Kunming becomes first destination of Sushma's China visit - The Hindu

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj arrived in Beijing on Saturday to insulate and advance a growing economic relationship with China, from the headwinds of competing geopolitical interests in the Indian Ocean and the Asia-Pacific.

Ms. Swaraj’s arrival follows a high-profile visit to India by U.S. President Barack Obama. “The Presidential visit will not be the focus of discussions, but it is quite likely that the Chinese hosts and the Russians later would be interested in hearing about the visit directly from the visiting minister,” a diplomatic source told The Hindu.

The Sino-Indian border differences are unlikely to draw prime attention during the talks between Ms. Swaraj and her Chinese counterpart Wang Yi.

Significantly Ms. Swaraj routed her journey to the Chinese capital through Kunming — one of the starting points of the 21 st century Maritime Silk Road (MSR) — a pet project of Chinese President Xi Jinping. China has invited India to join the MSR, but New Delhi has so far, refrained from making a firm commitment. Starting from Kolkata, Kunming, the capital of Yunnan province, is also the point of termination of the Bangladesh-China-India-Myanmar (BCIM) economic corridor — a part of the MSR, which the Indian side is negotiating with the Chinese. However, India has become a staunch supporter of the China-initiated, Asia Infrastructure Investment Bank, which is also likely to be used for funding MSR projects.

Sources say India’s reservations on the MSR stem from China’s forays in the Indian Ocean, including Sri Lanka, which was visited by a Chinese submarine, and Maldives. The Chinese, on their part have resented the joint oil exploration bid by India and Vietnam in the South China Sea.

Modi’s China visit

Ms. Swaraj’s visit is also seen as preparation for Prime Minister Modi’s visit to China later this year. The Prime Minister is expected to visit Kailash Mansoravar, which has now been connected by a new route through Nathu La in Sikkim. After talks with her Chinese hosts on Sunday, Ms. Swaraj will confer with her Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov on February 2. This would be followed by a meeting of the Russia-Indian-China (RIC) grouping, and a dinner hosted by Mr. Wang. Ms. Swaraj is also slated to call on Mr. Xi on Monday. Analysts point out that Ms. Swaraj’s visit is in the crosshairs of two competing trends —Washington’s charm offensive towards New Delhi and the deterioration of ties, following the crisis in Ukraine, of China and Russia with the United States. The Chinese are working feverishly to counter the accumulation of forces in the Pacific under President Obama’s “Pivot to Asia” by sharpening their nuclear and conventional deterrent. Facing sanctions, Moscow is consolidating its energy and defence ties with China in Eurasia, buttressed by currency swap agreements that allows payments in local currencies — the rouble and the yuan.

“Frankly the timing is perfect to test India’s multi-vectored diplomacy. New Delhi is in a good position to leverage its relationship with the United States to move into strategic areas of cooperation with China and Russia,” a diplomat said. The Russian news agency, Sputnik, is reporting that Moscow and New Delhi are considering using their national currencies in bilateral trade to reduce their dependency on the dollar.

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BJP's Bedi files FIR against AAP's Vishwas over 'derogatory sexist' remarks - The Indian Express

Kumar Vishwas said whatever remarks he had made were targeted at BJP and not Kiran Bedi.

BJP’s chief ministerial candidate Kiran Bedi on Saturday filed a complaint with the Election Commission of India (ECI) against AAP’s Kumar Vishwas for allegedly making “derogatory” and “sexist” remarks. Bedi also tweeted that a FIR had been filed against the AAP leader Vishwas.

Delhi Election Commission officials confirmed that the complaint, dated January 31, had been referred to them by the ECI. They are in the process of issuing a notice to Vishwas.

“What kind of security and dignity can women expect from AAP’s leadership that itself has blatant sexist and perverse mindsets and uncivil practices that we need to eliminate from our system?” Bedi tweeted.

Bedi filed the complaint following the allegedly derogatory remarks made by Vishwas at a public meeting in Mundka on January 28.

“I made no remark that should elicit this response from the BJP. If they can prove their allegations, I will quit politics,” Vishwas said, adding that his comments were directed at the BJP and not at any individual.

The AAP, in a statement, said, “It is clear from the video that Vishwas made no reference whatsoever to the BJP’s CM candidate in his speech at Mundka.”

The party also said that the BJP had jumped the gun without verifying facts and hence, had been left “red-faced”.

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Kunming becomes first destination of Sushma's China visit - The Hindu

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj arrived in Beijing on Saturday to insulate and advance a growing economic relationship with China, from the headwinds of competing geopolitical interests in the Indian Ocean and the Asia-Pacific.

Ms. Swaraj’s arrival follows a high-profile visit to India by U.S. President Barack Obama. “The Presidential visit will not be the focus of discussions, but it is quite likely that the Chinese hosts and the Russians later would be interested in hearing about the visit directly from the visiting minister,” a diplomatic source told The Hindu.

The Sino-Indian border differences are unlikely to draw prime attention during the talks between Ms. Swaraj and her Chinese counterpart Wang Yi.

Significantly Ms. Swaraj routed her journey to the Chinese capital through Kunming — one of the starting points of the 21 st century Maritime Silk Road (MSR) — a pet project of Chinese President Xi Jinping. China has invited India to join the MSR, but New Delhi has so far, refrained from making a firm commitment. Starting from Kolkata, Kunming, the capital of Yunnan province, is also the point of termination of the Bangladesh-China-India-Myanmar (BCIM) economic corridor — a part of the MSR, which the Indian side is negotiating with the Chinese. However, India has become a staunch supporter of the China-initiated, Asia Infrastructure Investment Bank, which is also likely to be used for funding MSR projects.

Sources say India’s reservations on the MSR stem from China’s forays in the Indian Ocean, including Sri Lanka, which was visited by a Chinese submarine, and Maldives. The Chinese, on their part have resented the joint oil exploration bid by India and Vietnam in the South China Sea.

Modi’s China visit

Ms. Swaraj’s visit is also seen as preparation for Prime Minister Modi’s visit to China later this year. The Prime Minister is expected to visit Kailash Mansoravar, which has now been connected by a new route through Nathu La in Sikkim. After talks with her Chinese hosts on Sunday, Ms. Swaraj will confer with her Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov on February 2. This would be followed by a meeting of the Russia-Indian-China (RIC) grouping, and a dinner hosted by Mr. Wang. Ms. Swaraj is also slated to call on Mr. Xi on Monday. Analysts point out that Ms. Swaraj’s visit is in the crosshairs of two competing trends —Washington’s charm offensive towards New Delhi and the deterioration of ties, following the crisis in Ukraine, of China and Russia with the United States. The Chinese are working feverishly to counter the accumulation of forces in the Pacific under President Obama’s “Pivot to Asia” by sharpening their nuclear and conventional deterrent. Facing sanctions, Moscow is consolidating its energy and defence ties with China in Eurasia, buttressed by currency swap agreements that allows payments in local currencies — the rouble and the yuan.

“Frankly the timing is perfect to test India’s multi-vectored diplomacy. New Delhi is in a good position to leverage its relationship with the United States to move into strategic areas of cooperation with China and Russia,” a diplomat said. The Russian news agency, Sputnik, is reporting that Moscow and New Delhi are considering using their national currencies in bilateral trade to reduce their dependency on the dollar.

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BJP's Bedi files FIR against AAP's Vishwas over 'derogatory sexist' remarks - The Indian Express

Kumar Vishwas said whatever remarks he had made were targeted at BJP and not Kiran Bedi.

BJP’s chief ministerial candidate Kiran Bedi on Saturday filed a complaint with the Election Commission of India (ECI) against AAP’s Kumar Vishwas for allegedly making “derogatory” and “sexist” remarks. Bedi also tweeted that a FIR had been filed against the AAP leader Vishwas.

Delhi Election Commission officials confirmed that the complaint, dated January 31, had been referred to them by the ECI. They are in the process of issuing a notice to Vishwas.

