Pained by PM's statement on allies, says Sharad Pawar

Mumbai:  Keeping its allies happy is turning into Mission Impossible for the Congress. After pacifying the DMK and Mamata Banerjee, a third crucial partner in the ruling coalition is now sulking. Sharad Pawar, head of the Nationalist Congress Party or NCP, said today that he is pained by the Prime Minister's comments on his allies.

The PM in Parliament had referred yesterday to the challenges that a coalition government presents when making policy and other decisions. "The NCP is a disciplined party, we respect coalition dharma," said Mr Pawar, who is Agriculture Minister. Dr Manmohan Singh had said in the Lok Sabha, "The difficult decisions that we have to take are made more difficult by the fact that we are a coalition Government and we have to evolve policy keeping in mind the need to maintain a consensus."

Yesterday, Mamata Banerjee was reportedly upset with the Prime Minister for praising her party's Dinesh Trivedi, whose dismissal as Railways Minister she demanded. Mr Trivedi incensed his party chief by proposing hikes in passenger fares in the budget he presented last week. He resigned on Sunday after considerable political drama. The DMK, another senior member of the ruling coalition, had also threatened to withdraw its ministers from the cabinet if the government did not commit to voting against Sri Lanka for its alleged war crimes at a session of the United National Human Rights Council this week. The PM yesterday told Parliament that India is inclined to vote" in favour of that resolution". That remark diffused the crisis with the DMK.

Ms Banerjee told NDTV last night that though she wants to stay with the UPA, she wants more respect or "izzat." In the recent past, her party, the Trinamool Congress and the DMK have blamed the Congress for not consulting them before taking important decisions. As course-correction, the Congress has begun daily meetings with allies during this session of Parliament to ensure better coordination.

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26/11 terror attack case: Pak panel records statement of Investigating Officer

Mumbai:  The 8-member Judicial Commission from Pakistan, here to record statements of four key witnesses in the November 26 Mumbai terror attacks case, today took down the versions of the Investigating Officer and two doctors (who had conducted post-mortem of victims).

The proceedings were held in-camera before the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate S S Shinde for the second day today. Special Public Prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam, who headed the prosecution in 26/11 trial, was also present.

The Commission recorded the statement of Senior Inspector Ramesh Mahale, who had investigated the terror attacks case. Sources said that Mahale told the Commission how the lone surviving Pakistani terrorist, Mohammed Ajmal Amir Kasab, was overpowered by police at Girgaum Chowpatty during the attacks. Mahale also spoke of incidents in which Kasab had shot at people and policemen, killing some and injuring many others.

Mahale also told the Commission that Kasab had disclosed his role in the terror attacks voluntarily, and given a confession before a Magistrate here.

Kasab was awarded death sentence by a Mumbai court and his appeal is pending before the Supreme Court.

Later, the Commission recorded the statements of the two doctors who conducted autopsies of 26/11 victims and the nine slain terrorists, before winding up the proceedings.

The Commission had yesterday recorded the statement of Magistrate R V Sawant-Waghule who had taken on record Kasab's confession soon after his arrest. Waghule told the panel that Kasab had confessed to his role in attacks and had said that he and nine others had been sent by Lashkar-e-Taiba to unleash terror in Mumbai.

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