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If his drowning becomes inevitable, then the YSR Congress Party president Y S Jaganmohan Reddy wants to take as many people as possible along with him. He knows that the charges against him are quite serious and going by the present trend of court-monitored CBI cases, he is going to have a tough time.

Realizing this, Jagan is desperately trying to drag as many Congress bigwigs as possible into the muddle. In a clever move to turn the tables on the Congress, Jagan has dragged the name of Ahmad Patel, the political adviser to the party President Sonia Gandhi and a very important leader in the Congress coterie.

He said Patel used to make several phone calls to his father and former Chief Minister late Y S Rajasekhar Reddy to get things done in his favour. This is a bombshell that is sure to make the ruling party nervous.

“You should ask the likes of Ahmed Patel about how many times they called up the CM to influence some decisions here,” the Kadapa MP said in an interaction with a select group of reporters representing the national television channels.

By dragging Ahmad Patel into the whole controversy, Jagan’s game plan is clear. He wants to send a message to the Congress bosses that he has in his possession some key information about their activities and that he can spill the beans during the CBI interrogation.
Source: Greatandhra

New Delhi, Aug 15: Congress general secretary Rahul Gandhi Monday attended the Independence Day flag hoisting ceremony at the party office and said party president Sonia Gandhi was doing much better after her surgery. He later held discussions with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

Rahul Gandhi returned to the capital Sunday after being with his mother who underwent surgery earlier this month in the US.

‘She is much better,’ Rahul told reporters.

Though Congress leaders were keen that Rahul Gandhi should hoist the tricolour in the party office in the absence of his mother, the flag was unfurled by party treasurer Motilal Vora.

Party sources said the young leader suggested that the flag should be hoisted by Vora, who is considered senior both by his rank and age.

After the ceremony, Rahul Gandhi met the prime minister for over an hour. Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee and Information and Broadcasting Minister Ambika Soni and party leader Janardan Dwivedi were also present at the meeting.

Party leaders, however, remained tight-lipped over the meeting.

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New Delhi, Aug 15 (ANI): Asserting that the fight on the Jan Lokpal Bill will continue, veteran social activist Anna Hazare on Monday said there has to be a mass uprising to bring about a change.

"Even after 64 years of independence, we have not achieved freedom. Even after 64 years of Independence there is still corruption going on in the country. We need to think of change for this nation to progress. We have not got independence in the real term. We want change, we want Lokpal. There is a need for a change. The fight for Lokpal is far from over," Hazare told mediapersons at the Constitution Club here on Monday evening.

"We need to bring about the dawn of a new era. We have to fight our battle at several fronts. There has to be a mass uprising to bring about a change. "Lokpal Bill will be a reality sooner or later. What according to the government is freedom? Lokpal aside, revolution for change must continue," he added.

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If his drowning becomes inevitable, then the YSR Congress Party president Y S Jaganmohan Reddy wants to take as many people as possible along with him. He knows that the charges against him are quite serious and going by the present trend of court-monitored CBI cases, he is going to have a tough time.

Realizing this, Jagan is desperately trying to drag as many Congress bigwigs as possible into the muddle. In a clever move to turn the tables on the Congress, Jagan has dragged the name of Ahmad Patel, the political adviser to the party President Sonia Gandhi and a very important leader in the Congress coterie.

He said Patel used to make several phone calls to his father and former Chief Minister late Y S Rajasekhar Reddy to get things done in his favour. This is a bombshell that is sure to make the ruling party nervous.

“You should ask the likes of Ahmed Patel about how many times they called up the CM to influence some decisions here,” the Kadapa MP said in an interaction with a select group of reporters representing the national television channels.

By dragging Ahmad Patel into the whole controversy, Jagan’s game plan is clear. He wants to send a message to the Congress bosses that he has in his possession some key information about their activities and that he can spill the beans during the CBI interrogation.

Source: GA

Known for his controversial statements, the CPI leader K Narayana has made a sensational claim that the Congress President Sonia Gandhi has been maintaining secret accounts in Swiss banks.

Nobody knows about the source of Narayana’s information but he asserted that former Prime Minister late Rajiv Gandhi had accounts in Swiss banks. “Sonia Gandhi is operating these accounts now,” the state CPI Secretary said.

Narayana’s remarks come against the backdrop of the ongoing campaign against the corruption in high places and the growing demand for bringing back the black money stashed away in secret accounts in tax havens abroad.

Meanwhile, the communist leader demanded that the all the ministers in the YSR cabinet must be examined in connection with the ongoing CBI probe into the assets of YSR Congress Party President Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy.

He went a step further and said the former Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu should also be included in the probe as far as land allotments for Special Economic Zones (SEZs) and other industrial projects.

Source: GA

With the Central Bureau of Investigation almost completing the preliminary investigation into the ill-gotten assets of YSR Congress party president Y S Jaganmohan Reddy and alleged illegal flow of investments into his group companies, all eyes are on what is going to be there in the preliminary report.