“What kind of security and dignity can women expect from AAP’s leadership that itself has blatant sexist and perverse mindsets and uncivil practices that we need to eliminate from our system?” Bedi tweeted.

Bedi filed the complaint following the allegedly derogatory remarks made by Vishwas at a public meeting in Mundka on January 28.

“I made no remark that should elicit this response from the BJP. If they can prove their allegations, I will quit politics,” Vishwas said, adding that his comments were directed at the BJP and not at any individual.

The AAP, in a statement, said, “It is clear from the video that Vishwas made no reference whatsoever to the BJP’s CM candidate in his speech at Mundka.”

The party also said that the BJP had jumped the gun without verifying facts and hence, had been left “red-faced”.

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Kunming becomes first destination of Sushma's China visit - The Hindu

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj arrived in Beijing on Saturday to insulate and advance a growing economic relationship with China, from the headwinds of competing geopolitical interests in the Indian Ocean and the Asia-Pacific.

Ms. Swaraj’s arrival follows a high-profile visit to India by U.S. President Barack Obama. “The Presidential visit will not be the focus of discussions, but it is quite likely that the Chinese hosts and the Russians later would be interested in hearing about the visit directly from the visiting minister,” a diplomatic source told The Hindu.

The Sino-Indian border differences are unlikely to draw prime attention during the talks between Ms. Swaraj and her Chinese counterpart Wang Yi.

Significantly Ms. Swaraj routed her journey to the Chinese capital through Kunming — one of the starting points of the 21 st century Maritime Silk Road (MSR) — a pet project of Chinese President Xi Jinping. China has invited India to join the MSR, but New Delhi has so far, refrained from making a firm commitment. Starting from Kolkata, Kunming, the capital of Yunnan province, is also the point of termination of the Bangladesh-China-India-Myanmar (BCIM) economic corridor — a part of the MSR, which the Indian side is negotiating with the Chinese. However, India has become a staunch supporter of the China-initiated, Asia Infrastructure Investment Bank, which is also likely to be used for funding MSR projects.

Sources say India’s reservations on the MSR stem from China’s forays in the Indian Ocean, including Sri Lanka, which was visited by a Chinese submarine, and Maldives. The Chinese, on their part have resented the joint oil exploration bid by India and Vietnam in the South China Sea.

Modi’s China visit

Ms. Swaraj’s visit is also seen as preparation for Prime Minister Modi’s visit to China later this year. The Prime Minister is expected to visit Kailash Mansoravar, which has now been connected by a new route through Nathu La in Sikkim. After talks with her Chinese hosts on Sunday, Ms. Swaraj will confer with her Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov on February 2. This would be followed by a meeting of the Russia-Indian-China (RIC) grouping, and a dinner hosted by Mr. Wang. Ms. Swaraj is also slated to call on Mr. Xi on Monday. Analysts point out that Ms. Swaraj’s visit is in the crosshairs of two competing trends —Washington’s charm offensive towards New Delhi and the deterioration of ties, following the crisis in Ukraine, of China and Russia with the United States. The Chinese are working feverishly to counter the accumulation of forces in the Pacific under President Obama’s “Pivot to Asia” by sharpening their nuclear and conventional deterrent. Facing sanctions, Moscow is consolidating its energy and defence ties with China in Eurasia, buttressed by currency swap agreements that allows payments in local currencies — the rouble and the yuan.

“Frankly the timing is perfect to test India’s multi-vectored diplomacy. New Delhi is in a good position to leverage its relationship with the United States to move into strategic areas of cooperation with China and Russia,” a diplomat said. The Russian news agency, Sputnik, is reporting that Moscow and New Delhi are considering using their national currencies in bilateral trade to reduce their dependency on the dollar.

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Islamic State Militants Say They Killed 2nd Japanese Hostage - New York Times

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BJP's Bedi files FIR against AAP's Vishwas over 'derogatory sexist' remarks - The Indian Express

Kumar Vishwas said whatever remarks he had made were targeted at BJP and not Kiran Bedi.

BJP’s chief ministerial candidate Kiran Bedi on Saturday filed a complaint with the Election Commission of India (ECI) against AAP’s Kumar Vishwas for allegedly making “derogatory” and “sexist” remarks. Bedi also tweeted that a FIR had been filed against the AAP leader Vishwas.

Delhi Election Commission officials confirmed that the complaint, dated January 31, had been referred to them by the ECI. They are in the process of issuing a notice to Vishwas.

“What kind of security and dignity can women expect from AAP’s leadership that itself has blatant sexist and perverse mindsets and uncivil practices that we need to eliminate from our system?” Bedi tweeted.

Bedi filed the complaint following the allegedly derogatory remarks made by Vishwas at a public meeting in Mundka on January 28.

“I made no remark that should elicit this response from the BJP. If they can prove their allegations, I will quit politics,” Vishwas said, adding that his comments were directed at the BJP and not at any individual.

The AAP, in a statement, said, “It is clear from the video that Vishwas made no reference whatsoever to the BJP’s CM candidate in his speech at Mundka.”

The party also said that the BJP had jumped the gun without verifying facts and hence, had been left “red-faced”.

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Kunming becomes first destination of Sushma's China visit - The Hindu

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj arrived in Beijing on Saturday to insulate and advance a growing economic relationship with China, from the headwinds of competing geopolitical interests in the Indian Ocean and the Asia-Pacific.

Ms. Swaraj’s arrival follows a high-profile visit to India by U.S. President Barack Obama. “The Presidential visit will not be the focus of discussions, but it is quite likely that the Chinese hosts and the Russians later would be interested in hearing about the visit directly from the visiting minister,” a diplomatic source told The Hindu.

The Sino-Indian border differences are unlikely to draw prime attention during the talks between Ms. Swaraj and her Chinese counterpart Wang Yi.

Significantly Ms. Swaraj routed her journey to the Chinese capital through Kunming — one of the starting points of the 21 st century Maritime Silk Road (MSR) — a pet project of Chinese President Xi Jinping. China has invited India to join the MSR, but New Delhi has so far, refrained from making a firm commitment. Starting from Kolkata, Kunming, the capital of Yunnan province, is also the point of termination of the Bangladesh-China-India-Myanmar (BCIM) economic corridor — a part of the MSR, which the Indian side is negotiating with the Chinese. However, India has become a staunch supporter of the China-initiated, Asia Infrastructure Investment Bank, which is also likely to be used for funding MSR projects.

Sources say India’s reservations on the MSR stem from China’s forays in the Indian Ocean, including Sri Lanka, which was visited by a Chinese submarine, and Maldives. The Chinese, on their part have resented the joint oil exploration bid by India and Vietnam in the South China Sea.

Modi’s China visit

Ms. Swaraj’s visit is also seen as preparation for Prime Minister Modi’s visit to China later this year. The Prime Minister is expected to visit Kailash Mansoravar, which has now been connected by a new route through Nathu La in Sikkim. After talks with her Chinese hosts on Sunday, Ms. Swaraj will confer with her Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov on February 2. This would be followed by a meeting of the Russia-Indian-China (RIC) grouping, and a dinner hosted by Mr. Wang. Ms. Swaraj is also slated to call on Mr. Xi on Monday. Analysts point out that Ms. Swaraj’s visit is in the crosshairs of two competing trends —Washington’s charm offensive towards New Delhi and the deterioration of ties, following the crisis in Ukraine, of China and Russia with the United States. The Chinese are working feverishly to counter the accumulation of forces in the Pacific under President Obama’s “Pivot to Asia” by sharpening their nuclear and conventional deterrent. Facing sanctions, Moscow is consolidating its energy and defence ties with China in Eurasia, buttressed by currency swap agreements that allows payments in local currencies — the rouble and the yuan.

