Hit & run war continues
The internecine war among Bharatiya Janata Party's mercurial allies entered into a fresh bout with Union commerce minister Ramakrishna Hegde saying that the coalition could well seek a fresh mandate from the people instead of succumbing to the blackmail tactics of AIADMK chief J Jayalalitha. Hegde said he had not seen Prime Minister A B Vajpayee's letter seeking explanation to Jayalalitha's letter urging the dismissal of tainted ministers.
ADMK not responsive to panel
The AIADMK is believed to be in two minds over the Vajpayee government's decision to set up a coordination committee for smooth functioning of the coalition. While there was no official reaction, sources within the party questioned the need for such a body. They appeared to suspect that the forum would be used by members of other alliance partners to corner the AIADMK on the recent crisis faced by the Government.
Focus now on Swamy's funds
On March 23, even before the confidence vote, Union urban development minister Ram Jethmalani had written a letter to Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee denying that he had committed FERA violations -- involving a receipt of $200,000 -- as alleged by Subramanian Swamy. This is the charge that Jayalalitha raised last week when she demanded that the Minister be dropped.
Mamata to contest panchayat polls alone
`Miffed and agitated' over what she termed as "slander campaign by the State Bharatiya Janata Party leaders," Trinamool Congress leader Mamata Banerjee directed partymen to go it alone in the coming panchayat elections on May 28. "We prefer to fight it alone and test our strength to tolerating regular doses of insults and humiliation," she said.
Sena will bury riots report, fears Bhujbal
Leader of the Opposition in the Maharashtra Legislative Council Chhagan Bhujbal has expressed apprehensions that the government may reject the findings of the Srikrishna Commission which probed the 1992-93 riots in Mumbai. The reservations follow the second continuous day the State Council witnessed filibustering and pandemonium over the government's failure to table the report.
Fodder scam raids by Bihar I-T dept yields Rs 7 crore
An enormous stockpile of unaccounted cash, jewellery and documents showing investments totalling over Rs 7 crore was seized during Income Tax raids on 65 residential and business premises of 25 people. Those raided included a senior Bihar minister, a Rashtriya Janata Dal MP and a party MLA, in connection with the multi-crore fodder and bitumen scams.
