‘Daulat ki beti’ Mayawati extorting money: Congress

Attacking Mayawati, senior Congress leader Digvijay Singh said that she is no more a “Dalit ki beti but is daulat ki beti” and alleged that BSP is extracting money through illegal means in the name of party fund. 

Digvijay said, “It is brazen show of wealth, a brazen show of corruption. A brazen show of how money is being collected through an organized network of criminals centralized at the Chief Minister’s residence.”

“BSP is extracting money from miners, public works department (PWD), Noida and the public distribution system (PDS) in the name of party fund,” he added.

Questioning the source of such huge sums of money, Singh said that a thorough probe is required into all the aspect of the matter.

He also suggested that initial investigation into the matter suggest the first garland used for felicitating Mayawati was worth Rs 22.50 crores.”

Reacting to the latest garland controversy, Congress party spokesperson Jayanti Natarajan said, “Repeated felicitation of Mayawati with currency notes is an unrepentant act and can not be justified. The entire show ‘violates the basic tenants of democracy’.

Centre orders action against Maharashtra ATS chief

The central government has taken strong exception to Maharashtra Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) chief K.P. Raghuvanshi divulging key information to the media about terror suspects and their links in Pakistan, and asked the state government for action against him, according to an official here.

The government is not happy with Raghuvanshi's loose talk and the way he is functioning, a top home ministry official said Tuesday on condition of anonymity.

The home ministry official in New Delhi said the ATS chief's statements to media have hindered the investigation process.

He added that the government has found Raghuvanshi talking to mediapersons and has asked the state government to take action against him.

When Bareilly is burning, the Nero of UP is playing the piano

The Congress also slammed Mayawati for her alleged spending of crores of rupees to organise the rally and her administration's failure in containing the communal violence in Bareilly. 

'When Bareilly is burning, the Nero of UP is playing the piano,' Congress spokesman Manish Tewari said.

On the expenses for the BSP rally, Tewari noted there was no money for farmers hit by drought and the victims of Ashram stampede in Pratapgarh. 'What is happening in UP?' he asked.

Think big and think out of the box

Expressing the hope that the State's youth would show the way forward in doing things differently, he said, “We need more educated people, more efficient economy, more equitable society. We also need creative people, innovative people, people who don't just try to cross hurdles but know how to avoid them.”

Emphasising that all power should be regarded as societal trust and is to be used for public good, the Prime Minister said legislators were also watchdogs of public finances and they should ensure that there was no wasteful use of public money. Collectively, they needed to deal sternly with corruption and inefficiency in governance processes.

“On these new premises, we will witness new heights of legislative competence and legislative propriety, with discussions being guided by the spirit of tolerance, accommodation and deep and abiding concern for the well-being of the common people.”

Ms. Gandhi, who released a souvenir, said the State had been a model of “inclusive growth and development” in many respects. Right from the 1950s, the State had pioneered and shown the way in different ways — education, health, nutrition, family welfare, social security and rural development. “Through the decades, its political leadership has combined a profound commitment to social justice and empowerment of the weaker sections of society with a continuing emphasis on industrialisation, development and growth.” 

Ex-Armymen may be training Maoists, says home secy

Talking about the ongoing joint, inter-state operations to weed out Maoists and re-establish the control of the administration in Maoist-hit areas, Mr Pillai said it was a long haul and seven to eight years may be needed to gain full control.

Speaking at the Institute of Defence Studies and Analysis here, Mr. Pillai said the Maoists did their homework before launching attacks and their approach was that of a well-trained army — surveying the place, making notes and studying every aspect.


According to the home secretary, Maoists are using administrative vacuum and under-development to establish their hold over large tracts of land across states. Their estimated income, he said, is a whopping Rs 1,400 crore.