Home > 2006 Issues > November 26, 2006

News Hunt By Deepak Kumar Rath Somnath?s love for India Recently, a delegation of journos from USA and Asian countries met Speaker Somnath Chatterjee in Delhi. While interacting, one US scribe based in China, asked comrade Chatterjee about the Chinese system of governance as being dictatorship. Comrade Chatterjee promptly replied: ?While disagreeing with your contention that there is dictatorship in China, let me assure you that India will soon overtake China not only in population but also in various other fields.? Another extension? The Liberhan Commission was constituted on December 16, 1992, to inquire into the demolition of the Babri structure in Ayodhya. The Commission was expected to submit its report within three months. Fourteen long years have since passed, but it has not been able to produce even an interim report. Next month, in December 2006, the Commission?s term will be completed. And it seems that the Commission, led by Justice (retd) M.S. Liberhan, has created a history of sort by working for such a long period of time, as the term of the Commission has been extended numerous times. UPA?s minority welfare The UPA government since its inception is trying hard to cash in on the vote-bank politics in the name of reservation. The recent ploy is reservation to ?dalit? Muslims. But one would be astonished to know that Mr A.R. Antulay, Minister for Minority Welfare, has not yet been allotted any office to carry on his job, although he was inducted into the Union Cabinet one and half years ago. This shows UPA government?s apathetic attitude towards minorities. Back-door power In the recent Cabinet reshuffle of the UPA government, some ministers were awarded better portfolio. One such example is Chandrasekhar Sahu, MP from Berhampur, Orissa. Shri Sahu was first inducted into the Union Cabinet as MoS, Labour, but as a single minister from Orissa, he was not able to cater to the large public demands from the state. But in the recent reshuffle he has been shifted to the Ministry of Rural Development. How come? It is said that Shri Sahu had started establishing good rapport with Rahul Gandhi through some Congress leaders. That was the reason he has been selected from Orissa as a Union Minister for the first time although there are many senior Congress leaders like nine-time MP, former Cabinet Minister and former Orissa Chief Minister Giridhar Gamang, who have also not been selected.

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