Telangana: inevitable and desirable

By G. Kishan Reddy

The Hindu has argued editorially that a just and sustainable solution to the Telangana issue can be found within an undivided Andhra Pradesh. Here is an Op-Ed article by a BJP legislator that presents a contra-argument.

In the winter of 1953, the Fazal Ali Commission was set up to reorganise the States of the Indian Republic. Its recommendation to go about creating States on linguistic lines, indirectly paved the way for the creation of Andhra Pradesh. Andhra was formed from the northern districts of the erstwhile Madras state and the southern districts of the erstwhile Hyderabad state -- though the committee itself did not advocate such a merger and was against it.

Fifty-six winters later, the very concept of the creation of States based on linguistic lines has become passé. We need to look for fresh parameters for the creation of States, and that has to be based on holistic development on economic and social lines for better administration and management. This fact has been proven with the creation of Chhattisgarh from Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand from Bihar and Uttaranchal from Uttar Pradesh.

Two issues that seem to be at the centre of the contention between the two regions of Andhra Pradesh is the future of Hyderabad and the repercussions in terms of the sharing of river waters from the completed and planned irrigation projects after the division of the State. Any entity, political or otherwise, that is able to find pragmatic solutions to this conundrum would not only earn the respect of the people of the State but also help set a precedent in the matter of contentious State divisions in the future.

Economics of small States

The case for small States can be argued with two parameters of macroeconomic statistics from the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation. The first parameter is the percentage increase in Gross Domestic Product for States between 1999-2000, when the smaller States were created, and 2007-2008. India’s overall GDP increased by 75 per cent during this time period. During the same period, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh and Uttaranchal recorded more than 100 per cent, 150 per cent and 180 per cent increase respectively. These rates were much above the rate at which national GDP increased. This clearly indicates that the recent creation of smaller States was a step in the right direction.

Experts have often argued that the creation of smaller States has been at the expense of the States they were created from. For all its lack of governance, Uttar Pradesh grew by more than 21 per cent of the national average during this time period.

The second parameter, the percentage contribution of States to national GDP, helps negate the myth of smaller States growing at the expense of the States they are created from. Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Madhya Pradesh each contributed the same amount to national GDP. While the contributions of Bihar and Madhya Pradesh increased by 0.01 per cent and 0.06 per cent respectively, Uttar Pradesh’s contribution to national GDP increased by 1.2 per cent during the same time period. This is more than Chhattisgarh’s percentage increase in the contribution of 0.64 per cent to national GDP, the highest increase among the three newly created smaller States.

Capital politics

Hyderabad is an integral part of Telangana and a Telangana State without Hyderabad as the capital is inconceivable. However, the militant rhetoric of some political parties has made people of other areas feel unwelcome, creating an air of mistrust among the Telugu-speaking people of various regions. This is not only constitutionally illegal but also extremely foolish as it affects the image of Brand Hyderabad. Everybody who has come to Hyderabad in search of a better quality of life must be protected. Rhetorical slogans such as Telangana waalon jaago, Andhra waalon bhago gives the impression of an exclusionist movement that forces people of the non-Telangana region of Andhra Pradesh out of Hyderabad rather than a movement where the people of Telangana want greater autonomy for their region. Significantly, when Maharashtra and Gujarat were created from the then Bombay state on the recommendation of the States Reorganisation Commission, there was fear about Mumbai losing its importance as a financial nerve-centre as a lot of investment in Mumbai had been made by Gujarati business people. The creation of two separate States did not halt Mumbai’s rapid development. In fact, it additionally paved the way for the development of Ahmedabad and Surat as alternative financial centres. Hyderabad can emulate the same model. As in the past 400 years, the city can continue to welcome people with open arms rather than close its gates to fresh talent and creative ideas.

The people of the Andhra and Rayalaseema regions feel that the benefits reaped from Hyderabad must be accessible to all those who have been equal stakeholders in the city’s development. The solution to this is not alternative models such as according Hyderabad the status of a Union Territory or making Hyderabad a joint capital for the States carved out of present-day Andhra Pradesh. These solutions are just not practical. A better approach would be to plan a special financial package for the development of a new State capital for the non-Telangana region. Pragmatism would dictate that the special package be funded through some form of cess on the city of Hyderabad for a limited period rather than running to large financial institutions for loans, as has been proposed by some political entities.

