Tag Archives: Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam

Karunanidhi warns of pulling out of UPA over Sri Lanka

by

0


DMK chief M Karunanidhi on Friday warned his party will pull out of the UPA government if India does not press for an independent international probe against those responsible for the genocide in Sri Lanka in the US-sponsored resolution in the UNHRC against the island nation.

In a statement issued here late night, Karunanidhi, referring to the US sponsored resolution at the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC), said: “India should take steps to amend the American resolution to include thatt those war criminals responsible for the genocide in Sri Lanka be identified, hold a free international enquiry against them and take time bound appropriate action.”

“If this request is not heeded, it will be meaningless for the DMK to continue in the central government,” he added.

DMK, with 18 members in the Lok Sabha, is a key constituent in the central United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government.

IANS

Related articles

Sissa’s request and Chess

by

0


Among the fascinating legends told about the origin of chess is the story of Sissa, a scientist and the inventor of the game. In western India, Raja Balhait had asked his advisers to create a game that demonstrated the values of prudence, diligence, foresight, and knowledge. Sissa brought a chessboard to the raja and explained that he had chosen war as a model for the game because war was the most effective school in which to learn the values of decision, vigor, endurance, circumspection, and courage. The raja was delighted with the game and ordered its preservation in temples. He considered its principles the foundation of all justice and held it to be the best training in the art of war.

Radha_Krishna_Playing_Chess

The raja said to his subject Sissa, “Ask any reward. It will be yours.” Being a scientist, Sissa felt rewarded by the pleasure his invention was giving others; but the kind insisted, and finally Sissa said, “Give me a reward in grains of corn on the chessboard (ashtapada). On the first square one grain, on the second two, on the third four, on the fourth double of that, and so on until the 64th and last square.”

The raja would not hear of it. He insisted that Sissa ask for something of more worth than grains of corn. But Sissa insisted he had no need of much and that the grains of corn would suffice. Thereupon the raja ordered the corn to be brought; but before they had reached the 30th square, all the corn of India was exhausted. Perturbed, he looked at Sissa, who laughed and told his raja that he knew perfectly well he could never receive the reward he had asked because the amount of corn involved would cover the whole surface of the earth to a depth of nine inches.

The raja did not know which to admire more: the invention of chess or the ingenuity of Sissa’s request. The number involved is 18,446,744,073,709,551,615 grains. This number had been previously calculated by the early Indian mathematicians, who incidentally, had invented the decimal system long before it reached the Arabs and Europe.

#2G Scam: DMK to Back Raja’s Request to Appear Before JPC

by

0


DMK will back former Telecom Minister A Raja if the issue of his request to appear before the Joint Parliamentary Committee as a witness on the 2G case is raised at the UPA Coordination Committee meeting here on Tuesday.
A_Raja3_20120516

“If the Congress raises the issue…, asks us, we have to stand by Raja,” party spokesman T K Elangovan, MP, told PTI when asked whether the issue could be raised by the DMK, a key constituent of the UPA, at the Coordination Committee meeting convened by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

Besides, Elangovan said Raja’s request to appear before the JPC was a “new development” and “our leader may advise us” about future course of action.

The DMK spokesman said his party would raise the issue of Sri Lankan Tamils and farmers suicides in Tamil Nadu at the UPA Coordination Committee meeting.

A DMK member of Lok Sabha, Raja is a prime accused in the 2G spectrum case who had been in Tihar jail for several months before being granted bail.

He had met Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar some days back and handed her a letter expressing his willingness to appear as a witness before the JPC.

Raja has contended that while he has the “fullest respect” for the court, “the fact remains that I have been condemned unheard.” He has sent a copy of the letter to Congress leader P C Chacko, who heads the JPC.

Raja’s request to Kumar comes days after Attorney General G E Vahanvati blamed him for various issues before the JPC.

“The truth of the matter is being suppressed on the basis of preconceived notions, deliberate bias, faulty investigation and erroneous conclusions.

“…Perhaps the most telling example of this situation is the judgement of the Hon’ble Supreme Court dated 02.02.2012, where specific and prejudicial observations were made against me without giving me a hearing,” Raja wrote in the letter.

