to leave to safety, apparently after knowing that the Congress, which it believed was hostile to him and the outfit, was set to return to power.

Sources in the Tamil polity in Sri Lanka said the LTTE was hoping that there would be a popular upsurge for it in Tamil Nadu, where the general elections
were fought on the Eelam plank, and that the Third Front or the NDA could come to power.

"This (election results) might have upset Prabhakaran and other leaders of the outfit, but they did not have time to think or plan anything. They were boxed by the Army by that time," the Tamil sources said.

The LTTE chief would have thought that the Third Front and the NDA would not be so hostile as the Congress was, they said, adding that once the people started leaving the war zone, Sri Lankan Army swiftly rescued the civilians and took them to safe zones.

AIADMK's Jayalalithaa, who was part of the Third Front, expressed support to the Sri Lankan Tamils cause and had even promised to send Indian Army to carve out Tamil Eelam from Sri Lanka if a government of her choice came to power in New Delhi.

On May 16 afternoon, LTTE's International Relations head Selvarasa Pathmanathan issued a statement in which the outfit virtually accepted defeat and asked the "global community to save the people of Wanni."

They said Prabhakaran did not expect that the Sri Lankan forces would encircle him and his aides "so soon".

The army also got a tip off from LTTE Sea Tigers chief Soosai's wife, who was taken into custody while trying to flee the island, that Prabhakaran and the top brass were still inside the war zone.

"This emboldened the Army which went all out against the Tigers and virtually encircled them in a 2 sq. km area in the Wanni region on May 16. That gave no chance for any of the Tiger leaders to escape," the sources said.

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BJP should give up 'Hindutva': Vaidya

NAGPUR: Criticising the BJP for its "inconsistency" in toeing the 'Hindutva' policy, senior RSS ideologue M G alias Baburao Vaidya said the party should give up the policy as it has "failed" to attract commoners. Narrating the history of the then Jana Sangh which later converted into BJP, Vaidya, in his weekly column in local Marathi daily 'Tarun Bharat', said BJP had adopted Gandhian socialism, but could not stop itself from being labelled as a communal party.

After the 1984 general elections drubbing, BJP again started chanting 'Hindutva'. BJP came close to power, but could not sustain its strength. Party leaders had no patience and almost forgot 'Hindutva' and its basic principles, the former RSS
spokesperson alleged.

"The party came to power again (in 1999), but after losing it in 2004, it again turned towards 'Hindutva'. BJP mentioned 'Hindutva' in its election manifesto in the just concluded Lok Sabha elections, but it miserably failed to attract the common voters and citizens in the country," Vaidya said.

"The BJP has failed to convey the real meaning of 'Hindutva' to the people. Probably they thought not deemed to climb the pedestal of power with 'Hindutva' line. Hence, BJP should now disassociate itself with 'Hindutva'." he said, but added, "If the BJP gives up its 'Hindutva' line, it will automatically snap its umbilical cord with the Sangh."

However, he said, it would not have any impact on the RSS.

BJP would have ample opportunities to get a modern outlook, Vaidya added.

"If BJP gives up 'Hindutva', regional parties like Trinamool Congress, Biju Janata Dal, Telugu Desam Party will rush to it and internal bickering in the JD(U) will also finish," he said.

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Amar Singh accused of provoking Jayaprada to commit suicide

LUCKNOW: Samajwadi Party (SP) general secretary Amar Singh has been accused of provoking actress-turned politician and party's Rampur Lok Sabha candidate Jayaprada to commit suicide, the police said Tuesday.

The complaint against the SP general secretary was made by the supporters of the party's senior leader Azam Khan, the officials added.

"We have accepted the complaint against Amar Singh, but a case against him would be registered after the completion of the inquiry that is underway," district police chief Jyoti Narayan said over phone.

He said that while addressing an election rally in Rampur Sunday, Amar Singh allegedly said that in case of defeat in elections, Jayaprada could commit suicide. "After completing the inquiry, probably by today (Tuesday) evening, we will register a case against Amar Singh," the police official added.