Social dynamics of water

About 70 per cent of the catchment area of the Krishna and close to 80 per cent of the catchment area of the Godavari is located in the Telangana region. Across the world, water distribution and sharing schemes between two areas is calculated on the basis of the percentage of the catchment area that lies in the region. Other factors that influence water-sharing accords is the population of a given region, the projected usage of water for industry and the domestic population, and the physical contours of the region through which the river flows.

Take the instance of the Godavari, where the areas planned for large dams in the Telangana have not been found feasible for various reasons. As the Sriramsagar project on the Godavari already exists, it is not feasible to build another large dam on the Godavari until after the Pranahitha tributary joins the Godavari. There is not enough water to be harnessed on a continuous basis for the project to be economically feasible if the dam is built before the Pranahitha joins the main river. The Inchampally project, a national project whose benefits are to be shared between the States of Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra and Chhattisgarh, was one such large project that was proposed. Though the project was conceived a long time ago, it has run into typical issues that are usually associated with projects that have multiple States as stakeholders. Though Andhra Pradesh, by large, is the main beneficiary of the project, the project plan estimates more forest land being submerged in Maharashtra (47.7 per cent) than in Andhra Pradesh (29.9 per cent; all land in Telangana). An equal amount of cultivable land will be submerged in Chhattisgarh (41.8 per cent) and Andhra Pradesh (42.2 per cent; all land in Telangana). And, more villages that belong to Maharashtra (100) will be submerged as compared to Andhra Pradesh (65). This has obviously made the other States reluctant to move as quickly as Andhra Pradesh on this project.

The link canal that has been planned between Inchampally and Nagarjuna Sagar that is proposed to irrigate the regions of Telangana in between also involves prohibitive costs as a result of the 107-metre lift that is required for the water to reach the Nagarjuna Sagar. The lift itself will require a separate hydro-electric power project for the project to be feasible. Commonsense and pragmatism would have ensured that a project in Kanthamapalli or Kaleswaram be pursued. Additionally, three smaller step- dams between Yellampalli and Sriramsagar must be devised with a realistic State-level river-interlinking plan. Inchampally is not an exception, but the trend in how political leaders across the aisle in Telangana have been caught up in the big-projects-to-line-my-pockets mentality at the cost of the development of the region by looking at smaller, realistic projects to execute.

The finale

The Telangana agitation is the only such movement in India that involves a capital city located in the region that is fighting for separation from the main State. This clearly reflects on the lack of governance and civic administration in this area as the benefits of having a State capital in the hinterland have not trickled down to other areas in that region.

Smaller States still need a good and vibrant administration to be recipes for success. Chhattisgarh is a fine example of how an effective administration could turn around a State in all aspects of development. The development that has happened in the Chhattisgarh region from Independence till 2000 has in fact been less than the development that has taken place from the time a new State was created in 2000 till now. The first Telangana Chief Minister would have done a great service to the infant State should he take a prescription from Chhattisgarh’s most famous Ayurvedic doctor.

(G. Kishan Reddy is the floor leader of the BJP in the Andhra Pradesh Assembly. The data and statistical inputs in this article are from Yudofud Public Strategies, www.yudofud.com.)

Courtesy : http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/op-ed/article80961.ece

Because Modi must be made to pay

Sanjiv Bhatt has given his testimony. But is everything par for the course when the centre uses the bureaucracy to undermine Modi?

By Ajay Singh


At the peak of campaigning in recent assembly polls in West Bengal, the Times Now aired an interview of Purulia arms drop accused Kim Davy. Davy, who had escaped arrest, pointed out that the large cache of arms was meant for the Anand Margis to subvert the democratically elected Left Front government in West Bengal. Though the issue was raised by the Left parties in a rather feeble manner, others tended to dismiss it as a mindless ranting of a criminal who is still eluding law. Davy also claimed that he was escorted out of India under the guidance of intelligence agencies after his plane was force-landed in Mumbai airport.

It is nobody’s case that these allegations should be taken without a pinch of salt. But what is significant is the fact that a hardened criminal like Davy is aware of the growing strains within the Indian federal structure and trying to exploit the situation to cover up his crimes. And there are reasons to believe that whatever Davy is saying is not completely untrue. In the Purlia arms drop case, a senior CBI sleuth once confessed that the investigations met cul-de-sac as it would expose many skeletons in the government’s cupboard. More often than not, another accused Peter Bleach told his CBI interrogators, “If I reveal everything, your government will be embarrassed.” Bleach was subsequently pardoned ostensibly on account of British diplomatic pressure and on grounds of mercy. This is why the CBI inquiry in this serious criminal case proved to be nothing more than hogwash.