“Frankly the timing is perfect to test India’s multi-vectored diplomacy. New Delhi is in a good position to leverage its relationship with the United States to move into strategic areas of cooperation with China and Russia,” a diplomat said. The Russian news agency, Sputnik, is reporting that Moscow and New Delhi are considering using their national currencies in bilateral trade to reduce their dependency on the dollar.

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Islamic State claims it has beheaded Japanese hostage Kenji Goto - Times of India

AMMAN, Jordan: An online video released on Saturday night purported to show an Islamic State group militant behead Japanese journalist Kenji Goto, ending days of negotiations by diplomats to save the man.

The video, released on militant websites and highlighted by militant sympathizers on social media sites, bore the symbol of the Islamic State group's al-Furqan media arm.

Though the video could not be immediately independently verified by The Associated Press, it conformed to other beheading videos released by the extremists, who now control a third of both Syria and neighboring Iraq in its self-declared caliphate.

The video, called "A Message to the Government of Japan," featured a militant who looked and sounded like a militant with a British accent who has taken part in other beheading videos by the Islamic State group. Goto, kneeling in an orange prison jumpsuit, said nothing in the roughly one-minute-long video.

"Abe," the militant says in the video, referring to Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, "because of your reckless decision to take part in an unwinnable war, this man will not only slaughter Kenji, but will also carry on and cause carnage wherever your people are found. So let the nightmare for Japan begin."

US officials said they were trying to confirm the authenticity of the video.

"We have seen the video purporting to show that Japanese citizen Kenji Goto has been murdered by the terrorist group ISIL," said Bernadette Meehan, a spokeswoman for the White House's National Security Council, using an alternate acronym for the extremist group. "The United States strongly condemns ISIL's actions and we call for the immediate release of all the remaining hostages. We stand in solidarity with our ally Japan."

READ ALSO: Abe angered at hostage video, says Japan won't bow to terrorism

Goto was captured in October, after he traveled to Syria to try to win the release of Haruna Yukawa.

Yukawa reportedly was killed previously, though authorities have yet to authenticate the video claiming that.

Saturday's video made no mention of another hostage, Jordanian pilot Lt. Muath al-Kaseasbeh, who was captured after his fighter plane went down in December over an Islamic State-controlled area of Syria. The fate of Goto and al-Kaseasbeh had been linked by the militants.

The hostage drama began last week after militants threatened to kill Goto and Yukawa in 72 hours unless Japan paid $200 million.

Jordan and Japan reportedly conducted indirect negotiations with the militants through Iraqi tribal leaders.

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Swaraj, Lokpal Bills back on AAP manifesto - The Indian Express

Arvind Kejriwal said the party will "use its moral and political authority to push for full statehood for Delhi". (Source: PTI)

The AAP on Saturday released their manifesto and a 70-point action plan for the Delhi Assembly polls, which include old promises — such as the Jan Lokpal and Swaraj Bills — and some new ones like making Delhi a WiFi city.

The 40-page manifesto includes suggestions made during deliberations at the party’s Delhi Dialogues, where party members met groups of people in the city over the course of three months.

“For other parties, a manifesto is a mere formality. The BJP isn’t even bringing one out. But for us, this is not the work of two days, but four months of legwork by the Delhi Dialogues teams. This is like our Geeta, our Bible, our Guru Granth Sahib and our Quran. This will be our roadmap of how we will govern the city for the next five years, which is imminent,” AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal said.

The manifesto also includes the promise to pass the Lokpal and Swaraj Bills. While these are largely the same, the Lokpal has an added clause which says, “Public officials of Delhi will be required to furnish an annual declaration of assets. Any undeclared assets will be liable for confiscation.”

Other new additions to the manifesto — from the one that was presented in November 2013 — include “water as a right”. It also includes an assurance that the party will “abolish the C-1A category to provide relief to households which run small shops at their residences”.

The party has also promised a “Higher Education Guarantee Scheme” which will ensure that all students will be given loans by banks with only one criteria — securing an admission”.

On the issue of WiFi, Kejriwal said it is a basic necessity for a developing and modern city.

Bedi will be puppet CM, says Kejriwal

AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal attacked BJP chief ministerial candidate Kiran Bedi on Saturday and said she will be a katputli leader for Delhi. Speaking at the unveiling of the AAP’s manifesto, Kejriwal said it seemed like Bedi had been given a “gag order”.

“We have heard, even all of you in the media have been saying, that Kiran Bedi has been given a gag order. But if she is chief minister, this will mean she will be a katputli chief minister. Delhi needs a strong and independent leadership,” Kejriwal said.

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Islamic State Militants Say They Killed Japanese Hostage - New York Times

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Matang Sinh finally appears before CBI, held - The Indian Express

Former Union minister Matang Sinh after his arrest in Kolkata on Saturday. (Source: Express Photos)

Former Union minister Matang Sinh was on Saturday arrested by the CBI in connection with the Saradha chit fund scam. The former MP from Assam was booked for “cheating, criminal conspiracy and misappropriation of funds”, a statement issued by the CBI said.

Sinh, who presented himself before the CBI Saturday morning after missing several earlier dates for appearance, was arrested after seven-hour-long questioning. CBI sources said he was arrested for “not cooperating with the investigation” and “trying to hide facts”. Sinh had been earlier questioned by the Enforcement Directorate and Bidhannagar police, as well as a Special Investigating Team formed by the West Bengal government. Sinh is said to have told CBI officials that he had handed over all the relevant documents to the SIT.

A minister in the P V Narasima Rao government, Sinh had been suspended from the Congress a decade ago but was re-inducted a couple of years back.

Saradha Group CMD Sudipta Sen had named Sinh among others in a “tell all” letter to the CBI. Sen had claimed that Sinh had “damaged” his business in “a serious manner”.

CBI sources said Sinh had failed to explain why he had taken money from Sen and where the money went. The money was meant for setting up a news channel in the Northeast.

A Guwahati-based businessman also named by Sen, Rajesh Bajaj, was questioned along with Sinh on Saturday. He was later allowed to go.

PTI added that the interrogation of the recently arrested Saradha Realty director Shibnarayan Das by the CBI had given vital leads on Sinh’s alleged role in the scam.

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Matang Sinh finally appears before CBI, held - The Indian Express

Former Union minister Matang Sinh after his arrest in Kolkata on Saturday. (Source: Express Photos)

Former Union minister Matang Sinh was on Saturday arrested by the CBI in connection with the Saradha chit fund scam. The former MP from Assam was booked for “cheating, criminal conspiracy and misappropriation of funds”, a statement issued by the CBI said.

Sinh, who presented himself before the CBI Saturday morning after missing several earlier dates for appearance, was arrested after seven-hour-long questioning. CBI sources said he was arrested for “not cooperating with the investigation” and “trying to hide facts”. Sinh had been earlier questioned by the Enforcement Directorate and Bidhannagar police, as well as a Special Investigating Team formed by the West Bengal government. Sinh is said to have told CBI officials that he had handed over all the relevant documents to the SIT.

A minister in the P V Narasima Rao government, Sinh had been suspended from the Congress a decade ago but was re-inducted a couple of years back.

Saradha Group CMD Sudipta Sen had named Sinh among others in a “tell all” letter to the CBI. Sen had claimed that Sinh had “damaged” his business in “a serious manner”.

CBI sources said Sinh had failed to explain why he had taken money from Sen and where the money went. The money was meant for setting up a news channel in the Northeast.

A Guwahati-based businessman also named by Sen, Rajesh Bajaj, was questioned along with Sinh on Saturday. He was later allowed to go.

PTI added that the interrogation of the recently arrested Saradha Realty director Shibnarayan Das by the CBI had given vital leads on Sinh’s alleged role in the scam.

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Chinese President Xi Jinping to break protocol, will meet Sushma Swaraj - Times of India

BEIJING: Chinese President Xi Jinping has made an exception by agreeing to meet the visiting Indian external affairs minister, Sushma Swaraj, on Monday. The Chinese president rarely meets the visiting foreign ministers from other countries, who are sometimes accorded respect by a meeting with the country's premier.