There is a major dispute between Amar Singh and Azam Khan over the candidature of Jayaprada from Rampur, with Amar Singh backing her while Khan an

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Efforts to bring back Somnath into CPM: Buddhadeb

KOLKATA: West Bengal chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee has said he has been making efforts in his "own way" to bring leaders like Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee back into the CPM fold.

"I miss him. For us, losing a personality like Somnath and a leader like him ... on the part of the party and also on a personal level is a bit painful," Bhattacharjee said in an interview to a local television channel.

The chief minister was asked if it would be possible to set aside personal feelings and egos to get leaders like Chatterjee and former MP Saifuddin Chowdhury, who had been expelled from the CPM, back into the party fold.

Bhattacharjee replied: "An individual doesn't make the party. The party is made up of several people. I can say this much that I am doing it in my own way".

The chief minister, however, did not specify whether his efforts were intended towards the return of both leaders or only Chatterjee.

"I won't say anything specifically. I have talked to my colleagues on this issue in Delhi and Kolkata," he said.

Chowdhury, who formed the Party for Democratic Socialism (PDS), however, said: "No body has talked to me on this".

"May be his (Bhattacharjee's) attitude is that we should return. But he knows why we came out of the party. He also knows whether such a possibility exists or not," he said.

Chowdhury is contesting the Lok Sabha elections from Jadavpu PDS ticket.

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Hanging Afzal does not suit UPA: Modi

LUDHIANA: Attacking the UPA on alleged delay in executing Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru, Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said the government was indulging in "votebank politics " and "hanging Guru does not suit its interests".

"The Congress-led UPA is indulging in votebank politics and hanging Guru does not suit its interests," Modi said, a day after Rahul Gandhi defended his party saying Afzal will be hanged when his turn comes.

"Out of 29 persons who are on death row, cases of 26 have been processed and only three cases including that of Afzal Guru are pending, Modi told an NDA "Maha Rally" at PUDA ground here, which witnessed a major show of strength with party stalwarts and alliance leaders attending it.

Rahul Gandhi while addressing a rally at Mohali in Punjab on Saturday evening had said Afzal Guru was twenty second on the list of those to be hanged.

"There is a huge line and there are others before him. When his number (turn) comes, he will be hanged."

Modi launched a blistering attack, saying "During Congress regime there is a huge line for everything, be it for getting ration cards, gas connections... Congress General Secretary (Rahul) says Afzal is in queue. Never before have we heard that even for hanging a person, there is a queue. This is unfortunate for the country".

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Moily removed as AICC media head

NEW DELHI: M Veerappa Moily, who launched a surprise attack on JD(U) leader Nitish Kumar, has been abruptly removed as chairman of the Congress media department.

He has been replaced by AICC General Secretary Janardan Dwivedi, who had been holding the charge earlier, party sources said on Saturday.

The removal of Moily is believed to be due to the displeasure of the party high command over his remarks against the Bihar Chief Minister, who was sought to be wooed by party leader Rahul Gandhi.

Moily had on Friday said that Congress is not going to "make a hero" of Nitish Kumar.

"I do not think Congress is going to make a hero of Nitish Kumar, the manner in which he has aligned with BJP and is carrying on...that kind of pollution of his secular credentials with the communal," Moily had said.

When asked about the Congress decision to relieve him of his charge as AICC media head, Moily, who is in Bangalore, merely said that he had given the charge to Dwivedi as he would be away in Karnataka till May 17.

Moily is contesting elections from Chikkballapur in Karnataka.

In a flip-flop yesterday, the AICC media head had first attacked Railway Minister Lalu Prasad and LJP Chief Ramvilas Paswan in the wake of reports that they were boycotting the meeting of the union cabinet but later softened to say that they were part of the UPA and would be back in a UPA government.

The sources said Moily had exceeded his brief on earlier occasions too and had created an awkward situation for the party.

Moily, who had been the party's media department chief for quite some time, had handed over the charge to Dwivedi last month when he went to Karnataka and had resumed the responsibilities only last week.

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RJD, LJP insulted Congress: Moily

NEW DELHI: The spat between the Congress and its partners in the government, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and Lok Janshakti Party (LJP), went up a notch Friday, with the Congress spokesperson accusing them of "insulting" it over seat-sharing in Bihar.

