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Jayanthi Natarajan's Letter to Sonia Gandhi |
Jayanti Natarajan Says She Was Remote Controlled By Rahul
Hon’ble Smt. Sonia Gandhi,
President, Indian National Congress
November 5, 2014
Madam, I write to you with a very heavy heart. Over the last 11 months, I have suffered the most excruciating mental agony, and have been continuously attacked, wrongly vilified and defamed in the media, and exposed to every possible humiliation in public life. As I write today, more than 30 years of my loyal, faithful, and dedicated service to our party stand destroyed and in shambles around me. My entire career is ruined, and above all, the sacred and venerable legacy of my family, which served our nation and party with immense distinction, and patriotism stands in danger of being tarnished. As you are aware, I am a fourth generation Congress worker.
Three generations before me, fought for the independence of our country from the British, and spent many long years in jail, along with other stalwarts of the freedom movement. After independence, my family served the country and the Congress party with great dedication, and my grandfather who was the last Congress Chief Minister of the State, my aunt who was a selfless social worker, have etched the name of my family in the annals of our history as patriots and nationalists.
I myself have served the Congress party from 1984, have been a four time MP, and a former Minister of State, without a single blemish on my reputation, in terms of integrity in public life, and my loyalty to my party and my country. Thirty years later, for no fault of mine, I find that my own small work, and the glorious legacy of my family stand ruined. I am still unable to understand what I have done wrong, or what crime I have committed to have been treated like this in the party I have faithfully served so long. I want to categorically state that I have always been a loyal, sincere dedicated party worker, implicitly obeying the orders of my leaders. I have always carried out any task assigned to me with sincerity and dedication, and have never been guilty of any wrongdoing of any kind, in my public and personal life.
In these circumstances, the disaster which happened to me on the December 20, 2013, was a thunderbolt, which hit me from the blue and destroyed my life. Until now, I have been unable to understand what was wrongdoing was committed by me to suddenly receive what was virtually a sentence of death.
I want to place on record, that from December 20, 2013, until now, I have still not been told by you, why I was asked to resign from the Council of Ministers, nor have I ever been asked or given an opportunity to explain, if indeed I had committed any wrongdoing. On the other hand, the then Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh wrote a letter to me, accepting my resignation, in which he praised the excellent work I had done as Minister, and what he termed my valuable contribution as Minister.
In these circumstances, it was clearly not the Prime Minister nor my work in Government, which led to my ouster as Minister. Thus it still baffles me, why I was humiliated so brutally.
To recall the sequence of events, I would like to record, that I was carrying out my duties as Minister of State (I/C) Environment and Forests in the routine course, when suddenly that day on December 20, 2013, the then PM, Dr. Manmohan Singh summoned me to his office. When I entered he stood up from his chair, looking tense and grim, and uttered these exact words. He said “Jayanthi, I have been told by Congress President, that your services are required for party work.” I was puzzled, and I said, “Yes Sir. So what should I do?” He replied, “She wants you to resign.” I was shocked and said, “Resign Sir? But when?” He replied “Today.” I once again asked him if this was what the Congress president wished. He answered in the affirmative. Unsuspecting, and trusting you totally, I did not utter a single word, but smiled at him and said I would comply with the wishes of the Congress President.
I was so guile free, that I honestly believed that you wanted me to work for the party, and that it was an honour to be so chosen. I did not for a second at that time, imagine the consequences of resigning just 100 days before the elections were due, and what would lie in store for me in the future. I trusted you with my life, and even more importantly, with my reputation, my career and the legacy of my family.
Thereafter, I asked for time to meet you. However, I was told that I could talk to you on the telephone. During our conversation I repeated what the Prime Minister told me, and you reiterated that I should resign and do Party work. Within half an hour of meeting the then Prime Minister, I sent in my letter of resignation, stating that I would like to resign from the office of Minister, due to my desire to devote myself to party work, ahead of the Lok Sabha elections. As mentioned earlier, Dr. Singh immediately accepted my resignation, and in that letter profusely lauded my contribution to the government.
The next day my resignation was headlines in the media, and all the initial reports correctly reported that I had stepped down for party work. By the afternoon, to my shock, I received information that persons from the office of Shri Rahul Gandhi were calling the media and planting stories that my resignation was NOT for party work.
My sources were impeccable, and I felt unease. Thereafter, the media was flooded with negative stories about me. The same day, namely, the day after I resigned, Shri Rahul Gandhi addressed a FICCI meeting of industrialists, where he made uncomplimentary references to delays in environmental clearances, and the adverse effects upon the economy, and assured the corporate world, that the party and government would henceforth ensure that there would be no delays, and bottlenecks for industry. After being alerted by the media, I saw the entire speech on YouTube. It was then that some in the media questioned me if I had been asked to resign immediately, to enable Shri Rahul Gandhi to address FICCI and the corporate world with the news of my resignation in the background.
An assurance was sought to be given to the corporate world that they need no longer worry about environmental clearance delays and that bottlenecks would be removed, although throughout my very brief tenure, I strictly followed the laws and rules and tried to protect the environment, in keeping with the legacy of Smt. Indira Gandhi and Shri Rajiv Gandhi, who first brought in the Environment Protection Act. Since I had only followed this line of our party, I could not understand why I had been asked to resign within half an hour on the previous day, especially since I had never been told of any issues prior to December 20, 2013. Some analysts speculated that I might be projected as the focal point for the perceived failure of the economy at that time.
What followed was a hysterical vicious false and motivated campaign against me, in the media, orchestrated entirely by particular chosen individuals in the party. There was not a single word of truth in what was said, nor was there a single concrete fact.
I was never a bottleneck, nor was I ever responsible for unwarranted delays in major projects, and I can prove this at any time. I was shattered by the attack upon me, and bewildered. I wrote a passionate message to Shri Rahul Gandhi, about my removal as Minister, and his speech, at FICCI, and asked him what wrongdoing I had committed to warrant this treatment. I said, that I should have been asked for an explanation, IF I had done anything wrong, as even a murderer has his say in court, and here I don’t even know what, if any wrong doing was committed by me. I told him that my family legacy and my name would be forever ruined, and all I had done was my duty. I asked him to tell me, what wrong I had committed. I asked for time to meet him. He replied that he was “running a little busy” at that time, but that he would meet me a little later.
Despite several requests, that day never came. Not till this minute. I took a break of 10 days, and went to my sister’s home to recover.
When I returned, in the first week of January 2014, I was given an appointment to meet you. During our meeting, I explained my agony to you, over the attack which had been unleashed upon me and asked what I had done wrong. You replied that the elections were coming up and I was required for party work. I told you that the media was keen I should speak to them in view of the huge speculation over my resignation, but you specifically told me not to meet the media. From that day until now, I have honoured that word. But from that day until now, I have neither been given party work, nor have I been given an opportunity to meet you, despite several requests.
In fact, later in January, I was again shocked and distressed to receive a telephone call from Ajay Maken, Head of Congress Media cell. He informed me, that my name was being removed from the list of party spokespersons, that the decision was taken “at the highest level” and other work would be assigned to me. I have served as party spokesperson for over 10 long years during very difficult times. I have defended the party day and night, 24 hours a day despite huge domestic problems, including my mother suffering from a brain tumour, and ultimately dying after suffering for 3 long years, during which I not only served as her principal caregiver, but also constantly travelled to Delhi to serve as party spokesperson, without even being a MP.
My sacrifices, more importantly the sacrifices made by my family, my parents, and husband, were all for the cause of the Congress party. I was given an opportunity to serve as Minister for just over two years, but served the party day and night, for the last 30 odd years. Throughout, there has never been a blemish upon my reputation.
In fact apart from hundreds of others, Dr. Manmohan Singh and you have several times praised me for my work as spokesperson for the party. I only mentioned this to point out my track record was perfect, and in ten long years I have not made even one mistake as spokesperson. It was therefore clearly a deliberate decision to remove me from the list of spokespersons, and for reasons which are still unknown to me.
