Mamata Banerjee's party seeks distance from libraries controversy in West Bengal

Kolkata:  Mamata Banerjee's party today tried to distance her from the controversy that has erupted after all public libraries were ordered to drop all English dailies and most other newspapers including the Ananda Bazar Patrika, which is the state's most-read paper.  

On Twitter this evening, her party's MP, Derek O'Brien said,  "To drag the CM's name into this 'controversy' is unfair.  Are we suggesting she starts micromanaging even library department lists?"  He added, "Circular issued by small time library services dept."
Last night, a circular signed by the Special Secretary, Library Services told 2500 public libraries what newspapers they can stock. All English dailies were to be removed, the notice said. Only eight papers made the cut  - five five Bengali, one Hindi and two Urdu dailies. Of these eight publications, four have editors or senior journalists who have been elected to the Rajya Sabha on Trinamool Congress tickets.   The circular states that public funds could not be spent on "any papers published or purported to be published by any political party." But the list of banned papers includes only one publication with direct links to a political party- the Ganashakti, which is a CPM mouthpiece.
Mr O'Brien says that the Times of India will also be stocked at government-funded libraries.
"This is worse than censorship; this has shades of fascism," said Sitaram Yechury from the Left, the main opposition party in West Bengal. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has appreciated the move, countered Library Services Minister Abdul Karim Chowdhury to local TV channels.  
"I have no idea why she has done this; she is trying to control what I read," said Pradeep Bhattacharjee, the president of the Congress, which is a partner in Ms Banerjee's government.  

The issue was also brought up in the state Assembly yesterday by a Congress MLA who called the government circular undemocratic and urged the chief minister to have it withdrawn. Mamata Banerjee was not present in the Assembly at that time.

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Mulayam hints at mid-term elections in his speech to party workers

Lucknow:  With UPA allies pushing the Congress in a tight corner over several issues, the Samajwadi Party chief who is extending outside support to the UPA government at the centre, has hinted at more political uncertainty and the possibility of a mid-term Lok Sabha election.

Speaking to party workers on the 102nd birth anniversary of socialist leader Ram Manohar Lohia, Mulayam Singh Yadav said that the party must implement its policies and poll promises efficiently, initiating programmes within the next 6 months.

"I'll tell Akhilesh to have all officers get a copy of the SP manifesto and read up on the promises made by us pertaining to their department. Implementation programmes should start delivering in six months or  a maximum of one year.  It should not take more than a year, because you never know when the 2014 (sic) elections happen. The government has to decide and act soon," said the Samajwadi Party chief.

Mr Yadav said he did not become chief minister but he continues to monitor his party's government in the state. "I will keep an eye on government's functioning and ensure that the promises in manifesto are fulfilled," he said.

There has been much speculation that the 72-year-old, who has just installed his 38-year-old son Akhilesh Yadav as Chief Minister of UP after a spectacular electoral performance, might join the Union Cabinet as the Congress looks for new political alignments to bolster its very fragile coalition at the Centre.
The SP gives outside support to the UPA government and has bailed it many times during Parliament votes. It voted in support of the UPA earlier this week on the issue of the National Counter Terrorism Centre. The government won those votes. Mr Yadav insists his support is based on keeping communal forces away from the Centre.

The Congress is reportedly keen that the SP join the coalition formally  - Mulayam Singh Yadav has 22 MPs in the Lok Sabha, which would more than offset the 19 MPs that the troublesome Trinamool Congress threatens to withdraw regularly.

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SRK-Shirish slapgate forces celebs to become party punctual!

By Hindustan Times

When Shah Rukh Khan slapped Shirish Kunder at the Agneepath success bash in January, the tremors were felt all across the city. The police reacted in their trademark heavy-handed fashion, coming down heavily on clubs and pushing for a 1.30am deadline for all party animals.

Funnily enough it’s SRK’s own colleagues who’re now leading by example. Actor Kangana Ranaut, who is throwing a birthday bash on March 23, has asked all invitees to come in by 9pm.

“Kangana sent me a message earlier this week, asking us to come early,” reveals Farah Khan Ali, jewellery designer.

“I guess it’s now becoming a trend for hosts to ask their guests to adhere to deadlines.”