Xi's desire to have direct consultations with Swaraj could be related to the recent New Delhi visit by US President Barack Obama. The hallmark of the visit was the Indo-US joint strategic vision for the Asia Pacific and Indian Ocean region, much to China's discomfort. Besides, India's growing closeness with China's arch rival, Japan, in the new regime has also upset Beijing.

READ ALSO: Sushma Swaraj arrives in Beijing; China allays fears of regional hegemony

Swaraj is slated to have another significant meeting with the Russian foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, who will visit her hotel for preliminary discussions with her before the scheduled meeting of foreign ministers of Russia, India, China (RIC) on Monday. Swaraj will also meet Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi separately before the RIC summit.

Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said Beijing expects "a range of consensus" to emerge between India and China during Swaraj's visit, indicating that officials from both sides are ready to discuss their differences head on. "We believe a range of consensus will emerge from the meeting to further our political trust and our practical cooperation. Our cooperation has made some headway. We are in sound coordination and cooperation on regional and international issues," Hua said.

Foreign minister Sushma Swaraj at the Beijing International Airport on Saturday. (PTI photo)

The RIC summit is expected to formulate joint stand on global issues like terrorism and climate change. "We share similar views on major international and regional issues. So during the meeting, they will exchange views on practical cooperation and issues of common interest," Hua said.

READ ALSO: Beijing to try to guage India's response on disputed sea

The RIC meeting is being closely watched in diplomatic circles because the three countries combined could pose a potential challenge to western interests in future. Russia, a major supplier of arms, oil and gas, is also looking for business deals because of its major financial crisis, partly due to western sanctions.

Swaraj is also slated to address the Indian community in China at a luncheon meeting on Sunday, besides inaugurating 'Visit India Year' that involves India's tourism department and other agencies.

http://ift.tt/1kZis8I Jinping,Sushma Swaraj,Chinese President

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PM Narendra Modi tries to woo AAP's vote base - Economic Times

NEW DELHI: Prime minister Narendra Modi launched a scathing attack on Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Saturday, calling it back-stabbers and appealing to voters to choose his party, the BJP, with the promise that it will be the cleanest government ever which would end their water, housing, unemployment and other woes.

Without naming AAP, the principal rival of the BJP in the Delhi assembly elections, Modi said, "The very people you voted for the last time with some dreams stabbed you in your back, took you towards instability. You gave them a befitting punishment in Lok Sabha polls. People do not make the same mistake again and again."

Modi wooed the electorate with promises such as providing pucca houses in-citu to those living in slums by 2022, cleaning the Yamuna, employment to the youth and adequate water.

Most of these promises have the potential to touch a chord with the poor, the traditional vote bank of AAP. He asked the voters to look at the record of AAP and see how it misled them. "If there is a world record for losing deposits in maximum seats, you know who it is. Once in a while lies can work, people can be misled. But you cannot do it all the time," he said. Modi's 30-minute speech mostly touched upon the achievements of his government.

He praised BJP's candidate for chief minister, Kiran Bedi, whose leadership, he said, can provide a clean and stable government. "She knows Delhi inside out. She has administrative experience and is well versed with the history and geography of Delhi," he said. Bedi and BJP president Amit Shah were present on the dais.

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Matang Sinh finally appears before CBI, held - The Indian Express

Former Union minister Matang Sinh after his arrest in Kolkata on Saturday. (Source: Express Photos)

Former Union minister Matang Sinh was on Saturday arrested by the CBI in connection with the Saradha chit fund scam. The former MP from Assam was booked for “cheating, criminal conspiracy and misappropriation of funds”, a statement issued by the CBI said.

Sinh, who presented himself before the CBI Saturday morning after missing several earlier dates for appearance, was arrested after seven-hour-long questioning. CBI sources said he was arrested for “not cooperating with the investigation” and “trying to hide facts”. Sinh had been earlier questioned by the Enforcement Directorate and Bidhannagar police, as well as a Special Investigating Team formed by the West Bengal government. Sinh is said to have told CBI officials that he had handed over all the relevant documents to the SIT.

A minister in the P V Narasima Rao government, Sinh had been suspended from the Congress a decade ago but was re-inducted a couple of years back.

Saradha Group CMD Sudipta Sen had named Sinh among others in a “tell all” letter to the CBI. Sen had claimed that Sinh had “damaged” his business in “a serious manner”.

CBI sources said Sinh had failed to explain why he had taken money from Sen and where the money went. The money was meant for setting up a news channel in the Northeast.

A Guwahati-based businessman also named by Sen, Rajesh Bajaj, was questioned along with Sinh on Saturday. He was later allowed to go.

PTI added that the interrogation of the recently arrested Saradha Realty director Shibnarayan Das by the CBI had given vital leads on Sinh’s alleged role in the scam.

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Congress goes quiet after Jayanthi storm - The Hindu

The Hindu

Former Environment Minister Jayanthi Natarajan.

CBI has no immediate plans to quiz former minister

After reactions by several leaders on Friday following the resignation of former Environment Minister Jayanthi Natarajan, the Congress seemed to have withdrawn into a shell on Saturday. Party vice-president Rahul Gandhi, the target of Ms. Natarajan’s ire, has not responded to the charges, leaving the job to party spokespersons.

The only Congress line on Saturday on the exit of Ms. Natarajan came from Sharmistha Mukherjee, party candidate in the Delhi Assembly elections.

“If Jayanthi is acting so righteous now, why didn’t she stand up before? Her motive and timing should be questioned,” Ms. Muhkerjee, daughter of President Pranab Mukherjee, said.

Meanwhile, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) said it has no immediate plans to question Ms. Natarajan in the ongoing probe into the alleged diversion of forestland by two private companies for mining purposes, during her tenure.

“As on date, the then Environment Ministry officials under whom the alleged diversion of forest land took place can be examined and relevant documents studied. Based on the findings, if necessary, we may seek clarifications from Ms. Natarajan at a later stage,” said a CBI official.

Responding to Union Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar’s statement that all the files related to the projects she had mentioned in her letter to Congress president Sonia Gandhi, as published exclusively by The Hindu on Friday, would be reviewed, Ms. Natarajan has welcomed any inquiry, including a CBI probe, into decisions taken by her as Minister.

Preliminary enquiries

The CBI has registered two preliminary enquiries against unknown officials of the Environment Ministry, Jindal Steel and Power Limited and JSW Steel Limited for alleged diversion of forest land for mining purposes in Jharkhand.

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Matang Sinh finally appears before CBI, held - The Indian Express

Former Union minister Matang Sinh after his arrest in Kolkata on Saturday. (Source: Express Photos)

Former Union minister Matang Sinh was on Saturday arrested by the CBI in connection with the Saradha chit fund scam. The former MP from Assam was booked for “cheating, criminal conspiracy and misappropriation of funds”, a statement issued by the CBI said.

Sinh, who presented himself before the CBI Saturday morning after missing several earlier dates for appearance, was arrested after seven-hour-long questioning. CBI sources said he was arrested for “not cooperating with the investigation” and “trying to hide facts”. Sinh had been earlier questioned by the Enforcement Directorate and Bidhannagar police, as well as a Special Investigating Team formed by the West Bengal government. Sinh is said to have told CBI officials that he had handed over all the relevant documents to the SIT.

A minister in the P V Narasima Rao government, Sinh had been suspended from the Congress a decade ago but was re-inducted a couple of years back.

Saradha Group CMD Sudipta Sen had named Sinh among others in a “tell all” letter to the CBI. Sen had claimed that Sinh had “damaged” his business in “a serious manner”.

CBI sources said Sinh had failed to explain why he had taken money from Sen and where the money went. The money was meant for setting up a news channel in the Northeast.

A Guwahati-based businessman also named by Sen, Rajesh Bajaj, was questioned along with Sinh on Saturday. He was later allowed to go.

