New Delhi: The government on Tuesday defended its advertising campaign 'Bharat Nirman' saying it was not an election campaign and was completely different from Bharatiya Janata Party's 'India Shining'. Speaking to IBN18 Editor-in-Chief Rajdeep Sardesai, Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting Manish Tewari said there was nothing irregular in UPA's campaign.
"Bharat Nirman tells the India story, the journey of India. There's nothing irregular in it, it has been done earlier," Tewari said. "India Shining was hype, hoopla and spin. Our campaign is different. Bharat Nirman is not a poll campaign, it tells the India story of the past nine years," Manish Tewari said.
When asked whether the campaign was a hint at the possibility of the UPA preparing for early elections, Tewari said, "Elections would be held on time, there is no need for speculation." He also said that the campaign celebrated nine years of the UPA government. "A silent revolution has taken place in the past nine years. MNREGA, RTI and many other initiatives happened in the past nine years," Tewari said.
"We are not claiming to have solved all the problems, ours is an understated campaign. We have put facts in public space, let's leave it to people's wisdom," Tewari added....
more
03:49 PM, May 14, 2013
New Delhi: With the crucial Food Security Bill and Land Acquisition Bill still pending, sources say the government is mulling a Special Session of Parliament to get the bills passed. Reports also say the government is looking at the option of introducing an ordinance instead too. But the government had earlier denied any such move. Sources say that the Food Ministry is opposed to bringing an ordinance. The government may...
11:14 AM, May 14, 2013
New Delhi: There have been speculations of the growing rift between Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi. After CNN-IBN reported the inside story of how a section of the Congress wants the Prime Minister to make way for new leadership, the Congress clarified that Dr Manmohan Singh will be the Prime Minister till 2014. "There is absolutely no rift between the party and the Prime Minister. Prime...
07:50 AM, May 14, 2013
New Delhi: The Central Bureau of Investigation has confirmed the questioning of former UPA ministers Dasari Narayan Rao and Santosh Bagrodia in connection with the coal scam. They were questioned a month back, confirmed the CBI. The CBI questioned the former ministers regarding the coal blocks allocated during their tenure in the Coal Ministry. This brings more trouble for the UPA, which is already under attack from the Opposition over...
12:00 PM, May 13, 2013
New Delhi: Attorney General GE Vahanvati, who was under scanner for trying to influence CBI's coal scam status report, will continue in his position. Government sources on Saturday confirm there will be no action against the top law officer. Meanwhile, sacked Law Minister Ashwani Kumar on Saturday came out in his defence saying he resigned only to avoid any unnecessary controversy claiming that his conscience still remains clear. He also...
06:47 PM, May 11, 2013
CPM leader Nilotpal Basu said both Pawan Kumar Bansal and Ashwani Kumar should have been sacked earlier. ...
06:14 PM, May 11, 2013
New Delhi: A mini Cabinet reshuffle is in the offing, according to sources, after Prime Minister Manmohan Singh sacked Pawan Kumar Bansal as the Railway Minister and Ashwani Kumar as the Law Minister. Telecom MinisterKapil Sibal has got additional charge of Law Ministry while CP Joshi has once again got the Railways Ministry. A meeting of senior Congress leaders has been called by Congress President Sonia Gandhi to discuss the...
01:37 PM, May 11, 2013
New Delhi: It seems that the government is distancing itself from sacked Law Minister Ashwani Kumar. Sources say that the government had prepared a statement to defend Ashwani Kumar after he resigned, however, it did not release that statement. Sources say the statement said, "Ashwani resigned because of perception and his resignation should not be seen as corruption. He has not been indicted by the Supreme Court in any way."...
12:59 PM, May 11, 2013
New Delhi: Sacked Law Minister Ashwani Kumar on Saturday came out in his defence saying he resigned only to avoid any unnecessary controversy claiming that his conscience still remains clear. "I tendered my resignation to put an end to unnecessary controversy in a matter pending before the Supreme Court. My conscience remains clear and I believe I will remain vindicated," Ashwani Kumar said. He also said that his resignation was...