Paparazzo Viral Bhayani, who’s usually posted outside every star-struck party in the city, admits that the ubiquitous cop presence has led to celebrities mending their ways.

“These days, the police is catching everybody, and it’s too embarrassing for these stars to be caught because it’ll be all over the news the next day,” he opines, adding, “They’re also being stopped for drunken driving checks. I was walking past the Juhu Circle next to hotel Tulip Star, and I noticed that the cops had pulled over an A-list movie star. I couldn’t take a picture because that would have led to bad blood between us, but the police immediately alerts the media when they catch a celebrity.”

Puneet Gidwani, of Red Om event organisers, adds, “I don’t even really see celebrities going out partying to clubs anymore. They prefer to have private bashes at their homes instead.”

Ask Raman Macker, whose Aurus was the epicentre of the most recent controversy, if their star bashes are now winding up early, and he says, “We have always honoured and respected rules, and encouraged celebrity guests to arrive on time. Now, they do.”

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Samajwadi Party worker allegedly kills cab driver over Rs 300; violent clashes in Kanpur

Kanpur:  More trouble for the Akhilesh Yadav-government in Uttar Pradesh which has made law-and-order its top priority.

In the Pankhi area of Kanpur, a taxi driver, Ankit Yadav, was allegedly beaten to death today by a local Samajwadi Party (SP) worker Prashant Tiwari after he refused to pay Rs 300.

The two had an argument over Mr Yadav parking his cab too close to the Mr Tiwari's hotel and then subsequently refusing to pay a parking fee, that Mr Tiwari demanded. In the altercation that followed, Mr Yadav was allegedly beaten with a stick by Mr Tiwari. He was rushed to  hospital where he was declared dead on arrival.

Ankit Yadav's death triggered angry reactions from his relatives who torched not just Mr Tiwari's hotel but even shops adjacent to it.

The police had to be called in and had to resort to lathicharge to control the violent mob.

A case of murder has been registered against Mr Tiwari who is missing.

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Be patient, don't malign the party, says BJP to Yeddyurappa

Bangalore:  The BJP says that it is considering the demand made rather aggressively by BS Yeddurappa to be reinstated as Chief Minister of Karnataka. "We are a democratic party but we do not take decisions under pressure. We will come to the right decision and I would advise Mr Yeddyurappa to be patient and not do anything to malign the party," said the party president Nitin Gadkari today. Mr Yedyurappra earlier today allegedly rejected an offer to fly to Nagpur for peace talks.

Instead, the rebel leader is focussed on a five-star resort on the outskirts of Bangalore which has emerged as his centre of power. Here, 67 of the party's 120 MLAs are parked in a show of loyalty to Mr Yeddyurappa. Their camp is a clear message from Mr Yeddyurappra that unless he is reinstated as chief minister, the BJP could see a split in its Karnataka branch. 10 MPs from the BJP have also threatened to resign in support Mr Yeddyurappa.

Mr Yeddyurappa's group is demanding a legislature party meeting at which it can demonstrate its numbers. An additional pressure tactic lies in the fact that the dissidents are fielding their own candidate for the upcoming Rajya Sabha elections - Yeddyurappa loyalist B J Puttaswamy - in addition to the party's official candidates.

In July, Mr Yeddyurappa was forced by the BJP to quit office after a report on illegal mining indicted him for corruption. Last week, a court dismissed those charges. Mr Yeddyurappa says that's ground enough for his return to power.

But the man who was hand-picked by Mr Yeddyurappa as his successor, Sadananda Gowda, is reportedly unwilling to quit office. He said today that he is focussing on his job, and will respect whatever decision is taken by Mr Gadkari. One of the reasons why Mr Yeddyurappra has isolated his supporters at a hotel is to ensure the current chief minister cannot influence or woo them.

Mr Yeddyurappa and his family and he are accused of graft in other cases for buying land reserved for public use at bargain prices, allegedly made possible by Mr Yeddyurappa when he was chief minister. He was jailed in October last year for those cases and spent nearly a month in jail.

"After the HC order we are thinking about this. We are a democratic party but we do not take decisions under pressure. We will come to the right decision and I would advise Mr Yeddyurappa to be patient and not do anything to malign the party."

"Even earlier after the Lok Ayukta order we had replaced Yeddyurappa even though we had some reservations about it."