PTI added that the interrogation of the recently arrested Saradha Realty director Shibnarayan Das by the CBI had given vital leads on Sinh’s alleged role in the scam.

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Natarajan quits Congress, attacks senior party leaders - Livemint

The letter published in a daily said Jayanthi Natarajan was asked to resign in less than 100 days before the country went to general election.

Chennai/New Delhi: In a sign of growing political dissent within the Congress party, former environment minister and veteran politician Jayanthi Natarajan resigned from the party on Friday with a scathing attack on the party’s senior leadership, claiming that she had been vilified and sidelined by the top brass.

Natarajan, a four-time Rajya Sabha member, said that as the minister of environment she had only followed the directions of party vice-president Rahul Gandhi “to protect and preserve the environment”, suggesting interference by the Congress leader with the workings of her ministry.

“I did my duty with due diligence, investigated projects. I had to put several projects on hold because of this. I served the country,” Natarajan, told reporters in Chennai. “I was asked to resign from my ministerial post in December 2013, a mere 100 days before the parliamentary elections, by prime minister Manmohan Singh and to involve myself with party work,” she added.

Subsequently, she said, she had been “vilified, humiliated and sidelined” by the central leadership of India’s oldest political party.

Natarajan’s resignation and attack on the party leadership is an embarrassment for the Congress, which suffered its biggest defeat in last year’s general election and is reduced to 44 seats in the 543-member Lok Sabha.

Denial of environmental clearances to many big-ticket industrial projects during her term in the environment ministry was blamed for stalling investments and contributing to India’s economic growth slowing to sub-5% levels in the past two financial years.

The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government, meanwhile, attacked the Congress for “crony capitalism” and sought a review of projects that were granted or denied environmental clearances during the regime of the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA).

“I hope the environment ministry now will go into each of these permissions which were granted and not granted and make sure that these are expeditiously dealt with only as per law and no other consideration,” finance minister Arun Jaitley said in New Delhi.

The Hindu first reported on Friday that in a letter written in November last year to Congress party president Sonia Gandhi , Natarajan slammed the party chief and vice-president and said that she had become a victim of a “vicious, false and motivated” media campaign by some individuals in the party after Rahul Gandhi shifted from a “pro-environmental stance” to a “corporate friendly” one.

Since the party’s drubbing in general elections last year, the Congress has faced several defections, especially in Tamil Nadu, where its ground presence and organization are already weak.

Senior leader and the late G.K. Moopanar’s son G.K. Vasan quit the party in November and started his own political outfit. Karti Chidambaram , son of former finance minister P. Chidambaram , has been vocal in his criticism of the functioning of the party.

Congress spokesman Abhishek Manu Singhvi slammed Natarajan for what he called a diatribe that was “hypocritical and opportunistic” and also factually untrue.

One political analyst said Natarajan’s departure would have no negative impact on the Congress.

“Jayanthi Natarajan has done good to the Congress party while quitting by showing Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi in a positive light—that they didn’t favour corporates who had vested interests in getting their projects approved with no consideration on the detrimental impact it can have on the environment,” said Gnani Sankaran, a Chennai-based political commentator.

“She accuses Rahul Gandhi of later favouring the corporates but doesn’t give substantial incidents. Her leaving the Congress will not impact the national party in Tamil Nadu, where it has little presence, or at the national level,” he added.

This is not the first time that the 60-year-old Natarajan has quit the Congress party. In 1996, she left the party and joined the Tamil Maanila Congress started by G.K. Moopanar.

This time, she said she has no plans to join any other political party. “I intend to think on my life and future.”

Mayank Aggarwal in New Delhi contributed to the story.

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Promise and Perils of Bedi - The Hindu

With barely a week left for Delhi to go to vote, it’s apparent to the BJP that Kiran Bedi alone cannot swing votes in its favour

When 65-year-old former police officer Kiran Bedi rose to speak at a Bharatiya Janata Party meeting for the first time in New Delhi, less than 24 hours after she had joined the party, both workers and leaders alike did not know what to expect.

The not-so-shining galaxy of BJP leaders, whose infighting had created a situation that made Ms. Bedi’s parachuting as chief ministerial candidate inevitable, sat with their shoulders slumped and faces glum. BJP workers who had been fed on Narendra Modi’s incessant politics as performance over the last year were hungry for more.

“How did I change my mind? By listening to my Modiji over and over again….what leadership qualities he has,” Ms. Bedi began. As her prescriptive speech elaborated on her “6-P formula for women’s safety”, the audience began to murmur.

In a video clip that went viral on the web, Delhi BJP general secretary Ashish Sood was seen whispering into a senior leader’s ears, Pradesh in-charge Prabhat Jha was struggling to conceal a smile and everyone was exchanging knowing glances. “Are you here for entertainment? Tell me, tell me…” Ms. Bedi demanded. “Those who are here for entertainment can go,” she declared and went on to elaborate what the six Ps were about.

In the ten days that followed, before she lost her voice to a throat infection, Ms. Bedi’s speeches failed to inspire much enthusiasm among the BJP workers or the ordinary voters, so much so that uncharitable critics say the party leadership has forced her to remain silent in order to avoid further embarrassment. The BJP had presented her as an able and tough administrator, but the claim hasn’t won many approvals. “I think she shed that image the moment she opened her mouth,” a young woman in Delhi says.

But the BJP had no option. With a 46-year-old Arvind Kejriwal wearing an Aam Aadmi topi already waiting in the ring, it had to push someone in for the big fight scheduled for February 7. When the Aam Aadmi Party dared the BJP to announce its CM candidate, the BJP was on the back foot, and had no candidate internally who could be up to the task. “Bedi may not be doing any wonders.

But in her absence, things would have been far worse for us,” says a BJP leader in the State.

But Ms. Bedi has been trying her best. Since the campaigning started, her morning involves a visit to the Krishna Nagar constituency, from where she will be fighting the polls. There she navigates the lanes by foot, on cycle rickshaw or in an open jeep. With Union Minister Harsh Vardhan by her side, on most days, she appeals for votes in a constituency that elected him to power five times in a row. Yet, the faces that peep out of the windows while she passes by, and the crowds that follow her during the road shows, are a stark contrast to the large gatherings that the AAP chief attracts.

A boisterous road show she was part of in North Delhi’s Timarpur constituency saw several slip-ups . Firecrackers landed on a private car setting it ablaze, a man came under the wheel of the jeep she was travelling in and lookalikes of Mr. Modi and Baba Ramdev stole the show forcing Ms. Bedi to catch up.

It was only a matter of time before the BJP realised that Ms. Bedi, who was soon labelled by her colleagues as the ‘Iron Lady,’ would experience hiccups in transitioning into a full-time politician. Her strict dressing down of party workers at election meetings, her clothing a freedom fighter’s statue with a BJP scarf and the flurry of unflattering media interviews all in a matter of a week left the BJP red-faced.

With the party leadership sensing that things are not moving as they had hoped and campaigns turning out to be lacklustre, some midcourse corrections have been initiated by the BJP President Amit Shah who has unleashed the entire Modi cabinet to take control of the Delhi elections. A battery of Union ministers descended on the state BJP office on Thursday, taking over the reins of the polls displacing local leadership.

Meanwhile, the BJP chief does not miss an opportunity to reiterate how booth in-charges and panna pramukhs are like “God for the BJP.” “Modiji will come (to campaign); Kiran Bedi will come; Rajnath Singhji, Sushmaji, Arun Jaitleyji will all come to speak here, but the person who will make us win is the booth in-charge and the page in-charge ,” he said at a workers’ meeting in Hari Nagar.

Meanwhile, Delhi BJP chief Satish Upadhyay, was put in charge of managing the rifts that erupted within the ranks immediately after Ms. Bedi’s induction. On January 22, he wrote a letter to the local cadre appealing for unity and setting aside of differences and asking that everyone support the party’s “honest and straight forward” chief ministerial choice.