I also feel that I have been pressurised and used to lead issues which I considered wrong. An instance: While I was still a Minister, an important matter which has caused me great agitation is the fact that I was called upon to attack the present Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi on what is referred to in the media as ‘Snoopgate.’
Despite the fact that I initially refused, because I thought that the party should attack Shri Modi on policy and governance and not drag an unknown woman into a controversy, Shri Ajay Maken telephoned me on November 16, 2013, while I was on tour and asked me to come to Delhi immediately to address a press conference on the issue. I expressed my disinclination to do this, and refused the assignment, mentioning that I was a Minister at that time, and this should not be taken as the point of view of Government. I suggested perhaps an Official Spokesperson should do the Press Conference, if so desired. Shri Maken told me once again, that this was a decision taken at “the highest level” and that I had no choice in the matter. After the press conference throughout the controversy which followed I was told by Shri Maken to fiercely attack Shri Modi, on TV channels and during debates, although I was otherwise never fielded in the media after appointment as Minister.
During my tenure as Minister, it was the clear and specific policy of the party, to take all steps to protect the environment, and carry forward the legacy of Smt. Indira Gandhi and Shri Rajiv Gandhi, to preserve the environment, and keep a balance between environment and industry. As Chairperson NAC, you have written several letters to me regarding projects in the Environment Ministry, and protection of tribal rights, and I have always kept you briefed that due care was being taken by me to protect the environment. I received specific requests [which used to be directives for us] from Shri Rahul Gandhi and his office forwarding environmental concerns in some important areas and I took care to honour those “requests.” Shri Rahul Gandhi went in person to Niyamgiri Hills in Odisha, and publicly declared to the Dongria Kondh tribals that he would be their “sipahi” and would not allow their interests to suffer at the hands of mining giant Vedanta. His views in the matter were conveyed to me by his office, and I took great care to ensure that the interests of the tribals were protected and rejected environmental clearance to Vendanta despite tremendous pressure from my colleagues in cabinet, and huge criticism from industry for what was described as “stalling” a Rs. 30,000 crore investment from Vedanta.
Fortunately, my decision was upheld by the Supreme Court. The same happened in the case of the Adani projects, where I faced tremendous criticism from within the cabinet and outside, for stalling investment at a time when the country was going through a difficult time in terms of the economy. The complaints of the local fisherfolk and NGOs of environmental violations in the Adani case were forwarded to me by Shri Rahul Gandhi’s office, and I was told to liaise with Shri Dipak Babaria in the matter. Occasionally, I apprised Shri Rahul Gandhi of steps I had taken, and he responded positively. In fact you have yourself conveyed your concern in this regard in letters written to me. In several cases including the stalled GVK power project regarding the Dhari Devi temple in Himachal Pradesh, the Lavasa project in Maharashtra, the Nirma cement plant in Gujarat and in several other cases I was given specific input, to make my decision. Apart from this Shri Pulok Chatterji, Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister was in constant touch with me, and officers of the Ministry in guiding the decisions to be taken by the Ministry at that time.
So in my decision making I have factored in the party line despite all criticisms against me and therefore several decisions of mine were expressly overruled by the Prime Minister.
My object in pointing out the above to you is to bring to your notice that, in several cases the party high command had very strong views regarding environmental violations. This was the reason that I repeatedly challenged my colleagues in cabinet, thus bringing down upon my own head the anger and wrath of the entire cabinet, and also the entire corporate world. Still, I soldiered on doing my duty. This is the reason why I am so stunned and shocked that in the end, I was removed as Minister just 100 days before elections although I had committed no wrong doing, and none was pointed out to me, in fact the then Prime Minister praised my work, while accepting my resignation. Thereafter, although I repeatedly sought clarification, as to what wrong doing I was guilty of to have been so brutally humiliated, and further humiliated by being removed as Spokesperson, no answer was given to me. Despite my repeated attempts to meet Shri Rahul Gandhi and you, no appointment was given to me. Dr. Manmohan Singh, and you, both assured me at the time of making me resign that my services were required for party work. No other explanation has been given to me till date.
After my removal as Minister, there was widespread news coverage in the Kerala media that my removal was because I had notified the order on protection of the Western Ghats, the Kasturirangan Committee report, on December 19, 2013, (just one day before my removal) which had been bitterly opposed some sections of society in Kerala, who felt that this order would adversely affect their economic interests, and had expressed their opposition to the Prime Minister and to you. Nevertheless, in the interest of protecting the environment, and pursuant to orders of court, I took that important decision.
My successor Shri Moily, put my orders on hold. A few days before I was removed as Minister, I needed to review the Adani file for some legal issues. When I sent for the file, I was told that it was “missing.” After considerable search, my officials “found” it, apparently in the washroom of the computer section, the very day on which I had been asking to resign. Clearly some officials in my then Ministry did not want to send that file back to me, for unknown reasons.
Surely you were aware that removing a Minister just one hundred days before Lok Sabha elections without any wrongdoing being even alleged against her, and on the contrary, the Prime Minister lauding my work in writing, would have devastating effects upon me, my career, everything I have worked for over 30 years, and above all the patriotic legacy of my family?
Yet this was done to me. I am a mere cog in the wheel, a helpless loyal Congress worker. Just as could be predicted, my reputation, my career and my life now lie in shreds around me. And I have committed no wrong.
Significantly, if indeed I had been guilty of wrongdoing, I would have been happy to have been given a chance to defend myself, and I would have emerged pure and transparent and victorious.
This opportunity was not given to me, I was simply told I was required for party work, but not used for it also making me feel that that was a euphemism to get me to resign.
Over the last 11 months I have undergone untold mental and physical agony, as a result of this incident. I have major health issues due to my tension and humiliation over the treatment meted out to me, and my future looks bleak. More importantly, I need to save the legacy of my family or children and my future generations will not forgive me.
You may wonder why I write to you now, which I have decided to do after 4 months of prayer and contemplation. I wish to record that I tried several times to meet Shri Rahul Gandhi and you, but was not given an appointment. During our last meeting, and only meeting after my resignation, you instructed me to avoid the media. Until today I have followed your instructions. Just two days ago, Shri Vasan left the Congress and formed his own party. It was only on the day before Shri Vasan left, that I received my first ever communication from AICC in the form of a telephone call from Shri Motilal Vora, who wanted to know what my stand was regarding Shri Vasan, and what my future course of action would be.
Until Shri Vasan left, nobody even spoke to me. This was the reason that people began to speculate that I had become a scapegoat for the economic problems of the UPA government. However, whatever is said now, the damage to my reputation has been complete and devastating. And future generations of my family will not forgive me if I do not set the record straight. I have therefore chosen this time to write to you. I am doing it after four months of prayers and contemplation and coming to the conclusion that I need to write to you the truth which you know as much as I do.
While there is considerable churning going on in the party now, my own problems however are far deeper, and are both in relation to the party in general, and how I have been treated.
Madam, most respectfully, I request you to kindly let me know at least now, what wrongdoing I am alleged to have committed to be subject to such repeated humiliation. If indeed I am alleged to have done anything wrong, I do not understand the reason why this was not placed before me, and why I was not given an opportunity to defend myself for 11 long months. I am sure you will understand how important it is for me to protect my reputation and that of my family. Without a single word being said I have been humiliated for 11 months. I would be grateful if you would be so gracious as to at least understand my anguish.
– Jayanthi Natarajan
Hon’ble Smt. Sonia Gandhi,
President, Indian National Congress
November 5, 2014
Madam, I write to you with a very heavy heart. Over the last 11 months, I have suffered the most excruciating mental agony, and have been continuously attacked, wrongly vilified and defamed in the media, and exposed to every possible humiliation in public life. As I write today, more than 30 years of my loyal, faithful, and dedicated service to our party stand destroyed and in shambles around me. My entire career is ruined, and above all, the sacred and venerable legacy of my family, which served our nation and party with immense distinction, and patriotism stands in danger of being tarnished. As you are aware, I am a fourth generation Congress worker.
