AAP Condemns Discontinuation of Relief provided to Electricity Consumers in Delhi

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) strongly condemns the discontinuation of the existing relief provided to the electricity consumers by its government in their monthly bills in Delhi from April 1.

According to the interim budget passed by the Parliament on Friday, the much needed relief of subsidising the electricity bills upto 50% for those consuming upto 400 units every month, provided by the AAP government from January onwards, will be discontinued from the next financial year.

AAP is shocked over the central government’s decision to ignore the proposal of the Arvind Kejriwal government to continue this relief for the next six months (till September 2014).

When the preparations for the interim budget had started, the AAP government had clearly made a provision for this relief to continue and the power department was ready with its proposal. The Congress-led UPA government’s decision to reverse this pro-people’s measure is a betrayal with the people of Delhi.

The BJP is an equal partner in this anti-people decision, since despite having promised 30% reduction in the electricity bills in its manifesto for the Delhi assembly elections, it did not protest the Central government’s move when the interim budget was placed in both Houses of Parliament on Friday.

It is surprising to note that when more than 90% of the MLAs in the existing Delhi assembly, except for the eight Congress MLAs, agree that electricity bills should be reduced by atleast 30%, then how could the central government ignore such an overwhelming majority and impose its arbitrariness on the people of Delhi ?

It is clear that the Congress, which is yet to come to terms with its worst electoral performance in Delhi’s history, is trying to control the capital through President’s rule and is hell bent on seeking a revenge on the people for having punished it so badly for its misdeeds, by imposing financial burdens on the common man.

First, the Congress government led by Sheila Dikshit kept on fooling the people of Delhi that the audit of private power distribution companies by the C&AG was not possible due to the matter being pending in courts and now when it has been proved that the party was lying, it has now decided to help these companies by using the President’s rule as a ploy.

By having reversed the proposal of an elected state government, the Congress-led UPA government has tried to insult the popular mandate and the BJP needs to answer for how long is it willing to allow the undemocratic step of the assembly being kept in suspended animation ?

The people of Delhi are watching this match-fixing between the Congress and BJP to increase the woes of the common man. The BJP’s mysterious silence on President’s rule is a clear signal that it wants to deny the people their right of having a democratically elected government.

Source Link: http://www.aamaadmiparty.org

AAP condemns illegal field trials for GM crops

Contrary to the decision of his predecessors, the SC appointed Expert Committee and the Parliamentary Standing Committee’s recommendations

At a time when the country is facing an agrarian distress as well as serious malnutrition issues due to misdirected policies in food and farming, it is unfortunate that the Congress-led UAP’s central government is promoting false technofixes like GM crops which neither would solve the issue of farmer distress nor that of hunger and malnutrition.

On the one hand, scientific evidence and scientists voices on the adverse impacts of GM crops to human health and environment are increasing, and on the other experiences with BT cotton also show that the only entity that is benefiting from the introduction of GM crops are the big seed corporations which get monopolistic control over our seed sector.

It is to be remembered that seed sovereignty is akin to national sovereignty in an agrarian country like ours and it is unacceptable that the UPA govt plans to sell our swaraj/sovereignty lock stock and barrel to biotech seed companies.

The hasty move by the Union enviornment minister M Veerappa Moily of permitting open field trials of hundreds of GM crop varities across the country in this regard is highly condemnable. It is unacceptable that Mr Moily went ahead to give permissions for these field trials even when a parliamentary standing committee on Agriculture comprising of MPs from various political parties including Congress party and other UPA allies had reccomended against such field trials. The Supreme Court appointed Technical Expert Committee (TEC) comprising of eminent scientists also had highlighted the scientific evidence on adverse impacts of GM crops and the failure of the existing regulatory system in their final report submitted to the court in July last year and strongly reccomended against any open releases including for experimental trials.

The haste with which Veerappa Moily is trying to approve field trials of risky untested GM crops before the hon'ble court is going to hold a hearing on the final TEC report in April 2014, just a month away shows the undue interest the minister has on getting these GM crops out in to fields. Read along with the skyrocketing of share prices of companies like Monsanto, the US multinational seed giant after the appointment of Veerappa Moily as Minister for Environment and Forests points to potential scam that is waiting to be exposed. The history of GM crops across the world has also shown the nexus between such unholy alliances between criminal corporations like Monsanto and corrupt policy makers.

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) condemns the action of Veerappa Moily to approve these field trials and make this country a laboratory for risky GM crops and demand that all field trials be stopped and an enquiry initiated on the undue hurry of the minister's action.

Source Link: http://www.aamaadmiparty.org

Rajmohan Gandhi, Rajan Sushant on AAP second list

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, February 27
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Thursday declared its second list of 30 candidates for the Lok Sabha elections that includes five from Haryana and one each from Delhi, Punjab, Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand.

Rajmohan Gandhi, a noted academician and grandson of Mahatma Gandhi, will contest elections from the East Delhi parliamentary seat against Sandeep Dikshit, Congress MP and son of former Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit.

From Haryana, Naveen Jaihind, who led the movement for Right to Information Act and campaigned for Swaraj in the state, will be pitted against Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda’s son Deepender Singh Hooda in Rohtak.

Apart from Jaihind, the party has fielded farmer-activist Balwinder Kaur from Kurukshetra, a seat represented by Congress leader and millionaire-industrialist Naveen Jindal. The party has also given ticket to social activist Poonam Chand Ratti from Sirsa.

Former IAS officer Yudhbir Singh Khyalia will contest from Hisar, the seat currently represented by Kuldeep Bishnoi, son of ex-CM Bhajan Lal, while social activist and advocate Jaisingh Thekedar will contest from Sonepat.

Army ex-deputy chief Lt General Raj Kadyan (retd), who championed the cause of one rank-one pension, would contest from Rajasthan’s Jhunjhunu constituency. Rajan Sushant, the BJP ex-MP known for his active role in the Jaypee Pong Dam rehabilitation, will be the party candidate from Kangra.

From Punjab, cardiologist Dr Dharamvir Gandhi will enter the electoral contest from Patiala, a seat held by Union Minister and Punjab ex-CM Amarinder Singh’s wife Preneet Kaur.

RTI activist Dr Muzaffar Bhat, who joined the party today, will contest from Srinagar, a seat currently represented by Union Minister and National Conference stalwart Farooq Abdullah.

The party also named 10 candidates from Maharashtra, six from Madhya Pradesh, three from Rajasthan and one from Gujarat. Some of the prominent names are: Atul Bhai Sekhda (Junagarh, Gujarat), Samina Khan (Sangli, Maharashtra), Bhagwat Rajput (Vidisha, Madhya Pradesh), Major Surendra Punia (Sikar, Rajasthan), and HC Arya (Almora, Uttarakhand).

The big fight

East Delhi: Rajmohan Gandhi pitted against Congress MP Sandeep Dikshit

Patiala: Dr Dharamvir Gandhi pitched against Union Minister Preneet Kaur

Srinagar: RTI activist Muzaffar Bhat to take on Union Minister Farooq Abdullah

Rohtak: Senior AAP leader Naveen Jaihind to take on Congress MP Deepender Hooda

Kurukshetra: Farmer-activist Balwinder Kaur to challenge industrialist Congress leader Naveen Jindal

Sirsa: Social activist Poonam Chand Ratti pitted against Haryana Congress chief & MP Ashok Tanwar

Source Link: http://www.tribuneindia.com

Kejriwal summoned as accused in criminal defamation case

NEW DELHI: Former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal was today summoned as an accused in a criminal defamation complaint filed against him by BJP leader Nitin Gadkari.

Metropolitan Magistrate Gomati Manocha issued summon for April 7 against Kejriwal on the complaint in which Gadkari had alleged that he was defamed by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader, who had included his name in the party's list of "India's most corrupt".

Senior advocate Pinki Anand and advocate Ajay Digpaul, who had appeared for Gadkari, had argued that Kejriwal had made the statement against the BJP leader with a "malafide intention" to tarnish the image and lower the dignity of their client.

The counsel had contended that Kejriwal had made "baseless and false allegation" against 57-year-old Gadkari.

The court had on February 18 recorded statements of Gadkari and advocate Neeraj as complainant witnesses in the complaint.

Gadkari in his statement had claimed the former Delhi Chief Minister had included his name in the list of alleged corrupt politician to tarnish his public image.

"The accused (Kejriwal) is in the habit of making false and defamatory statements without any basis. The statements made by the accused and his party members have damaged and tarnished my image in the eyes of the people.

"The said statements have been made maliciously by the accused person and his party people with the knowledge that the same are false, without any basis and with the malafide intention to defame and tarnish my reputation," he had said.

The former BJP President had said that on January 31, Kejriwal had issued a list of alleged "India's most corrupt" in which he had named various politicians, including him.

Kejriwal had accused several politicians of being "corrupt" and had said AAP will field candidates against them in coming Lok Sabha polls. - PTI

Source Link: http://www.tribuneindia.com

Strong exception to discontinuation of water relief in Delhi

The Aam Aadmi Party takes strong exception to reports that the Arvind Kejriwal government’s decision to provide free water to those households using upto 20,000 litres of water per meter every month may be discontinued from April 1.

If these reports are indeed true, it will become clear that the Congress-led UPA’s central government is hell bent on taking a revenge on the people of Delhi for having ousted its corrupt Sheila Dikshit government from power in the capital.