It is no coincidence that the UPA government has been employing another tactic to subvert a democratically elected government in Gujarat just as Davy was making these stunning allegations. In this innovative method of subverting a state government, the union government is using the bureaucracy as a tool to run down the state government. It is relying on a set of officers who had run afoul of the state government and were ready to be used as cat’s paw.

One such officer is Gujarat cadre IPS Kuldeep Sharma who has been facing criminal charges in Gujarat but has caught the fancy of the union home ministry on account of his anti-Narendra Modi utterances. Sharma was unilaterally appointed additional DG of BPR&D (bureau of police research and development) by the home ministry disregarding the fact that he was neither relieved nor did he get the mandatory vigilance clearance from the state government.

This issue appears to be snowballing into a serious controversy as the chief secretary of the Gujarat government has written a letter to the union home secretary explaining the flouting of established principles in the appointment. Since the Gujarat government’s missive is stonewalled, the state government has taken this case to court.

Sharma’s case is not an isolated instance. In yet another case, IPS officer Sanjiv Bhatt who filed an affidavit in the supreme court against chief minister Narendra Modi, union home minister P Chidambaram gave a pat on his back by describing him as “courageous”. The fact that Bhatt’s assertion in the affidavit has been rejected by the supreme court-appointed special investigation team (SIT) is being conveniently ignored by the home minister.

Take a look at the “courageous” record of Bhatt. On October 17, 1996, (when Modi was nowhere on the Gujarat scene), an FIR was lodged against him in Rajasthan’s Pali district. Bhatt, who was then SP of Banaskantha, Gujarat’s district bordering Rajasthan, was accused of implicating Sumer Singh Rajpurohit in a fake narcotics case to force him to vacate a commercial property. After an inquiry, a charge sheet was filed against Bhatt in the NDPS court, Jodhpur. Though Bhatt obtained a stay order from the supreme court, the NHRC fined him Rs one lakh for his acts of indiscretion. The fine was paid by the state government. Do you want to know who held Bhatt’s brief in the supreme court? None other than P Chidambaram!
The list of Bhatt’s “courageous” acts does not end there. In Jamjodhpur in 1995, Bhatt was just a trainee officer when he was charged with torture and custodial death of Prabhudas Vaishnani. He was again fined by the high court. In yet another case in Porbandar, Bhatt was accused of torturing and giving electric shocks to one detainee, Naran Jadav. Is it not surprising that Bhatt chose to file an affidavit in the supreme court after nine years testifying that he was present in the meeting where the chief minister gave orders to let Hindus vent their anger after the Godhra train incident?

Highly placed sources in Gujarat said that Bhatt had been desperately trying to close all cases against him and seeking intervention from the top. Since he was not entertained and denied promotion, he had many axes to grind against the government, they point out. Against such a background, the union home minister’s eulogising of Bhatt is nothing less than inciting a disgruntled officer to revolt against a chief minister.

That the union government has been discreetly promoting revolt within the state bureaucracy is a complex situation for the Gujarat government to grapple with. More recently, Pradip Sharma, a promoted IAS officer of Gujarat cadre who is languishing in jail on corruption charges, came out against Modi and promised to tell all about Modi’s complicity in communal riots in 2002. Once again, the home minister, who is the cadre-controlling authority of all IAS and IPS officers in the country, appreciated Sharma for coming out against the chief minister. Incidentally, Pradip Sharma and Kuldeep Sharma are brothers.

Having failed to dislodge Modi in elections, the UPA’s new method of subverting the Gujarat government is proving to be quite effective. Given the number of supreme court-mandated investigations going on in the state, a set of disgruntled and often discredited officers have found an easy recourse to challenge a beleaguered chief minister who can do nothing but wait for the court’s decisions. However, in the process of settling a political score with Modi, this innovative method of subverting the state government through the state bureaucracy is grossly undermining our federal structure.

Davy’s allegations against the PV Narasimha Rao government assume significance in view of these facts. If the allegations are to be taken at face value, the Congress party can be credited with innovating new methods, including armed uprising, against democratically-elected state governments.