Three generations before me, fought for the independence of our country from the British, and spent many long years in jail, along with other stalwarts of the freedom movement. After independence, my family served the country and the Congress party with great dedication, and my grandfather who was the last Congress Chief Minister of the State, my aunt who was a selfless social worker, have etched the name of my family in the annals of our history as patriots and nationalists.
I myself have served the Congress party from 1984, have been a four time MP, and a former Minister of State, without a single blemish on my reputation, in terms of integrity in public life, and my loyalty to my party and my country. Thirty years later, for no fault of mine, I find that my own small work, and the glorious legacy of my family stand ruined. I am still unable to understand what I have done wrong, or what crime I have committed to have been treated like this in the party I have faithfully served so long. I want to categorically state that I have always been a loyal, sincere dedicated party worker, implicitly obeying the orders of my leaders. I have always carried out any task assigned to me with sincerity and dedication, and have never been guilty of any wrongdoing of any kind, in my public and personal life.
In these circumstances, the disaster which happened to me on the December 20, 2013, was a thunderbolt, which hit me from the blue and destroyed my life. Until now, I have been unable to understand what was wrongdoing was committed by me to suddenly receive what was virtually a sentence of death.
I want to place on record, that from December 20, 2013, until now, I have still not been told by you, why I was asked to resign from the Council of Ministers, nor have I ever been asked or given an opportunity to explain, if indeed I had committed any wrongdoing. On the other hand, the then Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh wrote a letter to me, accepting my resignation, in which he praised the excellent work I had done as Minister, and what he termed my valuable contribution as Minister.
In these circumstances, it was clearly not the Prime Minister nor my work in Government, which led to my ouster as Minister. Thus it still baffles me, why I was humiliated so brutally.
To recall the sequence of events, I would like to record, that I was carrying out my duties as Minister of State (I/C) Environment and Forests in the routine course, when suddenly that day on December 20, 2013, the then PM, Dr. Manmohan Singh summoned me to his office. When I entered he stood up from his chair, looking tense and grim, and uttered these exact words. He said “Jayanthi, I have been told by Congress President, that your services are required for party work.” I was puzzled, and I said, “Yes Sir. So what should I do?” He replied, “She wants you to resign.” I was shocked and said, “Resign Sir? But when?” He replied “Today.” I once again asked him if this was what the Congress president wished. He answered in the affirmative. Unsuspecting, and trusting you totally, I did not utter a single word, but smiled at him and said I would comply with the wishes of the Congress President.
I was so guile free, that I honestly believed that you wanted me to work for the party, and that it was an honour to be so chosen. I did not for a second at that time, imagine the consequences of resigning just 100 days before the elections were due, and what would lie in store for me in the future. I trusted you with my life, and even more importantly, with my reputation, my career and the legacy of my family.
Thereafter, I asked for time to meet you. However, I was told that I could talk to you on the telephone. During our conversation I repeated what the Prime Minister told me, and you reiterated that I should resign and do Party work. Within half an hour of meeting the then Prime Minister, I sent in my letter of resignation, stating that I would like to resign from the office of Minister, due to my desire to devote myself to party work, ahead of the Lok Sabha elections. As mentioned earlier, Dr. Singh immediately accepted my resignation, and in that letter profusely lauded my contribution to the government.
The next day my resignation was headlines in the media, and all the initial reports correctly reported that I had stepped down for party work. By the afternoon, to my shock, I received information that persons from the office of Shri Rahul Gandhi were calling the media and planting stories that my resignation was NOT for party work.
My sources were impeccable, and I felt unease. Thereafter, the media was flooded with negative stories about me. The same day, namely, the day after I resigned, Shri Rahul Gandhi addressed a FICCI meeting of industrialists, where he made uncomplimentary references to delays in environmental clearances, and the adverse effects upon the economy, and assured the corporate world, that the party and government would henceforth ensure that there would be no delays, and bottlenecks for industry. After being alerted by the media, I saw the entire speech on YouTube. It was then that some in the media questioned me if I had been asked to resign immediately, to enable Shri Rahul Gandhi to address FICCI and the corporate world with the news of my resignation in the background.
An assurance was sought to be given to the corporate world that they need no longer worry about environmental clearance delays and that bottlenecks would be removed, although throughout my very brief tenure, I strictly followed the laws and rules and tried to protect the environment, in keeping with the legacy of Smt. Indira Gandhi and Shri Rajiv Gandhi, who first brought in the Environment Protection Act. Since I had only followed this line of our party, I could not understand why I had been asked to resign within half an hour on the previous day, especially since I had never been told of any issues prior to December 20, 2013. Some analysts speculated that I might be projected as the focal point for the perceived failure of the economy at that time.
What followed was a hysterical vicious false and motivated campaign against me, in the media, orchestrated entirely by particular chosen individuals in the party. There was not a single word of truth in what was said, nor was there a single concrete fact.
I was never a bottleneck, nor was I ever responsible for unwarranted delays in major projects, and I can prove this at any time. I was shattered by the attack upon me, and bewildered. I wrote a passionate message to Shri Rahul Gandhi, about my removal as Minister, and his speech, at FICCI, and asked him what wrongdoing I had committed to warrant this treatment. I said, that I should have been asked for an explanation, IF I had done anything wrong, as even a murderer has his say in court, and here I don’t even know what, if any wrong doing was committed by me. I told him that my family legacy and my name would be forever ruined, and all I had done was my duty. I asked him to tell me, what wrong I had committed. I asked for time to meet him. He replied that he was “running a little busy” at that time, but that he would meet me a little later.
Despite several requests, that day never came. Not till this minute. I took a break of 10 days, and went to my sister’s home to recover.
When I returned, in the first week of January 2014, I was given an appointment to meet you. During our meeting, I explained my agony to you, over the attack which had been unleashed upon me and asked what I had done wrong. You replied that the elections were coming up and I was required for party work. I told you that the media was keen I should speak to them in view of the huge speculation over my resignation, but you specifically told me not to meet the media. From that day until now, I have honoured that word. But from that day until now, I have neither been given party work, nor have I been given an opportunity to meet you, despite several requests.
In fact, later in January, I was again shocked and distressed to receive a telephone call from Ajay Maken, Head of Congress Media cell. He informed me, that my name was being removed from the list of party spokespersons, that the decision was taken “at the highest level” and other work would be assigned to me. I have served as party spokesperson for over 10 long years during very difficult times. I have defended the party day and night, 24 hours a day despite huge domestic problems, including my mother suffering from a brain tumour, and ultimately dying after suffering for 3 long years, during which I not only served as her principal caregiver, but also constantly travelled to Delhi to serve as party spokesperson, without even being a MP.
My sacrifices, more importantly the sacrifices made by my family, my parents, and husband, were all for the cause of the Congress party. I was given an opportunity to serve as Minister for just over two years, but served the party day and night, for the last 30 odd years. Throughout, there has never been a blemish upon my reputation.
In fact apart from hundreds of others, Dr. Manmohan Singh and you have several times praised me for my work as spokesperson for the party. I only mentioned this to point out my track record was perfect, and in ten long years I have not made even one mistake as spokesperson. It was therefore clearly a deliberate decision to remove me from the list of spokespersons, and for reasons which are still unknown to me.
I also feel that I have been pressurised and used to lead issues which I considered wrong. An instance: While I was still a Minister, an important matter which has caused me great agitation is the fact that I was called upon to attack the present Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi on what is referred to in the media as ‘Snoopgate.’
Despite the fact that I initially refused, because I thought that the party should attack Shri Modi on policy and governance and not drag an unknown woman into a controversy, Shri Ajay Maken telephoned me on November 16, 2013, while I was on tour and asked me to come to Delhi immediately to address a press conference on the issue. I expressed my disinclination to do this, and refused the assignment, mentioning that I was a Minister at that time, and this should not be taken as the point of view of Government. I suggested perhaps an Official Spokesperson should do the Press Conference, if so desired. Shri Maken told me once again, that this was a decision taken at “the highest level” and that I had no choice in the matter. After the press conference throughout the controversy which followed I was told by Shri Maken to fiercely attack Shri Modi, on TV channels and during debates, although I was otherwise never fielded in the media after appointment as Minister.