"We should be more angry. We never wronged them... It's only Paswan (Ram Vilas Paswan of LJP) and Laluji (Lalu Prasad of RJD) for reasons best known to them, they left us only two seats," Moily told reporters here.

The RJD and LJP chiefs, key members of the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA), seem to be annoyed over Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi's praise of Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar.

The Congress' ties with the RJD as well as the LJP have been strained to the breaking point over seat-sharing in Bihar. Rahul Gandhi's comments about Nitish Kumar added to the tensions.

But the Congress was now in a fighting mood. "They left us only two out of 40 seats in Bihar. A national party like the Congress party can't gulp this kind of insult," said Moily.

He added that had there been "harmonious discussions" before the elections, "the situation would not have come to this".

Moily also had harsh words for the Bihar chief minister after wooing him. Unhappy over Nitish Kumar's rebuff to the Congress, Moily said that he "thinks too much of himself". "He will regret staying with BJP. We are not reaching out to him".

Lalu Prasad and Paswan, meanwhile, decided to skip Friday's cabinet meeting.

In Kolkata, Paswan said he was skipping the cabinet meeting as he had a previously scheduled election meeting in the West Bengal capital. "Moreover, there was no agenda of my ministry (in the cabinet meeting)," he added.

Denying any tensions over Rahul Gandhi's remarks on Nitish Kumar, Paswan said: "The Congress has already clarified what Rahulji wanted to say. I am with the UPA. LJP, RJD is with the UPA. And we will remain with UPA."

The steel minister added that any overtures by the Congress and the Left to Nitish Kumar will be unsuccessful. "What is the reality? Nitish kumar is with the BJP. And if anybody wants to talk with Nitish, then first he has to leave the BJP. I don't think that he will leave BJP."

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NSA against Varun invalid: UP advisory board

NEW DELHI: The UP advisory board said on Friday that the use of the National Security Act against BJP leader Varun Gandhi, invoked for his alleged communal remark, was not valid.

"NSA invoked against the BJP leader Varun Gandhi has been held invalid by the board," UP home secretary Javed Ahmad said, PTI reported.

Varun had appeared in person before the advisory board on April 28 and explained that the CD on the basis of which an FIR was lodged against him was doctored.

29-year-old Varun, who is on parole granted by the Supreme Court, was detained under the NSA on March 28 on charges of inciting communal passion by making provocative and inflammatory speeches during election meetings in Pilibhit on March seven and eight.

The Mayawati government will now examine the board's decision before taking a view on whether or not to drop the charges under NSA against Varun.

The panel, which met on Friday, was not convinced by the material provided by the Pilibhit district magistrate.

Varun alleged that NSA was invoked against him with a political motive to sabotage his electoral debut but this was refuted by the UP government.

The board said it did not find "plausible and convincing" grounds for the NSA being invoked against Varun nor was it satisfied by the explanation given by the Pilibhit DM.

FIRs were registered against Varun for allegedly delivering inflammatory speeches in Dalchand locality of Pilibhit, about 300 km from Lucknow on March 7 and in Barkheda village on March 8.

Source : Times Of India

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Amar threatens to quit SP over Azam Khan issue

RAMPUR (UP): In an ultimatum to Mulayam Singh Yadav over the Azam Khan issue, SP
leader Amar Singh has threatened to quit the party after the Lok Sabha polls, accusing the Muslim leader of making "intolerable utterances" against him.

Singh said he would decide over continuing in the party after the end of the final phase of polls, referring to Yadav's statement that 'party mein rehna hai to Azam Khan ko khush rakhna hai' (If you want to remain in the party, you will have to keep Azam Khan happy).

"Azam Khan is a favourite of Mulayam Singhji and in spite of his (Khan) intolerable utterances against me, I was being asked to keep silent," Singh said addressing a public meeting in Rampur, 250 km from Lucknow, on Thursday.

Singh said he is expecting a shoe as a "gift" from his estranged party colleague Azam Khan, claiming he (Khan) must have readied one by now.

At the meeting in support of party candidate Jayaprada, Singh said, "I am waiting for a shoe from Mr Azam Khan. I sincerely invite him to come forward and hand me over the shoe which he is supposed to have readied by now."