The decision to provide lifeline water to the people was taken in the Delhi Jal Board meeting chaired by Arvind Kejriwal in his capacity as chief minister on December 30, 2013.

The DJB decision cannot be reversed by either the Lieutenant Governor or the central government, since the Board is an autonomous body and any undue interference in its functioning is condemnable.

There is no major financial implication involved in continuing the free water scheme and the DJB has sufficient financial resources to provide this much needed relief to the people with genuine water meter connections. The Board, which has an existing budget of nearly Rs. 4000 cr per year can, without any difficulty, provide 20,000 litres of water per every metered connection for the entire year for merely 160 cr rupees. Therefore, the argument that the AAP government scheme was imposing a financial burden on government resources is misleading and bogus.

The AAP government had ensured that the DJB started the scheme from January 1 itself from its existing resources and there is no reason why this should not be continued beyond April 1. All arguments being given to stop it are unconvincing and appear to be guided by the sole intention of not allowing the people to get relief in their daily lives.

It is shocking to note that despite the hon’ble Lieutenant Governor’s reported statement to continue the public welfare schemes launched by the AAP government, the UPA’s central government is taking anti-people decisions one after the other to impose unreasonable burdens on the people of Delhi.

The Congress and the BJP, which had joined hands to ensure that the AAP government does not have the required numbers in the assembly to introduce the Janlokpal bill, are both responsible for imposition of this anti-people decision on the people, since both these parties kept quiet when Delhi’s interim budget was passed in the parliament.

The AAP will take this issue to the people and will expose the unholy alliance between the Congress and the BJP to reverse the pro-people decisions taken by the AAP government.

Source Link: http://www.aamaadmiparty.org

AAP says probe call against Mukesh Ambani ignored

New Delhi, Fe Feb 27 (IANS) Maintaining its attack against Mukesh Ambani and Reliance Industries, the AAP Thursday alleged that the UPA government had ignored a probe request against them three years ago despite an appeal made by the Indian mission in Singapore.

"The UPA government has not even bothered to investigate an open and shut case of huge money laundering done by Reliance and Mukesh Ambani," the party alleged in a statement -- a matter that has already been strongly refuted by the two parties.

"This is despite the fact that the Indian High Commission in Singapore had written to the central government as far back as Aug 31, 2011 requesting such an investigation," said the statement, released by party leader and senior lawyer Prashant Bhushan.

The party alleged that Rs.6,530 crore had been invested in some of the group companies of Reliance Industries by a company in Singapore, which, it added, not only claims to be a small firm but also has no office, no equity and files no tax returns in that country.

"The high commission had stated that all this money has gone into Reliance (Industries) group of companies in India with the major chunk going to Reliance Gas Transportation Infrastructure Ltd, which is a company 100 percent owned by Mukesh Ambani personally."

The Singapore company has since closed, the party said, and sought to name its owner.

Since such allegations had been made earlier, Reliance Industries had issued a statement a couple of days ago denying any wrong-doing either by the company or its chairman Mukesh Ambani.

"As stated earlier, it is being reiterated that neither Reliance Industries nor Mukesh Ambani have or had any illegitimate accounts anywhere in the world," said the statement issued Tuesday.

"RIL has business interests in several countries with turnover of thousands of crore in rupees. As a part of their normal business, these international subsidiaries of RIL deal with several global banks," the statement said.

"These accounts are fully compliant with all regulations and are disclosed in their appropriate jurisdictions and in India."

Source Link: http://in.news.yahoo.com

No ticket to legislators for Lok Sabha polls: Kejriwal

New Delhi, Feb 26 (IANS) The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) will not give tickets to any incumbent legislator for the Lok Sabha elections, former Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal said Wednesday.

"We will not give ticket to any legislator for the Lok Sabha elections," Kejriwal told the media.

He, however, did not make it clear whether he was speaking about legislators of other parties or Independents, including from Delhi.

The AAP made its debut with 28 seats in the Delhi assembly elections. It ran the city government for 49 days with outside support of the Congress, but later the government resigned on the issue of Jan Lokpal bill.

The party is all set for the Lok Sabha polls and has announced a list of 20 candidates.

Source Link: http://in.news.yahoo.com

Kejriwal alleges opinion polls are a big scam

New Delhi, Feb.26 (ANI): Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief Arvind Kejriwal on Wednesday alleged that a big scam was going on in the country in the name of opinion polls.

Former Delhi chief, Kejriwal, was reacting on sting operation shown by a news channel in New Delhi, which involved eleven opinion polls agencies.

Reportedly, a television news channel sparked a new controversy after a number of opinion polling agencies approached by undercover reporters agreed to manipulate poll data.

"A news channel showed in a sting operation on February 25 that in the name of opinion polls in this country, a racket is running. We have been saying this since last one year that a big opinion poll scam is running in this country which has been now proved by the sting operation. A big political conspiracy is taking place in this country. Earlier, it happened before Delhi assembly polls and now the same thing is being repeated before general elections," said Kejriwal.

Meanwhile, general secretary of India's ruling Congress party, Ajay Maken, said that opinion polls should be banned in the country.

"The stand of election commission since 1998 on opinion polls is that it should be banned and we support the stand of election commission," said Maken.

Earlier also, the Congress party has supported calls to ban electoral opinion polls in the world's largest democracy in what the opposition said is an attempt to suppress bad news.

The party backed a proposal by the Election Commission to restrict opinion polls. The commission has long sought to halt such polls once election dates are announced. They are currently only banned 48 hours before voting begins. (ANI)

Source Link: http://in.news.yahoo.com

AAP Condemns Discontinuation of Relief provided to Electricity Consumers in Delhi

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) strongly condemns the discontinuation of the existing relief provided to the electricity consumers by its government in their monthly bills in Delhi from April 1.

According to the interim budget passed by the Parliament on Friday, the much needed relief of subsidising the electricity bills upto 50% for those consuming upto 400 units every month, provided by the AAP government from January onwards, will be discontinued from the next financial year.

AAP is shocked over the central government’s decision to ignore the proposal of the Arvind Kejriwal government to continue this relief for the next six months (till September 2014).

When the preparations for the interim budget had started, the AAP government had clearly made a provision for this relief to continue and the power department was ready with its proposal. The Congress-led UPA government’s decision to reverse this pro-people’s measure is a betrayal with the people of Delhi.

The BJP is an equal partner in this anti-people decision, since despite having promised 30% reduction in the electricity bills in its manifesto for the Delhi assembly elections, it did not protest the Central government’s move when the interim budget was placed in both Houses of Parliament on Friday.

It is surprising to note that when more than 90% of the MLAs in the existing Delhi assembly, except for the eight Congress MLAs, agree that electricity bills should be reduced by atleast 30%, then how could the central government ignore such an overwhelming majority and impose its arbitrariness on the people of Delhi ?

It is clear that the Congress, which is yet to come to terms with its worst electoral performance in Delhi’s history, is trying to control the capital through President’s rule and is hell bent on seeking a revenge on the people for having punished it so badly for its misdeeds, by imposing financial burdens on the common man.

First, the Congress government led by Sheila Dikshit kept on fooling the people of Delhi that the audit of private power distribution companies by the C&AG was not possible due to the matter being pending in courts and now when it has been proved that the party was lying, it has now decided to help these companies by using the President’s rule as a ploy.

By having reversed the proposal of an elected state government, the Congress-led UPA government has tried to insult the popular mandate and the BJP needs to answer for how long is it willing to allow the undemocratic step of the assembly being kept in suspended animation ?

The people of Delhi are watching this match-fixing between the Congress and BJP to increase the woes of the common man. The BJP’s mysterious silence on President’s rule is a clear signal that it wants to deny the people their right of having a democratically elected government.

Source Link: http://www.aamaadmiparty.org

SC notice to Centre on plea for fresh poll

Legal Correspondent

New Delhi, February 24
The Supreme Court today issued notice to the Centre seeking its response to Aam Aadmi Party’s (AAP) plea for immediate dissolution of the Delhi Assembly, kept under suspended animation following Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s resignation on February 14, and holding of fresh election.

A Bench comprising Justices RM Lodha and Dipak Misra asked the Centre to file its response within ten days and posted the next hearing for March 7. Arguing for AAP, senior advocate Fali S Nariman contended that the Centre should have dissolved the assembly as the BJP, the single largest party with 32 seats in the 70-member House, had clarified immediately in the wake of the AAP government quitting that it was not interested in attempting to mobilise majority and would rather prefer fresh poll.

The Centre’s decision to impose President’s Rule was unconstitutional as the outgoing Kejriwal government had recommended dissolution of the Assembly, he pleaded.

In its petition, AAP has named the BJP and the Congress as respondents, but the SC Bench refused to issue notice to them as the issue involved only Constitutional provisions. Further, the court said it did not want the petition to turn into a “political contest.”

The Union Cabinet and Delhi’s Lieutenant Governor “don’t have any residual discretion” to keep the hung House in suspended animation, ignoring Kejriwal government’s recommendation, Nariman argued.

According to the petition, the imposition of President’s Rule on February 16 was a political move to frustrate the probe ordered against former CM Sheila Dikshit and others in graft cases relating to the Commonwealth Games.