During my tenure as Minister, it was the clear and specific policy of the party, to take all steps to protect the environment, and carry forward the legacy of Smt. Indira Gandhi and Shri Rajiv Gandhi, to preserve the environment, and keep a balance between environment and industry. As Chairperson NAC, you have written several letters to me regarding projects in the Environment Ministry, and protection of tribal rights, and I have always kept you briefed that due care was being taken by me to protect the environment. I received specific requests [which used to be directives for us] from Shri Rahul Gandhi and his office forwarding environmental concerns in some important areas and I took care to honour those “requests.” Shri Rahul Gandhi went in person to Niyamgiri Hills in Odisha, and publicly declared to the Dongria Kondh tribals that he would be their “sipahi” and would not allow their interests to suffer at the hands of mining giant Vedanta. His views in the matter were conveyed to me by his office, and I took great care to ensure that the interests of the tribals were protected and rejected environmental clearance to Vendanta despite tremendous pressure from my colleagues in cabinet, and huge criticism from industry for what was described as “stalling” a Rs. 30,000 crore investment from Vedanta.
Fortunately, my decision was upheld by the Supreme Court. The same happened in the case of the Adani projects, where I faced tremendous criticism from within the cabinet and outside, for stalling investment at a time when the country was going through a difficult time in terms of the economy. The complaints of the local fisherfolk and NGOs of environmental violations in the Adani case were forwarded to me by Shri Rahul Gandhi’s office, and I was told to liaise with Shri Dipak Babaria in the matter. Occasionally, I apprised Shri Rahul Gandhi of steps I had taken, and he responded positively. In fact you have yourself conveyed your concern in this regard in letters written to me. In several cases including the stalled GVK power project regarding the Dhari Devi temple in Himachal Pradesh, the Lavasa project in Maharashtra, the Nirma cement plant in Gujarat and in several other cases I was given specific input, to make my decision. Apart from this Shri Pulok Chatterji, Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister was in constant touch with me, and officers of the Ministry in guiding the decisions to be taken by the Ministry at that time.
So in my decision making I have factored in the party line despite all criticisms against me and therefore several decisions of mine were expressly overruled by the Prime Minister.
My object in pointing out the above to you is to bring to your notice that, in several cases the party high command had very strong views regarding environmental violations. This was the reason that I repeatedly challenged my colleagues in cabinet, thus bringing down upon my own head the anger and wrath of the entire cabinet, and also the entire corporate world. Still, I soldiered on doing my duty. This is the reason why I am so stunned and shocked that in the end, I was removed as Minister just 100 days before elections although I had committed no wrong doing, and none was pointed out to me, in fact the then Prime Minister praised my work, while accepting my resignation. Thereafter, although I repeatedly sought clarification, as to what wrong doing I was guilty of to have been so brutally humiliated, and further humiliated by being removed as Spokesperson, no answer was given to me. Despite my repeated attempts to meet Shri Rahul Gandhi and you, no appointment was given to me. Dr. Manmohan Singh, and you, both assured me at the time of making me resign that my services were required for party work. No other explanation has been given to me till date.
After my removal as Minister, there was widespread news coverage in the Kerala media that my removal was because I had notified the order on protection of the Western Ghats, the Kasturirangan Committee report, on December 19, 2013, (just one day before my removal) which had been bitterly opposed some sections of society in Kerala, who felt that this order would adversely affect their economic interests, and had expressed their opposition to the Prime Minister and to you. Nevertheless, in the interest of protecting the environment, and pursuant to orders of court, I took that important decision.
My successor Shri Moily, put my orders on hold. A few days before I was removed as Minister, I needed to review the Adani file for some legal issues. When I sent for the file, I was told that it was “missing.” After considerable search, my officials “found” it, apparently in the washroom of the computer section, the very day on which I had been asking to resign. Clearly some officials in my then Ministry did not want to send that file back to me, for unknown reasons.
Surely you were aware that removing a Minister just one hundred days before Lok Sabha elections without any wrongdoing being even alleged against her, and on the contrary, the Prime Minister lauding my work in writing, would have devastating effects upon me, my career, everything I have worked for over 30 years, and above all the patriotic legacy of my family?
Yet this was done to me. I am a mere cog in the wheel, a helpless loyal Congress worker. Just as could be predicted, my reputation, my career and my life now lie in shreds around me. And I have committed no wrong.
Significantly, if indeed I had been guilty of wrongdoing, I would have been happy to have been given a chance to defend myself, and I would have emerged pure and transparent and victorious.
This opportunity was not given to me, I was simply told I was required for party work, but not used for it also making me feel that that was a euphemism to get me to resign.
Over the last 11 months I have undergone untold mental and physical agony, as a result of this incident. I have major health issues due to my tension and humiliation over the treatment meted out to me, and my future looks bleak. More importantly, I need to save the legacy of my family or children and my future generations will not forgive me.
You may wonder why I write to you now, which I have decided to do after 4 months of prayer and contemplation. I wish to record that I tried several times to meet Shri Rahul Gandhi and you, but was not given an appointment. During our last meeting, and only meeting after my resignation, you instructed me to avoid the media. Until today I have followed your instructions. Just two days ago, Shri Vasan left the Congress and formed his own party. It was only on the day before Shri Vasan left, that I received my first ever communication from AICC in the form of a telephone call from Shri Motilal Vora, who wanted to know what my stand was regarding Shri Vasan, and what my future course of action would be.
Until Shri Vasan left, nobody even spoke to me. This was the reason that people began to speculate that I had become a scapegoat for the economic problems of the UPA government. However, whatever is said now, the damage to my reputation has been complete and devastating. And future generations of my family will not forgive me if I do not set the record straight. I have therefore chosen this time to write to you. I am doing it after four months of prayers and contemplation and coming to the conclusion that I need to write to you the truth which you know as much as I do.
While there is considerable churning going on in the party now, my own problems however are far deeper, and are both in relation to the party in general, and how I have been treated.
Madam, most respectfully, I request you to kindly let me know at least now, what wrongdoing I am alleged to have committed to be subject to such repeated humiliation. If indeed I am alleged to have done anything wrong, I do not understand the reason why this was not placed before me, and why I was not given an opportunity to defend myself for 11 long months. I am sure you will understand how important it is for me to protect my reputation and that of my family. Without a single word being said I have been humiliated for 11 months. I would be grateful if you would be so gracious as to at least understand my anguish.
– Jayanthi Natarajan
source:thehindu.com
Dec 1, 2014
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Telugu Director Ch Srinivas Dies in Road Accident |
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| Director-producer Ch Srinivas |
Born in 1966 in Devarakonda of Nalgonda district, Srinivas made his directorial debut with Ali-starrer Circus Sattipandu in 1997. He had also produced and directed "Something Special" with debutantes. Srinivas later ventured into real estate and turned into a builder. His last rites were performed in Hyderabad on Monday. Education Minister of Telangana Jagadeshwar Reddy, Nakirekal MLA Veeresam, director Shankar and others participated and condoled Srinivas' death.
Oct 12, 2014
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Cyclone Hudhud Battered Visakhapatnam, Srikakulam and Vizianagaram Districts |
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| Cyclone Hudhud |
The cyclone hit the port city of Visakhapatnam on Sunday bringing with it torrential rains in three coastal districts of Andhra Pradesh and leaving five persons dead in the state and neighbouring Odisha besides snapping power and communication lines. Normal life was thrown out of gear as winds with a speed of 170 to 180 kmph battered Visakhapatnam, Srikakulam and Vizianagaram districts.
