India Inc calls Obama ‘protectionist’
India Inc described the US President Barack Obama’s announcement to punish American firms by levying high taxes on their outsourcing business as “protectionist” and a retrograde measure that, it said, will hurt the US companies.
“Taking measures that would force companies to restrict their economic activities in one vision and not in the other is a retrograde step,” the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) said.
FICCI President Harsh Pati Singhania said while Obama’s move would have some impact on the US investment abroad and into India, in the long run this would only run counter to the interest of US corporations seeking global presence.
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Source: Indian Express
P Chidambaram’s US visit cancelled
Home minister P Chidambaram’s visit to the US as part of efforts to pile up pressure on Pakistan to act against terrorism emanating from its soil has been cancelled.
“Since the decision was taken (for Chidambaram to go to the US), there have been other developments. Petroleum sector strike for which I have been asked to head a group and there has been the truckers’ strike,” Chidambaram told reporters in the capital when asked whether his trip to the US has been cancelled.
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Source: Times of India
Mumbai Terrorists Ring Up India TV Twice During Siege Using Hostages’ Cellphones
Two terrorists, Shadullah and Imran Babar, rang up India TV twice during the siege on Thursday using cellphones of their hostages to place their points of view.
The first call came in the morning from Shadullah who was holed up in Oberoi Hotel, Mumbai. Using Cellphone no. 09769679723 belonging to a Swedish lady named Lisa Ringner from Room No. 1856, Hotel Oberoi, Shadullah rang up India TV’s popular number 93505 93505 and spoke at length about why he and his colleagues carried out the strikes in Mumbai.
Shadullah claimed that he belonged to Deccan Mujahideen, a little known outfit which had claimed responsibility of the terror strikes in Mumbai on Wednesday night. The anchor repeatedly asked whether he was from Hyderabad, India, or from Hyderabad, Pakistan, to which he replied in his heavily Pakistani accent that he belonged to Hyderabad of the Deccan. Shadullah carried on with his litany of perceived injustices meted out Muslims in India. The conversation ran thus :
India TV – What do you want?
Shadullah – When so many of us were killed, who did anything for us? Babri Masjid was demolished. We were not allowed to stay in peace..That time, nobody was with us. You are talking of surrender.. Let these commandos come.. Hum Uski Aisi Chhutti karega ki Who apne bachhey ko yateem kar lega.(We will get rid of them in such a manner that their sons will become orphans)
India TV- You belong to which place? To which faction do you belong?
Shadullah- We belong to Hyderabad.
India TV—Hyderabad of Pakistan?
Shadullah- No, Hyderabad of the Deccan. And we are from Deccan Mujahideen.
India TV—What are your demands?
Shadullah- Wait for a minute ( he consults with somebody)
India TV—Tell us your demands, because the whole of India is listening to you.
Shadullah—Hello, We demand the release of all mujaheddin put in jails. Then will we release these people. Otherwise..Nahin Toh hum Eent se Eent Bajayega (we will destroy this place)..You must have seen, what’s happening here.
India TV- Tell us, how many of you are there in Oberoi hotel?
Shahdullah—Why should I tell you?
India TV—No, you tell us because you are claiming that so many people are fighting for you..At least tell us, how many of you are there?
Shadullah – Hum saath hain (We are seven)..saath (seven)
India TV- You are seven there in Oberoi Hotel?
Shahdullah—Yes
India TV—Do you have the single demand that all mujaheddin arrested be released.. or do you have any other demand?
Shahdullah - Yes, release them, and we, the Muslim who live in India, should not be harassed.. Things like demolition of Babri Masjid and killings should stop.
India TV—Shahdullah, we want to tell you that you are yourself a citizen of India.. You yourself say that you belong to Hyderbad. Don’t you have love for your own country.. your own Hindustan? Because those who are killed they could be your brothers, or the brothers of others..
Shahdullah— We love this country.. this is our country..but the issue is this: when our elders, our brothers are killed, didn’t these people see all this? OK ..Allah Haafiz.
The second call was from another terrorist Imran Babar from Nariman House, Mumbai, where he used the cellphone no. 9819464530 belonging to Holtzberg Gaverlein, staying at Nariman House Number 3, Hormusji Street, Colaba, Mumbai. Imran Babar also rang up India TV’s popular number kept aside for viewers 93505 93505. Time: 17:07:05 hrs.
India TV—Hello, Imran, where are you?
Imran Babar – We are here..You call their (Israeli) Army Staff to visit Kashmir.. why is it so?..Who are they to come to J & K..This is a matter between us and Hindus..the Hindu government..Why does that Israel come here..To say that Israel and Palestine..
India TV—Imran, you claim that you are in Nariman House.. How many of your friends are there in Nariman House?
Imran –We know how to live.. how to snatch our rights…
India TV – Imran, are you able to listen to what I am saying?
Imran—Yes, I can hear you..
India TV—Just reply to my question.. How many of you are there in Nariman House?
Imran—I have five persons with me..
India TV—And when did you come to Mumbai?