With barely a week left for Delhi to go to vote, it’s apparent that Ms. Bedi alone cannot swing votes in the BJP’s favour. However, with the full might of the RSS behind her, with several having to come in from neighbouring states, and the backing of the central government, it appears that it may not be easy to defeat her either.

And that is the reason why Delhi is a close contest.

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Saradha scam: Arrested former minister Matang Sinh hospitalised - Economic Times

KOLKATA: Former Union Minister Matang Sinh, who was today arrested by the CBI in connection with the multi-crore rupees Saradha scam, has been admitted to a hospital after he complained of stomach ailments.

Sinh has been admitted to the NRS hospital after he complained of stomach pain, doctors in the hospital said.

Sinh was arrested in connection with Saradha Realty case on charges of criminal conspiracy and cheating.

He had been earlier questioned by the Enforcement Directorate too in connection with Saradha scam in Delhi.

Sinh was questioned for more than seven hours by the investigating agency, a CBI spokesperson said.

Arriving at the CBI complex here this morning for the first time to face questions regarding his business transactions with Saradha group chief Sudipto Sen, Sinh had told reporters, "Getting into a business deal is not a crime."

"I do not know Sudipto Sen," he said. The former Congress MP from Assam said he had "submitted money to the Shyamal Sen commission", formed soon after the Saradha scam broke, to repay the investors.

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Obama spoke as a friend, Modi must heed his sentiments - Hindustan Times

Does the Obama visit and the personal rapport between the two heads of government suggest India's foreign policy is hereafter heading in a new direction? And does this mean we will see Indian and American policies finding increasing areas of convergence? I would say the answer to both questions is yes.

First, Modi and Obama have issued a joint strategic vision statement for the Asia Pacific. That itself is new and, even, surprising. Several of our former foreign secretaries don't believe we share a strategic vision. Furthermore, it reveals a shared concern about and an agreed response to China. Up till now that hasn't been the case. This is another significant departure.

Actually, the Indo-US convergence goes further. The New York Times reveals "Obama and his aides discovered to their surprise that Mr Modi's assessment of China's rise and its impact on the greater strategic situation in East Asia was closely aligned with their own." I doubt if you could have said that of Mr Vajpayee or Brajesh Mishra.

Second, Obama not only thanked India for its Afghan policy but also its stand on Iran's nuclear programme. That took many by surprise. I, at least, was not aware we thought along similar lines.

But that's not all. The two other leaders with whom Mr Modi has established a personal bond are Shinzo Abe of Japan and Tony Abbott of Australia and both are close allies of America. Do we have the makings of a special relationship between these four countries? Will we witness this when this year's Malabar maritime exercises commence? Very possibly.

Third, last Sunday Mr Modi stressed the importance of personal chemistry between leaders in building ties between their countries. Clearly Modi and Obama are not just friends but have a special relationship. Will that be the engine that propels Indo-US relations over the next two years?

I wouldn't be surprised, is the simple answer. And I doubt if the Pakistani thorn will be an irritant for long. America's diminishing role in Afghanistan and, perhaps, changes in Pakistan's own response to terror could substantially reduce that concern.

Now, it's in this wider context that President Obama's town hall warning about religious freedom and the need to guard against sectarianism should be viewed. He was speaking as a friend but he was chiding nonetheless. And very publicly!

When he said: "Every person has a right to practice their faith as they choose... nowhere is that more important than in India", he had the ghar wapsi and love jihad campaigns in mind. When he added "India will succeed so long as it's not splintered along lines of religious faith", he was clearly telling Mr Modi that his silence over these matters endangers India's future.

The President unhesitatingly embraced his "sisters and brothers of India" with the words "when we look at each other we see a reflection of ourselves" and when he added "America can be India's best partner", but that affirmation of commitment and affection only makes the warning that followed stronger and more urgent to heed. Ignore it at your peril.

I don't know how Mr Modi will respond. I hope it won't irritate him, even if he doesn't publicly say so. Actually, my fingers are crossed in the hope it gives him the strength to speak out and stand up to those who threaten his development dreams with their own narrow and dark visions. Remember, that includes the RSS and some members of his own government.

(The views expressed by the author are personal)

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Promise and Perils of Bedi - The Hindu

With barely a week left for Delhi to go to vote, it’s apparent to the BJP that Kiran Bedi alone cannot swing votes in its favour

When 65-year-old former police officer Kiran Bedi rose to speak at a Bharatiya Janata Party meeting for the first time in New Delhi, less than 24 hours after she had joined the party, both workers and leaders alike did not know what to expect.

The not-so-shining galaxy of BJP leaders, whose infighting had created a situation that made Ms. Bedi’s parachuting as chief ministerial candidate inevitable, sat with their shoulders slumped and faces glum. BJP workers who had been fed on Narendra Modi’s incessant politics as performance over the last year were hungry for more.

“How did I change my mind? By listening to my Modiji over and over again….what leadership qualities he has,” Ms. Bedi began. As her prescriptive speech elaborated on her “6-P formula for women’s safety”, the audience began to murmur.

In a video clip that went viral on the web, Delhi BJP general secretary Ashish Sood was seen whispering into a senior leader’s ears, Pradesh in-charge Prabhat Jha was struggling to conceal a smile and everyone was exchanging knowing glances. “Are you here for entertainment? Tell me, tell me…” Ms. Bedi demanded. “Those who are here for entertainment can go,” she declared and went on to elaborate what the six Ps were about.

In the ten days that followed, before she lost her voice to a throat infection, Ms. Bedi’s speeches failed to inspire much enthusiasm among the BJP workers or the ordinary voters, so much so that uncharitable critics say the party leadership has forced her to remain silent in order to avoid further embarrassment. The BJP had presented her as an able and tough administrator, but the claim hasn’t won many approvals. “I think she shed that image the moment she opened her mouth,” a young woman in Delhi says.

But the BJP had no option. With a 46-year-old Arvind Kejriwal wearing an Aam Aadmi topi already waiting in the ring, it had to push someone in for the big fight scheduled for February 7. When the Aam Aadmi Party dared the BJP to announce its CM candidate, the BJP was on the back foot, and had no candidate internally who could be up to the task. “Bedi may not be doing any wonders.

But in her absence, things would have been far worse for us,” says a BJP leader in the State.

But Ms. Bedi has been trying her best. Since the campaigning started, her morning involves a visit to the Krishna Nagar constituency, from where she will be fighting the polls. There she navigates the lanes by foot, on cycle rickshaw or in an open jeep. With Union Minister Harsh Vardhan by her side, on most days, she appeals for votes in a constituency that elected him to power five times in a row. Yet, the faces that peep out of the windows while she passes by, and the crowds that follow her during the road shows, are a stark contrast to the large gatherings that the AAP chief attracts.

A boisterous road show she was part of in North Delhi’s Timarpur constituency saw several slip-ups . Firecrackers landed on a private car setting it ablaze, a man came under the wheel of the jeep she was travelling in and lookalikes of Mr. Modi and Baba Ramdev stole the show forcing Ms. Bedi to catch up.

It was only a matter of time before the BJP realised that Ms. Bedi, who was soon labelled by her colleagues as the ‘Iron Lady,’ would experience hiccups in transitioning into a full-time politician. Her strict dressing down of party workers at election meetings, her clothing a freedom fighter’s statue with a BJP scarf and the flurry of unflattering media interviews all in a matter of a week left the BJP red-faced.

With the party leadership sensing that things are not moving as they had hoped and campaigns turning out to be lacklustre, some midcourse corrections have been initiated by the BJP President Amit Shah who has unleashed the entire Modi cabinet to take control of the Delhi elections. A battery of Union ministers descended on the state BJP office on Thursday, taking over the reins of the polls displacing local leadership.

