YSR

Y S Vivekananda reddy uses outburst to get into YSR shoes

The agriculture minister, Mr Y.S. Vivekananda Reddy, might have turned emotional on spur of the moment in the Assembly on Monday, but subsequently took advantage of the incident and portrayed himself as the real inheritor of YSR’s legacy. In a calculated move, the minister read out a written statement which he prepared with the assistance of the Congress MP, Mr V. Arunkumar, and tourism minister, Mr V. Vasanth Kumar. Mr Vivekananda clearly sought to send a message to his brother’s son and former Kadapa MP, Mr Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, also that it was he who was instrumental in turning Kadapa a fortress for the family. “For years together I remained as representative of my brother in Pulivendula and Kadapa district for which I am contented. I played my role in turning Kadapa a fortress for my brother,” he said. The minister’s comments gained significance in view of the ensuing bypolls in Kadapa. Describing himself as Lakshmana, Mr Vivekananda said he walked in the footsteps of his brother Rama for 30 years unmindful of himself, future of his family and career for the well being of YSR. He said his emotional behaviour only showed how Lakshmana would be without Rama. He then went on to criticise the Opposition for not desisting from mudslinging on YSR even after his death. “He faced your (TD) baseless allegations with a smile and you did not even spare his hearty laugh from criticism,” he said adding that he would not keep quiet at attempts to tarnish his brother as corrupt.  

BJP Gilani

"BJP Gives NOC for Pak President Gilani"

Senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader L. K. Advani on Monday said he had no objection to India inviting the Pakistan President for the World Cup semi-final cricket match between India and Pakistan on Wednesday, but added that there must be zero tolerance to terrorism. Mr. Advani was responding to questions at a “Face-the-Press,” organised by the Mumbai Press Club. The panel consisted of N. Ram, Editor-in-Chief of The Hindu, Kumar Ketkar of the Dainik Bhaskar group, CEO of Star India Uday Shankar, and Ajit Ranade of the Association for Democratic Reforms. Mr. Advani said his party's view was that as far as interactions between India and Pakistan were concerned, there should be person-to-person interactions as much as possible. “I have no objection to inviting the Pakistan President. I am happy that they have forgiven someone in prison after 27 years in response to an appeal made by the Supreme Court of India, where his parents had filed an application. A similar case has been pending, I will be happy if more people are released.” Mr. Advani said terrorism and dialogue should be delinked. “Zero tolerance means we will be willing to have a dialogue, provided you totally dismantle the infrastructure of terrorism that you have built up. What is happening now is that India and Pakistan are playing a cricket match and inviting Mr. Zardari and Mr. Gilani for the match is engagement. Engagement does not mean that you start a formal dialogue.” Worse situation The situation in Pakistan had become so worse, said Mr. Advani quoting the former Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf's interview to Time. Asked if Pakistan is the most dangerous country in the world, Mr. Musharraf had said, “I will not say [the] most dangerous, but I will say very dangerous. ” Mr. Advani said, “He was the head of Pakistan once, and he wants to return. He says Pakistan is very dangerous. If you make terrorism an instrument of State policy, it is bound to recoil on you and in Pakistan it has happened.” On party colleague Arun Jaitley's remarks on Hindu nationalism, revealed by a WikiLeaks cable and published by The Hindu, he said he would go through the cable. “I will have to see; I saw a statement made by Jaitley that he has never used the word ‘opportunistic' in his interaction." When Mr. Ketkar asked him why he partially trusted WikiLeaks, and did not believe that Mr. Jaitley said Hindutva was opportunistic, Mr. Advani said every cable had three parts: facts which were conveyed to the U.S.; the interpretation, and the third advice. The facts should be accepted as true at least as in the case of the cash-for-votes.