"I am impatiently waiting for the moment when Mr Khan will implement his plan out of proportion to insult me," he said angrily.

"If a shoe comes from Khan, I would first decorate this precious gift and then place it in a museum," he said.

Taking exception to the "order" of Yadav that "if I have to stay in Samajwadi Party, I have to bear with Azam Khan," Singh said he had been told by the party chief, "You don't have to say anything, keep absolutely quiet.

"But now I am disobeying this order publicly. And I am doing this because there is a limit to how much one can bear," the SP general secretary said.

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We'll support any alliance that dismisses Maya govt: Mulayam

MAINPURI (UP): Virtually setting a pre-condition for post-poll alliance, Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav on Thursday said his party would extend support to any grouping that will "dismiss" the Mayawati government in Uttar Pradesh.

"The youth, farmers and traders, all are disheartened with the UP government. We will support whoever dismisses the Mayawati government in Uttar Pradesh," Yadav told reporters here.

The SP chief also said that "the trend after three phases of polling shows that no government at the Centre would be possible without SP's support".

The former UP chief minister added that the party's parliamentary board and MPs would meet after the elections to take a call on the issue of extending support.

"Everything would depend on the post-poll equations and the numbers, and taking all these things into account, we will decide," Yadav said.

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If Manmohan can become PM through back door, why can't I, asks Maya

LUCKNOW: Launching a scathing attack on Congress president Sonia Gandhi for her comment `Aaj kal to har koi pradhan mantri banana chahta hai'(Everybody wants to become the PM these days), BSP supremo Mayawati on Tuesday said if Sonia could bring someone like Manmohan Singh through the ``back door'' to Parliament and make him PM, ``why can't a well-educated `Dalit ki beti' like me, who has won several elections and is CM of country's biggest state, become Prime Minister?''

Sonia in her recent election rallies while sarcastically commenting on prime ministerial aspirations of regional satraps surfacing during Lok Sabha polls, had said, ``The latest fashion in politics is that every one wants to become Prime Minister.''

While politicians whose names have cropped up for the coveted post so far have kept quiet, Mayawati hit back at Sonia in her characteristic style. Addressing a huge election rally in Agra, Mayawati said she qualifies ``more than anyone else'' for the post of PM and exhorted her supporters to vote in large number to ensure victory of BSP candidates.

Mayawati, who usually reads out a pre-written speech, spoke impromptu over Sonia's remarks and issue of prime ministership. ``Yeh Manmohan Singh aaj tak ek bhi chunav nahi lada hai... isse Sonia peechale darwaje se Rajya Sabha me chunva kar layi aur pradhan mantri bana diya. Agar Manmohan Singh pradhan mantri ban sakta hai, to phir padhilikhi Dalit ki beti kyun nahi (Manmohan Singh has not contest any public election... he was brought through back door in Rajya Sabha and made Prime Minister. If Manmmohan can become PM, why can't an educated Dalit women),'' she said amid thunderous applause by BSP supporters.

Mayawati also tried to evoke regional sentiments. ``If BJP can project L K Advani who comes from Gujarat as Prime Minister-in-waiting and Congress can present Manmohan Singh who belongs to Punjab as a candidate for the post, why can't UP think of making one of its candidates Prime Minister,'' she said.

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Polls head for photo-finish as BJP plays catch-up

The race for emerging as the single largest party and the largest pre-poll alliance in the Lok Sabha election has become really tight. Polling is
yet to be held in 171 seats, although campaigning is over in all but 86 seats. And as parties go into the final stretch of the race, it looks like it will be a photo-finish.

It also seems quite clear now that whichever party or formation emerges as the biggest bloc, it will still have to rope in many more partners after the election in order to form a stable government. By themselves, the two top groups - UPA and NDA - are certain to fall well short of the majority mark of 272.

TOI's political bureaus in 14 different cities and its network of correspondents have been tracking the poll's progress to bring you their best estimates of the likely results. We have done two rounds and here's the third. When we began, it looked like Congress
was well ahead of BJP and the UPA was more than 20 seats ahead of the NDA. No longer.