Meanwhile, the BJP chief does not miss an opportunity to reiterate how booth in-charges and panna pramukhs are like “God for the BJP.” “Modiji will come (to campaign); Kiran Bedi will come; Rajnath Singhji, Sushmaji, Arun Jaitleyji will all come to speak here, but the person who will make us win is the booth in-charge and the page in-charge ,” he said at a workers’ meeting in Hari Nagar.

Meanwhile, Delhi BJP chief Satish Upadhyay, was put in charge of managing the rifts that erupted within the ranks immediately after Ms. Bedi’s induction. On January 22, he wrote a letter to the local cadre appealing for unity and setting aside of differences and asking that everyone support the party’s “honest and straight forward” chief ministerial choice.

With barely a week left for Delhi to go to vote, it’s apparent that Ms. Bedi alone cannot swing votes in the BJP’s favour. However, with the full might of the RSS behind her, with several having to come in from neighbouring states, and the backing of the central government, it appears that it may not be easy to defeat her either.

And that is the reason why Delhi is a close contest.

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Saradha scam: Arrested former minister Matang Sinh hospitalised - Economic Times

KOLKATA: Former Union Minister Matang Sinh, who was today arrested by the CBI in connection with the multi-crore rupees Saradha scam, has been admitted to a hospital after he complained of stomach ailments.

Sinh has been admitted to the NRS hospital after he complained of stomach pain, doctors in the hospital said.

Sinh was arrested in connection with Saradha Realty case on charges of criminal conspiracy and cheating.

He had been earlier questioned by the Enforcement Directorate too in connection with Saradha scam in Delhi.

Sinh was questioned for more than seven hours by the investigating agency, a CBI spokesperson said.

Arriving at the CBI complex here this morning for the first time to face questions regarding his business transactions with Saradha group chief Sudipto Sen, Sinh had told reporters, "Getting into a business deal is not a crime."

"I do not know Sudipto Sen," he said. The former Congress MP from Assam said he had "submitted money to the Shyamal Sen commission", formed soon after the Saradha scam broke, to repay the investors.

Recommended article: Chomsky: We Are All – Fill in the Blank.

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Natarajan quits Congress, attacks senior party leaders - Livemint

The letter published in a daily said Jayanthi Natarajan was asked to resign in less than 100 days before the country went to general election.

Chennai/New Delhi: In a sign of growing political dissent within the Congress party, former environment minister and veteran politician Jayanthi Natarajan resigned from the party on Friday with a scathing attack on the party’s senior leadership, claiming that she had been vilified and sidelined by the top brass.

Natarajan, a four-time Rajya Sabha member, said that as the minister of environment she had only followed the directions of party vice-president Rahul Gandhi “to protect and preserve the environment”, suggesting interference by the Congress leader with the workings of her ministry.

“I did my duty with due diligence, investigated projects. I had to put several projects on hold because of this. I served the country,” Natarajan, told reporters in Chennai. “I was asked to resign from my ministerial post in December 2013, a mere 100 days before the parliamentary elections, by prime minister Manmohan Singh and to involve myself with party work,” she added.

Subsequently, she said, she had been “vilified, humiliated and sidelined” by the central leadership of India’s oldest political party.

Natarajan’s resignation and attack on the party leadership is an embarrassment for the Congress, which suffered its biggest defeat in last year’s general election and is reduced to 44 seats in the 543-member Lok Sabha.

Denial of environmental clearances to many big-ticket industrial projects during her term in the environment ministry was blamed for stalling investments and contributing to India’s economic growth slowing to sub-5% levels in the past two financial years.

The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government, meanwhile, attacked the Congress for “crony capitalism” and sought a review of projects that were granted or denied environmental clearances during the regime of the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA).

“I hope the environment ministry now will go into each of these permissions which were granted and not granted and make sure that these are expeditiously dealt with only as per law and no other consideration,” finance minister Arun Jaitley said in New Delhi.

The Hindu first reported on Friday that in a letter written in November last year to Congress party president Sonia Gandhi , Natarajan slammed the party chief and vice-president and said that she had become a victim of a “vicious, false and motivated” media campaign by some individuals in the party after Rahul Gandhi shifted from a “pro-environmental stance” to a “corporate friendly” one.

Since the party’s drubbing in general elections last year, the Congress has faced several defections, especially in Tamil Nadu, where its ground presence and organization are already weak.

Senior leader and the late G.K. Moopanar’s son G.K. Vasan quit the party in November and started his own political outfit. Karti Chidambaram , son of former finance minister P. Chidambaram , has been vocal in his criticism of the functioning of the party.

Congress spokesman Abhishek Manu Singhvi slammed Natarajan for what he called a diatribe that was “hypocritical and opportunistic” and also factually untrue.

One political analyst said Natarajan’s departure would have no negative impact on the Congress.

“Jayanthi Natarajan has done good to the Congress party while quitting by showing Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi in a positive light—that they didn’t favour corporates who had vested interests in getting their projects approved with no consideration on the detrimental impact it can have on the environment,” said Gnani Sankaran, a Chennai-based political commentator.

“She accuses Rahul Gandhi of later favouring the corporates but doesn’t give substantial incidents. Her leaving the Congress will not impact the national party in Tamil Nadu, where it has little presence, or at the national level,” he added.

This is not the first time that the 60-year-old Natarajan has quit the Congress party. In 1996, she left the party and joined the Tamil Maanila Congress started by G.K. Moopanar.

This time, she said she has no plans to join any other political party. “I intend to think on my life and future.”

Mayank Aggarwal in New Delhi contributed to the story.

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Promise and Perils of Bedi - The Hindu

With barely a week left for Delhi to go to vote, it’s apparent to the BJP that Kiran Bedi alone cannot swing votes in its favour

When 65-year-old former police officer Kiran Bedi rose to speak at a Bharatiya Janata Party meeting for the first time in New Delhi, less than 24 hours after she had joined the party, both workers and leaders alike did not know what to expect.

The not-so-shining galaxy of BJP leaders, whose infighting had created a situation that made Ms. Bedi’s parachuting as chief ministerial candidate inevitable, sat with their shoulders slumped and faces glum. BJP workers who had been fed on Narendra Modi’s incessant politics as performance over the last year were hungry for more.

“How did I change my mind? By listening to my Modiji over and over again….what leadership qualities he has,” Ms. Bedi began. As her prescriptive speech elaborated on her “6-P formula for women’s safety”, the audience began to murmur.

In a video clip that went viral on the web, Delhi BJP general secretary Ashish Sood was seen whispering into a senior leader’s ears, Pradesh in-charge Prabhat Jha was struggling to conceal a smile and everyone was exchanging knowing glances. “Are you here for entertainment? Tell me, tell me…” Ms. Bedi demanded. “Those who are here for entertainment can go,” she declared and went on to elaborate what the six Ps were about.

In the ten days that followed, before she lost her voice to a throat infection, Ms. Bedi’s speeches failed to inspire much enthusiasm among the BJP workers or the ordinary voters, so much so that uncharitable critics say the party leadership has forced her to remain silent in order to avoid further embarrassment. The BJP had presented her as an able and tough administrator, but the claim hasn’t won many approvals. “I think she shed that image the moment she opened her mouth,” a young woman in Delhi says.

But the BJP had no option. With a 46-year-old Arvind Kejriwal wearing an Aam Aadmi topi already waiting in the ring, it had to push someone in for the big fight scheduled for February 7. When the Aam Aadmi Party dared the BJP to announce its CM candidate, the BJP was on the back foot, and had no candidate internally who could be up to the task. “Bedi may not be doing any wonders.

But in her absence, things would have been far worse for us,” says a BJP leader in the State.

But Ms. Bedi has been trying her best. Since the campaigning started, her morning involves a visit to the Krishna Nagar constituency, from where she will be fighting the polls. There she navigates the lanes by foot, on cycle rickshaw or in an open jeep. With Union Minister Harsh Vardhan by her side, on most days, she appeals for votes in a constituency that elected him to power five times in a row. Yet, the faces that peep out of the windows while she passes by, and the crowds that follow her during the road shows, are a stark contrast to the large gatherings that the AAP chief attracts.

