Uttar Pradesh Congress chief Rita Bahuguna Joshi met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh here on Monday.
She apprised him of the events after she was arrested for her remarks against Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati.
Joshi apprised the Prime Minister about the burning of her house by the activists of Mayawati’’s Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) in Lucknow.
Accepting [...]
Posts Tagged ‘prime minister manmohan singh’
Rita Bahuguna meets Prime Minister
July 27th, 2009 |
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India launches nuclear submarine
July 26th, 2009 |
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India has launched its first nuclear-powered submarine, becoming only the sixth country in the world to do so.
The 6,000 tonne Arihant was launched by India’s Prime Minister Manmohan Singh at a ceremony on the south-east coast.
It was built entirely in India with Russian assistance and a second one is due to be constructed shortly.
It will undergo trials over the next few years before being deployed and will be able to launch missiles at targets 700km (437 miles) away.
Until now, only the US, Russia, France, Britain and China had the capability to build nuclear submarines.
‘China threat’
Launching the INS Arihant, Mr Singh said India had no aggressive designs on anyone.
But the sea was becoming increasingly relevant to India’s security concerns, he added.
"It is incumbent upon us to take all measures necessary to safeguard our country and to keep pace with technological advancements worldwide," he told the ceremony in the port city of Visakhapatnam.
The BBC’s Sanjoy Majumder in Delhi says until now India has been able to launch ballistic missiles only from the air and from land.
Nuclear submarines will add a third dimension to its defence capability.
When it is eventually deployed, the top-secret Arihant will be able to carry 100 sailors on board.
It will be able to stay under water for long periods and thereby increase its chances of remaining undetected.
By contrast, India’s ageing conventional diesel-powered submarines need to constantly surface to recharge their batteries.
Our correspondent says the launching of the Arihant is a clear sign that India is looking to blunt the threat from China which has a major naval presence in the region.</p
This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.
Government will ban all wheat, non-Basmati rice exports: Pawar
July 25th, 2009 |
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Food and Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar today informed the Rajya Sabha that the Government would stop all exports of non-Basmati rice and wheat, and bear half of the subsidy on diesel offered to farmers by the states in order to counter the deficient rainfall.
Pawar announced these decisions on Friday, a day after Prime Minister [...]
BJP demands parliamentary probe into Air India’s management
July 22nd, 2009 |
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The BJP has sought a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) probe into the working of Air India, which has recorded 8000 crore rupees losses.
Raising the issue in Lok Sabha, Shatrughan Sinha accused the Civil Aviation Ministry of “completely mismanaging” the national carrier that has resulted in the ”Maharaja” turning a ”pauper” with a 8000 crore rupee [...]
US and India agree defence pact
July 20th, 2009 |
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US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is due to meet Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, as part of her five-day visit to the country.
Indian relations with Pakistan are thought to be high on the agenda, along with education and technology.
The countries are also expected to sign deals on arms sales and the building of US-funded nuclear plants.
Correspondents say the visit aims to show the US is committed to Delhi, and to broaden ties between the countries.
As well as Mr Singh, Mrs Clinton will hold talks with her Indian counterpart, SM Krishna, the head of the ruling Congress Party, Sonia Gandhi, and the leader of the opposition, Lal Krishna Advani.
The BBC’s Kim Ghattas, who is travelling with Mrs Clinton, says the secretary of state hopes to come away with tangible agreements on trade between the US and India.
She is particularly keen to open doors to lucrative US deals in arms and civilian nuclear energy, says our correspondent.
India’s relations with neighbouring Pakistan are expected to feature prominently in discussions.
The BBC’s Sanjoy Majumder in Delhi says that publicly Mrs Clinton has insisted that what Pakistan and India do is completely up to them.
However, he says that everyone in Delhi is clear that it was pressure from Washington that pushed the countries to hold talks in Sharm el-Sheikh in Egypt last week.
Pakistan-India relations dominated Mrs Clinton’s visit to Mumbai, in the wake of attacks on the city last November that left more than 170 people dead.