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PM says he regrets Trivedi's exit, Mamata says her party disagrees

New Delhi:  Mamata Banerjee has met with the Prime Minister after he allegedly upset her by stating in Parliament that he regrets the departure of Dinesh Trivedi from his cabinet. Mr Trivedi is from Ms Banerjee's party, the Trinamool Congress, which is a key member of the ruling coalition at the centre. Ms Banerjee asked for him to be removed as soon as he proposed hiking passenger fares in the Railways Budget he presented in Parliament last week.
"I had a good meeting...we discussed a lot of issues," said Ms Banerjee after seeing the PM.  She flew into Delhi from Kolkata last night after Mr Trivedi finally obliged her by submitting his resignation. For four days after she asked the PM to remove him, Mr Trivedi said neither the PM nor his party chief had directly asked him to step down.
In Parliament this morning, the Prime Minister used his Motion of Thanks on the President's address today to meet at least one demand of the Opposition - clarity on Mr Trivedi's status as minister. Dr Singh confirmed that last night he had received first an email and then a formal letter of resignation from Mr Trivedi. He said that he had accepted Mr Trivedi's resignation and has forwarded the former minister's letter to President Pratibha Patil. He also said that he regrets the departure of Mr Trivedi, who belongs to Mamata Banerjee's party, the Trinamool Congress. Minutes later, Ms Banerjee retorted outside Parliament that the PM's remarks reflect "a personal opinion" and one that her party does not share. The Congress, meanwhile, said that Trinamool shouldn't object to what the PM said as he didn't say anything political.

According to sources, the PM's remarks also provoked Trinamool MPs to walk out during a vote on the National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC). Allies are expected to vote along with the government. The vote on the NCTC was prompted by the Left and the BJP, who had moved amendments to the Motion of Thanks to the President's Address. Basically, they asked for references to the NCTC to be deleted from the speech made by President Pratibha Patil in parliament last week.  

While sharing that he had accepted Mr Trivedi's resignation, Dr Singh highlighted the difficulties of coalition politics and with some irony lauded Mr Trivedi for having presented a "Railway Budget which promised to carry out the vision 2020 that was outlined by his predecessor." Mr Trivedi's predecessor in Rail Bhawan was Mamata Banerjee, who is his party's chief, and demanded Mr Trivedi's resignation for proposing a hike in passenger fares.

As soon as the Lok Sabha convened after the weekend, the BJP said the Prime Minister must address Parliament to explain the chain of events that led to the Rail Minister's exit.

The BJP's Yashwant Sinha said, "The PM is the head of the Cabinet. He has the right to give a portfolio to someone else. But he is also obliged to share information with Parliament. But we are discovering everything in the newspapers," he said. "Dinesh Trivedi is in the House. He should also clarify the situation to Parliament," Mr Sinha added. Gurudas Dasgupta of the Left also said the Prime Minister owes parliament an explanation. "A backstage drama is taking place. Parliament is in session and we don't know what is happening," he said.

Mr Sinha brought a smile to the Finance Minister's face when he took a swipe at the PM saying he had great respect for Mr Mukherjee, who is Leader of the Lok Sabha; "the PM should have been leader but couldn't make it," Mr Sinha said. Dr Manmohan Singh is a rare Indian PM who is not a member of the Lok Sabha. He is a Rajya Sabha member from Guwahati.

Meanwhile, Mr Trivedi will come face-to-face with Ms Banerjee for the first time today since the controversy at a meeting of MPs of their party. He has not seen here since he presented his budget. He said last night that he continues to think of Ms Banerjee as his leader and has no plans to switch parties. Ms Banerjee simply said last night before leaving Kolkata for Delhi that she plans to meet "with all my people."