Source Link: http://www.tribuneindia.com

In Rohtak, Kejriwal says Hooda misusing land Act

Kickstarts Aam Aadmi Party’s Lok Sabha election campaign from Chief Minister’s home turf
Sunit Dhawan
Tribune News Service

Rohtak, February 23 Aam Aadmi Party leader Arvind Kejriwal has exhorted the people of Haryana to vote AAP to power to ensure transparent governance free of corruption, casteism, nepotism and dynastic politics. Kejriwal, who chose his home state to launch his party’s national poll campaign, was addressing a rally in the hometown of Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda here today. The AAP leader accused Hooda of misusing the provisions of the Land Acquisition Act to cheat the unsuspecting farmers and benefit big builders, industrialists and colonisers.

He referred to the “shady” land deal between realty giant DLF and Congress president Sonia Gandhi’s son-in-law Robert Vadra in this context.

He alleged Hooda was involved in many land deals and acted as an “agent of Mukesh Ambani”. Kejriwal alleged that Ambani was backing Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi as well as BJP’s prime ministerial candidate Narender Modi and was actually running the country.

Kejriwal claimed he had the Swiss bank account numbers of Mukesh and Anil Ambani. He dared Modi to bring their money back to the country.

He even announced the Swiss account numbers of the Ambanis. Striking a cord with the masses, Kejriwal termed the late Ch Devi Lal as a real farmer leader, adding that the late leader’s successors had tarnished his image.

Patriotic songs and Haryanavi ragnis were played on the occasion, giving a peculiar patriotic-cum-political fervour to the rally.

The gathering, comprising AAP members and supporters donning their trademark white caps, passed a “no-confidence” motion against the Hooda-led Congress government. A “resolution” was moved by senior party leader Yogendra Yadav and seconded by social activist-turned-politician DR Chaudhry.

Thousands of party members, supporters and sympathisers raised their hands and accepted the proposal by a voice-vote.

The rallyists cheered their leaders at short intervals and showed enthusiasm by raising slogans like “Inqalab Zindabad” and “Bharat Mata ki Jai”. “The enthusiasm exhibited by the people attending the rally made it a real success and proved that the crowds had not been managed for the event. The people supporting the AAP ideology came from the distant places on their own,” said Chaudhry.

AAP leader Yogendra Yadav announced that on being voted to power in the state, they would conduct a thorough probe into the recruitments for government jobs made during the past 20 years.

AAP leader Naveen Jaihind was declared party’s nominee from the Rohtak Lok Sabha constituency.

Source Link: http://www.tribuneindia.com

Mahatma Gandhi's grandson shuns Congress, joins AAP

Himanshi Dhawan, TNN

NEW DELHI: Renowned writer and thinker Rajmohan Gandhi joined the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Friday in a significant coup for the newbie political party. Gandhi appeared disenchanted with the Congress — that his grandfather Mahatma Gandhi helped build to a national party — calling it only for the "khaas aadmi'' (special people.)

While speculation is rife that Gandhi may be asked to contest against Gujarat CM Narendra Modi in Gujarat, party sources also said that a Delhi seat may also be considered. When asked if he was open to contesting against Modi Gandhi said that it was a "long shot."

Drawn by the party's fearless opposition to corruption, Rajmohan Gandhi said that it was close to Gandhi's single focus on 'salt' that spurred the Civil Disobedience Movement. When asked why he chose to join electoral politics Rajmohan Gandhi said, "No party is perfect. But Congress today has become a party for the "khaas aadmi'', BJP for the "ameer aadmi''and only AAP is left for the aam aadmi."

Source Link: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Also Visit for Pictures: http://indianexpress.com

Will not contest poll, says AAP’s Lt Gen Panag

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, February 21
Lt Gen HS Panag (retd), the father of actor Gul Panag, said the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) was attracting the lower middle class as well as the intelligentsia and was improving its learning curve.

After joining the party, Lt Gen Panag said he found the party's leaders sincere, honest and humble. "Despite initial shortcomings there appears to be a method in their madness," he said.

An officer from the Mechanised Infantry, Panag is now based in Panchkula. He had served as the General Officer Commanding-in-Chief of the Northern Command and the Central Command, following which he had a four-year stint as an administrative member with the Chandigarh Bench of the Armed Forces Tribunal.

As a member of the AAP, he would be guiding the party on its approach towards national security issues, strategic affairs and matters concerning the welfare of ex-servicemen. Though he has declined to contest elections, saying that he does not have the social base or the temperament for it, he would actively participate in public events like rallies, debates and electoral campaigns in support of candidates.

"We keep criticising people and policies while sitting in an armchair. I felt that if you have to do something then you have to really get into it. Then came the question of which party to join and after examining the options I concluded that AAP best suited my temperament and individual perceptions," he said. "Being a new party, there is also a greater chance of being heard within the hierarchical order," he added.

Source Link: http://www.tribuneindia.com

‘NCP activists’ attack AAP office in Mumbai

Tribune News Service

Mumbai, February 22
Suspected activists of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) attacked the Mumbai office of the Aam Aadmi Party office at Chakala in suburban Andheri this afternoon. AAP said around 25 persons claiming to be workers of the NCP shouted slogans in favour of Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar and damaged furniture.

"They burnt a poster of AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal and threw black ink all over the office and burnt banners and posters," AAP leader Suresh Acharya said.

Timely intervention by the police prevented any further damage to the office property.

The attack on AAP's office comes days after the Maharashtra unit of the party released a document which showed that the state-owned power utility MahaGenco may have paid more for coal to fuel its plants which caused a hike in power tariffs. AAP alleged that corruption and mismanagement have caused losses to the tune of Rs 22,000 crore in the state.

Pawar holds the power portfolio in the state. AAP leaders said they would hold a peaceful protest outside NCP's offices in the city. "We will sweep the road outside NCP's office and pray to God to grant them good sense not to indulge in violence," Acharya said.

Source Link: http://www.tribuneindia.com

AAP to HC: Got funds from Indians only

New Delhi, February 22
Rejecting the allegation of illegally receiving foreign funds, the Aam Aadmi Party has told the Delhi High Court that it got donations worth Rs 30 crore from Indian citizens only, out which about Rs 8.5 crore came from NRIs.

Denying having violated any foreign exchange or other laws, the AAP contended that the PIL accusing it and its founding members of having illegally received foreign funding is "scandalous, frivolous, motivated and baseless".

The party, in its response filed in the high court, has said it has "very small amount of funds and also the most transparent method of political funding amongst all parties".

"It is the only party whose all financial records, and the names of each and every donor is on its website, open for public view," the affidavit, filed by AAP national secretary Pankaj Kumar Gupta, said and sought dismissal of the PIL.

The AAP, while rejecting the contentions in the petition for lodging of a criminal case against it and its members, said that the high court "must direct a thorough investigation of the funding sources (including foreign funding) of major political parties, particularly the Congress and the BJP".

"These are the parties that have received donations officially running into thousands of crores from unknown sources. Other hidden donations that are not shown in their books may be much higher and deserve a thorough investigation in order to clean up our political and electoral system," the party has said in its response.

It has also alleged that while the Home Ministry "readily launched an investigation into AAP's finances on the pretext of pendency of the petition", no such probe or action was taken against major political parties, "despite clear cut evidence of taking foreign funding by them". — PTI

Source Link: http://www.tribuneindia.com

Emulate Kejriwal, says Pakistani daily

Islamabad, Feb 16 (IANS) A leading Pakistani daily Sunday called for emulating Arvind Kejriwal, who quit as chief minister of India's national capital, and said that "his simple demeanour and cry against corruption is a model the Pakistani aam aadmi could in time be inspired to try out".

An editorial "Delhi at a distance" in the Dawn appeared two days after Kejriwal tendered his resignation, bringing the curtains down on an Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government that lasted 49 days in Delhi. "In Arvind Kejriwal, the aam aadmi, or common man, in Pakistan did not just see an Indian politician out to entertain peeping neighbours with his public antics," said the editorial.

It lauded Kejriwal's "simple demeanour and cry against corruption" and called it "a model the Pakistani aam aadmi could in time be inspired to try out, depending on Kejriwal's journey in New Delhi". Though the AAP journey in Delhi has been stalled, the editorial said that Kejriwal's tenure lasted "more than Atal Behari Vajpayee's 13-day first stint as prime minister all those years ago".

It stressed that the AAP, which was formed over a year back, "cannot as yet be written off as a flash-in-the-pan player".

But, it warned, that there are serious dangers about its future, "given the 'uncompromising position' Kejriwal was found in right at the time of his hasty departure".

It went on to say that the "problem with the aam aadmi everywhere is that his understanding of issues and his solutions are simple".

"Kejriwal had the awareness to peg his politics to corruption but he must have been bluffing when he said he expected established parties such as Congress and BJP to allow AAP a free way for the passage of laws to fight this disease."

"They did not give him the expected space and he is now left with the task of widening his challenge and relaunching his campaign for real power."

The daily said that Kejriwal, 45, has been "advised to be more discreet and practise the art of the possible rather than go for the forbidden".

"This is exactly the course other aam aadmis have taken to graduate in politics. Only they are no more aam once they reach up there."

Source Link: http://in.news.yahoo.com

Apex court agrees to hear AAP’s plea to dissolve Delhi Assembly

NEW DELHI, FEB 21:
The Supreme Court today agreed to hear on Monday the Aam Aadmi Party’s plea seeking a direction to the Lieutenant Governor to dissolve Delhi Assembly and hold fresh polls along with Lok Sabha elections.