While the Congress party is trying to make mountain out of the mole hill with regard to Jagan’s business empire, one wonders whether the CBI can expose at least a mole by digging the mountain. According to the CBI officials, they have got certain evidences with regard to illegal investments into Jagan’s companies, but experts say it is very difficult to prove their illegality. “At the most, they can question the intentions behind these investments, but cannot say they are illegal,” a source said.

In any case, the CBI is expected to seek the permission of the High Court to conduct a detailed investigation. However, since the CBI is expected to give a copy of the preliminary investigation report to Jagan and the investors in his companies, they would definitely move the Supreme Court seeking a stay on the investigation. They can question the contents of the CBI report.

So, nothing is going to happen to Jagan and his companies for the next few months and he can happily go around the state, alleging witch-hunting by Sonia Gandhi and others!
Source: Greatandhra

New Delhi, July 25: Samajwadi Party MP Rewati Raman Singh and Bharatiya Janata Party MP Ashok Argal were Monday separately questioned in the 2008 parliamentary cash-for-vote scam. While Singh denied he had bribed three BJP MPs ahead of the trust vote, Argal said he had been approached by the former.

While Rewati Raman Singh was questioned on the alleged calls he received from former BJP Yuva Morcha member Suhail Hindustani to strike a deal with BJP MPs before the trust vote in the Lok Sabha, Argal was grilled on how he came in touch with Singh and who paid the bribe money.

Singh was questioned in the morning, and Argal, who was allegedly offered the bribe, arrived at the Delhi Police Crime Branch office at 4 p.m.

Singh, an MP from Allahabad in Uttar Pradesh, arrived at the inter-state cell of the Crime Branch in New Delhi’s Chanakyapuri at 11.45 a.m. He was questioned for around 90 minutes by the Crime Branch team led by Deputy Commissioner of Police Ashok Chand.

‘He was questioned for allegedly bribing the three BJP MPs. He, however, refuted the charges and said that he met the three BJP leaders on account of their wanting to join the SP,’ said a source, adding that he also said that he never spoke to Suhail Hindustani.

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No consensus on bill, only point of agreement was on the need to have a strong Lokpal

New Delhi: An all-party meet on Lokpal on Sunday evening failed to reach a consensus on any of the crucial aspects of the proposed Bill — neither on how the Lokpal should be appointed, nor on where his writ should run and where it should not.

This means the issue of corruption in high places — and even elsewhere in government, the bureaucracy and the state apparatus — will be the central point of discussion and agitation in the forthcoming monsoon session of Parliament.

The meeting did not even discuss the legislation and its clauses. Its first objection was that the government had brought two sets of proposals — its own and those of civil society — before elected Members of Parliament. This was unacceptable.

"We want a strong Lokpal…bring a government bill, send it to the standing committee so that all parties can give a point of view," said Leader of Opposition Sushma Swaraj.

She was reacting to the fact that two sets of proposals — one from the government and the other from the Anna Hazare-led social activists — had been presented. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) said it was not the Opposition’s job to create a consensus between the government and sundry groups of activists. It wanted the government to put out one comprehensive draft.
Source: MSN

New Delhi: Congress president Sonia Gandhi would not be meeting social activist Anna Hazare and other civil society representatives pitching for a Lokpal bill Thursday, a senior Congress leader said.

"The meeting between Anna Hazare and Sonia Gandhi has been cancelled for today," Congress leader Tom Vadakkan told IANS.

"The meet between Anna and Sonia Gandhi has not been cancelled but will take place later… we have not been given any time so far," said a civil society leader, pleading anonymity.

Hazare, accompanied by civil society representatives Arvind Kejriwal and Kiran Bedi, met Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and will also hold talks with Communist Party of India general secretary A.B. Bardhan.

Hazare earlier said his team wanted to meet Sonia Gandhi to discuss the Lokpal bill. His team would be meeting political leaders across the board to build a consensus on the bill drafted by members of the civil society.
Source: MSN

Centre misleading people, says Hazare; Government calls all party meet on July 3 to discuss two drafts

New Delhi: The government will convene an all-party meet July 3 to discuss the two versions of the Lokpal bill, even as Gandhian Anna Hazare Wednesday slammed the UPA government for not being serious about tackling corruption and reiterated he would go on another hunger strike Aug 16 over the issue.

Undeterred by Hazare’s call, the Congress warned him not to fast again else he may get the "same treatment" as yoga guru Baba Ramdev, who along with his supporters had to face a police crackdown in New Delhi.

But Hazare hit back, saying that he was "ready" for "everything" – even batons.

The United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government had on Tuesday decided to hold discussions with all political parties on the draft of the bill – a move taken after civil society members, headed by Hazare, and government met for the last time.

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