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Highlights - No clue why my party reacted this way: Dinesh Trivedi to NDTV

New Delhi:  Dinesh Trivedi to NDTV after his party attacked the hike in fares for rail passengers announced by him today. His party chief, Mamata Banerjee said today that she will not accept this hike in fares. I will try and convince her, Mr Trivedi responded.  Here are the highlights of Mr Trivedi's interview: 
Not upset at all...am very happy with my budgetMPs across party lines have congratulated meGeneral feeling is very good budgetI have done my duty to the best of my abilityYou can't put on a brave face if you are not braveCountry comes first for me, then family and the restWhether A and B has tweeted, that's not my concern (dig at Derek O'Brien from his party who tweeted that the fare hike is not acceptable to Trinamool Congress)Where is the money for safety?  I don't want to compromise on safety.  Parliament is in session.  Cannot make any comments which will relate to policy decision (on whether rollback is likely)To be fair to Mamata Banerjee, she has never interfered with my work. And I respect her for that.Did not consult my party about railway budget.Did not consult Mamata about fare hikeI don't need to consult anybody.  It is left to Railways Minister to decide what needs to be done.Have no clue, don't know why party has reacted in this way  I am not here to keep my chair at any cost...no. I don't care about my jobBhagat Singh went to gallows for the country...what is a job? It is nothing.  It is not permanentIf my leader tells me to resign, I will do so.  After all, she has put me here.  You can be good friends and also differ.  I can respect Mamata and also differ with her.I am absolutely a free bird today...if I had not done my duty, I would feel guiltWill leave it to people to decide what is right or wrong. This is a democracy

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Congress now reaching out to Samajwadi Party?

New Delhi:  The Congress is facing a tough time because of its allies. Both Trinamool and the DMK are squeezing the Congress with their own agendas.

While Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool wants roll back on train fares and deletion of reference to the National Counter Terrorism Centre from the President's speech, the DMK is demanding that the government should make its stand clear on Sri Lanka.

At a dinner hosted by the Prime Minister the day before, Ms Banerjee was missing - she chose to fly to Nagpur instead to attend a wedding. The fact that she deputed a first-time MP, Ratna De Nag, and not one of her senior ministers or leaders was seen as a flat snub to the Congress. Similarly, The DMK, which is a senior partner in the coalition at the Centre, has reiterated that it could pull out of the government if its demand is ignored.

"That's something I alone can't decide. We would discuss and decide in our executive," said DMK chief M Karunanidhi.

After being put in a tight corner by its allies, the Congress has decided to accelerate its courtship of Mulayam Singh Yadav as a possible replacement for Ms Banerjee, who has whipped the government into submission on many occasions because her 19 Lok Sabha MPs make her essential to the survival of the coalition. Mr Yadav's 22 MPs make him a viable option and he has often rescued the government by voting in its favour on crucial legislation. So, senior Congress leaders like Pawan Bansal and Motilal Vora will attend the swearing-in today of his son, Akhilesh, as the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh.

So what are the possible scenarios facing the Congress which has been pushed to the wall. If the government rolls back the fare hike, it manages to survive; if there is no roll back, the Trinamool and a united Opposition will vote against the government. And if Trinamool quits, the Congress is banking on the support of the Samajwadi Party from outside.

Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav is set to take oath as Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh today for the first time, after his party gained absolute majority by winning 224 seats in the 403-member Assembly. Thirty-eight-year-old Akhilesh will be the state's youngest chief minister and his Cabinet is likely to be a mix of youth and experience.

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Chillar Party co-director finds it easy to work with kids

By Hindustan Times

It was meant to be of the kids, by the kids and for the kids. And now Chillar Party (2011) has won three National Awards. Obviously, Vikas Bahl, co-director of the film, is on top of the world and dying to talk about it. Here’s a chat with the man.

Three National Awards for your first film — best children’s film, best original screenplay and best child artist for all your young stars. Which of these awards gives you the most satisfaction?
I am relieved that we lived up to the faith shown in the film by Salim Uncle (Salim Khan), Rajkumar (Hirani) sir, Salman (Khan), Ranbir (Kapoor) and Sohail (Khan). The fact that all the kids won the best child artist award is the most beautiful.

How unexpected was this?
I was completely clueless till my dad called me at 12 on March 7. By the time I finished talking to him, I had 17 missed calls.

How did the collaboration with Nitesh Tiwari, your co-director and co-writer of the film come about?
While writing, Nitesh and I never thought that we’d be directing the film. In fact, we were looking for a director. But somewhere we got possessive and couldn’t give it away, so we went ahead and directed it ourselves.

How did the idea for Chillar Party come about?
Chillar Party is probably from the days of the Mandal Commission. I was part of the anti-Mandal Commission forum when students brought the government down. We came up with the idea, lived with it and wrote it over two years. Also, I made the film for the love of my dog, Khan.