India blamed Pakistan-based militants for the attack.
Much of the US focus in the region has been on countering militancy in Pakistan and Afghanistan.
Climate disagreements
Mrs Clinton spent the first two days of her five-day visit in Mumbai.
Then in Delhi on Sunday, talks focused on climate change, which remains a sensitive subject for developing countries such as India and China, who have so far refused to commit to carbon emissions cuts in a new treaty.
Mrs Clinton also sought to assure India the US would not try to impose conditions that might affect India’s economic growth.
But Indian Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh said his government could not accept targets that would limit economic growth.
India argues the US must do more as it has been historically to blame for the emissions.
Mrs Clinton later told reporters she was optimistic a deal on climate change could be reached.
"It’s part of a give-and-take and it’s multilateral, which makes it even more complex," she said, during a tour of an agricultural research facility.
"Until proven otherwise, I’m going to continue to speak out in favour of every country doing its part to deal with the challenge of global climate change."
The key date for climate change is December – when a summit in Copenhagen, Denmark will look to forge a new international treaty that will replace the Kyoto Protocol, which expires in 2012.
Are you in India What do you hope Hillary Clinton’s visit will achieve Send us your comments using the form below.
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This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.
Clinton in US-India climate plea
July 19th, 2009 |
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US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has arrived in Delhi, with climate change set to top her agenda.
Mrs Clinton has sought to allay fears the US will press India on carbon emission cuts but will also argue they do not contradict economic development.
Mrs Clinton is on a five-day visit and spent the first two in Mumbai.
She will meet Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and other officials, with relations with Pakistan also sure to be high on the agenda.
Mistakes
Carbon emissions remain a sensitive subject for developing countries such as India and China, and they have refused to commit to cuts in a new treaty.
They argue that the cuts restrict development and that countries like the US must do more themselves as they have been historically to blame for the emissions.
Mrs Clinton, however, will argue there is no contradiction between economic development and low carbon emissions.
The BBC’s Kim Ghattas, who is travelling with Mrs Clinton, says the secretary of state accepts that developed countries made the mistakes that led to the current environmental problems, but that countries like India could lead in a different direction.
Our correspondent says the talks in Delhi promise to be spirited, although there is no indication of what outcome is expected.
But she notes that the belief in the travelling US team is that governments are often more willing to take action than publicly agree to proposals or requests.
The key date for climate change is December – when a summit in Copenhagen, Denmark will look to forge a new international treaty that will replace the Kyoto Protocol, which expires in 2012.
Another key issue on Mrs Clinton’s agenda in Delhi will be India-Pakistan relations.
The BBC’s Sanjoy Majumder in Delhi says that publicly Mrs Clinton has insisted that what Pakistan and India do is completely up to them.
However, he says that everyone in Delhi is clear that it was pressure from Washington that pushed the countries to hold talks in Sharm el-Sheikh in Egypt last week.
Pakistan-India relations dominated Mrs Clinton’s visit to Mumbai, in the wake of attacks on the city last November that left more than 170 people dead.
India blamed Pakistan-based militants for the attack.
Much of the US focus in the region has been on countering militancy in Pakistan and Afghanistan.
Mrs Clinton will also be looking for other tangible agreements, mostly related to nuclear energy and weapons, deals that would pave the way for more business for American companies.
Are you in India What do you hope Hillary Clinton’s visit will achieve Send us your comments using the form below.
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This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.
India puts Pakistan talks on hold
July 16th, 2009 |
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India will not start peace talks with Pakistan until the Mumbai attacks suspects are brought to justice, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has said.
Mr Singh was speaking after meeting his Pakistani counterpart in Egypt.
A joint statement said the two countries would co-operate to fight terrorism – and this should not be linked to wider peace talks.
The talks were suspended after the Mumbai (Bombay) attacks in which militants killed more than 160 people.
India has accused Pakistan-based fighters from the banned militant group Lashkar-e-Taiba of carrying out the attacks.