Chacko is likely to get back to Raja with a final decision soon on the issue after consulting other committee members, JPC sources said.

Reports had it that Raja’s desire to testify before the JPC could be extremely damaging for the ruling UPA, as it fuels a controversy which the government is now trying to give a quiet burial after over two years of turbulent parliamentary, judicial and media scrutiny since November 2010.

Chacko is likely to get back to Raja with a final decision soon on the issue after consulting other committee members, the sources said.

Raja’s request has come when the three-month-long Budget session has just commenced.

Congress has steered clear of the issue while an AIADMK has leader said it was a fight between DMK and Congress and his party would not get into it.

With Parliament reconvening on Tuesday and the JPC scheduled to meet soon after, Raja’s demand could become a major rallying point for the BJP and Left parties.

At the UPA meeting, besides several issues, the Telangana statehood demand is expected to figure. NCP chief Sharad Pawar had suggested the need for such an early meeting to discuss Telangana.

The meeting will be the first formal interaction between Congress and allies after the AgustaWestland helicopter scam broke out .

Meanwhile, another ally National Conference is apparently upset over the way the execution of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru was carried out. Chief Minister Omar Abdullah had said it would increase alienation of Kashmiris from the Indian mainstream.

PTI
Related articles

2G Case: Raja Wants to Appear Before JPC as a Witness

by

1


A Raja, former Telecom Minister and prime accused in the 2G spectrum allocation scam case, today created a flutter by making a strong pitch to appear before the JPC as a witness claiming he has been “condemned unheard”.

raja

Raja’s request to Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar comes days after Attorney General G E Vahanvati blamed him for various issues before the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC).

He has also been blamed for the 2G scam by other witnesses before the special CBI court.

“The truth of the matter is being suppressed on the basis of preconceived notions, deliberate bias, faulty investigation and erroneous conclusions.

“…Perhaps the most telling example of this situation is the judgement of the Hon’ble Supreme Court dated 02.02.2012, where specific and prejudicial observations were made against me without giving me a hearing,” Raja wrote in the letter.

Raja’s request has come when the three-month-long Budget session has just commenced.

There was no immediate reaction of JPC Chairman P C Chacko to the request of Raja, who had been in Tihar jail for several months in the 2G issue before being granted bail.

Congress spokesperson Rashid Alvi steered clear of the issue while an AIADMK leader said it was a fight between DMK and Congress and his party would not get into it.

Raja, a leader of the DMK, met Kumar at her office yesterday and handed over a letter expressing his willingness to appear as a witness before the committee.

He has sent a copy of the letter to Chacko.

Raja said while he has the “fullest respect” for the court, “the fact remains that I have been condemned unheard.”

DMK members in JPC T R Baalu and T Siva had been pressing Chacko to call Raja as a witness.

They also demanded calling Vahanvati again before the panel after he told JPC earlier this month that the controversial press note regarding 2G licences was changed at the last minute by Raja in 2008 with a different pen.

Vahanvati was then the Solicitor General.

Chacko is apparently against calling Raja as a witness. He has told members that as an accused Raja has legal protection and cannot make fresh revelations before any committee. Therefore, there was no point in calling Raja.

But Chacko is yet to take a final call on the issue.

“If Raja is to be called, he will be the last witness. If DMK agrees on not calling him, then we have concluded calling witnesses before JPC and we would focus on writing the report,” Chacko had recently said.

Parliament sources said the Speaker cannot direct any committee to call a person as a witness. In this case, Kumar can forward Raja’s letter to Chacko.

PTI

DMK against FDI but ‘very strongly’ backs government

by

0


Government ally DMK Thursday said it was against foreign investment in multi-brand retail but “very strongly” supports the ruling UPA and wants it to complete its full term.

DMK’s Tiruchi Siva told the Rajya Sabha that his party “finds it essential that the government should go for its full term for the progressive measures it has been taking.. and we want to keep away communal forces”.

The DMK spoke against allowing foreign investment in retail in the Lok Sabha but voted for the government Wednesday. It has 18 MPs in the lower house and seven in the upper house.

