Farmers, a holy-cow constituency considered more valuable than small traders to the political class, have begun to ask uncomfortable questions to those opposing foreign direct investment (FDI) in retail. Several farmer groups, some of them led by politicians with ties to the Congress, have asked why some parties are standing in the way of a measure that is expected to reduce the clout of middlemen and increase farm earnings. Although Prime Minister...
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Unanimous opposition to ‘targeted' Food Security Bill by Gargi Parsai
Cutting across party lines, several members of Parliament backed a universal public distribution system to ensure food security for all citizens “as a right” and vowed to oppose the ‘targeted' food security bill in Parliament. Among the participants at a Jan Manch organised by the Right to Food Campaign were G. Vivekananda, K. Keshava Rao and Mani Shankar Aiyer (Congress), Prakash Javadekar (BJP), Brinda Karat and P. Rajeev (CPI-M), D. Raja...
More »How the RSS co-opted Anna by Gyan Verma & Sreelatha Menon
This is a saga of how the Hindu outfit saw the promise in Anna and pursued him for its gains. How often do we meet strangers on a flight and realise that it could possibly be the beginning of a lasting friendship? This is how yoga teacher Ramdev and super cop Kiran Bedi met in mid 2010 when both of them were on the same flight and Ramdev spotted her. Although fate...
More »BJP, Left oppose FDI in retail; UPA also divided
-CNN-IBN As the Cabinet meets to decide on allowing Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) in the multi-brand retail, it remains to be seen whether the Prime Minister will bite the bullet. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Left, UPA ally Trinamool Congress along with some Cabinet ministers Veerappa Moily and Mukul Wasnik have opposed it. While the BJP feels that FDI will lead to unemployment, the Left has said that it may lead...
More »Katju withholds letter to PM amid walkouts in PCI meet
-The Hindustan Times Press Council of India (PCI) chairman justice Markandey Katju has agreed to withhold the letter he had written to PM Manmohan Singh seeking punitive powers for the Council in a stormy session that witnessed four walkouts. “Declaring he is no dictator but a democrat, he agreed to go with the members when they did not agree to many of his 22 suggestions," a member told HT on condition of...
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