Pakistan has admitted they were partly planned on its soil – and vowed to do all it can to bring the suspects to justice.
Pakistan ‘happy’
Pakistani Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani and Mr Singh met in Egypt, on the sidelines of a summit of the Non-Aligned Movement.
It was third high-level meeting between the two nuclear-armed neighbours since the Mumbai attacks last November, which brought an abrupt halt to peace talks.
"Both leaders agreed that terrorism is the main threat to both countries"
Joint statement
Full text: India-Pakistan statement Breaking the ice"Both leaders affirmed their resolve to fight terrorism and co-operate with each other to this end," the joint statement from the talks said.
"Pakistan has provided an updated status dossier on the investigations of the Mumbai attacks," the statement said.
The two leaders also agreed to "share real-time, credible and actionable information on any future terrorist threat".
Last week Pakistan said the trial of five men suspected of involvement in the attack on Mumbai’s Taj Hotel was likely to start this week.
The prime ministers’ joint statement said action on terrorism "should not be linked to the composite dialogue process" – which includes talks on the disputed territory of Kashmir.
The BBC’s Sanjoy Majumder in Delhi says many in India were likely to see this as a major climb-down in Delhi’s stance.
But later, Mr Singh told a news conference: "Composite dialogue cannot begin unless and until terrorist heads which shook Mumbai are properly accounted for, [and] perpetrators of these heinous crimes are brought to book."
Mr Gilani told the BBC he was confident things were moving in the right direction – and he was happy that the Pakistanis had supplied new intelligence of interest to the Indians. </p
This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.
India flip-flops on peace dialogue
July 16th, 2009 |
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SHARM EL-SHEIKH (Reuters/AFP/APP) – Pakistan and India agreed on Thursday to work together to fight terrorism and ordered their top diplomats to meet as often as needed to try to rebuild ties damaged by last yearÂ’s Mumbai attacks.
But Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, speaking after talks with his Pakistani counterpart Yousuf Raza Gilani in Egypt, ruled out a resumption of formal peace talks, known as the ‘composite dialogue’, that Islamabad has been seeking.
“Composite dialogue cannot begin unless and until terrorist heads which shook Mumbai are properly accounted for, (and) perpetrators of these heinous crimes are brought to book,” Singh told a news conference after talks with Gilani.
“The starting point of any meaningful dialogue with Pakistan has to have their commitment not to let their territory be used for terrorist activities against India,” Singh added.
“If acts of terrorism continue to be perpetrated, there is no question of a dialogue, let alone a composite dialogue.”
Singh’s comments appeared to contradict a joint statement with Gilani in which the two leaders stipulated that action on terrorism ‘should not be linked’ to the composite dialogue process.
In his briefing to the media, Singh said: “There should be serious, honest efforts to bridge the gap that separates the two countries.”
The joint statement, issued after the meeting between Singh and Gilani, said they had agreed to cooperate in the fight against terrorism. “Both leaders affirmed their resolve to fight terrorism and cooperate with each other to this end,” the statement said.
“Prime Minister Singh reiterated the need to bring the perpetrators of the Mumbai attacks to justice and Prime Minister Gilani assured that Pakistan will do everything in its power in this regard.”
It added: “Action on terrorism should not be linked to the composite dialogue process and these should not be bracketed.”
The joint statement said the foreign ministries’ top civil servants, India’s Shivshankar Menon and Pakistan’s Salman Bashir, ‘should meet as often as necessary’ and report to their countries’ foreign ministers.
Singh said the meetings of the top civil servants would be used to determine the nature of the future dialogue.
Singh said Pakistan has provided an updated status dossier on the investigation of the Mumbai attacks and had sought additional information and evidence in this regard. Singh said the dossier was being reviewed.
On his talks with Gilani, Singh added: “I reiterated to him that we are willing to go more than half the way provided they create the conditions for a meaningful dialogue.”
