Army Chief's charge pits military brass against Ministry officials

Chief of the Army Staff General V.K. Singh's charge that he was offered a bribe of Rs.14 crore for purchasing sub-standard trucks has sparked a crisis that threatens to escalate into a frontal confrontation between the military brass, the Ministry of Defence's civilian bureaucrats and the political leadership.

Mr. Antony told journalists that Gen. Singh had made a “serious allegation.” “I have taken action,” he said, before wading through a swarm of television cameras and correspondents to reach his car

Significantly, the Army, in a statement on March 6, accused Lieutenant-General (retd.) Tejinder Singh of offering a bribe on behalf of a company that supplies trucks. Issued in the context of separate allegations related to the alleged bugging of Mr. Antony's office, the release did not state to whom the bribe offer was made and whether action was taken.

Opposition parties demanded that the Prime Minister and Mr. Antony come out with all information. Charging the Defence Minister with “inaction and indecision,”

Comment: Can somebody say, what exactly going on in this country? Who is actually the black sheep?O! God! Save this country from these corruptions

Mamata now blames Congress for the hike

Mamata Banerjee on Thursday gave a new twist to the developments triggered by Railway Minister Dinesh Trivedi's proposal to increase fares by accusing the Congress of being behind the decision.

“The crisis has been fuelled by the Congress,” she reportedly said. Her State's Urban Development Minister Firhad Hakim said"He has acted like Mir Jafar. It is an act of betrayal. He has digressed from the basic principles of the party".

Amid noisy scenes over Railway Minister Dinesh Trivedi's reported resignation, the government maintained in the Lok Sabha on Thursday that he had not resigned and continued to hold the post.

Amid the din, Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Rajiv Shukla said: “The Prime Minister has not received any resignation [letter] from the Railway Minister.” He had received only a communication from Ms. Banerjee, and any decision taken would be conveyed to the House.

Comment: I, a simple common man, don't understand, who is blaming whom and what is the drama enacted and who is the director. O! God! save this nation from these politicians

A very good lesson for me, says Rahul

“I own the responsibility for this...This is one of my defeats and I take it in my stride,” said the young Congress General Secretary who extensively toured Uttar Pradesh and addressed over 200 rallies during the month-long campaigning.

Mr. Gandhi said he was trying to “improve the political system” of the country and his work would continue irrespective of Tuesday’s electoral result.

“I expect to have victories along the way and I expect to have defeats...I take it in my stride. I think, it is a very good lesson for me,” he said, adding “I think it will make me think in detailed ways which I like to do.”

Comment: It is not only lesson for Rahul alone, but for Digvijai, Kurshid, Beni Prasad etc who are all try to make division among people on religion basis. But I doubt whether Congress will learn lesson from this drubbing defeat.

Congress says it accepts U.P. poll verdict

With the party relegated to the fourth position in Uttar Pradesh, the Congress on Tuesday accepted the verdict of the people which was “against our expectations“.

Party spokesman Rashid Alvi said “whatever verdict has been given by the people, we have accepted....It was against our expectations and we will find out where we have gone wrong“.

He sidestepped questions on the party’s future course of action in the state, saying the high command will take a decision. “Let the complete results come, the high command will take a decision“.

Congress General Secretary Janardan Dwivedi had said on Monday that so far the party’s stand was to sit in the opposition, if it failed to get majority in the state.

Comment: People taught good lesson to Congress and It bite the dust