The Bench headed by Chief Justice P Sathasivam said that it will hear the petition on February 24.

Advocate Prashant Bhushan, appearing for AAP, said, “There is no possibility of any alternate government in Delhi and the Lieutenant Governor should have dissolved the Assembly.”

The joint petition filed on the basis of newspaper reports and documents available in public domain by AAP and Saurabh Bhardwaj, who was the Transport Minister in Kejriwal Cabinet, challenged the decision to impose President’s rule in Delhi on the recommendation of Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung alleging it was done to protect Congress leaders and former Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit from corruption charges.

It contended that the February 16 order imposing President’s rule was with a motive to frustrate the ongoing investigation in those corruption cases in which FIR has been lodged by the Arvind Kejriwal government.

“Apparently, the motive behind not dissolving the Delhi Legislative Assembly and holding fresh elections is to allow a political party, which had badly lost the Delhi Legislative Assembly Election, held in December 2013 and of which several important leaders including Ministers in Central government and the former Chief Minster are facing serious corruption charges.

“....to govern the NCT of Delhi indirectly through the Central government as the same party is presently in power in the Centre and also to frustrate the ongoing investigations in those corruption charges under the FIRs which were recently lodged by the Delhi Government.

“Thus, the aforesaid decision is not only arbitrary and illegal and in violation of the democratic rights of the citizens of Delhi but also malafide,” the petition has said.

The petition has said the order to impose President’s rule was “illegal, arbitrary and in violation” of Article 14 of the Constitution as after the resignation of Arvind Kejriwal government neither BJP nor Congress were in a position to form the government and they had already expressed their unwillingness in this regard.

It has further raised constitutional questions to keep the Assembly under suspended animation by ignoring the categorical recommendation of the majority government of the NCT of Delhi for dissolving the House.

The petition has said that imposition of the President’s rule has denied the citizens of Delhi their democratic right to have an elected popular government.

“The aforesaid order also suffers from malice-in-law since whilst exercising the discretionary power, the constitutional authorities have failed to take matters into account which they ought to have taken into account and used this power for an unauthorised purpose,” the petition filed through advocate Kamini Jaiswal has said.

“While imposing President’s rule on the NCT of Delhi, the 5th Assembly of the NCT of Delhi has not been dissolved.

“The President of India while imposing President’s rule under Article 239 AB (1) of the Constitution vide the impugned order suspended operations of clause 3(a), 4, 5 and 6 of Article 239 AA which are special provisions with respect to Delhi and deal with powers of legislatures, council of Ministers etc.

“Apart from suspending some of the provisions of the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi Act, 1991, the order did not suspend the operation of the provision of clause 2 (a) of Article 239 AA which provides that there shall be a Legislative Assembly and thus, assumed power of legislatures, council of Ministers etc. without suspending Legislative Assembly,” it has said.

“In the present case, it was incumbent on the President, after assuming to himself all the powers of the Lt. Governor to himself, of course with aid and advice of the Council of Ministers, to exercise the power to dissolve the Assembly especially since there was no possibility whatever of the formation of any other government since other main political parties (viz. BJP and Congress) have already expressed their unwillingness and inability to form a government,” it has said.

Source Link: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com

AAP files petition in SC challenging government's decision to impose President's rule in Delhi

New Delhi, Feb. 20 (ANI): Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader and advocate Prashant Bhushan on Thursday said that the party has filed a petition in the Supreme Court to direct the Central government and lieutenant governor to dissolve the Delhi Assembly, and order for fresh elections in the capital.

"Today an important petition has been filed in the Supreme Court by the AAP, in which we have challenged the decision of the Central government and lieutenant governor to impose President's rule in Delhi," said Bhushan.

"After the resignation of the AAP government, which had also recommended the dissolution of the assembly and call for fresh elections, imposing President's rule means violating the democratic rights of the people of Delhi," he said.

He further added that this decision by the central government had been taken to influence the ongoing criminal investigations. "It appears to have been done in order to influence the ongoing criminal investigations in several FIRs, which have been registered regarding CWG, the Jal board, as well as the recent gas price hike," Bhushan said.

"What is also very remarkable is that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which said that they were not in a position to form a government in Delhi, have not raised the issue of calling for fresh elections, or about the dissolution of the assembly," he said.

"They seem to be very happy with the decision, and have supported the Congress to postpone the elections. Therefore, we have challenged the decision, and have filed a petition against it so that, the democratic rights of the people are respected, and there is an elected government in Delhi," he added.

AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal resigned as Delhi Chief Minister after the Assembly session was adjourned sine die following protests by the opposition over the Jan Lokpal Bill. Kejriwal also said that the Delhi Assembly should be immediately dissolved, and demanded for re-elections in the state.

He claimed that Congress and BJP joined hands to stop the Jan Lokpal Bill because they were aware that most of their members would be jailed on charges of corruption if this Bill gets passed.(ANI)

Source Link: http://in.news.yahoo.com

Taking on Ambani bold

This refers to the editorial "Keep politics aside: Gas price issue needs a fresh look" (February 13). By ordering an FIR against Reliance chief Mukesh Ambani, Union Cabinet Minister Veerappa Moily, former Oil Minister Murli Deora and former oil regulator VK Sibal, Arvind Kejariwal has shown a rare boldness and courage of conviction as a pro-people leader.

He has rightly questioned the intriguing manner in which Mukesh Ambani’s company has been persuading the Central government to hike the oil prices since 2007.

This was a blatant breach of the original agreement according to which Reliance was responsible for supplying gas to the NTPC at $2.3 per mBtu for 17 years. Now, the new rate of $8.4 per unit from April 1 will affect the economy and pauperise the common people. It will certainly push up the costs of transport, electricity and fertilisers. It is a brazen loot of the public money.

Kejriwal seems to know the pain of the masses and an uncanny wisdom to move forward as a leader. He has forcefully hit at the root of corruption by pointing a finger at Reliance which is controlling the oil wells in the KG-D 6 blocks of Andhra Pradesh. He has exposed the dubious links between some Cabinet ministers and the most powerful corporate house of the country. We ought to welcome such an honest and upright leader.

Dr RAJ BAHADUR YADAV, Fatehabad

Source Link: http://www.tribuneindia.com

HC puts Kejriwal’s relief to power defaulters on hold

Legal Correspondent

New Delhi, February 19
The Delhi High Court today directed the city administration not to go ahead with the controversial move of the erstwhile AAP government to waive 50 per cent dues of the electricity consumers who had not paid their bills from October 2012 to December 2013.

A Bench comprising Justices BD Ahmed and Siddharth Mridul passed the oral order while hearing PIL petitioner, Vivek Sharma, who pleaded that such reliefs would result in chaos as defaulters ought to be penalised, not rewarded.

Posting the next hearing for February 21, the high court said it was not clear from official records as to whether the Delhi Cabinet had cleared the proposal for waiving the bill amounts. It asked the state’s standing counsel to file an affidavit, if necessary, clarifying the status.

Vivek Sharma contended that, according to media reports, the Lieutenant Governor had directed all government departments to implement the major decisions of the Arvind Kejriwal regime that was in power for 49 days before quitting in protest against the attitude of the Congress and BJP in stonewalling its move to introduce the Jan Lokpal Bill in the Assembly.

Source Link: http://www.tribuneindia.com

’84 riots: Kejri writes to LG on SIT

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, February 19
Aam Aadmi Party national convener and former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal today urged Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung to set in motion the process of setting up the special investigation team (SIT) to probe the 1984 anti-Sikh riots.

In a letter, Kejriwal said they had suggested names of three senior IPS officers from outside the National Capital for appointment to the SIT.

Kejriwal thanked the LG for supporting his government’s decision and asked him to appoint police officers from outside Delhi for an impartial probe. He impressed upon the LG to notify the SIT’s formation at the earliest.

“Some of the witnesses are already old and setting up of the SIT is perhaps their last hope of getting justice. Therefore, I request you to kindly expedite the setting up of this team,” Kejriwal stated.

The erstwhile Delhi Cabinet, headed by Kejriwal, had approved the setting up of an SIT to look into the killing of innocent people in 1984.

Source Link: http://www.tribuneindia.com

AAP to contest 6-7 seats in West Bengal

KOLKATA: The Aam Aadmi Party has decided to fight at least six to seven seats in West Bengal in the coming Lok Sabha election.

The party is currently running membership drives in the districts as well as parts of Kolkata, which, it claims, has generated a “positive and exciting” response.

AAP’s national spokesperson Deepak Vajpayee said, “Going by the excitement and positive response that we have received during the membership drive, it will be proper to contest some seats in the Lok Sabha polls.”

It had not yet been decided how many seats the party would fight, though, Mr. Vajpayee said.

But, Rakesh Jha, AAP leader in Bengal, said, “We will contest six to seven Lok Sabha seats in West Bengal, out of which three are Kolkata North, Kolkata South and Jadavpur. Other seats are yet to be decided.”

Mr. Jha said that the main plank of their campaign would be drive against corruption, under which comes the chit fund scam in the state, but they would also highlight state-specific issues like growing crimes against women.

The Aam Aadmi Party would also try to capitalise on the “resentment” against the Trinamool Congress which is in power since May, 2011, he said.

The AAP’s Bengal chapter rolled out a cadre-training programme last week at the Indian Association Building and also started a “Jhadu Chalo Yatra” from February 15 to February 23 to familiarise the people in Bengal with the party and its agenda.