12:49 PM, May 11, 2013
New Delhi: A day after Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was forced to sack Ashwani Kumar as Law Minister and Pawan Kumar Bansal as Railway Minister, the Congress party has given full credit to party President Sonia Gandhi and Vice President Rahul Gandhi for taking action against the tainted ministers. "Congress President and Rahul Gandhi never tolerate corruption and that is why they took the resignation of the two ministers," Congress...
12:06 PM, May 11, 2013
New Delhi: After days of sustained pressure, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was finally forced to act against his ministers charged with corruption and interference. Law Minister Ashwani Kumar and Railway Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal were both forced to quit on Friday. Both of them called on the Prime Minister on Friday evening and submitted their resignations. While Ashwani Kumar was sacked for interfering in CBI's coalgate probe report, Pawan Bansal...
07:55 AM, May 11, 2013
New Delhi: 1:07 pm: Trouble is growing for Railway Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal. A Public Interest Litigation in the Punjab and Haryana High Court has revealed preferential allotment of land to Pawan Bansal's family members. 21.26 acres of land in Zirakpur was allotted to railway bribery scam accused Vijay Singla's father Mithan Lal Singla and others. The land worth crores of rupees was leased for 33 years at a rate...
12:27 PM, May 10, 2013
New Delhi: The net is now closing in on Railway Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal. His exit now looks highly likely as more reports about business links of his family and aides come out. In another revelation, a Chartered Accountant with links to companies owned by Pawan Bansal's wife and sons was appointed a director in the Canara Bank when Bansal was MoS Finance. Canara Bank gave loans worth crores to...
11:36 AM, May 10, 2013
New Delhi: Congress President Sonia Gandhi has told Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to take a final decision on Law Minister Ashwani Kumar and Railway Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal. Sources say Sonia Gandhi feels that the damage must be controlled and spoke to Manmohan Singh on Thursday. The Congress Core Committee will meet on Friday and a decision is likely. This comes even as reports say Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is...
09:34 AM, May 10, 2013
New Delhi: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is still not keen on Law Minister Ashwani Kumar's removal, sources have told CNN-IBN. Sources add that Manmohan Singh is worried that if Ashwani Kumar goes, he too will come under further opposition fire. One of the solutions being worked out is that Ashwani Kumar's portfolio be changed. Sources have also told CNN-IBN that Railway Minister Pawan Bansal might not survive the cash for...
07:55 AM, May 10, 2013
New Delhi: The United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government is committed to enacting the Food Security Bill after considering all opinions, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said on Wednesday. "The Food Security Bill is a very important legislation for the government. The UPA is committed to make this law after considering all opinions," he told reporters here. Corruption, he said, was a major issue in the country and all sections of society...
04:59 PM, May 08, 2013
New Delhi: Law Minister Ashwani Kumar, Attorney General Goolam E Vahanvati, one Joint Secretary rank official each from the Prime Minister's Office and the Coal Ministry not only saw the draft status report on the coal scam case, but also ordered some changes in it, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) told the Supreme Court in a fresh affidavit submitted on Monday. The nine-page affidavit submitted by CBI Director Ranjit...
11:42 AM, May 06, 2013
New Delhi: Union Railway Minister Pawan Bansal and Law Minister Ashwani Kumar are not going to resign just as yet. The Congress Core Group, which met on Sunday evening, has decided to fight it out with the Opposition over the railway bribery and coal scam controversies. Sources say that the allies, too, are backing the Congress on both these issues. "I don't think it is in keeping with the canons...
07:53 AM, May 06, 2013
New Delhi: The UPA-II is facing one of the biggest crisis in its tenure after the Supreme Court asked the Central Bureau of Investigation to explain the extent of political interference in its investigations into the coal block allocations scam and name the officials involved in the exercise. Harin Raval has already resigned as the Additional Solicitor General. The question now is whether the man at the centre of the...
08:40 AM, May 01, 2013
New Delhi: 3:29 pm: Congress core group meeting likely at 5.30 pm on Tuesday evening. 2:40 pm: Law Minister Ashwani Kumar is meeting Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. 2:23 pm: Former IPS officer Kiran Bedi lauded the Supreme Court saying, "I am absolutely proud of our SC. I am thankful to the Constitution for giving us a court of the calibre of the SC. The SC has finally said what we...
11:16 AM, Apr 30, 2013