Andhra Pradesh Assembly

TDP, Congress MLAs clash in Andhra Pradesh Assembly

Ruling Congress and main opposition Telugu Desam MLAs came to near blows inside the Andhra Pradesh Assembly on Monday after Agriculture Minister Y. S. Vivekananda heckled two TDP MLAs as they held a placard that denigrated supporters of late Chief Minister Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy. Mr. Vivekananda, brother of the late chief minister, rushed towards Telugu Desam Legislature Party deputy leader Gali Muddukrishnama Naidu and tore away the placard that read “YSR dongala mutha” (YSR’s gang of thieves) and also heckled another MLA Ch Prabhakar who was sitting there. Sensing trouble, officiating Speaker Nadendla Manohar adjourned the House immediately. As soon as the House began this morning, MIM legislators trooped into the Well and raised the demand for constitution of a Joint Legislature Committee to probe “illegal allotment” of Wakf land for industries and other purposes. At the same time, the TDP members too rose to their feet at their respective places, holding placards demanding a JLC to probe all land allotments. The TDP members also held placards with the slogan “YSR dongala mutha”. Congress MLAs loyal to rebel leader Y. S. Jaganmohan Reddy too stood up to counter the TDP. About half-a-dozen Congress MLAs from Telangana also were on their feet raising slogans in support of a separate state. All of a sudden, the Agriculture Minister rushed towards the Opposition benches in a fit of rage and tore away the placard held by the TDLP deputy leader. As he virtually tried to hit their fellow MLA, other TDP members rushed in and pushed Mr. Vivekananda away. The officiating Speaker adjourned the House immediately. Meanwhile, the TDP has demanded that the state Agriculture Minister be dismissed from the Council of Ministers forthwith for his unruly behaviour in the Andhra Pradesh Assembly. A delegation of TDP MLAs met the Deputy Speaker after the House was adjourned over the incident and demanded that the video footage related to the Agriculture Minister’s actions be released to the media. The TDP MLAs also asked the Deputy Speaker to report the issue to the Legislative Council Chairman as Vivekananda was a member of the Upper House of the state Legislature. The Deputy Speaker reportedly assured the TDP legislators that he would discuss the issue with floor leaders of all parties and take appropriate action.

YSR

YSR's brother slaps MLA during Andhra Assembly Session

In perhaps the first time in the history of Indian legislature, a minister in the AP government slapped an opposition MLA right in the assembly minutes after the house met for the day. The minister in question is Y S Vivekananda Reddy, the brother of former chief minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy who is a member of the legislative council and present in the assembly in his capacity as agriculture minister. Minutes after he slapped TDP MLA C H Prabhakar, the house was adjourned and the main opposition party is now demanding the resignation of Vivekananda Reddy as well as a breach of privilege by a member of another house on a legislator. As soon as the AP Assembly met at 9 am, the house witnessed the same ruckus as has been happening for most of the budget session — the TDP MLAs rushing to the well of the house with a certain demand and the ruling party ally MIM disrupting the proceedings with another demand of their own. For the last few days, the TDP MLAs have been trooping into the house wearing placards stating 'YSR's gang of robbers'. As soon as the TDP MLAs raised slogans minutes after the house met on Monday, a visibly angry Vivekananda Reddy got up from his seat, walked to the TDP benches and started arguing with its senior member G Muddukrishnammaaidu. Even as the argument was in progress, TDP MLA Prabhakar, who was in the second row, said something to the minister who promptly slapped him and when he attempted to slap the TDP MLA for the second time, Muddukrishnammanaidu came in between and took the blow on his shoulder. At this juncture, the house was adjourned even as fellow minister from Kadapa Mohd Ahmedulla Syed and MIM MLAs rushed to the TDP benches and took away Vivekananda Reddy to safety.

PCC president

D Srinivas warns against infighting in Cong

Admitting that unity in the state Congress was not as strong as it was in 2004, PCC president D Srinivas on Sunday called upon leaders to set aside their differences and work towards regaining the party's lost glory. Addressing the party workers at a felicitation function at Gandhi Bhavan, the PCC chief minced no words as he told the warring factions within the Congress that their actions did not augur well for the party. "We are going through a peculiar situation and all leaders must realise and act accordingly. Some of the leaders may feel that the party is not in a position to act tough because of the slender lead in the Assembly. Let me convey that taking action against those indulging in anti-party activities is not a big issue. The high command is closely watching the developments and will take a call at an appropriate time," DS said. The PCC chief was felicitated by chief minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy, Union petroleum minister S Jaipal Reddy, former chief minister K Rosaiah and others for completing three years as PCC chief in his second tenure. Wishing the PCC chief an all-round success, the chief minister recalled that the party had come to power twice during Srinivas' tenure. Assuring full co-operation to PCC chief, the CM said he would devote more time for strengthening the party. Meanwhile, Rajya Sabha MP V Hanumanth Rao demanded immediate disciplinary action on party workers and leaders who worked against the official nominees in the recently concluded MLC elections to the local authority constituencies. "I fail to understand why some leaders are being spared despite their vicious attack on the party high command," he rued.