AAP leaders in Bengal claimed that the membership of the party at present stood around 1.5 lakhs, some of whom, they said, would be drafted as active volunteers.- PTI

Source Link: http://www.tribuneindia.com

AAP launches anti-graft drive

Tribune News Service

Sirsa, February 18
Activists of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) launched a 'jharu sandesh yatra' against corruption, nepotism and dynastic rule here today.

Prahlad Singh Bharu-khera, a member of the state committee of the AAP, said the common man's life had become miserable due to these.

Former District Bar Association president Suresh Mehta, municipal councillor Ramesh Mehta and AAP spokesperson Pradeep Sachdeva participated in the campaign.

Raising slogans, the volunteers appealed to the people to support the party for cleaner politics. Similar 'yatras' were carried out in Fatehabad, Dabwali, Rania, Ellenabad and Kalanwali.

Karnal: Activists of the Aam Aadmi Party took out a ‘jhaadu chalao yatra’ in the city on Tuesday against corruption in the political system.

Leading the yatra, state secretary Paramjeet Singh said they intended to clean up the corrupt system.

He said over 450 villages of the state had been covered and the remaining will be covered before February 23.

Meanwhile, the party activists handed over a memorandum to Deputy Commissioner Balraj Singh for demanding regular bus services for college students on rural routes.

Source Link: http://www.tribuneindia.com

AAP to field strong candidate against Bansal

Chandigarh, February 17
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) will be fielding a strong candidate against sitting Congress MP Pawan Kumar Bansal. This stated by AAP's national spokesperson Atishi Marlena while interacting with mediapersons here today. Atishi, who was in the city to attend a seminar in Gandhi Bhawan, said the Chandigarh seat was important for the AAP.

Pawan Kumar Bansal's name was on the list of 'corrupt politicians' released by the AAP founder Arvind Kejriwal recently.

Atishi Marlena, 32, a key intellectual face of the AAP, said the process to finalise the candidate for the Chandigarh Lok Sabha seat was on. Though they had interviewed only seven ticket aspirants in the city so far but in the coming days, they would interview more people, she said.

Justifying Arvind Kejriwal's resignation as Delhi CM, she said the AAP was voted to power to fight corruption. There was no point continuing with the government when they could not table the Janlokpal Bill in the Assembly. She alleged that the Congress and the BJP had a secret pact, adding that the parties were together on the issues of corporate funding to political parties and criminals contesting elections.

Youth wing in the offing

During the seminar, AAP volunteers announced that the party would also form the local chapter of the Chhatr Yuva Sangharsh Samiti (CYSS), AAP’s student and youth wing. — TNS

Source Link: http://www.tribuneindia.com

AAP against crony capitalism: Kejriwal

New Delhi, February 17
Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) founder and former Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal today said his party was against crony capitalism, not capitalism. He also said it was not the job of the government to do business, rather it should focus on governance.

"We are not against capitalism, but we are against crony capitalism. We are depressed when spectrum worth Rs 1.5 lakh crore is purchased and sold for Rs 6,000 crore within one week. This is not called business, it is called dacoity," he said while sharing AAP's economic plan at a CII event.

Kejriwal as Delhi Chief Minister ordered CAG audit of power discoms and initiated action against Mukesh Ambani, Reliance Industries and Oil Minister Veerappa Moily alleging complicity in fixing gas prices.

“There is a very small section of industrialists in our country who are not industrialists or businessmen, but they are looting the country. We are against them but not against you all. If businesses are closed, then who will generate employment?" he said. — PTI

Source Link: http://www.tribuneindia.com

President’s rule imposed in Delhi

NEW DELHI: Central rule was on Monday imposed in Delhi and the Legislative Assembly kept in suspended animation after President Pranab Mukherjee accepted the resignation of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.

Making a suo moto statement in both Houses of Parliament, Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde said following a factual report sent by Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung, the Union Cabinet had recommended imposition of President’s Rule in Delhi.

“The Hon’ble President has accepted the resignation of Arvind Kejriwal, Chief Minister of the GNCT of Delhi and his Council of Ministers and also approved the imposition of President’s Rule while keeping the Legislative Assembly in suspended animation,” he said in identical statement made in both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha.

Shinde said the Council of Ministers of the Government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi tendered its resignation on February 14.

The resignation of the AAP government came after it failed to introduce the Jan Lokpal Bill for the consideration of the Legislative Assembly.

“The bill was a finance bill and necessitated prior reference to the Central Government by the Lieutenant Governor which procedure had not been followed by the Government of NCT of Delhi,” Shinde said.

According to a statement issued by the LG office, the President will now act through the Lt. Governor for administering the National Capital Territory.

“In exercise of the functions and powers assumed by the President... it shall be lawful for President to act to such extent as he thinks fit through the Lt Governor for administering National Capital Territory in accordance with the provision of Article 239 and Article 239AA,” the statement said.

Najeeb Jung had sent a report to the President on the political situation in Delhi in the wake of resignation of the Aam Aadmi Party government. He had also forwarded the resignation of AAP government to the President along with the report.

The AAP government had recommended to the Lt. Governor to dissolve the Assembly and hold fresh elections. - PTI

Source Link: http://www.tribuneindia.com

Shashi Kant on AAP’s poll panel

Our correspondent

Hoshiarpur, February 16
Former Director General of Police (DGP) Shashi Kant has been inducted into the 17-member AAP election campaign committee for Punjab. With this, the screening of candidates will start tomorrow for the remaining 12 seats. The AAP today announced that Advocate HS Phoolka would contest from the Ludhiana parliamentary seat.

Advocate Navin Jairath, AAP state spokesperson, said: “The national executive has approved the list of members of the election campaign committee. After screening the names for the 12 parliamentary seats, AAP will declare the candidates soon after approval from the national election commitee.”

He said that nearly 750 applications were received for all 13 seats in Punjab.

The members of the election campaign committee are Advocate Naveen Jairth, Deepak Thakur, Dharamvir Gandhi, Gulshan Chhabra, HS Phoolka, Harinder Singh, Harjot Singh Bains, Lal Singh Sulhani, Manjit Singh, Raghbir Singh, Rajni, Ranjeet Singh Pandher, Santokh Singh, Dr Sumail Singh Sidhu, Tarandeep Singh, Shashi Kant and Kultar Singh.

Source Link: http://www.tribuneindia.com

Phoolka begins campaign

Corruption, right to recall his main election plank
Sarbjit Dhaliwal
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, February 16
Advocate HS Phoolka, AAP (Aam Aadmi Party) candidate for the Ludhiana parliamentary seat, today said that corruption, nepotism and the right to recall elected representatives would comprise his election plank.

Talking to The Tribune, he said: “ Our party is for recalling MPs and MLAs who fail to live up to the expectations of voters.” Phoolka, who did matriculation from Government High School, Bhadaur, a few kilometers from Barnala, said for him it was back to his roots. After LLB from Panjab University, Chandigarh, Phoolka started practising in the Delhi High Court and the Supreme Court.

Before that, he did B.Sc (Agriculture) from Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana. “I did a course from the Ludhiana flying Academy to become a commercial pilot,” he said.

Phoolka, who is associated with the Gian Sewa Samiti, has been helping students in Punjab to prepare for medical and engineering entrance exams. He is also associated with Edusat.

Phoolka has launched community farming projects in the state. “Community farming is being done in certain villages of Moga and Ferozepur districts. I organised a people’s march against the use of drugs during the SGPC and assembly elections,” he said.

Phoolka, who launched his campaign today, said his wife had taught in Ludhiana for some years before moving to New Delhi. “After the 1984 Delhi riots, we decided to shift back to Punjab. When I went to Delhi to bring our luggage, I was told that riot victims in relief camps needed advocates to get their complaints registered. I visited some camps and decided to stay on in Delhi to help them get justice,” Phoolka said.

About AAP candidate

• HS Phoolka did matric from Govt High School, Bhadaur
• He did B.Sc (Agriculture) from PAU, Ludhiana
• He trained with the Ludhiana Flying Academy
• Later, he did LLB from PU, Chandigarh, and shifted to Delhi
• Phoolka is associated with Gian Sewa Samiti
• He has launched community farming projects

Source Link: http://www.tribuneindia.com

Broom takes Jalandhar in its sweep

Hundreds of Aam Aadmi supporters join ‘Jhadu Chalao Yatra’
Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, February 16 Hundreds of people turned up for an Aam Admi Party (AAP) rally here today. The rally, which is part of party’s nationwide “Jhadu Chalao Yatra”, kicked off from the Company Bagh Chowk.

The rally saw the presence of Advocate HS Phoolka, while the one in Ludhiana saw the participation of former Director General of Police (DGP) Shashi Kant.

The rally will be held in Patiala and Sangrur, among other districts. Phoolka and other district and state members welcomed Arvind Kejriwal’s decision to resign from the post of Delhi Chief Minister.

Jalandhar is considered one of the prominent cities where AAP has evoked considerable suuport. Retired officers Swarn Singh and Lok Raj Nayyar are the front runners for the candidacy from the Jalandhar parliamentary seat. The name of government school principal Rajkumari Saroj is also doing the rounds.

Swarn Singh was allegedly involved in the misuse of funds for the Shaheed Bhagat Singh’s birth centenary celebrations in 2008. He has termed it a “political conspiracy” and reportedly had a word with Kejriwal on the issue, after which he was given the go-ahead for the membership.