In a repeat of its stand, Siva said in the upper house: “DMK very strongly supports the government, but opposes the motion for FDI.

“The DMK has never let its friends down midway.. We started with a mission and the DMK will always be with the UPA.”

Terming FDI a “foreign invasion” by multinationals, Siva said: “FDI giants will eat the small farmers and shopkeepers.”

He urged the government to start a farmers market instead of bringing in FDI. “Through such a market, farmers can bring their produce directly to the market, such things can be done.”

Siva said the government should have gone in for consensus “to assuage the fears in the minds of the people” about FDI.

IANS

Bail Granted for A.Raja in 2G Spectrum Case

by

0


Over 15 months after his arrest, former telecom minister A Raja was on Tuesday granted bail by a Delhi court in the 2G spectrum case.

“The bail application is allowed,” Special CBI Judge O P Saini said. The court granted bail to the DMK MP on a personal bond of Rs 20 lakh and two sureties of the same amount.

The court while granting bail imposed conditions on Raja that he will not visit Tamil Nadu without its prior permission and will not go to the office of the Department of Telecom (DoT).

The court, in its 14-page bail order, also said that Raja would not try to influence any witnesses while on bail. Raja was arrested on February 2, 2011.

Reacting to the news, Tamil Nadu chief minister J Jayalalithaa said the 2G scam case was getting diluted.

Meanwhile, the DMK welcomed the decision. “We welcome the court’s verdict and are hopeful that he will come out and prove his innocence,” DMK leader Tiruchi Siva said.

Asked if Raja would attend Parliament or do party work, Siva said that he will take part in activities as per conditions laid by the court for his bail. Siva said that some DMK leaders may visit the jail at the time of the release of the former telecom minister.

The court, while granting bail to 49-year-old Raja, said all the co-accused in the case have already been granted bail and his further detention would not serve any purpose.

“In the end considering the progress of the trial, period of the custody of the accused and the fact that all other accused have been released on bail, I am of the opinion that further detention of the accused would not serve any purpose and for these reasons, I am inclined to admit the applicant/ accused (Raja) to bail,” the special judge said.

On the apprehension of the CBI that if granted bail Raja may influence witnesses and tamper with evidence, the court said it addressed them by imposing conditions and restrictions on the accused. The court noted that entire evidence in the case was documentary and was in its custody.

“Moreover, this apprehension of the prosecution (that Raja may influence the witnesses and tamper with the evidence) can be addressed by imposing conditions and restrictions on the accused.

“Furthermore, almost entire evidence in the case is documentary in nature and the same is in the custody of the court,” the judge said. The court also directed Raja to surrender his passport as a prerequisite for bail.

Raja, who has remained in judicial custody for over 15 months since his arrest, had sought bail on the ground of parity as other 13 co-accused have already secured bail either from the Supreme Court, the Delhi high court or the trial court.

Raja has alleged the case against him is “false and fabricated” and “not sustainable in law.”

The CBI had vehemently opposed Raja’s bail, saying he could not be released on the ground of parity as the charges levelled against him were of serious nature. The agency has alleged that DMK-run Kalaignar TV had received Rs 200 crore as bribe from Shahid Balwa‘s DB Group through a circuitous route as a quid pro quo for favours shown by Raja in spectrum allocation.

The agency has also claimed that during the probe, it had come to light that Raja and others had received a bribe of another Rs 200 crore from certain companies under its scanner in connection with the spectrum scam.

The CBI had raised questions on Raja’s alleged links with Mauritius-based Delphi Investment Ltd, in which Reliance Telecom Ltd had allegedly transferred its shares and said if released on bail at this stage, he might tamper with evidence.

Raja had sought bail, saying the Supreme Court, while granting bail to former telecom secretary Siddharth Behura, had not distinguished the case of public servant from that of others. He had submitted that he and Behura were facing similar charges of abetment, conspiracy and criminal breach of trust.

Raja’s counsel had submitted that as his client was no longer a Union cabinet minister, he could not tamper with the evidence or influence the witnesses.