A boisterous road show she was part of in North Delhi’s Timarpur constituency saw several slip-ups . Firecrackers landed on a private car setting it ablaze, a man came under the wheel of the jeep she was travelling in and lookalikes of Mr. Modi and Baba Ramdev stole the show forcing Ms. Bedi to catch up.

It was only a matter of time before the BJP realised that Ms. Bedi, who was soon labelled by her colleagues as the ‘Iron Lady,’ would experience hiccups in transitioning into a full-time politician. Her strict dressing down of party workers at election meetings, her clothing a freedom fighter’s statue with a BJP scarf and the flurry of unflattering media interviews all in a matter of a week left the BJP red-faced.

With the party leadership sensing that things are not moving as they had hoped and campaigns turning out to be lacklustre, some midcourse corrections have been initiated by the BJP President Amit Shah who has unleashed the entire Modi cabinet to take control of the Delhi elections. A battery of Union ministers descended on the state BJP office on Thursday, taking over the reins of the polls displacing local leadership.

Meanwhile, the BJP chief does not miss an opportunity to reiterate how booth in-charges and panna pramukhs are like “God for the BJP.” “Modiji will come (to campaign); Kiran Bedi will come; Rajnath Singhji, Sushmaji, Arun Jaitleyji will all come to speak here, but the person who will make us win is the booth in-charge and the page in-charge ,” he said at a workers’ meeting in Hari Nagar.

Meanwhile, Delhi BJP chief Satish Upadhyay, was put in charge of managing the rifts that erupted within the ranks immediately after Ms. Bedi’s induction. On January 22, he wrote a letter to the local cadre appealing for unity and setting aside of differences and asking that everyone support the party’s “honest and straight forward” chief ministerial choice.

With barely a week left for Delhi to go to vote, it’s apparent that Ms. Bedi alone cannot swing votes in the BJP’s favour. However, with the full might of the RSS behind her, with several having to come in from neighbouring states, and the backing of the central government, it appears that it may not be easy to defeat her either.

And that is the reason why Delhi is a close contest.

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Matang Sinh hospitalized after arrest by CBI - Livemint

CBI had summoned Sinh for questioning several times. He turned up on Saturday and was arrested after several hours of questioning. Photo: Ramesh Pathania/Mint

Kolkata: Former Union minister and Congress leader from Assam Matang Sinh, who was arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in connection with the Saradha scam, has been admitted to a hospital after he complained of stomach ailments.

Sinh has been admitted to the NRS hospital after he complained of stomach pain, doctors in the hospital said.

Sinh was arrested earlier in the day in Kolkata by CBI for allegedly exploiting the Saradha Group—an enterprise that ran Ponzi schemes in eastern India till April 2013.

Saradha Group chairman Sudipta Sen had alleged in a letter addressed to CBI and written days before he fled Kolkata in April 2013 that he had paid Rs.28 crore to Sinh to acquire a Bengali television channel—NE Bangla. Though the deal wasn’t concluded, Sinh didn’t return the money, Sen had alleged in his letter to CBI.

The federal agency had summoned Sinh for questioning several times. He turned up on Saturday and was arrested after several hours of questioning.

Even after he was arrested, Sinh tried to forcibly make his way out of the CBI office. Officers of the agency had to physically restrain him from leaving.

A spokesperson for Sinh later said he was suffering from a life threatening health condition.

Former Union minister and Congress leader from Assam Matang Sinh was on Saturday arrested in Kolkata by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for allegedly exploiting the Saradha Group—an enterprise that ran Ponzi schemes in eastern India till April 2013.

Saradha Group chairman Sudipta Sen had alleged in a letter addressed to CBI and written days before he fled Kolkata in April 2013 that he had paid Rs.28 crore to Sinh to acquire a Bengali television channel—NE Bangla. Though the deal wasn’t concluded, Sinh didn’t return the money, Sen had alleged in his letter to CBI.

The federal agency had summoned Sinh for questioning several times. He turned up on Saturday and was arrested after several hours of questioning.

Even after he was arrested, Sinh tried to forcibly make his way out of the CBI office. Officers of the agency had to physically restrain him from leaving.

A spokesperson for Sinh later said he was suffering from a life threatening health condition.

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Fighting to remain relevant - The Hindu

When Congress’ arch rivals were ridiculing the party for being absent from the scene, the party claimed it was undergoing an internal purge and regrouping to produce a more battleworthy Delhi unit

It was on January 24 that the Congress first informed former Kalkaji Member of Legislative Assembly Subhash Chopra about the party Vice President Rahul Gandhi’s plan to launch into the Delhi campaign from his constituency. His team was barely given two days and two nights to make arrangements for it.

Mr. Gandhi had remained non-committal until then. It was only after the Congress announced its candidates early on and internal reports began suggesting that the party would not fare as badly as it had in 2013 that he decided to enter into campaign mode. When Mr. Gandhi’s associates were looking for an appropriate rally venue, Ajay Maken who had been Union Urban Development Minister under the UPA government, and is the Congress’s face in this election as its campaign committee chief, informed Mr. Gandhi that the party’s big idea in this election - a Right to Shelter legislation - could be best kicked off from the slums of Govindpuri in Kalkaji. Mr. Maken told Mr. Gandhi about a Delhi Development Authority (DDA) project for 8,000 in-situ dwellings for slum dwellers that Mr. Chopra had spearheaded during his days as DDA member five years ago.

On January 27, Mr. Gandhi began his road show from the construction site of that project. From there, he promised “a roof over every head” and cheaper power and water supply for the poor.

“The Congress will bounce back because we stand with the poor,” he later told the media at a hurriedly organised interaction. The next day, the party unveiled the draft legislation for the Right to Shelter Act. It now plans to introduce the legislation – which Gandhi considers a game changing idea on the lines of the right to information and employment guarantee legislations– in Congress-ruled states.

When its arch rivals were busy ridiculing it for being absent from the scene, the Congress claims it is undergoing an internal purge and simply regrouping to produce a more battleworthy Delhi unit. The 2013 polls in Delhi reduced the party from a three-time winner to a fringe player. It won eight of the 70 seats. The new Congress, say insiders, is less complacent and has learnt the importance of power and water tariffs as poll issues. It is also less condescending towards its competitors, especially, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP).

While the AAP and the BJP launched pitched battles against each other on social media as early as November, the Congress’s senior leadership seemed to be in hibernation. According to insiders, this was because there were pressing questions that the party was introspecting over. “Just as there was a vacuum of governance in Delhi over the last year, something similar was being confronted within the party’s state unit, too,” admitted a leader. The biggest dilemma was distancing itself from the taint of the three-time former Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit’s Commonwealth Games scam while holding on to the developmental achievements of her tenure. As the party slowly got down to nominating members for key committees in view of the polls, delegation upon delegation made the rounds of Mr. Gandhi’s office to convince him to grant Dikshit ‘a larger role’ in the party’s activities. Mr. Maken’s appointment as chief of the campaign committee was a declaration that the Congress wanted to move on. Mr. Maken is close to Mr. Gandhi but is also an experienced hand. The Kerala model of extensive block-level committees was replicated in the capital by its former Kerala state chief P.C. Chacko who replaced Shakeel Ahmed as party in-charge for Delhi. More experienced candidates have been preferred over those seeking tickets simply on the basis of being young.

“Just five women candidates and one leader from the Indian Youth Congress (IYC) have been fielded this time,” a leader said. “Even prominent student leaders such as Amrita Dhawan and Ragini Nayak, who fought and lost last time, and had been given tickets upon the insistence of Mr. Gandhi, have been refused tickets this time.”

The Congress has been severely critical of both the AAP and the BJP in this election. While the two big players battle it out for the claim to rule Delhi, the Congress is fighting only in order to remain politically relevant.

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