How easy or difficult was it to handle nine child artists? And how did you find so much talent?
Mukesh Chhabra, our casting director, found all of them. He auditioned over 6,000 kids. I would say it’s a myth that kids and dogs are difficult to work with. If you let them be, mould yourself to their tune and leave all of yourself back at home, it’s a great drive.

Any interesting nuggets of information about Chillar Party that no one knows about?
The Chillar Party gang had another girl who fractured her foot a day before the shoot. So her part had to be removed and Shaolin was created as a new character in the film. Also, Toothpaste’s original name was Pepsodent. The association didn’t work out so we changed the name. And Encyclopedia’s other name was Google.

Will there be a sequel to Chillar Party?
As of now, we only have the stories. Hopefully Nitesh and I will make it happen. The sequel is about getting Fatka and all his friends from the slum into a school.

Top five favourite screenplays
Chupke Chupke (1975)
Chak De (2007)
The Great Escape (1963)
Khosla Ka Ghosla (2006)
Pursuit of Happyness (2006)

Top five favourite children’s movies
ET (1982)
Mr India (1987)
Ice Age (2002)
Star Wars (1977)
Superman (1978)

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In the mood for Akhilesh, Samajwadi Party agrees he will be chief minister of Uttar Pradesh

Lucknow:  As the votes for the Uttar Pradesh elections were being counted, Mulayam Singh Yadav's two young grand-daughters were asked who would be chief minister. "Daadu," they cooed, referring to Mulayam. The political instincts of the youngest generation of the Yadav family apparently need some fine-tuning.  
It is their father, 38-year-old Akhilesh, who will tomorrow be declared the head of the new government, sources have told NDTV. His father has established that his own political acumen remains top-grade - in a matter of three days, he has wooed a faction of the party that was opposed to a rookie as chief minister into consensus.
So Akhilesh's name reportedly will be proposed at a meeting of all its elected representatives to the Assembly by Azam Khan. Before Holi, Mr Khan was among those who reportedly did not share the enthusiasm of most other party members who said it was time for the younger Yadav to take charge. The swearing-in will most likely be on Monday. 
There were signs today of things to come - it was Akhilesh who addressed the press amid a continuum of acts of violence by his party workers in different parts of the state. "We will throw people out of the party if necessary to ensure that fair inquiries can be held," he said, with the authority of a leader with weighty mandate. "I've asked our workers to remain calm and polite even if members from other parties try to provoke or instigate them," he added.
The zero-tolerance for goonda-ism or hooliganism was emphasized by Akhilesh through his long campaign. Pedaling his party symbol, the cycle, he wheeled his party into a whopping 226 seats - the biggest total in two decades in UP for any political party. His youth helped testify for the change he promised - "Ummeed ki cycle" became his mantra. In a complete reversal of earlier agendas, he announced laptops for all college-going students. Three years ago, before the 2009 General Elections, the SP had said it was against the use of English and the use of computers. Voters seemed charmed by his sincerity - he would often hop off his cycle and talk to them for hours, spending as much time at these roadside chats as at the massive rallies that formally requested the people to vote for his father aka "netaji."
His ferocious share of the vote came at the cost of another young leader being projected as Generation Next. 41-year-old Rahul Gandhi took the responsibility for managing the Congress campaign. When the results were declared, he took the responsibility for a lost opportunity. Exhausted by the corruption and misadministration of Mayawati, UP sought a change in record numbers, its turnout through the different days of voting a healthy indicator of a state looking for an option. Despite Mr Gandhi's committed and energetic campaign, the Congress was dismissed as an unsuitable option, placing fourth. It added just six seats to the 22 it won in the last election.  
In his implausibly large victory, Akhilesh has shown humility. "Someone comes first, another person comes second," he said. His experience on the wrong side of the finish line is not inadequate. In 2007, his father was evicted from office by Mayawati, who merged UP's caste equations into a Perfect 10 formula. Then in 2009, Akhilesh's wife Dimple contested a by-election for the Lok Sabha from Ferozabad in UP - a seat her husband had won and vacated just five months earlier. The SP took the voters for granted; the Congress turned the election into a prestige point. Mr Gandhi led a pantheon of leaders to campaign for actor-politician Raj Babbar, a former Samajwadi party man. Embarrassed and bitter, Akhilesh had blamed Mr Gandhi for his wife's defeat.
The political maturity that has been visible during his campaign will be challenged by the state he leads. UP struggles with poverty, malnutrition, illiteracy, unemployment, crime and corruption. While he deals with that dire agenda, his father is expected to push the party's fortunes in Delhi. In its alliance with Mamata Banerjee at the centre, the Congress is beginning to feel that it isn't getting a great bargain for the MPs she brings to the UPA coalition. Mulayam's renewed strength in UP makes him an attractive option. His numbers in UP will give him more Rajya Sabha seats, where the UPA is in a minority. With general elections scheduled for 2014, Mulayam is expected by his party to work on the bigger picture.
For Akhilesh, it is the details that will count. He has been handed his state; what he does with it could make history - good or bad.
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Exit polls predict Samajwadi Party win in UP