Imran—Hum log.. Hum log apne kaam se aaya hai (We have come here for our work)..Raah Dekhte Raha (we waited)…Saara maamla aapke samne hai (everything is before you).. Zulm aur zyadati bardasht karke jab hum thak gaya hai, tab humne eisa karne ko majboor ho gaya hai.. Aapke saamne haalaat hai.. Main toh wahi aapko baar baar itihaas bata raha hun..lekin (We are tired of facing tortures and injustice, we are forced to do this.. The situation is in front of you..I am merely repeating history to you, but..) I don’t’ understand why you people talk like this?
India TV—What’s your age, Imran?
Imran—I am 25.
India TV—What’s the age of your friends?
Imran—My other friends are also of the same age…young..adults..
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Source: BusinessWire
Key developments in the Mumbai terror attack
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Singh is King: UPA govt wins confidence vote
Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s government won a vote of confidence in parliament on Tuesday, ensuring the immediate survival of the ruling coalition and a civilian nuclear deal with the United States.
Earlier the opposition demanded the resignation of the prime minister anyway after three of its lawmakers said they had been bribed to abstain. The government won 275 votes against 256 for the opposition, the parliamentary speaker Somnath Chatterjee announced.
The session was angry and chaotic. The debate was briefly adjourned when opposition lawmakers interrupted the debate to wave wads of cash they said were offered as bribes by the government to abstain.
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Source: Economic Times
P. Chidambaram says Hyde Act not binding on India
On the second day of the debate in the Lok Sabha over the Government’s trust vote, Finance Minister P. Chidambaram said that the Hyde Act, passed by the US Congress to enable nuclear commerce with India, was a domestic law in that country and had no binding on India.
Chidambaram also stressed the need for nuclear power.
He said the provisions of the 123 Agreement will alone prevail in regard to the Indo-US nuclear agreement and that the government went to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) after an agreement with the Left parties and froze the text.
He added that the Government did nothing to violate this agreement and the text of the draft safeguards agreement was promised to be given to parties the day India approached the International Atomic Energy Agency.
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Source: Top News
Trust motion was fully avoidable, says Manmohan
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh sought the confidence of the Lok Sabha on Monday and said the trust vote was avoidable as he had promised to return to the Parliament before operationalising the contentious nuclear deal with Washington.
“It (trust motion) was fully avoidable,” Manmohan Singh said as he moved the one-line motion seeking the trust of parliament for his government — reduced to minority after the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M)-led Left parties withdrew their legislative support in protest against the government’s move to carry the India-US civil nuclear deal forward.
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Source: Hindusthan Times
Pranab in US buys time for N-deal
External affairs minister Pranab Mukherjee met US president George Bush at the White House to discuss the nuclear deal which is weighed down by domestic political opposition.Bush, who sees the nuclear deal as his “major” foreign policy centrepiece on the lines of Nixon’s overture to China, may get cold comfort from Mukherjee’s dull visit. When secretary of state Condoleezza Rice briefed the media with Mukherjee, at the state department’s Benjamin Franklin room, it was evident that the Americans had tempered their expectations from the visit.
Rice spiked a wordy, two-page statement that her aides had reportedly prepared for her to merely state the fact; “The Indians are now in a process of working with the International Atomic Energy Agency and we will follow that progress.”
She sidestepped a question on whether the Bush administration would give up on the Indian nuclear deal if it was not sent to Congress by July. Mukherjee did try and buy time by pointing out that the Indian government was doing its best, but was stuck at the “second stage.”
“We are interested in implementing the landmark agreement…. But we have some political problems in our country. Currently, we are engaged in resolving those problems,” Mukherjee told the conference.
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Source: DNA
Mr Modi, there’s a Supreme Court
The post-Godhra communal riots in Gujarat are back to haunt Narendra Modi Government with the Supreme Court on Tuesday deciding to set up a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the major cases.
A bench comprising Justices Arijit Pasayat, P Sathasivam and Aftab Alam said that the 5-member SIT will comprise former CBI director RK Raghavan, former UP DGP CB Satpathy and three senior police officers from Gujarat — Geeta Johri, Shivanand Jha and Ashish Bhatia.
The formal order for constitution of SIT will be passed on Wednesday, court said after hearing the pleas of senior counsel Harish Salve who is assisting the court as amicus curiae in the matter and Gujarat government counsel Mukul Rohatgi.
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Source: ET
Shivani Bhatnagar case: Top cop gets life term
From a custodian of the law to a convicted law breaker, life has come full circle for suspended senior IPS officer R K Sharma.
Nine years after Indian Express reporter, Shivani Bhatnagar was brutally murdered, a Delhi court found former Haryana top-cop, R K Sharma and three others guilty of murder, criminal conspiracy and destruction of evidence.
On Monday, all four accused including RK Sharma were awarded life imprisonment. He is the first IPS officer in the country to be convicted of murder.
Talking about the verdict retired IPS officer Maxwell Pereira said, “Judge has issued the right sentence of life imprisonment. I am disappointed only in the verdict of Pradeep Sharma as it could have been considered rarest of rare cases. Delhi police investigated well. It’s a tribute to the young ACP Hemant Chopra who died after investigation. He spent three months working on it.”
The court has also slapped a fine of Rs 20,000 on RK Sharma, while the other three have been fined Rs 10,000 each.
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Source: IBN Live