The Congress’ proclivity to depose state governments run by political adversaries has a long history. The notion of the pre-eminence of the centre over the states got firmly ingrained into the party’s psyche in 1959 when Indira Gandhi as AICC president persuaded prime minister Nehru much against his own democratic impulses to sack the communist government in Kerala. Referring to this, Justice Krishna Iyer had once said that the Congress organised communal violence on a large scale to topple the the Left government, the first non-Congress government of the country. “Nehru fell for the bait,” Justice Krishna Iyer had averred. This tendency to ride roughshod over the states was further reinforced during the Indira regime and subsequent Rajiv Gandhi era when chief ministers were sacked at the whim and fancy of the prime minister.

However, it became difficult to depose an elected government after the SR Bommai judgment which made exercise of article 356 as “justifiable” and imposed stringent conditions to sack an elected state government. In such a scenario, the Congress which has the longest stint at the centre seems to be devising innovative methods of subverting state governments run by political adversaries by undermining established institutions. Even if one chooses to ignore Davy’s revelations, the UPA government’s subversive tactics in Gujarat are a clear indication that the Congress party’s tendency to disregard federalism is incorrigible and seems part of the party’s DNA.

Courtesy : http://www.governancenow.com/news/regular-story/because-modi-must-be-made-pay

Report on Assam: After polling both BJP, AGP confident BJP hopes to play crucial role in forming government.

From Jyoti Lal Chowdhury in Silchar

SILCHAR: Two phase elections in Assam are over. May 13 will decide who wins the race for Dispur. Assam too set a record of sort by registering the highest voter turn out of 76.03 per cent, an indication of people’ faith and conviction in exercising their franchise to elect their representatives. It is also an indication of the massive security arrangement by the Election Commission to ensure peaceful poll notwithstanding certain jarring notes here and there. Besides, it was a mandate against separatism and divisiveness.

State BJP chief Ranjit Dutta described it as people’s eagerness towards having an alternative government in the State. He foresaw a non Congress government in the capital of Assam after a decade, brushing aside Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi’s claim of a hat-trick.

Dutta is confident that BJP would win at least 25 to 30 seats, upping its tally of 10 of 2006 elections. It is being alleged that the Development funds from the Centre for the implementation of schemes and projects have been grossly misused, misappropriated and siphoned off. BJP’s charge-sheet against the government, besides highlighting the infamous multicrore scam in North Cachar Hills, now called Dima Hasao district, focuses on colossus swindling of funds meant for development.

The BJP State leadership did well to bring in almost all the top leaders from high command. Nitin Gadkari, Sushma Swaraj, Arun Jaitley, Narendra Modi, Varun Gandhi, Arjun Munda, Shahnawaj Hussain, Abdus Naqvi to Smriti Irani, Hema Malini among others came in order to take the battle on the Congress turf and outwit and demolish Congress stalwarts, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, Pranab Mukherjee and their claims of good governance and development by exposing UPA government’s monumental tales of ‘epical scams’ related to CWG, Adarsh Society, CVC, 2 G Spectrum, and vote on cash, etc, Nitin Gadkari was most critical and lambasted Manmohan Singh led UPA for unleashing ‘loot raj’ in the country. “It is the most corrupt government that manufactures one scam a day”, he pointed out. BJP leaders came down heavily on Sangh Parivar-baiter AICC general secretary Digvijay Singh, for playing rabid ‘communal card’ at election rallies by branding Bengali Hindu refugees taking shelter in Assam from Bangladesh, erstwhile East Pakistan, as infiltrators who needed to be pushed back, he said. This even provoked AIUDF general secretary Ataur Rahman Majhar-bhuiya to denounce Singh to say how Muslims in Assam were subjected to discrimination under Congress government of Tarun Gogoi in the matter of employment. In fact, it was his utter ignorance about Assam and the problem of refugees that came in for haranguing, he said. It created such a furore that Congress candidates panicked at their prospect at the hustings and Tarun Gogoi had to clarify ‘refugees need humanitarian consideration’.

The emergence of AIUDF and its acceptance in minority dominant areas has sent ripples in Congress as it is expected to cut into its traditional Muslim votes. The trends and swings indicate AIUDF is likely to double its tally of 10 bagged in 2006 elections. Prafulla Kumar Mahanta, former chief minister, and AGP president Chandra Mohan Patowary exuded confidence that his party would emerge as the single largest party with 53 seats alone in the 126 member Legislative Assembly. It is to be put on record that in 2006 Congress, short of majority, rode to power with support from Bodo People’s Progressing Front led by Mohilary Hagrama which had in its kitty 12 seats. Ranjit Dutta had a word of caution about the subtle move of Congress to get support of AIUDF in the event of its predicament to form the government. He said with the known stand of the Front on the issue of influx of Bangladeshi infiltrators, any alliance of Congress with it would push the problem on the back-burner. It was Congress, he reminded, which was behind the framing of Illegal Migrants (Determination by Tribunal) Act of 1983 which by its well-designed clauses made detection and deportation of infiltrators difficult. He foresaw dovetailing of a situation in the State where the very identity and culture of indigenous people would be at stake. The Supreme Court after hearing a writ petition struck down the IM(DT) Act.

