Morning Wrap - 1 February 2014

   

OPINION

Good Governance and Foreign Policy

With 2014 elections just round the corner, there has been a lot of focus on “good governance”. It seems that this is the one theme that will rule the the upcoming polls. Another aspect that will be on agenda is the foreign policy, especially with India having several controversies involving government of other countries. As had been the practice with his predecessors, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has started the exercise of rewarding or taking interests of his close civilian officers before demitting office. This is a distinct sign of his realisation that the Congress stands no chance of retaining power in the coming general elections. Nevertheless, given these emerging trends, the extremely narrow-base of the foreign policy making under Manmohan Singh is really surprising. The current government’s policies towards neighbouring countries is disappointing. No wonder, the need for good governance in this area is absolutely vital.

Has Congress ever apologised for its failure to protect Muslims?

If Rahul Gandhi is to be believed, the Congress government tried to stop the anti-Sikh riots of 1984 that left hundreds dead in just three days in Delhi. Whenever a Congress leader is asked why the party should be voted back to power despite rampant corruption, unchecked price rise and widening economic disparity, issues that concern the common man, the instant retort is that people should not elect the “butcher of Naroda Patiya”. However, Muslims have suffered brutal deaths under the Congress rule as well. The Hashimpura massacre of 1987 and similar killings in Maliyana, Moradabad, Allahabad, Aligarh in Congress-ruled Uttar Pradesh are most telling. Inquiries after inquiries and commissions after commissions have held the state responsible for killings of hundreds of Muslims. Did the Congress even apologise for its failure to protect innocent lives?

 

TOP STORIES

Arvind Kejriwal names Rahul, Modi in his list of corrupt people

Speaking at AAP’s national executive committee meet, Arvind Kejriwal said he has prepared a list of corrupt people and then proceeded to read out the list. He has named Rahul Gandhi and BJP Prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi in the list, which also included several UPA ministers, SP supremo Mulayam Singh, BSP chief Mayawati, Union Ministers P Chidambaram and Sushilkumar Shinde as well as former BJP president Nitin Gadkari, among others. Kejriwal said the party will field candidates against these politicians. He also said that the list will get bigger. Delhi Chief Minister asked his cabinet members to decide whether to vote out the people mentioned or not. He said, “You people take the list forward, draft it and submit it.” The meet was attended by close to 400 AAP members from across India.

SIT probe into anti-Sikh violence necessary, says BJP

Welcoming Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s demand for SIT probe in the 1984 riots, BJP leader Venkaiah Naidu said that the investigation  was necessary because the Congress had not completed any probe initiated by various enquiry commissions in the past. He stressed that the riots were practically a genocide and there was no police and military intervention as there was no police firing. He said, Narendra Modi government, on the other hand, swung into action and took police and military action after 2002 Gujarat riots broke out.

Kiran Reddy asks centre to respect ‘people’s will’

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy has asked the central government to respect the will of the people of the state, who he claimed, stand for a united state. He said people’s will reflected in the resolution passed in the legislature rejecting the state reorganization bill. The resolutions passed by voice vote in both the houses request the president not to forward Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Bill 2013 to Parliament.

Lajpat Nagar heist will be cracked soon: Bassi

Delhi Police Commissioner BS Bassi is confident that the case of sensational day-time robbery at Lajpat Nagar will be cracked soon. More than 25 teams of various units of Delhi Police are conducting raids in Delhi, Haryana and Western Uttar Pradesh to nab those involved in crime where more nearly Rs8 crore, belonging to businessman Rajesh Kalra and partner Rahul Ahuja, was robbed. Sources say, that two people in their 20s have been detained and that the police have identified five other people who might be involved in the heist. Police said that Kalra was arrested in 2000 for his links with bookies and was charged in the Hansie Cronje match-fixing case.

Microsoft likely to name Satya Nadella as next CEO: report

Technology giant Microsoft is in the process of massive management reshuffle as t is close to naming a new CEO and replacing Chairman Bill Gates. Indian-American top executive Satya Nadella is the front-runner to replace longtime chief Steve Ballmer as the new CEO. It is believed that in the five-month search, the company ruled out bringing in an outside candidate. The Hyderabad-native, currently the executive vice president of the Cloud and Enterprise group, will be only the third CEO in the company’s history.  The board is believed to be considering Microsoft lead independent director John Thompson as Gates’s replacement.

 

WORLD

Was an early riser but irresponsible as student: Obama

Barack Obama said that he, who was raised by a single mother with support from his grandparents, reached where he is today because of education. He said although he did not have financial resources he studied at the best colleges in the country because he was awarded scholarships. The  US President praised his mother for understanding the importance of education and said that he wanted all the young people in the country to receive similar opportunities.

ISI had role in Bangladesh arms smuggling case: Report

A special court in Chittagong handed down the death sentence to Paresh Barua, who heads an ULFA faction opposed to any peace talks, and 13 others, including Jamaat chief and then industries minister Motiur Rahman Nizami and then state minister for home Lutfozzaman Babar, for smuggling in 10 truckloads of firearms in 2004. Now, a reports claims that Pakistan’s ISI was among various local and foreign intelligence agencies that played a role in the smuggling. It has also surfaced that some top politicians of the then Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP)-led four-party alliance government, bureaucrats, ISI and Indian separatist outfit ULFA were also involved in the case.

 

SPORTS

India suffer worst defeat in NZ, lose 5th ODI by 87 runs

A listless Indian cricket team slumped to its worst ODI series defeat in New Zealand, going down 0-4, after the Black Caps hammered them by 87 runs in the inconsequential fifth and final one-dayer in Wellington today. India was chasing a target of 304.  Virat Kohli’s 82 was the only saving grace as the visitors failed to put up a fight against the Kiwi bowlers, led superbly by debutant Matt Henry who took 4 wickets for 38 runs.

Ashraf calls emergency meeting on Feb 8 to discuss ICC draft

The Chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board, Zaka Ashraf has called an emergency meeting of the governing board on February 3 to discuss the watered down draft proposals put forward by India, Australia and England at the ICC meeting this week in Dubai.  Pakistan with South Africa and Sri Lanka sought more time at the recent ICC executive board meeting to study and discuss the revised draft proposal of the Australian, Indian and English boards.

ENTERTAINMENT

Court rejects Salman Khan’s plea to club 2 cases against him

A local court on rejected bollywood actor Salman Khan’s plea to club two cases against him lodged under the Arms Act and the Wildlife Act and directed him to continue recording his statement in connection with the first case.  Both cases are related to the incident of poaching of blackbucks in Kankani on the intervening night of 1-2 October 1998.

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