The very severe cyclonic storm made landfall in Visakhapatnam before noon. The gale, accompanied by heavy downpour, resulted in trees being uprooted and roofs of thatched huts and sheds being swept away. Authorities in Andhra Pradesh had evacuated 90,013 people across the four districts of Srikakulam, Vizianagaram, Visakhaptnam and East Godavari, about 68,000 people were evacuated from coastal districts of Odisha. In Delhi, IMD director general Laxman Singh Rathore said, "Due to the hilly topography, the cyclone's intensity will reduce in next six hours and further reduce in next 12 hours. However, the area (Vizag) will experience heavy to very heavy rainfall for the next three days."
As the storm progresses, it will bring heavy rainfall to very heavy rainfall in Chhattisgarh, Bihar, east Madhya Pradesh and east UP and Gangetic belt of West Bengal. "We are in touch with the chief secretaries of these state governments and providing with bulletins. Warnings have also been issued to shift crops which have been harvested to minimise the impact of heavy rains in these areas," Rathore said. Aircraft services will be able to operate from tomorrow morning as the weather is expected to improve. "The PMO is monitoring the situation arising out of the cyclone at regular intervals," he said.
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| A man, bottom jumps into the water to rescue a woman, center, who fell due to strong tidal waves on the Bay of Bengal coast at Gopalpur, Orissa, about 285 kilometers (178 miles) north east of Visakhapatnam, India on Sunday, Oct. 12, 2014. |
Union cabinet secretary Ajit Kumar Seth said the Prime Minister was concerned not only about AP and Odisha but also wanted other states, which could face heavy rains minus the cyclone, to be alerted. "We have done that," Seth said, adding that while the Prime Minister reviewed the situation last night, he himself has been reviewing the situation closely and holding meetings with Chief Secretaries of Andhra Pradesh and Odisha twice daily. Seth advised residents of cyclone-hit Vizag to exercise caution till the second phase of the high wind is over even as he lauded the efforts of the central agencies and state government in meeting the challenge. He said once the initial brunt has been taken at the time of the landfall of the cyclone, there is a lull as the centre or eye of the storm passes but thereafter the wind speed is going to pick up again and it is going to be the same as was when it hit the coast first.
Seth said the government does not have the total estimate of the damage caused due to the cyclone as yet. "State government, central agencies are on their job. They have done their job. The Army, the Navy and all other agencies are already there. "Both the governments were well-prepared. We have been reviewing the situation with them ... They have got their act together. They have taken necessary precautions and alerted the local population," Seth said. The NDRF has doubled the strength of its teams stationed in Visakhapatnam to 13 in order to undertake swift relief and rescue operations.
"We have increased our teams to 13 in Vizag after the landfall occurred. Earlier there were six teams stationed here," National Disaster Response Force chief O P Singh told PTI. In Bhubaneswar, chief minister Naveen Patnaik said the cyclone had its impact in different districts like Ganjam, Gajapati, Koraput, Puri, Kalahandi and Kendrapara. 68,000 people have been evacuated to safe places, the chief minister said, directing the officials to continue the evacuation of people from vulnerable areas as the complete impact of the cyclone would be felt some hours after the landfall.
Jun 23, 2014
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The Iraq Crisis In 11 Photos |
Iraq crisis - the great unravelling: US and Iran need to work together fast, as the barbarians are at the gate
ISIL (also known as ISIS) rapidly consolidated their wins, capturing many cities in northern Iraq. Shown here is their territory on June 16.
They claim to have executed 1700 Iraqi soldiers, but this has not been confirmed.
Soon after capturing Mosul, ISIL released graphic pictures showing them executing Iraqi soldiers.
The present crisis was sparked when ISIL attacked and rapidly took control of the Mosul in early June. Mosul is the second largest city in Iraq, and is predominantly Sunni.
ISIL imposes harsh laws on areas they control, including restrictions on women, association, speech, and a ban of alcohol and cigarettes. Their punishments include cutting off hands and beheadings. Fighters are shown here stomping on confiscated cigarettes.
Syria, where bloodthirsty al Qaeda offshoot the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) gained many of their men, resources and skills during the civil war. They formally declared themselves in April 2013, but have roots in al Qaeda in Iraq - and now they're back there in a big way
Jun 17, 2014
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Uttar Pradesh governor BL Joshi resigns |
Uttar Pradesh governor BL Joshi resigned from his post on Tuesday, according to Times Now.
BL Joshi's resignation comes amid reports that Modi government has asked 7 UPA-appointed governors to step down.Sources in the government said Union home secretary Anil Goswami had called up seven governors and suggested that they put in their papers.The seven governors who were told to step down are M K Narayanan in West Bengal, Sheila Dikshit in Kerala, Margaret Alva in Rajasthan, Kamla Beniwal in Gujarat, BL Joshi in UP, K Sankaranarayanan in Maharashtra and Devendra Konwar in Tripura. Kerala governor Sheila Dikshit has refused to react on the issue and said she can't react to rumours, the news channel reported.
The BJP called UP governor's resgination a natural course of action. "Resignation is a natural course of action after change in government," UP BJP chief told Times Now Meanwhile, BJP leader Subramanian Swamy on Tuesday said the governors should quit on their own, as their appointments were without merit "These governors should have themselves quit. All of these people are appointed because they sat in Sonia Gandhi's durbar and propositioned her. There is no question of any of them coming in on merit," said Swamy.
The Congress, meanwhile, has reacted strongly to reports of governors being shunted out. At least one of the governors is learnt to have turned down the Centre's suggestion saying the government should convey it to her in writing if it wants her to quit before her term runs out. The NDA government is following the example set by the UPA government which, after coming to power in 2004, got rid of BJP appointees in Raj Bhavans, including Vishnukant Shastri (UP), Kailashpati Mishra (Gujarat), Babu Parmananad (Haryana) and Kedarnath Sahni (Goa).
BL Joshi's resignation comes amid reports that Modi government has asked 7 UPA-appointed governors to step down.Sources in the government said Union home secretary Anil Goswami had called up seven governors and suggested that they put in their papers.The seven governors who were told to step down are M K Narayanan in West Bengal, Sheila Dikshit in Kerala, Margaret Alva in Rajasthan, Kamla Beniwal in Gujarat, BL Joshi in UP, K Sankaranarayanan in Maharashtra and Devendra Konwar in Tripura. Kerala governor Sheila Dikshit has refused to react on the issue and said she can't react to rumours, the news channel reported.
The BJP called UP governor's resgination a natural course of action. "Resignation is a natural course of action after change in government," UP BJP chief told Times Now Meanwhile, BJP leader Subramanian Swamy on Tuesday said the governors should quit on their own, as their appointments were without merit "These governors should have themselves quit. All of these people are appointed because they sat in Sonia Gandhi's durbar and propositioned her. There is no question of any of them coming in on merit," said Swamy.
The Congress, meanwhile, has reacted strongly to reports of governors being shunted out. At least one of the governors is learnt to have turned down the Centre's suggestion saying the government should convey it to her in writing if it wants her to quit before her term runs out. The NDA government is following the example set by the UPA government which, after coming to power in 2004, got rid of BJP appointees in Raj Bhavans, including Vishnukant Shastri (UP), Kailashpati Mishra (Gujarat), Babu Parmananad (Haryana) and Kedarnath Sahni (Goa).
Jun 11, 2014
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Exclusive Video: tragedy in Himachal, 24 student swept away |
On an trip to Himachal Pradesh, 24 students from Hyderabad washed away by the Beas on Sunday after a hydropower plant allegedly discharged water into the river without any warning. Exclusive video of incident source:amarujala.com.
Jun 10, 2014
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Hyderabad Engineering Students Swept Away In Beas River |
Hyderabad engineering students had no warning of gushing waters
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| Distraught father Bonath Shekar Naik shows a portrait of his son Rambabu who is feared dead in the tragedy |
With survivors from VNR Vignana Jyothi Engineering Institute and locals in the Mandi area accusing Larji project officials of releasing 250 cumecs of water without proper warning on Sunday, knowing full-well that crowds throng the banks in the peak tourist season, dam authorities rejected charges of negligence, saying they were within their rights to release waters in a hurry. Dam officers, who did not want to be named, claimed they had sounded the mandatory hooters in time. Angry locals, however, said the hooter was sounded after the accident as a face-saver. The spot, about 35km from Kullu, from where the 24 engineering students of Hyderabad were swept away by the swelling Beas is known for its scenic beauty and regularly draws tourists to the edge of the water. It is for this reason that the dam authorities should have been extra careful, say locals. Deena Chand, a local, said, "They are lying that they had sounded the hooter in time. We heard it only after the students were swept away."