BJP was the only party which made infiltration one of the main poll planks during campaign to assure the people of the State that if elected to power, it would ensure passage of a legislation to make Assam free of infiltrators. The power hungry Congress which could align with Muslim League in Kerala would not bother to go with Badaruddin Ajmal’s AIUDF. BJP, as Ranjit Dutta asserted, would not compromise with the issues it has been fighting for. His party would keep options open to have alliance with AGP as well as BPPF and he was confident of a non Congress government at the citadel of power.

The unending canard against Modi

By V Shanmuganathan



THERE are deliberately circulated news-items appearing in Newspapers to create confusion about the progress of Gujarat State under the leadership of Chief Minister Narendra Modi. Bhatt an IPS officer has filed an affidavit in the Supreme Court, stating that “Modi wanted Muslims are taught a lesson.”

Another news-item says that, K Chakrabarti, Gujarat’s DGP at the time of posts Godhra riots, has said that Bhatt was ‘not present’ in the meeting with the Chief Minister held on February 27, 2002. Bhatt’s driver denies this statement. Another IAS Officer claims Modi’s Office instructed against proactive measures.

Hidden Hand
In general, the people who appreciate about the development of Gujarat are disturbed by reading such news items.

Whether the police officer and IAS officer are speaking themselves or some hidden hand is working on this.

Congress is suffering because of the success of Narendra Modi. It is unfortunate that Congress uses even CBI to strike political gains in many cases.

Gujarat:Symbol of Development
According to Narendra Modi, Gujarat’s biggest strength is development. It is taking place as a mass movement with the participation of people. Gujarat accounts for five per cent of India’s population and contributes 21 per cent to India’s exports and 13 per cent to the Industrial production. Gujarat has achieved sustainable development in the field of agriculture.

This special concern for farmers is improving the quality of life of the rural population by widening their employment opportunities and increasing their income. Gujarat is marching ahead in the agricultural production with the aim of creating greater wealth for farmers. Narendra Modi was asked about corruption in Gujarat during a discussion in India Today Conclave 2011; Modi said that corruption is in death bed and no chance to revive. It is true. Even an ardent enemy can not raise a finger against him on corruption.

The achievements of Gujarat are mainly due to the people of the state who are participating and working together with the state government sincerely and earnestly. The credit goes to the leadership, particularly Chief Minister Narendra Modi, its business sector, labour leaders and various social service organisations who have contributed to the all round development of State. If more state governments and even Central Government adopts Gujarat’s approach to economic management and governance, India would be in a better position to emerge as a super power.

Gujarat: Symbol of Harmony
Because of malicious propaganda, people ask another genuine question. Whether the Muslim Community in Gujarat is happy, contended and making progress? According to the report of the Sachar Committee appointed by the government of India clearly shows that the Muslims of Gujarat are progressing well in the field of education. They are provided ample opportunities and they are well cared for. The facts on their economic conditions dispel similar myths about their being discriminated or being denied equal opportunity.

In terms of literacy level Muslims in Gujarat stood at 73.5 per cent as compared to the national average of 59.1 per cent. In terms of per capita income, Muslims of Gujarat earn an average of Rs 875.00 which is more than the national average of Rs 804 per cent. Even in terms of employment and state government jobs, it is 5.4 per cent in Gujarat which is 2.1 per cent in West Bengal and 3.2 per cent in Delhi.

This factual position is echoed by none other than the Imam of the Jama Masjid in Ahamedabad, who reportedly commented some time back, that “Muslims have equal opportunity to prosper in the peaceful environment in Gujarat that Modi Government, has created. Modi has provided an atmosphere which is condusive for those who want to trade peacefully in Gujarat”.

It is very very unfortunate that vilification campaign is carried on against the positive, development oriented achievements of Gujarat. Modi is a full time devoted person working for the motherland. He has no self interest in any activity and no family or children to promote. His 24 hours activity is not to amass wealth but to work for the upliftment of the poor. He says that his soul is Gujarat and his God is India. He has demonstrated to the world at large that, he is working for a harmonious Gujarat without any discrimination of caste, creed of religion.