The Congress, according to our estimate, now looks like ending up with 152 seats and the UPA with 195. The BJP, we feel, is likely to get 145 seats and its allies another 42, taking the NDA's tally to 187. In other words, the gap between the two pre-poll alliances seems no more than 8 seats, and as these are nothing more than estimates, it's really tough to say which way the electoral see-saw will eventually tilt.

The bigger message that's emerging from this scenario is that the leading parties as well as alliances could be separated by less than 10 seats. This would obviously mean that the Left and "Others" could end up deciding who forms the next government.

The current estimates differ from the earlier one in several states. Among the most significant differences is that in Uttar Pradesh - we now feel both the Congress and the BJP might do better than earlier anticipated. Between them and the BJP's ally, Ajit Singh's RLD, they could win 30 of the state's 80 seats. The rest, we believe, will be split 28-22 between the BSP and the SP.

Source : Times Of India

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Arun Shourie touts Narendra Modi as Advani's successor

NEW DELHI: In what may be the first clear advocacy of Narendra Modi for PM by a senior BJP leader, former minister Arun Shourie said the Gujarat chief minister's leadership of his state was exemplary as he had already implemented programmes being promised by political parties in their manifestos.

Speaking in Ahmedabad, Shourie suggested that it could be Modi's turn to be projected as BJP's prime ministerial nominee after L K Advani as he said, "You have an opportunity to elect the PM not only this time but in the next polls also." He said Gujarat was a model state for governance and development in the country.

Though Shourie was quick to clarify that he had voiced his personal opinion, his remarks are bound to create a stir in the party not only because they have come in the midst of the poll campaign but also as he has touched the faultlines between "gen-next" saffron leaders. Equations amongst the next rung of BJP leaders are far from easy.

Shourie's remarks are sure to go down well with Modi who has emerged as the party's top campaigner, ahead of Advani in the current LS polls, though allies like JD(U), who are eyeing Muslim support, are sure to get jitters.

Modi has been a first-among-equals as far as his peer group within BJP is concerned, a status reinforced by his re-election in December 2007 by a convincing margin, contrary to the expectations of the official faction in the party which had anticipated a modest win. Given the sharp rivalries, while Modi's position has been unstated, it is clear at party meets that he has the cadres rooting for him.

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EC biased towards Congress, alleges Mayawati

NEW DELHI: Uttar Pradesh chief minister Mayawati on Tuesday launched a scathing attack against the Election Commission during a press briefing. Mayawati alleged that the Election Commission was biased in favour of Congress and working on its directions.

"I would like to say that the EC officials are acting on the directives of the Congress and its allies. The EC under political pressure is trying to stop BSP to gain power despite the party having peoples' support in its favour," Mayawati claimed.

Taking on CEC Navin Chawla and the Election Commissioner SY Quraishi, Mayawati said that no free and fair elections can take place in the state with Chawla heading the EC.

She told reporters, "Both members of EC (Navin Chawla and S Y Quraishi) are active members of the Congress coterie. Under such circumstances, free and fair elections are not possible in the country. I strongly condemn the EC tactics."

Mayawati also attacked Quraishi saying that he has vested interests in the state and is supporting the Congress as well as the Samajwadi Party.

"Election Commissioner S Y Quraishi has interest in Uttar Pradesh as he himself hails from the state and has relatives there. He has relations with a famous Samajwadi Party leader," the BSP supremo alleged.

According to PTI, Mayawati also said that transfer of police officers on Monday in Jaunpur where a candidate was found hanging had "proved apprehensions of former Chief Election Commissioner N Gopalaswami regarding integrity of his successor Navin Chawla".

"Gopalaswami had written a letter to the President doubting the integrity of Chawla and had alleged that his deputy was working as a Congress agent. The Jaunpur transfers had proved that former CEC's allegations were true," the BSP supremo said.

She said never in the past such serious allegations have been levelled against any CEC. "Under such circumstances, Chawla should have resigned on his own. Unfortunately that did not happen," she said.

Mayawati alleged that Quraishi was indulging in activities which had nothing to do with the poll process, PTI said.

"Due to his personal interest, Quraishi, instead of visiting states where violence took place in the first phase, is coming to UP again and again and indulging in activities which had nothing to do with the poll process," she alleged.