Mahindra Satyam account

Mahindra Satyam bank account frozen

In a move that could potentially trigger a financial crisis at the scam-hit Mahindra Satyam at the fag-end of the financial year, the Andhra Pradesh High Court on Friday restrained both the IT company and the income tax (I-T) department from accessing the company's attached bank accounts containing Rs 1,300 crore till March 31. Twenty six bank accounts of the company in various banks were attached by the I-T department on Tuesday after the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) on Monday turned down the company's plea seeking a stay on the a tax demand of Rs 616.54 crore. The HC order immediately led to apprehensions amongst the employees about the ability of the company to pay salaries at the month-end, but Mahindra Satyam chairman Vineet Nayyar told TOI that the company had enough liquid cash. Later, an internal mail was also circulated by the HR department to allay these apprehensions.   The order was issued by a bench comprising Justice V V S Rao and Justice Ramesh Ranganathan, while hearing a petition filed by Mahindra Satyam challenging the I-T department's tax demand of Rs 616.54 crore and the attachment of its bank accounts. The matter was posted for further hearing to March 30. Mahindra Satyam (MSAT) has been refusing to cough up Rs 616.54 crors tax, arguing that these claims pertain to the 2002-03 to 2007-08 period when Ramalinga Raju was cooking the company's books and were based on "fictitious and non-existent income". The HC order came despite pleas by Mahindra Satyam's counsel that the attachment of bank accounts by the I-T department freezing an amount of Rs 1,300 crore was unfair as the tax demand was only for Rs 616.54 crore. "This is unfair. What is more disturbing is that the taxmen had attached our bank accounts by issuing as many as 26 garnishee orders," a senior MSAT counsel, S Ganesh, told the court. A garnishee order makes it mandatory for the banker to pay the demanded money lying in the company's accounts to the I-T sleuths. "When the I-T sleuths were trying to take away our money from the bank even during the pendency of the case, we had to struggle to restrain them. It was only when we insisted that they give a written statement that they would withdraw money despite the pending court matter that they backed out," the counsel said. He also pleaded with the court to allow the company to segregate the Rs 616.54 crore demanded by the taxmen into a separate account that could remain frozen till the matter was settled. In response to the MSAT counsel's pleas, Justice VVS Rao said: "You can do anything but you cannot give up your genes and birth marks", in reference to Satyam's dubious past. Meanwhile, talking about salary payouts, Nayyar told TOI that "salaries are not and will not be an issue. We have more than enough money to pay salaries." The scam-hit IT company, which had over 50,000 employees when the scam broke in January 2009, had a total headcount of 28,832 as of December 31, 2010, and incurred an employee cost of Rs 831.3 crore during the October-December 2010 period. Since then, the company has added around 2,000 employees to its rolls.