BJP General Secretary, Mr. Arun Jaitley was asked about the affidavit filed by a police officer in Kolkotta. There is no presumption that it is truthful. The job for investigating the truth has been entrusted by the Supreme Court to SIT appointed by it. There are a number of people in Gujarat who are actively working in the exercise of discovery of falsehood. So, every time a Supreme Court hearing is fixed or a SIT report is expected, you find that pre-empted, by some statements in the media or by an affidavit leaked to the media. I would only appeal to the people that there is a judicial mechanism looking into it, let us have faith and leave it to that mechanism”. Truth will triumph.

Why is Sonia Gandhi so scared of Narendra Modi?

By Francois Gautier

One hopes that the people of India are not blind to the utter cynicism of some of its politicians. The way they are efficiently and ruthlessly killing the whole Lokpal movement with the help of deceit and slander is frightening. All the while, Manmohan Singh and Sonia Gandhi, whose party is not only the main recipient of corruption but has actually institutionalised it, throw decoys at us with declarations of 'zero tolerance of corruption'.

It is funny how this government is hell bent in preserving what is corrupt, untruthful, inefficient - as symbolised by the deal they have made with Karunanidhi that they will not touch his family - and fanatic about destroying what is free of corruption and is prosperous.

Sonia has been on a personal vendetta against Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi for a long time. She had a useful tool in Teesta Setalvad, who, it is now discovered, has bribed witnesses, filed false affidavits, and committed repeated perjuries in court. Teesta's usefulness is nearing an end as she may soon land up in jail, so the Congress has now found another willing tool in Gujarat police officer Sanjiv Bhatt to implicate Modi in the post-Godhra riots.

The government has subverted its investigative instruments such that the CBI goes after Modi even as it closes its eyes to the wrongs that chief ministers of the Congress or its allies, such as the DMK, are openly doing.

For example, the CBI requested the judiciary to drop the case against Jagdish Tytler, who was seen by innumerable witnesses leading mobs to murder Sikhs, while it is going all guns blazing against Modi, who at best was caught off guard when the riots in Gujarat broke out in 2002, or at the worst, delayed in calling the army. But did not Rajiv Gandhi do the same thing ("When a big tree falls, the earth shakes," he had said) after his mother was murdered by her own bodyguards? Rajiv also delayed calling in the security forces.

It is illogical that the legal instruments of Indian democracy are used to pin down the CM of India's most lawful, and prosperous and least corrupt state, which impresses even non-BJP tycoons such Ratan Tata, when a Lalu Prasad was allowed to loot Bihar and keep it in the most desolate state because he was an ally.

Is it logical today that the Indian media only highlight the 2002 Gujarat riots, carefully omitting the fact that they were triggered by the horrifying murder of 57 Hindus, 36 of them innocent women and children, burnt in the Sabarmati Express? Riots of that intensity do not happen in a day; they are the result of long-term pent-up anger and a spark - like the killing of Hindus, whose only crime was that they believed that Ram was born in Ayodhya.

It is widely known that the dreaded Khalistan movement in Punjab was quelled in the '80's by supercop KPS Gill in a ruthless manner by a number of 'fake encounters' that killed top Sikh separatists. This was done under a Congress government, both at the Centre and in Punjab. Rajiv was the PM then, but he was never indicted. This is so because terrorists have no law and they kill innocent people; and sometimes ruthless methods have to be used against them.

Why is Sonia going so single-mindedly against Modi? Because, he seems to be the only alternative to her son Rahul Gandhi becoming prime minister in the next general elections. We should give credit to Sonia for her cunning and ruthlessness.

It is no good being a Hindu in Sonia Gandhi's India. It is better to be a Quattrocchi, who was exonerated by the CBI. Or a terrorist like Sohrabuddin from whose house in Madhya Pradesh 40 AK-47 rifles, and a number of live hand grenades and bullets were confiscated, who was declared "Wanted" in five states with 40 cases registered against him. Then you stand a chance to be protected by the government of India, while those who have at heart their country's integrity go to jail.

Sonia has achieved such terrifying power, a glance of her, a silence, just being there, is enough for her inner circle to act; she has subverted so much of the instruments of Indian democracy and she controls such huge amounts of unlisted money that sooner or later this 'karma' may come back to her under one form or the other.