Mayawati termed as unfortunate the Election Commissioner's remarks warning UP officials of serious action.

She added that "Quraishi has personal animosity against some officials of the state.

"Without making any inquiry, Quraishi asked the officials to mend their ways immediately and threatened them to ruin their career. This is very unfortunate. Keeping in view the attitude of the EC, I am sure that the Lok Sabha elections are neither fair nor free," she said.

"The inquiry committee, which submitted its report yesterday, has said that prima facie it was a case of suicide and no political person was involved," she said.

She said: "the EC on the basis of a report submitted by two IAS officials, who do not have any experience of investigating crime, transferred three police officers including the additional SP. The action taken by the EC was unfortunate."

Such action will demoralize the government machinery which is committed to ensure free, fair and peaceful conduct of the Lok Sabha elections, the UP Chief Minister said.

"In the first phase, no untoward incident was reported from anywhere in the state. Under such circumstances instead of patting our back, the EC had removed three officers only on the basis of baseless complaints, which is not justified," she said.

Mayawati maintained the EC's action will create hurdles in the state government's effort to conduct peaceful and fair elections.

"This is a serious situation for democracy and Congress is solely responsible for this. But I would like to add that the EC's tactics will not help the Congress or any of the opposition parties in the ongoing polls," she said.

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NDA will cross magic figure of 272: Swaraj

BHOPAL: Senior BJP leader Sushma Swaraj today expressed confidence that the NDA would definitely cross the magic figure of 272 in the Lok Sabha elections.

Not only would the NDA get a majority on its own, the BJP would also emerge as the single largest party, Swaraj said while addressing a press conference at the Madhya Pradesh BJP office.

Asked to specify the number of seats that the BJP was likely to win, she said that the party would win anything between 180 to 200 seats on its own.

The senior BJP leader, who is the party in-charge for Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand said that her party can win all the 11 seats in Chhattisgarh, all the 29 seats in Madhya Pradesh and four out of six seats in Jharkhand for which polling was held in the first phase on April 16.

Sushma said that she was hurt at the type of language being used by leaders of some political parties during the campaign for the Lok Sabha elections.

She claimed that when BJP's Prime Ministerial candidate, L K Advani described Manmohan Singh as a weak Prime Minister, he did not attack him personally but only referred to his working style.

Similarly, Sushma said that when Narendra Modi called the Congress as old, he did not mean disrespect to any person but only spoke of the organization.

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Paswan defends Lalu on Babri statement against Congress

PATNA: Coming out in defence of his ally Lalu Prasad, locked in a bitter verbal duel with the Congress over Babri mosque demolition, LJP president Ramvilas Paswan today said that nobody can dispute what the RJD leader had said on the issue.

"Lalu ji has just said that there was a Congress government in Delhi led by P V Narasimha Rao when the Babri mosque was pulled down. Who can dispute this fact?," Paswan told reporters at the airport here before leaving for electioneering.

Paswan slammed the Congress for attacking him and Lalu ignoring the "sacrifices" they made for the party that heads the the UPA government at the Centre.

"It is only after Congress president attacked Lalu at an election rally in Jamui for misgovernance during the RJD rule that we retaliated," he said.

Paswan, also a union minister, said despite his party deciding against putting up a "winnable candidate" Shoaib Iqbal from Chandni Chowk constituency, "the Congress has not reciprocated the gesture and fielded a candidate against me who is not capable of fetching even 2000 votes."

"Babri masjid was razed to the ground and Congress cannot be absolved of responsibility," Lalu had said addressing an election meeting at Manigachi in Bihar's Darbhanga district on April 17, triggering a counter-attack by the Congress.

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I never said LTTE is not a terror group: Karunanidhi

NEW DELHI: A day after Tamil Nadu chief minister M Karunanidhi called LTTE chief V Prabhakaran “a good friend”, he sought to clarify his remarks
saying his earlier comments had been twisted and taken out of context.

“I never said LTTE is not a terror group,” Karunanidhi said on Monday. “I expressed concern for the Tamil cause in Sri Lanka,” he added. “But the LTTE did not start as a terrorist organization, it became a terror group later,” he said. ( Watch )

“We cannot forgive the LTTE for killing Rajiv Gandhi,” he said in attempt to backtrack from his earlier remarks. “Sriperumbudur cannot be forgotten”.

