NCTC Tussle
By Insaf
The Centre has received yet another blow from States. Its plan to launch the ambitious National Counter Terrorism Centre from March on has been forcibly put on hold. A number of Chief Ministers have asserted they be consulted first. Leading the Opposition is Odisha’s Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik who took the initiative of getting his counterparts in other States together on the contentious issue of the Centre encroaching on their powers. The States have made known to Delhi that they are not willing to empower the NCTC to make arrests, carry out searches and seizures and ask for any information from any agency as it infringes on their rights. A concerned Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has thus had to assure at least the CMs of Bihar, West Bengal, Tripura, Tamil Nadu, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha and Nagaland that they would definitely be kept in the loop. On Tuesday last, he wrote saying that Home Minister Chidambaram would consult them over the agency’s functioning. In fact, the latter proposes to hold a meeting of DIGs and Chief Secretaries of all States and Union Territories to clarify objectionable issues. Will it suffice and calm tempers? Or will the agency, whose primary function is to coordinate nationwide counter-terrorism efforts go the Lokpal Bill way? For both have a similar background—the States want to safeguard Federalism spirit, which may or may not be the case.
Maharashtrian Blow
Mumbai has caused another major embarrassment to the Congress in Maharashtra. Smarting under a dismal defeat with partner NCP in the civic elections in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region, the party received a fresh jolt on Wednesday last. The Bombay High Court asked the Police to probe into the disproportionate assets of former minister and Congress city president Kripashankar Singh and his family members, prosecute him for “criminal misconduct” under the Prevention of Corruption Act and attach their movable and immovable properties worth crores! Singh’s was “a rags to riches,” story. He started from scratch in the 70s and at least till 98 had absolutely no income etc to show. As an MLA he showed a salary of Rs 45,000 per month, but Singh appears to have amassed his wealth– flats, cash, agricultural land and gold jewellery only after 2004. While it will be a long wait till the police files its compliance report, Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan has immediately accepted Singh’s resignation. But is this enough?
UP’s ‘Corrupt’ Ministers
Ministers in Uttar Pradesh seem to be falling from grace like nine pins in the midst of fierce elections. On Wednesday last, the Lokayukta Justice NK Mehrotra asked the CBI and ED to investigate BSP supremo and Chief Minister Mayawati’s closest aide and Minister Naseemuddin Siddiqui. Apparently, Siddiqui and his MLC wife Husna are alleged to be guilty of corruption and have disproportionate assets worth crores to their known sources of income. The minister is learnt to have floated a dummy Qumruddin and Farzand Ali Educational Society, which exists on paper but has vast properties in its name. The 929-page Lokayukta report handed to Mayawati notes that the charges are “grave” and that the report should be handed over to the central investigating agencies “within a month.” Whether the CM will oblige is unknown, one thing is certain the timing of the report couldn’t be worse for Mayawati. Not only is she fighting the anti-incumbency factor but has yet another minister biting the dust. This time a key campaigner and the party’s Muslim face.
Kerala Vs Rome
God’s Own Country, Kerala, has hit the headlines, at least in Italy. The unfortunate killing of two Indian fishermen by Italian naval guards on board ‘Enrica Lexie’ has got Kerala caught in the diplomatic row. On Wednesday last, the Centre refused to discuss “the facts of the case” with Italy’s visiting Deputy Foreign Minister Steffan de Mistura, saying these could be established by the Kerala police. While Rome has been pressing for immunity for the guards saying the incident occurred in international waters, Delhi has refused to relent. The crime, it insists was committed against Indians and that it would extend full support to Chief Minister Ooomen Chandy’s in the case. The Chief Minister sees the incident on Kollam coast as “cold-blooded murder” and has assured the people that the United Democratic Front would go ahead with the prosecution of the two guards. This, he asserted “is the right and power of the State”. Thus, while he is in touch with the Ministry of External Affairs, Chandy expects to have the last word.
Trouble In Haryana
Haryana government is under siege. Since early this week, the Jats have been protesting close to a railway track in Hisar district to press for their demand of reservation. While some 14-odd castes, including Rajputs, Bishnois, Jats, Tyagis, and Khatris have duly made their representation to the Haryana Backward Classes Commission for inclusion in the list of OBCs, the farmers too have decided to join the race. On Wednesday last, their leading organisation, the Bhartiya Kisan Union, has warned that 50,000 farmers from around Punjab too would be assembling at Kurukshetra on March 1. They shall be seeking that farmers belonging to all castes should be included in the OBC category. Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda is already under pressure with demands such as MSP for all crops and loan waivers etc. How he handles the latest demand is anybody’s guess as reservation in government jobs and educational institutions has undoubtedly opened a Pandora’s box!
Delhi Cong 13 Yrs
Delhi’s Congress government is upbeat. On Tuesday last, its Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit completed a record 13 years in power! And the occasion was marked by flaunting its achievements including turning the country’s Capital into a world-class city thanks to the successful hosting of the Commonwealth Games, introducing the metro, replacing old rickety buses, greening the city, trifurcating the Municipal Corporation and increasing its reserved seats for women from 33 per cent to 50. As Dikshit has another two years to go before the next Assembly elections, she proposes to make Delhi “slum-free and clean.” One of the main challenges is of regularising the unauthorised colonies. In 2008, a total of 1218 of 1638 such colonies were given provisional certificates but the going is tough. —INFA