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Journalism of Courage
The issue of AgustaWestland chopper deal came up for discussion in the UPA coordination committee meeting on Tuesday,with alliance partners seeking to know from the government how it planned to handle the Opposition attack over the issue in Parliament.
The government side,it is learnt,told the alliance leaders that it has nothing to hide as there was no political interference in the approval of the deal and made it clear that it was ready for any kind of probe.
The government has already made it clear that it was even ready for a JPC probe into the deal.
The issue of Muslim youths languishing in different jails after being falsely accused in terror-related cases too figured prominently. Minister of State for External Affairs and Muslim League leader E Ahamed is learnt to have broached the topic. Sources said he pointed out that there were many youths from the Muslim community who were languishing in jails for over 10 years. He demanded steps from the government to ensure speedy trial in these cases.
Sources said the government side promised to take steps to expedite the trial in such cases.
The issue had rocked the Lok Sabha earlier in the day with several leaders,including RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav and SP supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav,attacking the government. The leaders wanted to know whether the government had taken any action against police officers who had falsely implicated innocent youths from the minority community.
Senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh too had voiced similar sentiments in the past.
The UPA coordination committee meeting chaired by Congress president Sonia Gandhi and attended by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh also decided to take a call on the issue of Telangana at the earliest,after NCP chief and Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar and RLD leader Ajit Singh raised it. The two leaders pointed out that the UPA had given commitments on the issue from 2004 onwards. The RLD leader,on the other hand,suggested division of Uttar Pradesh,on the ground that it was too big a state to manage.
There were also indications that Pawar expressed disappointment over the Railway Budget at the meeting contending that Mumbai had been neglected.
Of the other issues that were raised at the meeting included the Sri Lankan issue with DMKs T R Baalu reminding the government to take stand against Sri Lanka at the United Nations Human Rights Council meeting in Geneva next month.
He wanted New Delhi to either move a resolution against Colombo or support the US-backed resolution. Criticising the government for not taking a tough stand on the issue,Baalu is also said to have raised the issue of the Channel 4 report relating to alleged killing of Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam LTTE chief V Prabhakarans son.
Ajit Singh also sought that the land acquisition Bill be passed at the earliest as it would benefit farmers as well as accelerate developmental projects.
Rajya Sabha to discuss deal today
The AgustaWestland chopper deal will be discussed in the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday as the government agreed to BJP8217;s demand on a discussion on the issue. We are ready for a discussion on the issue tomorrow, Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Rajiv Shukla said after BJP insisted on an immediate discussion on the issue. ENS