The DMK chief on Sunday inflicted a serious embarrassment on Congress by calling Prabhakaran a good friend. "Prabhakaran is my good friend. I am not a terrorist," said Karunanidhi with a laugh of the LTTE boss who is treated as a terrorist by almost the entire international community.

Karunanidhi, who was speaking to a TV channel, also refused to describe the LTTE chief as a terrorist, though he faulted him for using "wrong methods". "Their goals are right, but method is wrong," he said of the LTTE, declared a terrorist organisation in India.

Congress, which supports the DMK government in Tamil Nadu, swiftly contradicted the UPA partner's remarks but, significantly, refrained from attacking Karunanidhi.

Asked specifically by his daughter and DMK Rajya Sabha member Kanimozhi, who was present in the interview, whether he saw Prabhakaran as a terrorist, Karunanidhi said in Tamil, " Naan appadi paarkkalai (I don't see that way)."

He drew a distinction between Prabhakaran and his group which follows him reverentially. "May be, some people in his group are terrorists but that is not his fault." The chief minister also endorsed LTTE's objective to carve out a separate Tamil homeland from Sri Lanka. "The goals of the LTTE are great. They operate with the wonderful goal of establishing Tamil Eelam. However, somewhere along the line, terrorists entered the scene without their knowledge."

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Varun thankful for party support during detention under NSA

NEW DELHI: BJP candidate Varun Gandhi on Saturday expressed his gratitude to the party leader L K Advani for having stood by him during his incarceration after being booked under NSA for his alleged hate speeches.

29-year-old Varun, who was released on two-week parole from Etah jail in UP on Thursday, met Advani at his residence here.

During the nearly hour-long meeting, Varun is understood to have expressed his gratitude to the party for having stood by him "staunchly in his hour of crisis," party sources said.

During the meeting, Advani also inquired about Gandhi's campaign plans.

The BJP leader also enquired in detail about Varun's experience in Etah jail.

Varun's meeting comes ahead of his filing nomination for Pilibhit Lok Sabha seat on April 21, for which the last date of filing nomination is April 24 and polling will take place on May 13.

Varun's mother Maneka Gandhi is expected to file her nomination from Aonla seat in Uttar Pradesh today.

Varun was released from Etah jail on parole for two weeks following a Supreme Court directive, 20 days after he was detained under the NSA for making hate speeches at election meetings in Pilibhit.

Varun also assured Advani that he will be more careful with his campaign speeches.

The Supreme Court had ordered the release of Varun on the condition that he will not make any inflammatory speeches during the elections.

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Sanjay Dutt in trouble for ‘sexist’ remarks against Mayawati

NEW DELHI: Bollywood actor and Samajwadi Party General Secretary Sanjay Dutt is courting controversy yet again after he offered ‘jaadu ki jhappi'to Mayawati.

Dutt has been slapped with a notice by the district magistrate of Pratapgarh in Uttar Pradesh for passing ‘sexist’ comments against Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati, according to Times Now.

"I will give Mayawati a hug and a kiss (jaadu ki jhappi). In her governance there are taps but no water, bulbs but no electricity, and hospitals without beds," Dutt said in an election rally in Pratapgarh on April 17, 2009.

Earlier on Tuesday, an FIR was registered against Dutt for allegedly violating the model code of conduct by making communal remarks in an election rally in Mau district.

Dutt was in the city to campaign in support of SP nominee Arshad Jamal Ansari contesting election from Ghosi parliamentary seat.

Dutt during his speech said, "Jab mai police custody me tha to police wale mujhe third degree dete the. Wo mujhe marte the aur kehte the ki tumhari maa musalman hai" (When I was in police custody I was given third degree by them because I am son of a Muslim lady).

The district administration of Mau reacted promptly in the matter and filed a complaint against Sanjay Dutt for violating the model code of conduct (MCC).

As per the MCC, "during an election campaign, no party or candidate shall indulge in any activity which may aggravate existing differences or create mutual hatred or cause tension between different castes and communities, religious or linguistic."

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