Summary: Week # 107

BJP’s president Nitin Gadkari accused UPA government for rising inflation in the country. He demanded appointment of joint parliamentary committee to investigate who benefited from the trade and which politicians aided them. The Bharatiya Janata Party opposed an open-ended dialogue with Pakistan and feared the Manmohan Singh government policy dilutes India’s control over Kashmir. Party criticised Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram statement that Kashmiri youth who may have gone to PoK were “welcome” back if they are willing to give up militancy. He signalled a departure from the s controversial issues to those affecting the poorest sections of society. In his first address to the party’s National Council after his election as party president Mr. Gadkari indicated that he was ready to fight the Congress on what it may consider its home turf struggle for the poor and the downtrodden and take the country’s development forward. He put emphasis on welfare of the poorest, social equality and development with social justice in his speech instead of anti minority and Ram temple issues.
Muslim leadership of Andhra Pradesh decided to protest against court decision on reservation of 10% quota for Muslims and government’s lenient approach to handle the case.
VHP President Ashok Singhal said Political parties should not interfere in religious matters like the construction of Ram Temple and the decision on constructing a temple or mosque should be left to religious leaders, Singhal said. "Political leaders should not speak (about the temple issue) to seek more votes,"
Maoists killed atleast 20 Eastern Frontier Rifles (EFR) personnel in the biggest ever attack launched in West Bengal on sixteen February. In Bihar Maoists assassinated 12 civilian.
India would work for concluding the comprehensive trade opening pact or the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with the European Union by the end of the year. Both countries have made substantial progress on the trade, investment issues and other concerns and now looking at concrete issues to narrow down disagreements. The total food grains production for 2009-10 is expected to decline by 7.51 per cent to 216.85 million tonnes due to fall in the output of kharif rice, coarse cereals and sugarcane owing to drought. Despite government’s efforts inflation notched another 120 basis points (1.2 percentage points) and surged to 8.6 per cent in January setting a record high in the last 13 months and breaching the Reserve Bank’s estimates of 8.5 per cent inflation by March-end.
Indo-Pak talks become hot issue as contradictions in stance of both the countries is quite clear. India wants to stick on terrorism focused talk while Pakistan wants resumption of dialogue process that was halted after 26/11. Congress government is determined to resume talks even after Pune blasts while BJP criticises Congress initiative. India and Nepal are going to sign agreement to provide railway connectivity and expand existing lines between the two countries. Once constructed, these rail lines will provide India better access to the Madhes (Terai) region of the Himalayan country. The agreement is likely to be signed during the ongoing visit of Nepal President Ram Baran Yadav to India. Russia and India decided to firm up two major pacts on nuclear energy and a fifth generation fighter plane they also resolved to step up trade ties and develop closer cooperation in the energy sector.
At least nine people died and over 50 injured in a blast in German Bakery in upmarket Koregaon Park in Pune. Some analysts and politicians doubted the involvement of extremist Hindu outfits in the tragedy.
Regional Summary:
Violence erupted in some parts of the Darjeeling Hills on Thursday where life was hit due to a 24-hour strike by the students’ wing of the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM). The strike, called by the Gorkha Janmukti Vidyarthi Morcha (GJVM), was to protest against the refusal of the authorities to allow its supporters to hold a pro-Gorkhaland rally in Siliguri and other parts of the Dooars earlier this month.
Nearly a week after setting up a five-member committee on the Telangana issue, the Union government announced the panel’s seven-point terms of reference. The committee, headed by the former Supreme Court judge, Justice B. N. Srikrishna, has been asked to examine the situation in Andhra Pradesh with reference to the demand for a Telangana State as well as the demand for maintaining the present status of a united Andhra Pradesh. The committee is requested to submit its report by December 31, 2010. Fourteen MLAs from the Telangana region handed over their resignation letters to Speaker N. Kiran Kumar Reddy on a call by the all-party Joint Action Committee (JAC) to protest against the terms of reference of the Srikrishna committee. All 10 MLAs of the Telangana Rashtra Samiti, two of the Congress and one each of the BJP and the Praja Rajyam Party handed over their letters.