Sources said the state executive would decide on the candidate from Jalandhar.

Meanwhile, enthused about the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, and claiming to be unfazed by the Kejriwal’s resignation, the party has been trying to broaden its base in the city. The party plans to cover all 60 wards across nine blocks in the urban areas.

As for strengthening its rural base in the district, party workers have been forming teams in villages. While teams at 28 villages in Adampur, Nakodar and Shahakot have been formed, the party is looking to form teams in all 944 villages in the district.

At present, the party has 35,000 members in the district and 500 field workers.

AAP convener Himanshu Pathak said, “The Lok Sabha elections is round the corner and there is a lot of work to do. The party will shortly be sending teams across the district for door-to-door campaigning and raise issues that matter the most.”

You do the sting, we will do the rest: AAP

Hoshiarpur: If someone in a government office asks for a bribe, don’t panic. Do a sting on him and give the video clip to the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). It will file a complaint and contest the case in the court too. This was the message to the people during the 'Jhadu Rally' of the AAP's district unit organised here today. The AAP leaders with brooms in their hands raised slogans such as ‘Inquilab Zindabad’, ‘Vande Matram’, and ‘Bharat Mata ki Jai’. Led by the members of the national executive, they went across the city on motorcycles and scooters and stopped at intervals to sweep the roads and address people. — TNS

Rally round-up

• The rally is part of AAP's nationwide 'Jhadu Chalao Yatra'
• The party slogan for the rally is 'Jhadu chalao beimaan bhagao'
• Soon, rallies will be held in Patiala and Sangrur

Numbers count

• The party has 35,000 members in Jalandhar district and 500 field workers
• Nearly 750 people have applied for all 13 seats in the state

Source Link: http://www.tribuneindia.com

AAP chief takes a dig at Modi, Rahul

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, February 16
Aam Aadmi Party chief Arvind Kejriwal today termed Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi and BJP leader Narendra Modi “agents of Mukesh Ambani”. He asked them to clarify their stand on the controversial gas pricing issue and their “relationship” with industrialist Mukesh Ambani.

On the micro- blogging website Twitter, he wrote: “Would 2014 elections be fought between the AAP and Mukesh Ambani, with Rahul and Modi being agents of Mukesh Ambani?

Arvind said the BJP’s prime ministerial candidate should explain his stand on gas pricing.

“Modi should break his silence on gas pricing. Also, what is his and his party’s relation with Mukesh Ambani and Adani?” he tweeted.

“Why Rahul is supporting higher gas price for Mukesh Ambani? Is Congress Amban's "dukaan" (shop), as claimed by him?" he tweeted.

The attacks come days after an FIR was registered by the AAP-led Delhi government against Mukesh Ambani and Union Petroleum Minister Veerappa Moily.

Source Link: http://www.tribuneindia.com

AAP names 20 candidates to take on top players in Lok Sabha poll

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, February 16
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) today announced its first list of 20 candidates for the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections. The list names its challengers to political biggies such as Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi, former BJP chief Nitin Gadkari, Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav, Rashtriya Lok Dal chief Ajit Singh, Union ministers Kapil Sibal, Manish Tewari and Salman Khurshid, among others.

Though other parties have not yet announced their candidates, the AAP seems to have prepared its list taking into consideration the sitting MPs. The list comes two days after Arvind Kejriwal quit as the Delhi Chief Minister. It names party candidates from Delhi (two), Uttar Pradesh (seven), Maharashtra (six), Haryana, Arunachal Pradesh, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh and Punjab (one each). Another list is expected next week. Poet-turned-politician Kumar Vishwas will challenge Rahul Gandhi in Amethi, while Yogendra Yadav will contest against sitting MP Rao Inderjeet Singh from Gurgaon. Three days ago, Rao Inderjeet joined the BJP, leaving the Congress after 34 years.

Harvinder Singh Phoolka, the face of the legal battle for justice for anti-Sikh riot victims, will contest from Ludhiana, currently represented by Information and Broadcasting Minister Manish Tewari. Journalist-turned-politician Ashutosh will contest the Chandni Chowk seat in Delhi. Kapil Sibal is the sitting MP from here. Another former journalist Jarnail Singh, who hurled a shoe at Union minister P Chidambaram in the run-up to the elections in 2009, will contest the West Delhi seat. Anjali Damani, who is credited with having dug out the irrigation scam in Maharashtra, will face Gadkari from Nagpur, the home-base of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).

Former CEO of the Royal Bank of Scotland Meera Sanyal will contest against Milind Deora from Mumbai South. Narmada Bachao Andolan spearhead Medha Patkar will be the candidate from Mumbai North-East, which is currently represented in Parliament by Sanjay Patil. In UP, Mukul Tripathi will be the AAP nominee against Union External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid from Farukkhabad. Former UP bureaucrat Baba Hardeo will face Mulayam Singh Yadav from Mainpuri, while farmer leader Soumendra Dhaka will take on Ajit Singh (son of former Prime Minister Charan Singh) in Baghpat.

Social worker Subhash Ware is the AAP nominee for Pune. Suresh Kalmadi is the sitting MP from here. Mayank Gandhi, who has been with India Against Corruption (IAC), will be the AAP nominee from Mumbai North-West. Gurudas Kamat is the sitting MP. Vijay Baliram Pandhare, a former Chief Engineer with the Water Resources Department, will be nominee from Nashik. Sameer Bhujbal, son of Chaggan Bhujbal of the NCP, is the sitting MP from this seat.

Source Link: http://www.tribuneindia.com

Kejriwal remains people's hero after resignation

New Delhi: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's resignation has only raised his stock among the common people of Delhi, the 'aam admi', who form his core support base and who believe he will come back to power with a more emphatic majority and play a larger national role after the general election.

Kejriwal resigned dramatically from his post after 49 days of coming to power as he failed to get his dream bill, the Jan Lokpal, even introduced in the Delhi assembly Friday as both the national parties, the Congress and the BJP, ganged up against it.

"So what if Kejriwal has resigned? This resignation proves that only a 'jhaadu waala' (referring to the party symbol of 'jadhu' or broom) can deliver and end corruption in the city," Hanumanth Rai, from Hissar told IANS.

"Other parties are not supporting him because they know that if the bill is passed their leaders will land in jail," he said.

Kejriwal had on numerous occasions threatened to resign if the bill was not passed.

"We are with him in his resignation also. There should be a re-election as we are sure that next time he will win more than 50 seats and get the bills passed without support," Radha Sharma, a resident of Burari in outer Delhi, told IANS.

"He will come back to power. Today, on the day he resigned, I can even assure you that," she added.

Flashing the party symbol (the broom) and wearing the trademark side cap AAP supporters were firm that their fight would continue.

"Today's scenario only reflects that AAP is on right way to win the upcoming elections," Prem Chauhan, an auto-rickshaw driver, told IANS.

While some felt Kejriwal should have been given more time, others expressed anguish over their demands remaining unfulfilled.

"Who will look after our demands now? We doubt if any other party can even come close to Kejriwal's work," Arvind Chautala, a daily wage worker, said, reflecting the huge support Kejriwal enjoyed among the working class and very ordinary people of this capital city.

Agreeing, Kanhaiya Ram, an office messenger, said Friday was an "unfortunate day".

"I was expecting to rejoice the introduction of the bill, but here I am waiting for my hero to resign," he said.

"My admiration for him has gone up manifold after he took on (Reliance chairperson) Mukesh Ambani. It takes a lot of guts to do such a thing. I am a total AAP supporter and will vote for the party in the general and Delhi elections," said Bhuvana, a resident of south Delhi.

Source Link: http://in.news.yahoo.com

For Cong, Kejriwal’s exit is mission accomplished

Aditi Tandon
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, February 15
Dramatic end to Arvind Kejriwal’s first brush with governance has given the Congress some reason to cheer in this otherwise challenging political atmosphere ahead of the Lok Sabha polls. “Mission accomplished” is how some party leaders described Kejriwal’s exit from the office of the Delhi CM yesterday.

Though the Congress would have liked the AAP to continue in Delhi till Lok Sabha polls, party strategists are content with the way things have unfolded. They believe they have achieved the foremost objective behind extending outside support to Kejriwal in the Delhi Assembly.

“Kejriwal’s goodwill today is not the same as it was when he assumed charge on December 28. There’s potential downswing. He has become synonymous with non-governance and lack of seriousness in addressing issues concerning people. His resignation is an escape from the failure to deliver on ground. People will see this,” Congress spokesman Randeep Surjewala said when asked to look back on Congress’ decision to back AAP.

Loss of AAP’s goodwill in Delhi means part recovery of lost voter base for the Congress which would gain if elections were to be held now. In last Delhi polls, the AAP cut into 16 per cent Congress votes as against 3 per cent of BJP’s. But with Kejriwal failing to deliver poll promises like regularisation of contractual workers, welfare of slum-dwellers and real time action against corruption, the Congress hopes to win back some of its traditional elector base.

“The AAP had appealed to two sections, both of which traditionally identify with us - the poor and marginalised and the liberal and forward looking. Both stand dejected. The never before seen across-classes support the AAP got in 2013 polls won’t be repeated now. Moreover, the anti-incumbency Sheila Dikshit faced is over as we have new leadership in Delhi. We would certainly gain,” said a senior Congress leader who advocated extension of outside support to the AAP.