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| photo of students who were swept away in Beas river in Himachal Pradesh |
"It was not that water was released from Larji dam alone. It was also released from Bhakra, Baspa and Bassi projects. The alert was sounded but the students could not understand its meaning. They arrived at the spot just 30 minutes before water was released," he added. "Had the water not been released, it could have damaged the dam," he claimed.
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| VNR Engineering Girls Students Washed Away in Himachal Pradesh |
Routine broken
Locals of Thalout, Shalanala and other surrounding villages allege that Larji hydropower project authorities normally released water after 9pm. This time they released it around 6pm without sounding the mandatory hooters in time. "We did not hear any hooter before the students arrived," local Shiv Lal alleged.
Louder hooters soon
Hooters with higher frequency will now be installed at Larji dam site. At present three hooters with a range of 1 to 1.5km have been installed. The state electricity board managing director P C Negi said that hooters of 2 to 3km sound frequency would be installed along the riverbank to ensure the safety of people downstream.
Hyderabad engineering students had no warning of gushing waters
Mar 29, 2014
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Mom Killed Son Because He Was Gay |
Jessica Dutro, Oregon Mom, Allegedly Killed Son Because She Thought He Was Gay
Dutro, who is on trial in Washington County Circuit Court, allegedly pointed to her perception of her young son's sexuality in a Facebook message addressed to her boyfriend, Brian Canady, at the time. Using a slur, she wrote that she believed Zachary was going to be gay, and suggested Canady, 24, "work on" her son: “He walks and talks like it. Ugh.” Earlier this month, Canady pleaded guilty to first-degree manslaughter, and second-degree assault, in connection with Zachary's death, The Oregonian previously reported. At the time of his arrest in 2012, Canady admitted to kicking Zachary in the abdomen while wearing shoes, according to The Portland Tribune.
Dutro's 7-year-old daughter and 3-year-old son are also said to have shown signs of physical abuse, according to The Oregonian. Still, her attorney Chris Colburn has argued that while his client was an "unusual" parent, she is not guilty of murder. The case follows that of James Larry Cosby, a Texas father who has been charged with two counts of tampering with evidence in connection with the death of his daughter, Britney Cosby, and her girlfriend Crystal Jackson, both 24, according to KHOU. He is currently being held in the Galveston County Jail on a total of $500,000.00 bonds.
Mom, boyfriend charged in child's death
Mar 28, 2014
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Congress MLA Kisses Actress Nagma in Public |
Video: Congress MLA Kisses Actress Nagma in Public
Bollywood actress and Congress leader Nagma was inappropriately touched by Congress legislator Gajraj Singh who tried to kiss her in public. Nagma is the party's Lok Sabha candidate from Meerut constituency in Uttar Pradesh and had gone to Hapur to campaign for her party. The Congress leader put one hand on Nagma's cheek and pulled her too close to himself. It was not clear if he wanted to kiss her or whisper something in her ear. The actress-turned-politician immediately shrugged his hand off and got up on her jeep. That this was not unintentional is evident from television footage. Nagma is one of the most glamorous candidates this Lok Sabha election.
Bollywood actress and Congress leader Nagma was inappropriately touched by Congress legislator Gajraj Singh who tried to kiss her in public. Nagma is the party's Lok Sabha candidate from Meerut constituency in Uttar Pradesh and had gone to Hapur to campaign for her party. The Congress leader put one hand on Nagma's cheek and pulled her too close to himself. It was not clear if he wanted to kiss her or whisper something in her ear. The actress-turned-politician immediately shrugged his hand off and got up on her jeep. That this was not unintentional is evident from television footage. Nagma is one of the most glamorous candidates this Lok Sabha election.
Mar 27, 2014
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Malaysia Jet Search |
Satellite spots 122 potential objects in Malaysia jet search
New satellite images have revealed more than 100 objects in the southern Indian Ocean that could be debris from a Malaysian jetliner missing for 18 days with 239 people on board, Malaysia's acting transport minister said.
Mar 26, 2014
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Google Partnership With Ray-Ban And Oakley Frames |
Google Glass set to go stylish with Ray-Ban deal
Google is hoping to make its internet-connected eyewear more stylish as part of a partnership with the makers of Ray-Ban and Oakley frames. The alliance with Italian eyewear company Luxottica Group, announced on Monday, represents Google's latest attempt to make wearable technology look less geeky as it tries to develop new ways to ensure people can stay connected to the internet wherever they go. Last week, Google disclosed that fashion accessory maker Fossil Group is working on an internet-connected wristwatch that runs Google's Android software for mobile devices. Luxottica will develop frames equipped with Google Glass, a computing device that includes a thumbnail-sized screen above the wearer's right eye to view internet content.
The $1,500 gadget also includes a camera that can take hands-free pictures and video, a feature that has raised privacy concerns. Google so far has only sold Glass to a select group of test subjects known as 'Explorers', who have frequently been mocked for wearing a piece of futuristic eyewear that looks better-suited for cyborgs than for humans. Luxottica is expected to help broaden Glass's appeal. Google is also planning to tap into the more than 5,000 stores that Luxottica runs in the US to help sell Glass once the device is released on the general market. Google still hasn't spelled out when Glass will be broadly available, although the Mountain View, California, company is still aiming for later this year.
More than 10,000 people have bought Glass as part of the Explorer programme. In another move to make Glass more practical, Google in January unveiled four frame styles that could also be outfitted with prescription lenses. Those frames cost an additional $225. The prices for Luxottica's line-up of Google Glass products won't be announced until they are closer to going on sale. Besides Ray-Ban and Oakley, Luxottica's other brands include Vogue-Eyewear, Persol, Oliver Peoples, Alain Mikli and Arnette.
Google is hoping to make its internet-connected eyewear more stylish as part of a partnership with the makers of Ray-Ban and Oakley frames. The alliance with Italian eyewear company Luxottica Group, announced on Monday, represents Google's latest attempt to make wearable technology look less geeky as it tries to develop new ways to ensure people can stay connected to the internet wherever they go. Last week, Google disclosed that fashion accessory maker Fossil Group is working on an internet-connected wristwatch that runs Google's Android software for mobile devices. Luxottica will develop frames equipped with Google Glass, a computing device that includes a thumbnail-sized screen above the wearer's right eye to view internet content.
The $1,500 gadget also includes a camera that can take hands-free pictures and video, a feature that has raised privacy concerns. Google so far has only sold Glass to a select group of test subjects known as 'Explorers', who have frequently been mocked for wearing a piece of futuristic eyewear that looks better-suited for cyborgs than for humans. Luxottica is expected to help broaden Glass's appeal. Google is also planning to tap into the more than 5,000 stores that Luxottica runs in the US to help sell Glass once the device is released on the general market. Google still hasn't spelled out when Glass will be broadly available, although the Mountain View, California, company is still aiming for later this year.
More than 10,000 people have bought Glass as part of the Explorer programme. In another move to make Glass more practical, Google in January unveiled four frame styles that could also be outfitted with prescription lenses. Those frames cost an additional $225. The prices for Luxottica's line-up of Google Glass products won't be announced until they are closer to going on sale. Besides Ray-Ban and Oakley, Luxottica's other brands include Vogue-Eyewear, Persol, Oliver Peoples, Alain Mikli and Arnette.
Mar 17, 2014
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Sri Lanka record 5-run Narrow win over India |
Sri Lanka recorded a five-run sensational victory off the last ball of the warm up match in the fifth World Twenty20 Cup here on Monday. Chasing 154, India were all set for a win as they needed 12 runs in the last over with three wickets in hand but failed to do so and lost all three wickets. Fast bowler Lasith Malinga bowling the final over, dismissed two batsmen on his fifth and sixth balls after Binny was run out off the third. Thus, India were all out for 148.