In their statement, Gilani vowed Pakistan ‘will do everything in its power’ to bring those behind Mumbai to justice and Singh said India was ‘ready to discuss all issues with Pakistan’.
The joint statement described terrorism as ‘the main threat to both countries’ but the two premiers also agreed that action on terrorism should not be linked to peace talks.
The statement described talks as ‘cordial and constructive’ and said the two premiers covered the whole range of bilateral relations ‘with a view to charting the way forward’ in ties.
“Prime Minister Singh said that India was ready to discuss all issues with Pakistan, including all outstanding issues,” the statement said, adding that both countries agreed to cooperate in fighting terrorism.
“Both the leaders agreed that the two countries will share real time, credible and actionable information on any future terrorist threats,” the statement said.
“Prime Minister Gilani mentioned that Pakistan has some information on threats in Balochistan and other areas,” the statement said. Singh reiterated India’s interest in a stable, democratic Islamic Republic of Pakistan.
The joint statement said: “Both leaders agreed that the real challenge is development and the elimination of poverty. Both leaders resolved to eliminate those factors which prevent our countries from realising their full potential.”
Talking to reporters after the meeting that lasted around three hours, including delegation level and exclusive one-on-one talks, Prime Minister Gilani said Pakistan also raised the issue of threats in Balochistan and other areas.
Gilani said he asked India that all core issues need to be discussed and composite dialogue should not be bracketed with terrorism.
He said both the leaders have recognised that ‘dialogue is the only way forward’ and agreed that the foreign secretaries should meet as often as necessary and report to the two foreign ministers who will be meeting on the sidelines of the forthcoming UN General Assembly.
Earlier, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh received Prime Minister Gilani when he arrived at the venue. The two leaders warmly shook hands and had a photo-op before starting the talks at Maritim Jolie Ville Resort.
The talks were held amidst hopes that the peace process might be reinvigorated to bring stability to the region.
The two leaders were supported by delegations including Minister for Information and Broadcasting Qamar Zaman Kaira, Education Minister Mir Hazar Khan Bijarani and Minister for Science and Technology Azam Khan Swati, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Nawabzada Malik Amad Khan, PML-N MNA Anusha Rehman and Foreign Secretary Salman Bashir.
The Indian delegation included Foreign Minister SM Krishna, Foreign Secretary Shiv Shankar Menon, National Security Adviser MK Narayanan and Special Secretary Vivek Katju.
ThursdayÂ’s talks in the Egyptian resort of Sharm el-Sheikh was the third high-level encounter between the two neighbours since the Mumbai assault.
“It’s a good step forward and it’s a way out of the impasse that the two sides found themselves in after Mumbai,” said C Raja Mohan, professor of South Asia studies at Singapore’s Nanyang Technology University.
Analysts said the statement had kept the nature of future dialogue open.
“They have affirmed their faith in dialogue without making any commitment on the precise nature of dialogue which means it’s open-ended and India will make its decision about dialogue when it is satisfied with Pakistan’s performance on terrorism,” said Hasan Askari Rizvi, a Lahore-based independent analyst.
Diplomats described the meeting as a breakthrough. The body language of the two prime ministers was very positive before the meeting reflecting that some agreement has been reached behind the scenes.
The one-on-one meeting between the two leaders lasted over an hour.
Monitoring Desk adds: Federal Information Minister Qamar Zaman Kaira said that Prime Minister Gilani has raised the issue of meddling from Indian side in the affairs of Balochistan during his meeting with Prime Minister Singh besides conveying his stance that peace talks between the two countries be not linked to terrorism.
Talking to a TV channel, Kaira said that the Prime Minister made it clear to his Indian counterpart that solution to all the issues be found through dialogue.
He said menace of terrorism be curbed and focus be placed on addressing the problems facing the people of two countries.
Kaira hoped that meeting between the both Prime Ministers would help end the deadlock and would be instrumental for establishment of peace in the region. More headway would be made in this direction during the forthcoming Secretaries and Foreign Secretaries level talks between Pakistan and India, he underlined.