telangana MPs

MPs set June 1 as deadline on Telangana

Telangana Congress MPs on Friday threatened to resign from Parliament if the Centre failed to come out with a statement in favour of separate Telangana by June 1. The MPs made this demand during a meeting with Union minister and AICC in-charge of state Gulam Nabi Azad in New Delhi. They even refused a joint photo shoot with Seemandhra MPs, forcing Azad to hold a separate meeting with the latter group. During the two-and-half-hour long meeting, T-Congress MPs presented him two letters that explained the situation in the region. In the first letter they said that the T delay was rendering them incapable of discharging their duties as MPs. "We would rather work as ordinary workers of the party than face the wrath of the people," the MPs noted. The second letter dealt with the party's stand on Telangana from 2004 when the issue was included in the common minimum program of UPA-1 and said there was no option but to form a separate state. The 11 MPs told Azad that they expected a statement after Assembly elections in five states get over in May, according to Nizamabad MP Madhu Yashki. "We are keeping silent as finance minister Pranab Mukherjee recently assured us that the matter would be taken up once the elections in five states get over. He asked us to wait till May 13,'' Yashki told TOI from Delhi. Another MP Sarve Satyanarayana said a joint meeting or group photo was not possible with Seemandhra MPs at this juncture. "We can't have a cup of tea with the MPs who worked against Telangana when students were committing self immolation.'' Convener of state MPs P Prabhakar said they had also brought the "lies and half truths," in the chapter 8 of Justice Srikrishna panel to the notice of Azad. Rajya Sabha member V Hanumanta Rao said the situation in Telangana was not conducive for MPs to move around in the region. Later, Azad had a separate meeting with Seemandhra MPs. Ongole MP M Srinivasulu Reddy claimed that Telangana was not discussed. "Since it was the first meeting, Azad wanted to discuss developmental issues pertaining to the state." According to Reddy, Azad did not allow them to raise the T issue even though a couple of MPs tried to broach the subject. G Vinod from Telangana and Kavuri Sambasiva Rao from Seemandhra were the two notable MPs who did not attend the meeting.

Yeddyurappa Lokayukta

Lokayukta to probe charges against Yeddyurappa

Beleaguered Karnataka chief minister B S Yeddyurappa, who is already facing trouble with a new wave of dissidence in the party, suffered one more setback with the special Lokayukta court entrusting the alleged land scam complaint for investigation by the Lokayukta police. Special judge C B Hipparagi on Thursday referred to the Lokayukta police for investigation, the first complaint involving three instances of denotification/illegal sale of land in the complaint filed against Yeddyurappa, his sons and son-in-law. The judge also directed the Lokayukta police to file a report in six weeks' time on the chief minister, his two sons, B Y Vijayendra and B Y Raghavendra, son-in-law S N Sohan Kumar, former minister Ess En Krissnaiah Setty and the firm Dhavalagiri Properties, in which the chief minister's sons and former muzrai minister hold a stake. The instances referred to in the complaint lodged by advocate Sirajin Basha includes denotification of 1 acre 12 guntas of survey no 55/2 of Rachenahalli village coming under KR Puram hobli in November 2008 and another 16 guntas of survey no. 56 of the same village, in favour of Dhavalagiri Properties. It also includes the sale of 47,972 sqft in Vyalikaval House Building Cooperative Society meant for laying a road to Dhavalagiri Properties, thus benefiting his two sons and son-in-law. Sirajin Basha had filed five complaints, involving 15 instances against the CM and others after governor H R Bhardwaj accorded sanction for prosecuting the chief minister. Said Yeddyurappa: "I respect the decision. Let the truth prevail."

HC Terms Sri Krishna Panel Anti Telangana

The Justice Srikrishna Committee looking into the demand for Telangana was meant to be impartial. Instead, it ended up being more partisan than a Congress party's internal report. "The Srikrishna panel was against the creation of Telangana; was of the view that Maoists will benefit, and that communal violence will be unleashed if Telangana was created. The panel also urged the Centre to 'manage' the print media to project united Andhra stance by doling out advertisements. " This is the summary of Chapter 8 of the Srikrishna Committee, submitted in a sealed envelope by the panel members to the Centre. Following a petition by former MP N Narayana Reddy demanding that the report be made public, Justice L Narasimha Reddy, who had reserved his orders in the case, made the contents public on Wednesday and made scathing observations against the panel. The panel went beyond the terms of reference to persuade the Union of India not to accede to the demand for Telangana, Justice Narasimha Reddy held. "After a great deal of study, this court opines not as matter of choice, that the objective in preparing a separate note and delivering it to the respondent was more an effort to persuade the Union of India to desist from showing any inclination towards Option No.5, i.e. formation of Telangana State," said Justice Narasimha Reddy's 60-page order. According to the secret report, if Telangana was formed, it will become an epicentre for Maoist and communal violence. "The note suggests that Maoists will extend their activities to various districts of Telangana; that Maoists are trying to make a combat through Telangana region," Justice Reddy said.