Malinga captured four wickets for 30 and Nuwan Kulasekera claimed two for 37. Suresh Raina (41) and Yuvraj Singh (33) were main scorers for India while Earlier, Sri Lanka made 153 for six after India captain Mahinder Singh Dhoni won the toss and sent them to bat first.
Main scorers for Sri Lanka were veteran batsman Mahela Jayawardene (30), captain Dinesh Chandimal (29) and opener Kushal Perera (21). For India, off-break bowler Ravichandran Ashwin grabbed three wickets for 22 runs.
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Missing Malaysian Plane: Co-Pilot ‘Spoke Last Words’ |
The co-pilot of a missing Malaysian jetliner spoke the last words heard from the cockpit, the airline's chief executive said on Monday, as investigators consider suicide by the captain or first officer as one possible explanation for the disappearance. No trace of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 has been found since it vanished on March 8 with 239 people aboard. Investigators are increasingly convinced it was diverted perhaps thousands of miles off course by someone with deep knowledge of the Boeing 777-200ER and commercial navigation. A search unprecedented in its scale is now under way for the plane, covering a area stretching from the shores of the Caspian Sea in the north to deep in the southern Indian Ocean. Airline chief executive Ahmad Jauhari Yahya also told a news conference that it was unclear exactly when one of the plane's automatic tracking systems had been disabled, appearing to contradict the weekend comments of government ministers. Suspicions of hijacking or sabotage had hardened further when officials said on Sunday that the last radio message from the plane - an informal "all right, good night" — was spoken after the system, known as "ACARS", was shutdown.
"Initial investigations indicate it was the co-pilot who basically spoke the last time it was recorded on tape," Ahmad Jauhari said on Monday, when asked who it was believed had spoken those words. That was a sign-off to air traffic controllers at 1.19am, as the Beijing-bound plane left Malaysian airspace.
The last transmission from the ACARS system - a maintenance computer that relays data on the plane's status — had been received at 1.07am, as the plane crossed Malaysia's northeast coast and headed out over the Gulf of Thailand. "We don't know when the ACARS was switched off after that," Ahmad Jauhari said. "It was supposed to transmit 30 minutes from there, but that transmission did not come through."
VAST SEARCH CORRIDORS
Police and a multi-national investigation team may never know for sure what happened in the cockpit unless they find the plane, and that in itself is a daunting challenge. Satellite data suggests it could be anywhere in either of two vast corridors that arc through much of Asia: one stretching north from Laos to the Caspian, the other south from west of the Indonesian island of Sumatra into the southern Indian Ocean west of Australia. Kazakhstan, at the end of the northern arc, said it had not detected any "unsanctioned use" of its air space on March 8. "Even if all on-board equipment is switched off, it is impossible to fly through in a silent mode," the Kazakh civil aviation committee said in a statement sent to Reuters. "There are also military bodies monitoring the country's air space. China, which has been vocal in its impatience with Malaysian efforts to find the plane, called on its smaller neighbor to "immediately" expand and clarify the scope of the search. About two-thirds of the passengers aboard MH370 were Chinese.
Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott said he had spoken to Malaysian counterpart Najib Razak by telephone, and had offered more surveillance resources in addition to the two P-3C Orion aircraft his country has already committed. "He asked that Australia take responsibility for the search in the southern vector, which the Malaysian authorities now think was one possible flight path for this ill-fated aircraft," Abbott told parliament. "I agreed that we would do so." Malaysian acting transport minister Hishammuddin Hussein said diplomatic notes had been sent to all countries along the northern and southern search corridors, requesting radar and satellite information as well as land, sea and air search operations. The Malaysian navy and air force were also searching the southern corridor, he said, and US P-8A Poseidon surveillance aircraft were being sent to Perth, in Western Australia, to help scour the ocean.
FOCUS ON CREW
The plane's disappearance has baffled investigators and aviation experts. It vanished from civilian air traffic control screens off Malaysia's east coast less than an hour after taking off from Kuala Lumpur. Malaysian authorities believe that, as the plane crossed the northeast coast and flew across the Gulf of Thailand, someone on board shut off its communications systems and turned west. That has focused attention on the crew. Malaysian police are trawling through the backgrounds of the pilots, flight and ground staff for any clues to a possible motive in what they say is now being treated as a criminal investigation. Asked if pilot or co-pilot suicide was a line of inquiry, Hishammuddin said: "We are looking at it." But he added it was only one of the possibilities under investigation. Police special branch officers searched the homes of the captain, 53-year-old Zaharie Ahmad Shah, and first officer, 27-year-old Fariq Abdul Hamid, in middle-class suburbs of Kuala Lumpur close to the international airport on Saturday.
Among the items taken for examination was a flight simulator Zaharie had built in his home. A senior police official familiar with the investigation said the flight simulator programs were closely examined, adding they appeared to be normal ones that allow users to practice flying and landing in different conditions. A second senior police official with knowledge of the investigation said they had found no evidence of a link between the pilot and any militant group. "Based on what we have so far, we cannot see the terrorism link here," he said. "We looked at known terror or extremist groups in Southeast Asia. The links are not there."
NORTH OR SOUTH?
Electronic signals between the plane and satellites continued to be exchanged for nearly six hours after MH370 flew out of range of Malaysian military radar off the northwest coast, following a commercial aviation route across the Andaman Sea towards India. The plane had enough fuel to fly for about 30 minutes after that last satellite communication, Ahmad Jauhari said. Twenty-six countries are involved in the search, stretching across much of Asia. Three French civil aviation experts involved in the search for an Air France jet that crashed in the Atlantic in 2009 arrived in Kuala Lumpur on Monday to help. A source familiar with official U.S. assessments of satellite data being used to try to find the plane said it was believed most likely it turned south sometime after the last sighting by Malaysian military radar, and may have run out of fuel over the Indian Ocean. The Malaysian government-controlled New Straits Times on Monday quoted sources close to the investigation as saying data collected was pointing instead towards the northern corridor.
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Hindujas Third Richest Family In Britain |
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| Srichand and Gopichand Hinduja |
The report implies that Britain's five richest families now own more wealth than the poorest 20 per cent of its population, with their wealth totalling 28.1 billion pounds - an average of 2,230 pounds each. The UK government should explore the possibility of a wealth tax after revealing how income gains and the benefits of rising asset prices had disproportionately helped those at the top, Oxfam said. "Britain is becoming a deeply divided nation, with a wealthy elite who are seeing their incomes spiral up, while millions of families are struggling to make ends meet," Oxfam's director of campaigns and policy, Ben Phillips, said.
"It's deeply worrying that these extreme levels of wealth inequality exist in Britain today, where just a handful of people have more money than millions struggling to survive on the breadline." The charity has urged UK Chancellor George Osborbe to use his Wednesday's Budget to make a fresh assault on tax avoidance and introduce a living wage in a report highlighting how a handful of the super-rich. The report asserted that widening inequality is creating a "vicious circle where wealth and power are increasingly concentrated in the hands of a few, leaving the rest behind".
"This means the rules are constantly rewritten in favour of the rich, for example through policies such as lower taxes for high earners." In January, an Oxfam report found that the richest 85 billionaires on the planet own the same amount between them as half the world's population, or 3.5 billion people.
Mar 9, 2014
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Google faces up to $5 billion fine from Competition Commission of India |
Google, which is facing antitrust investigation in India by fair trade watchdog CCI, can face a penalty of up to about five billion dollars if it is found to have violated competition norms of the country. Google said it is "extending full cooperation" to the CCI in its investigation. The conclusion of a two-year review by the US antitrust watchdog has concluded that the company's services were good for competition, it added. The case has been before the Competition Commission of India (CCI) as well for over two years now and it relates to allegations that Google is abusing its dominant position in the internet search engine space. Under competition regulations, an entity found violating the norms could be slapped with penalty of up to 10% of its three-year annual average turnover. In the case of Google, its annual revenues in the last three years amounts to a staggering $49.3 billion and the maximum penalty can be up to nearly $5 billion. When asked about the ongoing probe and the potential penalty of up to five billion dollars, a Google spokesperson told : "We are extending full co-operation to the Competition Commission of India in their investigation." "We're pleased that the conclusion of the Federal Trade Commission's two year review was that Google's services are good for users and good for competition," he said in an e-mailed statement.