New Delhi:  Exit polls on television channels today projected Samajwadi Party emerging as the single largest party in Uttar Pradesh assembly poll with one of them giving it a clear majority while Congress is set to have a clear edge in Punjab, Uttarakhand and Manipur.

In Goa, one of the channels has predicted an edge to BJP over ruling Congress.

In widely-watched Uttar Pradesh, ruling BSP appears to be taking a knock while BJP is projected to nudge Congress to the fourth place.

Star News-AC Neilson exit poll showed SP emerging as the single largest party with 183 seats, followed by BSP with 83 seats.

According to it, BJP would win 71 seats, Congress 51 and its ally RLD 11 seats. Independents and others are shown victorious in two seats each.

Headlines Today exit polls showed SP getting between 195 and 210 seats followed by BSP with 88-98 seats. It showed BJP getting 50-56 seats followed by Cong-RLD combine with 38-42.

The exit poll showed Independents and others securing 12-18 seats.

India TV-C-Voter exit poll showed SP emerging as the single largest party with 137-145 seats, closely followed by BSP with 122-130 seats.

It showed BJP winning 79-87 seats, Congress-RLD winning 39-55 seats and Others getting 2-10 seats.

Exit poll by News24 and Today's Chanakya showed SP winning 185 seats with an error margin of 18 seats.

They predicted BSP to win 85 seats, BJP 55 and Congress 55. The error margin for the three parties was 15 seats. Others were shown getting 23 seats with an error margin of 17.

In Goa, the India TV-C-Voter exit poll projected BJP getting 20 seats followed by Congress with 17. Others were shown emerging victorious in three seats.

The same team forecast a Congress victory in Punjab (65) followed by the Akali Dal-BJP combine winning 47 and others getting five.

In Uttarakhand, the News24-Today's Chankya gave Congress an edge with 30 seats and the BJP getting 28. Others were given 12 seats.

The same team forecast a win for the Congress in Punjab with the party getting 60 seats followed by the Akali Dal-BJP combine getting 52. Others were projected to win five seats.

In Manipur the team forecast a Congress win with 25 seats followed by NCP (10 seats) and Trinamool Congress getting nine seats.

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Mamata's nephew sent to judicial custody for slapping cop; 'small incident' says her party

Kolkata:  West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's nephew Akash has been sent to one-day judicial custody for slapping a traffic cop yesterday. They will be again produced in court tomorrow.

Mamata Banerjee's party, however, continues to suggest that the fact that her nephew slapped a traffic policeman is not a big deal. "There has been a small incident," said Firhad Hakim, a minister in Ms Banerjee's government in Bengal. "Why only Kolkata? Across India, those who drive vehicles often have angry exchanges with traffic police and even get into scuffles," he added.
Mr Banerjee was arrested yesterday after he slapped a traffic cop who stopped his car for driving on the wrong side of the road. Eyewitnesses said that after Mr Banerjee slapped the cop, he shouted, "Don't you know who I am?" He was allowed to leave soon after, but was arrested after local media began reporting on the incident.
Mr Banerjee was brought to a Kolkata court this morning. The chief minister's party says that proves that his relationship to Ms Banerjee has not offered him undue protection.

Only Mamata Banerjee, our chief minister, is implementing 'raj dharma'. Despite him (Akash)  being her relative, the minute she heard about the incident, she said the law must take its own course," said Mr Hakim today.

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