Team Anna angers Parliament with 'thieves and dacoits' remarks

New Delhi:  Different political parties have strongly objected in Parliament to Team Anna's description of members of Parliament as "chors" (thieves) and "rapists."

The remarks were allegedly made by activist Arvind Kejriwal yesterday in Delhi where 74-year-old Anna Hazare was on a one-day hunger strike. Mr Kejriwal had said 165 members of parliament, including 14 ministers, were corrupt and rapists.

Mr Kejriwal is Anna's closest aide; they have fronted the campaign for new anti-corruption legislation or the Lokpal Bill.

"Team Anna has lost its focus, crossed all limits," said Leader of the Opposition Sushma Swaraj, whose party has lent support to Anna's call for the Lokpal Bill. "How can you call us murderers"?" asked Sharad Yadav of the Janata Dal (United). 

Today, Mr Kejriwal hit back at the MPs. "When Rajneeti Prasad tore the Lokpal bill, no one objects. When Women's Bill was torn, no one objected. Chairs are hurled and mikes are thrown in Parliament but no one objects. MPs are bought and is it not denigrating Parliament? ...I haven't said anything wrong. I am worried about Parliament," he claimed, adding that 1,176 MLAs also have cases registered against them.

Yesterday, Anna who was on his fifth hunger strike in the last year said the government should be prepared to be voted out of power in 2014 if it does not pass the Lokpal bill, which provides for a national anti-corruption agency.

Anna also asked for FIRs or police cases to be filed by August against 14 ministers who he accuses of corruption.

Communist Party of India-Marxist leader Basudeb Acharia and Samajwadi Party MP Shailendra Kumar termed Team Anna's allegations condemnable.

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Government initiates regular exercise of floor coordination with UPA allies in Parliament

New Delhi:  The absence of a large number of UPA members during voting on President's address today prompted the Government to set in motion in Parliament a formal floor coordination mechanism with allies.

In a move that could lead to cracking the whip, Congress floor managers also announced that explanation will be sought from its members absent in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha during voting on President Address yesterday and today respectively.

Nearly 50 members of the UPA, about half of them from the Congress, were absent in the Lok Sabha yesterday and some half a dozen Congress members in the Rajya Sabha today despite a three-line whip issued by the ruling party.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal told reporters that he would be writing letters to the members who played truant and seek clarification as to why they were absent.

He said he would also seek details of members from the Upper House who were absent during the debate on the Lokpal bill.

The party leadership could take serious cognizance of the absence of MPs in view of the fact that a three-line whip asking members to be present during the voting was issued.

Several Union Ministers were also absent from the Lok Sabha yesterday during the voting including some from the allies.

Meanwhile, Sharad Pawar of the NCP and T R Baalu of the DMK were among leaders who attended the formal floor coordination meeting of the UPA convened by Bansal who said such meetings will take place on the mornings of Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays.

If need be consultations will be held on Monday and Friday too, he said.

Leader of Opposition Sushma Swaraj had alleged in the Lok Sabha that the numbers on the vote had exposed government's claim of majority.

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White paper on black money in this Parliament session

New Delhi:  As part of his union budget, Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee has committed to tabling a white paper on black money in this session of Parliament.  The document will share information on undeclared income held by Indians in foreign bank accounts to avoid taxes.
A white paper explains the government policy on a particular subject, and allows the government to collect feedback before a Bill is prepared.  

CBI Director A P Singh whipped up a storm last month when he said that 500 billion dollars or nearly 25 lakhs crores has been moved illegally by India to tax havens abroad.  "Largest depositors in Swiss Banks are also reported to be Indians," he had said.

However, the government has denied this. Minister of State for Finance SS Palanimanickam told the Rajya Sabha this week, "There is no authentic estimate of quantum of Indian money stashed in foreign banks".

The BJP and its leader LK Advani have attacked the government recently for shielding those whose foreign bank account details have been shared by other countries.  However, the Finance Minister has repeatedly stressed that going public with this information will violate treaties with those countries. In December, Mr Advani said in Parliament, "Reveal the names you have. It will be a humiliation if we do not get to know them from our Prime Minister or our Finance Minister and come to know from Julian Assange of WikiLeaks as he has said that he would reveal them in 2012."

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Rakhi Sawant visits parliament!

By Hindustan Times

elevision actor Rakhi Sawant on Monday visited parliament on the first day of the budget session, saying she wanted to see how it works. "No one invited me. I just came to meet the MPs. I've come to see parliament, to see how it works and how our leaders are working," she told reporters.

"I've come to convey the message to (Congress chief) Soniaji (Gandhi), on behalf of all the people and women that there should be something for women in the budget and it should be fair to everyone," she said.

Advising yoga guru Baba Ramdev not to dub all politicians as thieves, she said he should do yoga and not abuse others.

Appearing on a reality show last year, Rakhi had expressed her desire to marry Ramdev. She also said she admired Congress leader Rahul Gandhi.'

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Rakhi Sawant visits Parliament with advice for Pranab and Ramdev

New Delhi:  Publicity queen Rakhi Sawant never misses an opportunity to hog the limelight. And she has done it again.

The actor was at Parliament at the start of the Budget Session. "No one invited me, I just came randomly, just to meet parliamentarians."

"I am here to know the Budget. I want to see how leaders are working," she said. "I want to request Sonia Gandhi that there should be something for the women too," she added.

Rakhi had some words of appreciation for the Finance Minister. "I have full confidence that Pranab Mukherjee would make a good Budget," she said.

She also had some words of advice for yoga guru Baba Ramdev. "I respect Baba Ramdev. He should do yoga and keep quiet."

Last year, Rakhi created a stir when she expressed her desire to marry Baba Ramdev. She also spoke about how she admired Rahul Gandhi.

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