N-deal: Left leaders get death threats

June 22, 2008, Leaders of Left parties, who have strongly opposed the implementation of the Indo-US nuclear deal, have started receiving "death threat" mails.
Four top Communist leaders -- Prakash Karat and Sitaram Yechury (CPI-M), A B Bardhan and D Raja (CPI) -- have received "death threats" by mail for stopping the Congress-led UPA Government in going ahead with the nuclear deal and "harassing" Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's cabinet.
Sources said, the letter written in "incorrect English" by one Vinay Kateri from Mumbai has accused the Left leaders of "hijacking" national interests and warned them against "behaving like terrorists."
The writer also accused them of suffering from "anti-American virus" and said "people of this country are tired with their ... behaviour and harassing the government for the last four-and-a-half years."

source: www.rediff.com

We want to take Left along on N-deal: Congress

June 20, 2008, With most United Progressive Alliance constituents disfavouring early polls, Congress on Friday said it wants to take the Left allies along while pushing the Indo-US nuclear deal and that there would be "no loss of face" if the agreement fails.

Insisting that the UPA government is not a "one-issue government", Congress spokesman Shakeel Ahmed rubbished reports about Prime Minister Manmohan Singh offering to resign over the nuclear deal in the wake of stiff opposition by the Left parties.
He said all steps involved in the nuclear deal so far have been taken with "consent" of the Left parties and the government would continue to do so in future.
"We want to keep the government intact and at the same time we want the deal also," Ahmed told reporters in Delhi as hectic parleys involving the Congress, other UPA constituents and the Left parties continued with an aim of finding an end to the deadlock over the issue.
Without spelling out the future plans, he maintained that whatever action the government takes, it will be in the national interest.
To a question, he said the nuclear deal is in the national interest and added that the government will try to take the Left parties along while pushing it.
Questioned whether it would not be a "loss of face" for the government and the Congress if the deal does not go through, Ahmed disagreed and referred to the prime minister's statement that the UPA government "is not a one-issue government."
The indication of the softening of stand by the Congress came after major UPA constituents, including Nationalist Congress Party, Rashtriya Janata Dal and Lok Janshakti Party told the government on Thursday that they do not want early polls and efforts should be made to end the deadlock by addressing concerns of the Left parties.
The Congress spokesman sought to play down the Left parties' threat to withdraw support, saying he did not think about such a possibility and it was a "hypothetical" matter.
Ahmed thanked the Left parties for supporting the government for four-and-a-half years and said, "It is our responsibility to take them along."
In this regard, he pointed out that the government had set up the UPA-Left committee to discuss the nuclear issue, which was not in the Common Minimum Programme.
On resolution of the issue, he pinned hopes on the June 25 meeting of the UPA-Left committee on the nuclear deal and suggested that its outcome should be awaited.
When referred to reports that the prime minister had offered to resign, Ahmed denied it and said such "speculation" should not be spread.
Ahmed said Dr Singh has full support of Congress president Sonia Gandhi as well as the party on the nuclear issue.
Justifying the nuclear deal, the Congress spokesman said it is in the interest of the country as it will help meet the energy deficit.
The country needs two lakh megawatts of power and there is a shortfall of 78,000 MW, Ahmed said, adding the nuclear deal will help generate about 16,000 MW of electricity.
"It is our responsibility to take care of their (Left) apprehensions. They have given us support for four years and now we cannot let them go just like that," a senior Congress leader said.
Another leader said the government was likely to give the Left the assurance that it would operationalise the deal onlyafter seeking the sense of the House and ratification by the Union Cabinet.
He played down the idea there could be a loss of face internationally if the government does not go ahead with the deal, as it is known that it is a coalition and whatever decision is taken should be with the consent of everyone.
On the record, Ahmed recalled the prime minister himself having said at the HT Summit last year that his was not a one-issue government and if the deal does not come through, it would not be the end of life.
As hectic parleys took place in the run-up to the crucial June 25 UPA-Left discussions on the nuclear deal, in another sign of softening of stand, a Congress leader said this was not necessarily the last meeting of the panel.
Lending an insight into the present political situation, he said the "sense of panic" was created as it was realised that the impression that the government got in back-channel talks with the Left of another concession from them was in fact just a "false hope."
He further said if the Left gave any concession on the deal in the June 25 meeting, it would be a "major coup".
source: www.rediff.com

Petrol prices to be hiked again?

June 12, 2008 17:51 IST, India may go for another round of hike in energy prices as global crude prices continue the upward swing, says credit rating agency Moody's.

"As global prices continue to soar, the government will likely announce further increases in energy prices and cuts in subsidies," said a report by Moody's Economy.com, an associate of Moody's.

After much dilly-dallying, the government had earlier this month announced hike in price of petrol by Rs 5 a litre, Rs 3 for diesel and Rs 50 for a gas cylinder to help oil marketing companies partly meet their under recoveries because of surging global crude prices.

The government still gives Rs 300 subsidy for a gas cylinder.

The government had to face an all-round criticism for its move to raise petrol prices and even Prime Minister Manmohan Singh addressed the nation to explain the rationale for the increase.

Following the appeal of the prime minister, many states also cut sales tax on petroleum products to blunt the impact of fuel price hike.

Moody's further said authorities would continue to hand out assistance to the poor households while trying to tame inflation, given that price rise is the biggest obstacle of the incumbent government in restoring voters' trust in the lead up to the general election.

Global crude oil prices were ruling above $138 a barrel on Thursday

Soruce: www.rediff.com