While Google has settled anti-trust cases in the US and European Union, Indian competition regime does not have provisions for settlement process. Besides a complaint filed with CCI cannot be withdrawn. Finding prima facie evidence of violations, CCI had referred the matter to its investigation arm -- Director General (DG) -- for a detailed probe. Sources said that the DG has also collected comments from third-parties with regard to this case and it is likely to soon submit its report to CCI. The Director General could not be contacted for comments. Apart from penalty, CCI is empowered to pass orders to correct a company's conduct in the market place. Also, the regulator can go for structural remedies that could see breaking up of dominant enterprises into separate businesses.
The complaint against Google, also one of the world's most valued company, was first filed by advocacy group CUTS International way back in late 2011. Later, matrimonial website matrimony.com also filed a complaint. Referring to Google's settlement with the European Commission, matrimony.com counsel Ferida Satarawala said: "Google's unfair use of trademarks as well as its retaliatory conduct are not specifically addressed in the European settlement and are distinct theories of harm being pursued by the CCI. Therefore, this settlement is unlikely to address CCI's concerns in our case".
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Ford Motor Company Leader William Clay Ford Sr Dies At 88 |
William Clay Ford Sr, who helped steer Ford Motor Co. for more than five decades and owned the National Football League's Detroit Lions, has died at the age of 88.
The company said in a statement Sunday that Ford died of pneumonia at his home. He was the last surviving grandson of company founder Henry Ford.
Ford served as an employee and board member of the automaker for more than half of its 100-year history. The company says in a statement that he was instrumental in setting the design direction for the company's vehicles. CEO Alan Mulally says in a statement that Ford had a profound impact on the company.
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Rahul Who Accused RSS of Killing Mahatma Gandhi |
RSS, Gandhiji Murder: Rahul Gandhi in trouble, BJP complains to EC
Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi may face serious trouble ahead of the Lok Sabha election. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) moved the Election Commission of India (EC) demanding against Rahul who accused RSS of killing Mahatma Gandhi. BJP accused Congress and its leader of flouting the Model Code of Conduct, BJP filed its complain on Sunday, March 9. In a memorandum to Chief Election Commissioner V S Sampath, BJP charged Gandhi and his party with being "habitual offenders" of the poll code and flaring up communal tension ahead of elections. "It is prayed that appropriate action may kindly be taken against the Indian National Congress as well as Rahul Gandhi, MP and Vice President, Indian National Congress for violating the Model Code of Conduct and the recognition of Indian National Congress as a National Party may kindly be withdrawn immediately for repeated violations of the Model Code of Conduct," it said. BJP Vice President Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said the entire tone and tenor of Gandhi's speech was to incite the feelings of the people and create hatred towards BJP as well as RSS.
He said his statement makes it clear the aim is to put across absolutely false and baseless notions in the minds of the people that BJP creates confrontation and enmity between Hindus and Muslims as well as amongst other communities and regions. "The intention of Rahul Gandhi was to incite the feelings of the people by falsely portraying the RSS to be responsible for his (Mahatma Gandhi's) death and further create a sense of fear amongst the Hindus, Muslims and other communities that the BJP will create tensions between them," Naqvi said in the memorandum. He said the statements of Gandhi "are not only false, disgraceful, condemnable, baseless but also an utter violation of the Model Code of Conduct as well as established democratic practices". "It is an attempt to mislead the people of the country by character assassination of the BJP, RSS and its members, based on completely false and baseless allegations and propaganda," he said
Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi may face serious trouble ahead of the Lok Sabha election. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) moved the Election Commission of India (EC) demanding against Rahul who accused RSS of killing Mahatma Gandhi. BJP accused Congress and its leader of flouting the Model Code of Conduct, BJP filed its complain on Sunday, March 9. In a memorandum to Chief Election Commissioner V S Sampath, BJP charged Gandhi and his party with being "habitual offenders" of the poll code and flaring up communal tension ahead of elections. "It is prayed that appropriate action may kindly be taken against the Indian National Congress as well as Rahul Gandhi, MP and Vice President, Indian National Congress for violating the Model Code of Conduct and the recognition of Indian National Congress as a National Party may kindly be withdrawn immediately for repeated violations of the Model Code of Conduct," it said. BJP Vice President Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said the entire tone and tenor of Gandhi's speech was to incite the feelings of the people and create hatred towards BJP as well as RSS.
He said his statement makes it clear the aim is to put across absolutely false and baseless notions in the minds of the people that BJP creates confrontation and enmity between Hindus and Muslims as well as amongst other communities and regions. "The intention of Rahul Gandhi was to incite the feelings of the people by falsely portraying the RSS to be responsible for his (Mahatma Gandhi's) death and further create a sense of fear amongst the Hindus, Muslims and other communities that the BJP will create tensions between them," Naqvi said in the memorandum. He said the statements of Gandhi "are not only false, disgraceful, condemnable, baseless but also an utter violation of the Model Code of Conduct as well as established democratic practices". "It is an attempt to mislead the people of the country by character assassination of the BJP, RSS and its members, based on completely false and baseless allegations and propaganda," he said
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Pakistani Actress Sana Khan Dies In Road Accident |
Pakistani actress Sana Khan has died in a road crash near Looni Kot, around 30km from Hyderabad, a media report said. Sana and her husband, actor Babar Khan, were on their way from Karachi to Hyderabad on Friday by car when the smash happened. Babar, who was driving, lost control of the car, according to dawn.com.
The car overturned, leaving the duo seriously injured. The motorway police and ambulance reached the spot soon after receiving the information, and took them to Liaquat University Hospital Jamshoro. Sana died before she could get any medical help while Babar was later moved to Liaquat University Hospital City Branch. Babar, who married Sana in December 2013, is said to be in critical condition. Sana was known for her appearance in a serial Parchaiyan and Babar is known for Ek Tamana Lahasil Se.
Mar 7, 2014
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Afghan prez's wife delivers in India, Hamid Karzai visits newborn baby |
Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai's wife delivered a baby girl in India earlier on Tuesday. Karzai made a brief visit to Gurgaon on Wednesday to meet his wife and newborn daughter at the Fortis Memorial Research Institute. Hamid Karzai has studied in India and graduated from Himachal university. "The baby girl was born around 9.30 am on Tuesday. Both the mother and her baby daughter are doing quite well," Afghanistan's ambassador to India, Shaida Mohammad Abdali to TOI. Abdali said the president paid a very short visit to the hospital during his brief transit stay in New Delhi before going to Colombo on Wednesday. "Both the president and the first lady enjoyed a few moments together with their newly born baby-daughter," the ambassador added. Sources said Karzai's wife was admitted to the hospital earlier this week. She was accompanied by her family members and relatives.
Karzai stayed with the family for around 20 minutes. The first lady is likely to be discharged by Friday evening, the sources added. On choosing Gurgaon as the place for the delivery of their third child, Abdali said, "The president's two other beautiful children were born in Afghanistan. In this case, however, due to some predictable medical complication, the specialized doctor in Afghanistan advised that the baby be delivered in India given the availability of specialized medical facilities and personnel." Abdali thanked New Delhi for its support. "We're thankful to the hospital's excellent medical staff for their superb services, as well as to the hospital's management team. And we're grateful to the Indian government for their continued support with everything, including facilitating the hospitalization process." Both countries share co-operative relations with each other. India gave protection to Afghan's former defense minister Abdullah's family in Delhi, when he was fighting Taliban. They returned once the Taliban was defeated.
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