In public perception too, the Congress can take a moral high ground that it continued backing the AAP despite Kejriwal’s desperate and routine provocations. Kejriwal called Rahul Gandhi corrupt; got Delhi’s Anti Corruption Bureau after Sheila Dikshit and recently registered an FIR against Cabinet Minister Veerappa Moily alleging favour to Reliance.

“Kejriwal tried his best to force us into support withdrawal. We didn’t do that. Eventually he escaped on his own. His credibility has been jolted,” Surjewala reasoned.

Source Link: http://www.tribuneindia.com

Delhi Govt fall won’t affect SIT: Phoolka

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, February 15
Noted lawyer and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader HS Phoolka today said the collapse of the Delhi government would not be a detriment to the functioning of the special investigation team (SIT) formed to probe the 1984 anti-Sikh riots.

At the launch of AAP’s ‘Jharu Chalao Yatra’ campaign in the state, Phoolka said, “The formation of the SIT was a valid decision of the Delhi government that was also approved by the Lieutenant Governor.”

When asked why Arvind Kejriwal didn’t seek the people’s opinion before quitting, he said the Jan Lokpal Bill was a part of the party manifesto, adding that it was the first time that a CM had quit for a strong anti-corruption law. He rejected the charge that AAP took the exit route to cash in on the “sympathy” in the Lok Sabha elections as also re-election for Delhi Assembly. He said AAP would contest the elections in the state and announce candidates soon.

Earlier, Phoolka kicked off the ‘Jharu Chalao Yatra’ campaign by paying tributes to Mahatma Gandhi at the historic Company Bagh here. The rally culminated at the Jallianwalla Bagh after passing through main parts of the city.

Sangrur: The district unit of AAP launched a nine-day rally here today. The rally would be taken out daily through various towns in the district till February 23. Dr AS Mann, AAP district convener, led the rally.

Abohar: Scores of people joined AAP’s 'Jhadu Yatra'. The rally was led by Fazilka district president Kamal Khurana and executive member Ashok Garg.

Source Link: http://www.tribuneindia.com

AAP to take on Hooda in his bastion

Tribune News Service

New Delhi/Chandigarh, February 15
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) today decided to launch its General Election campaign with a rally at Rohtak in Haryana with Arvind Kejriwal being its face. Another rally will be held at Kanpur next month.

Having resigned as the Delhi Chief Minister on Friday, Kejriwal and his party’s political affairs committee met to chalk out future plans. The choice of Rohtak as the venue for the first rally (on February 23) is significant as the regionis considered a stronghold of Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, whose son Deepender represents the seat in the Lok Sabha.

Party leader Yogendra Yadav said the Rohtak rally would be addressed by AAP national convener Kejriwal. The rally at Kanpur will be held on March 2. The choice of Kanpur as the venue for the second rally is also interesting since it is currently represented by Union Minister Sriprakash Jaiswal. “Both these rallies will launch the Aam Aadmi Party’s national campaign,” he said. The AAP also announced the formal launch of its “Jhadu Chalao” anti-graft campaign that plans to cover 332 Lok Sabha constituencies in 24 states holding over 2,500 yatras over the next 10 days.

“We would expose the Congress and the BJP for defending the corrupt. The party will also enrol new members during the campaign,”party leader Gopal Rai said.

“Corruption is a big issue in Haryana in the wake of irregularities in CLUs and nepotism in government jobs besides other governance issues,” AAP chief spokesman for Haryana Rajeev Godara said.

Party sources said the “Jhadu Chalao” campaign of the party from February 18 to 23 will provide a perfect opportunity to expose the mainstream political parties, including the Congress, the INLD and the BJP-HJC alliance, on the corruption issue.

While the Hooda government is in the dock with a number of its senior functionaries being accused of demanding bribe for CLUs, INLD supremo Om Prakash Chautala and his MLA son Ajay Chautala are in jail for their role in JBT teachers’ recruitment scam.

While AAP is upbeat over the “tremendous response” to its membership drive in Haryana, Hooda yesterday sought to dismiss it claiming the “aam aadmi” was with the Congress and the new political outfit comprised “kuchch khas aadmi”(certain special people).

Senior INLD leader Abhay Chautala has already welcomed the emergence of AAP in Haryana hoping that it would spoil the electoral prospects of the Congress.

Target Haryana

• The Aam Aadmi Party will hold its first rally at Rohtak on February 23
• Jhadu Chalao, the party’s anti-graft campaign covering 332 LS constituencies in 24 states, will also be launched from Rohtak
• At present, Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda’s son Deepender represents this Lok Sabha seat.

Source Link: http://www.tribuneindia.com

Kejriwal out, but certainly not down

Apart from inflation and unemployment, curbing corruption is a major issue in this election. Kejriwal’s exit may appear opportunistic, but let’s not sweep away the cause for which AAP came to power.
Raj Chengappa

Arvind Kejriwal is out (as Delhi’s Chief Minister) but he is certainly not down. It is also too early to write off the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), which he heads, despite its widely criticised exit from the seat of power in Delhi. With Kejriwal it was always a question of when he would go, not whether, and he did it quicker than most expected. The vilification that he was subjected to on prime-time debates on TV though seemed to have missed the fact that his was not the shortest reign.

At the Centre, that record is held by the BJP’s Atal Behari Vajpayee (barring interim prime-ministerships of Gulzarilal Nanda in the ’60s). Vajpayee in his first term as Prime Minister in 1996 lasted only 13 days. If Kejriwal’s act was termed irresponsible, Vajpayee blotted his record by ordering a series of nuclear tests within days of taking over as PM at the head a coalition government that had not yet proven its majority in Parliament. Given the major international repercussions such a test would have caused, Vajpayee should have waited till he had the confidence of the House. Vajpayee resigned when he realised he couldn’t muster a majority but by then the nuclear devices had already been lowered into the shafts in Pokharan. Deve Gowda, who took over as PM soon after, ordered them to be removed despite pleas by scientists, including Abdul Kalam, to go ahead with the tests.

Kejriwal pulled out over what he believed was a just cause after his valiant attempt to have the Jan Lokpal Bill introduced in the Delhi Assembly failed to pass muster. Lest we forget, along with Anna Hazare, Kejriwal was a tireless campaigner for the Lokpal Bill which finally became an Act of Parliament on January 1, 2014. If he parted ways with Anna it was because, as he told me in an interview last week, he felt he had to join politics to get the Jan Lokpal Bill with the teeth he wanted.

In that interview Kejriwal had expressed his frustration over his ability to change the deep-rooted system in government. The short period at the helm taught him that “the vested interests are huge; they are all across — political, commercial, bureaucratic and even in the media.” As an example he said, “The Prevention of Corruption Act is being diluted in a major way. That Bill is being presented in Parliament, but the media is busy wondering why Arvind has taken a three-bedroom house or a four-bedroom house; why has he changed his sweater or sandals.”

The media, as Kejriwal is realising, is as fickle as Dame Fortune is with its roller-coaster likes and dislikes. But to its credit the media, along with the judiciary and non-governmental organisations like the ones headed by Hazare and Kejriwal, has acted as an initiator, catalyst and force multiplier in the crusade against corruption in India in the past decade. That movement caught the public imagination and forced the introduction of a cluster of legislation that will provide an enabling legal architecture to cut at the roots of corruption.

The Lokpal Act, 2014, gives the requisite independence and wherewithal to the institution to act against the highest in the land, including the Prime Minister. Kejriwal’s Jan Lokpal Bill was designed to cast the anti-corruption net wider and make the punishments for the corrupt even stricter. Yet that is not enough. If the fight against corruption is to be strengthened then the over half a dozen legislation pending in Parliament need to be passed quickly. Rahul Gandhi has been pushing hard for their passage but has so far been thwarted.

Among the anti-corruption Bills pending clearance is one to protect whistleblowers who expose corruption in government. Then there is the Right of Citizens for Time-bound Delivery of Public Goods and Services and Grievances Redressal Bill. Along with the Right to Information Act , which has already empowered citizens to have access to information about decisions taken by the government, the right to services facilitated by e-governance would act as a major check against corrupt officials who harass the ‘aam aadmi’.

There are others Bills like the ones for Judicial Standards and Accountability; the Prevention of Bribery of Foreign Public Officials and Officials of Public International Organisations; the Enforcement of the Prohibition of Benami Transactions; Regulation and Transparency in Public Procurement; and the Forfeiture of Illegally Acquired Property that if passed would equip anti-corruption crusaders with powerful legal weapons.

That is why Kejriwal and his compatriots will continue to be important players in the country’s political stage despite the contempt being heaped on them for their recent action of walking away from the Delhi Government. Apart from inflation and unemployment, curbing corruption has become a major issue in the upcoming General Election. Kejriwal’s exit may appear opportunistic to many but let’s not sweep away the cause for which AAP came to power. The fight against corruption is going to be long and hard; we need to continue to support the hands of those who are leading the charge.

Source Link: http://www.tribuneindia.com

Union Cabinet gives nod to President’s Rule in Delhi

• Notification likely today
• Assembly in suspended animation

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, February 15
A day after Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and his cabinet colleagues tendered their resignations, the Union Cabinet tonight recommended imposition of the President’s Rule in Delhi with the state Assembly kept in suspended animation.

The Cabinet recommendation has been forwarded to President Pranab Mukherjee for approval. A formal notification in this regard is expected tomorrow.