Besides Raja, his private secretary R K Chandolia, Behura, DMK MP Kanimozhi, corporate honchos — Reliance Anil Dhirubhai Ambani group’s MD Gautam Doshi, ADAG group President Surendra Pipara and Senior Vice President Hari Nair, Unitech MD Sanjay Chandra and Swan Telecom promoters Shahid Usman Balwa and Vinod Goenka–are facing trial in the case.

The court has also put on trial Kalaignar TV MD Sharad Kumar, Director of Cineyug Media and Entertainment Pvt Ltd Karim Morani and Directors of Kusegaon Fruits and Vegetables Pvt Ltd Asif Balwa and Rajeev Agarwal.

Besides these 14 persons, three telecom firms – Swan Telecom Pvt Ltd, Reliance Telecom Ltd and Unitech Wireless (Tamil Nadu) Pvt Ltd, are also facing trial in the case.

Raja and others have been charged for the offence of cheating, forgery, criminal conspiracy and corruption besides criminal breach of trust that entails a maximum punishment of life imprisonment.

Source: PTI

Related articles

In TN, the heat is on Azhagiri, summoned by collector

by

0


MK Azhagiri, union cabinet minister and the DMK strongman in Madurai is in trouble. In an unprecedented move, U Sagayam, the district collector has asked Azhagiri, his wife Kanthi and son Dhayanidhi to appear before him in person or through a representative on January 4 and make their stance on a complaint filed by a farmer from Sivarakottai village against the union minister.

M Ramalingam, a farmer, has alleged that Azhagiri, Kanthi and Dhayanidhi-all trustees of MK Azhagiri Educational Trust, damaged and destroyed irrigation channels in the village while constructing Dhaya Engineering College, a family enterprise. He charged that hundreds of farmers lost their only source of irrigation because of the destruction of the channels.

Sagayam asked the District Revenue Officer to hold an enquiry following the complaint by Ramalingam. “The DRO has visited the village to verify the veracity of the complaint and observed that there is prima facie case,” said the notice issued by the collector.

An earlier notice issued by the district collector was withdrawn after Azhagiri and family members filed a writ petition challenging it in the high court. The court had asked the collector to reword the letter of summons to the union minister.

“It is not a summons. We sent a notice to Azhagiri in his capacity as the Managing Trustee of the Education Trust named after him. He can always depute a representative to explain the facts,” a senior official in the collectorate told this newspaper.

But for Azhagiri, the elder son of the DMK president M Karunanidhi,this is a major setback. Till May this year, he was a law unto himself in southern Tamil Nadu. The change of government in Fort Saint George in Chennai has taken its toll with each and every action of the union minister coming under the scanner of the AIADMK government led by Jayalalithaa.

Author -  Kumar Chellappan

Related articles

2G Scam: CBI to Oppose Bail to Corporate Honchos in Supreme Court

by

5


The CBI will oppose the bail of five corporate honchos in the Supreme Court which is to hear their petitions on Monday, in connection with the 2G scam, days after it did not object to the bail pleas of DMK MP Kanimozhi and four others in the trial court.

Sources in the investigating agency confirmed that it has instructed the lawyer to oppose the plea of corporate executives – Unitech Wireless MD Sanjay Chandra, Swan Telecom Director Vinod Goenka and Reliance Anil Dhirubhai Ambani group executives Hari Nair, Gautam Doshi and Surrendra Pipara – who have approached the apex court for bail.

Earlier the agency on October 24 did not oppose the bail plea of Kanimozhi, Kalaignar TV MD Sharad Kumar, directors of Kusegaon Fruits and Vegetables Asif Balwa, Rajiv Agarwal and Bollywood producer Karim Morani before a special CBI court here.

It had, however, opposed bail plea of Swan Telecom promoter Shahid Balwa and A Raja‘s former private secretary R K Chandolia in the trial court. Monday’s proceedings in the Supreme Court assumes significance as the apex court had earlier said the accused in the 2G scam can seek bail after framing of charges against them which was done on October 22.

Other accused in the case include former telecom minister A Raja, former telecom secretary Siddhartha Behura and three telecom firms Reliance Telecom Ltd, Swan Telecom and Unitech (Tamil Nadu) Wireless Ltd.

Related articles