Earlier in the day, Delhi Lieutenant Governor (LG) Najeeb Jung rejected the recommendation of outgoing Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal to dissolve the Assembly. His decision to put the House in suspended animation means any party or a group can stake a claim to form the government in Delhi at a later date, if it is able to muster the requisite numbers. The Assembly can be kept in suspended animation for six months.

The LG forwarded Kejriwal and his cabinet colleagues’ resignations to the President, along with his report. The BJP, the single largest party in the Delhi Assembly, today again refused to stake a claim to form the government. “Our stand is the same as it was in December,” said BJP’s Harsh Vardhan.

Addressing a press conference, he called Kejriwal an “expert” at telling lies and accused him of playing to a Congress’ script. “AAP was propped up by the Congress… I am saying this because all the committees formed by AAP have people who have had connection with the Congress in the past,” he alleged.

He also accused AAP of getting funds from foreign organisations. Delhi Congress chief Arvinder Singh Lovely said the party was ready to extended support to the AAP government for the Jan Lokpal Bill, provided it was brought in a constitutional manner.

Lt Guv’s recommendations

• Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung recommended the imposition of President’s Rule in Delhi observing that no party was in a position to form the government
• He rejected the recommendation of outgoing Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal to dissolve the Assembly
• He said the Assembly be kept in suspended animation so that if any group was able to muster the requisite numbers, it could stake a claim to form the government
• He forwarded Kejriwal and his cabinet colleagues’ resignations to the President, along with his report on the current political situation in Delhi

Jung’s decision wrong: Kejriwal This decision (of not recommending dissolution of the House) is completely wrong because any recommendation by an elected government is normally binding (on the Lt Governor)… Even the BJP has favoured re-election. I don’t know on what basis Najeeb Jung has taken this decision.

— Arvind Kejriwal

Source Link: http://www.tribuneindia.com

No point staying in power after Jan Lokpal setback: Bhushan

NEW DELHI: Holding BJP and Congress responsible for the fall of Arvind Kejriwal government, AAP leader Prashant Bhushan on Saturday said the party was left with no option but to quit as implementing Jan Lokpal was their top priority.

“From the beginning, Congress and BJP were against this bill and that is why they didn’t support the government. Both party leaders don’t want the country to be corruption-free,” he told reporters in New Delhi.

Prashant Bhushan maintained that Aam Aadmi Party was not formed to get power, but for making India a corruption-free country.

“AAP has been formed to root out corruption from the country. Passing Jan Lokpal in the Assembly was the first priority of the AAP government. As we were not allowed to pass this bill, we did not have an option but to get out of the government,” he said.

Kerjriwal on Friday resigned as Delhi Chief Minister shortly after his government was defeated on the issue of tabling of the Janlokpal Bill in Delhi Assembly in the face of a united resistance by outside supporter Congress and opposition BJP.

After the CM’s resignation, the ball is now back in the court of BJP and Congress and both parties can stake claim to form the government in the national capital, Prashant Bhushan said.

“If Congress and BJP don’t want to stake claim to form the government, LG has no option but to dissolve the Assembly,” he said.

Asked if AAP leaders are running away from their responsibilities, he said, “Our government also wanted to implement Mohalla Sabha in Delhi. As Congress and BJP leaders were also against this model, the party cannot run government.”

“Getting official posts in the government was not the motive of our party. Our party’s motive is to change the system, but we are not being allowed to implement our motive, there is then no benefit to run the government,” he said.

Replying to his former ally Kiran Bedi’s tweets — “Did Delhi CM resign for Lokpal or Loksabha?” — Bhushan said she has become a BJP supporter. - PTI

Source Link: http://www.tribuneindia.com

AAP to contest LS polls under Kejriwal’s leadership

NEW DELHI: A day after Arvind Kejriwal stepped down as Delhi Chief Minister, Aam Aadmi Party on Saturday made it clear that it would contest the Lok Sabha polls under his leadership.

”...It is clear that Aam Aadmi Party will contest general elections under Kejriwal’s leadership across the country,” senior AAP leader Yogendra Yadav told reporters in New Delhi.

Arvind Kejriwal on Friday resigned as Delhi Chief Minister shortly after his government was defeated on the issue of tabling of the Jan Lokpal Bill in Delhi Assembly in the face of a united resistance by outside supporter Congress and BJP.

Congress and Opposition BJP said Kejriwal was never serious about governing and was looking for an excuse to “run away” to cover up his “failure” to deliver on his commitments.

The BJP also made it clear that the party would seek fresh elections in Delhi and was ready for it rather than form an alternative government since it did not have the required numbers in the State Assembly. - PTI

Source Link: http://www.tribuneindia.com

Kejriwal resigns as Delhi CM after failure to table Jan Lokpal

After the Jan Lokpal Bill was not allowed to be tabled in the Delhi Assembly today, Arvind Kejriwal has decided to quit as the Delhi Chief Minister.

Kejriwal had warned yesterday that he would resign if the introduction of the Delhi Jan Lokpal Bill was defeated when it was introduced in the Assembly.

When there was a vote in the Assembly today for introducing the said bill, 42 MLAs were against it and only 27 were for it.

Addressing the house despite unending heckling by Congress and BJP members, Kejriwal was at his aggressive best, saying it was more important to fight against corruption than to run a government.

"Whether our government remains in power or not is not important," he had said, trying to make himself heard above the din caused by sloganeering by Congress and Bharatiya Janata Party legislators.

"We have come here to save the country. If we have to give up the chief minister's post for the sake of the country, we will do it not a hundred times but a thousand times," he had said.

On a day of dramatic developments in the Assembly lasting over four hours, the 45-year-old Chief Minister, who has had a roller coaster ride ever since he took over reins of power on December 28, last year, accused the Congress and BJP of "colluding" with each other against the Bill.

Uproarious scenes were earlier witnessed in the House on the issue of introduction of the Bill with BJP and Congress forcing the Speaker to read out the Lt Governor Najeeb Jung's advice to the Assembly against tabling the measure since it was not in accordance with procedures laid down under the law.

After an adjournment with opposition notably BJP leader Harshavardhan and Congress leader Arvinder Singh Lovely demanding voting on the Lt Governor's advice and government opposing it, Kejriwal dramatically rose to table the Jan Lokpal Bill.

This attacking provoked the opposition which contended that the government had no right to introduce a Bill against Lt Governor's advice and such step would be "unconstitutional". With agency inputs

Source Link: http://www.firstpost.com

Kejriwal hints at resignation, says this could be his last session

New Delhi: Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal hinted at his resignation Friday when he said that this "seems like our last (assembly) session".

Addressing the house despite unending heckling by Congress and BJP members, Kejriwal was at his aggressive best, saying it was more important to fight against corruption than to run a government.

"Whether our government remains in power or not is not important," he said, trying to make himself heard above the din caused by sloganeering by Congress and Bharatiya Janata Party legislators.

"We have come here to save the country. If we have to give up the chief minister's post for the sake of the country, we will do it not a hundred times but a thousand times," he said.

Kejriwal's comments came after the house voted 42 to 27 not to let him table the Jan Lokpal bill which according to the Aam Aadmi Party will curb corruption in high places.

Kejriwal took power Dec 28 at the head of a minority government propped up by the Congress that has now turned against him.

AAP calls meeting at party office

Hundreds of Aam Aadmi Party supporters reached the party office in central Delhi to attend a meeting called by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.

"Kejriwal and other senior party leaders will attend the meeting after the (assembly) session. We will discuss the next course of action," party leader Yogendra Yadav told media.

He also said a message has been conveyed to party volunteers to reach the party office to attend the meeting.

Source Link: http://in.news.yahoo.com

Jan Lokpal bill not introduced in assembly

Lt Gov Jung in a letter to Speaker MS Dhir said that the bill can't be tabled in the assembly as it has not been cleared by him.

NEW DELHI: The Jan Lokpal bill was not allowed to be introduced after 42 MLAs voted against the introduction of the bill in the assembly.

Earlier, defying Delhi Lt Governor Najeeb Jung, the Aam Aadmi Party Friday tabled the Jan Lokpal Bill in the Assembly amid pandemonium.

"The bill has been tabled in the house," Law Minister Somnath Bharti told reporters later. "We hope a healthy discussion will follow."

Jung has written a letter to the Delhi assembly Friday stating that the Jan Lokpal bill should not be considered for discussion as it was not approved by him.

"Since the bill is not approved by me, it may not be considered for discussion," reads the letter.

The letter has been addressed to the Delhi assembly and is with Speaker MS Dhir.

Chaos prevailed in the Delhi Assembly on the second day of special session with both the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Congress Party attacking the Aam Aadmi Party led-Delhi government on the Jan Lokpal Bill.

The assembly was adjourned for 30 minutes due to the protest by the Congress and the BJP.

Both the BJP and the Congress attacked the AAP over the controversy surrounding Law Minister Somnath Bharti and demanded his resignation from the post.

BJP's Harsh Vardhan requested Speaker MS Dhir to read out the contents of the letter written to him by Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung earlier today.

The Congress too demanded that the L-G's letter to be read out in the Assembly.

Earlier, Arvind Kejriwal said he will resign if the BJP and the Congress stalls the tabling and the passage of the Jan Lokpal bill in the house.

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is desperate to pass the bill, which aims to check corruption in high places, during the four-day session which started Thursday.

Source Link: http://in.news.yahoo.com