Arvind Kejriwal to formally launch Aam Aadmi Party today

November 26, 2012

New Delhi, November 26: Activist-turned-politician Arvind Kejriwal will today formally launch his political party, Aam Aadmi Party, from Jantar Mantar in New Delhi.

"Today is a big day. History in the making. Aam Aadmi comes together to directly jump in politics to throw out this corrupt political system," Mr Kejriwal tweeted today. He had announced the name of his party on Saturday.

The date of the party's launch - November 26 - is symbolic as the Constitution of India was adopted on this day in 1949. Mr Kejriwal has said that all those who turn up at Jantar Mantar would be treated as founding members of the party.

At the first official meeting of the Aam Aadmi Party yesterday, Mr Kejriwal was elected as its national convenor. Soon after the meeting, Mr Kejriwal said he will tour the country for the next one year to "expose" the Congress and BJP while trying to convince people on why they should support his outfit.

Aam Aadmi Party, which means the party for the common man who Mr Kejriwal claims to represent, will fight elections, the activist-turned-politician has said. His party is expected to fight the Assembly elections in Delhi which is due towards the end of next year.

The naming of Mr Kejriwal's party had elicited a response from the Congress which, some years ago, successfully rode into power using the aam aadmi plank. "The Aam Aadmi (common man) is synonymous with the Congress since 1885 when the party came into existence...Therefore, nobody can either hijack or skyjack or bicycle-jack the intrinsic relationship between the Congress and the people of this country," party leader and Union Minister Manish Tewari said on Saturday. But Mr Kejriwal was quick to retort, saying the Congress had hijacked the word earlier but they could not hijack the common man.

Mr Kejriwal's decision to enter politics had led to a parting of ways with his mentor, Anna Hazare. The activist-turned-politician had earlier said that his group will not use 'India Against Corruption' (IAC) as its name after the formation of his political party on November 26. Mr Hazare had laid claim to that name.

Mr Kejriwal's decision to launch what he describes as "a political alternative" was announced in August, when the India Against Corruption movement that Anna and he had headlined appeared to be dissipating in public. Mr Kejriwal was at the time on a six-day fast in Delhi. The crowds at his base camp were thin. The government ignored him, refusing to urge him to eat, or to talk about when the Lokpal Bill - named for the new anti-graft body it births - would be cleared as law. It has passed in the Lok Sabha, but has been stalled in the Rajya Sabha.

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Defectors should be banned from holding public office for 5 years, fighting next poll: Kapil Sibal

Agencies

July 19,2020

New Delhi, Jul 19: Amid the political firestorm in Rajasthan following Sachin Pilot's rebellion, senior Congress leader Kapil Sibal on Sunday called for amending the anti-defection law to ban all defectors from holding public office for five years and fighting the next election.

Sibal also said that the "antibodies" against the "virus of corrupt means" to topple elected governments lie in amending the Tenth Schedule of the Constitution (anti-defection law).

His attack comes in the wake of Pilot's open rebellion against the Ashok Gehlot government, which has been on shaky ground since, with at least 18 legislators backing the rebel leader.

Pilot was sacked as deputy chief minister and the state Congress chief earlier this week.

The Congress has accused the BJP of making efforts to topple the Gehlot government by indulging in horse-trading.

"Need for Vaccine: Virus of 'corrupt means' to topple elected governments has spread through a 'Wuhan like facility' in Delhi," Sibal tweeted, in an apparent swipe at the BJP.

"Its 'antibodies' lie in amending the Tenth Schedule. Ban all defectors from: Holding public office for five years, fighting the next election," he said.

Taking a swipe at Pilot over his claim that he is not joining the BJP, Sibal on Thursday had asked what happens to his "ghar wapsi" and whether Rajasthan's dissident legislators are vacationing in Haryana under the "watchful eye" of the saffron party.

In the house of 200, the Congress has 107 MLAs, including the 19 dissidents who have been issued notices of disqualification by the speaker and they have challenged them in the high court.

The Congress has maintained the claim that the Gehlot government has the support of 109 MLAs, including the two BTP MLAs.

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I FULLY AGREE WITH MR. KAPIL SIBAL. IN FACT, IT IS NEED OF THE HOUR TO SAVE OUR DEMOCRACY.

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Covid-19 lockdown extended till June 30 with relaxations: Religious places, hotels, malls to reopen from June 8

News Network

May 30,2020

Coronavirus lockdown in India has been extended till June 30 with more relaxations.

While the lockdown has been extended in containment zones, relaxations outside containment zones include reopening of religious places for public from June 8.

Hotels, restaurants and shopping malls also to open from June 8. Decision on opening educational institutions to be taken in July.

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India needs to look beyond what rating agencies think, says Raghuram Rajan

Agencies

August 6,2020

Mumbai, Aug 6: Former Reserve Bank of India governor Raghuram Rajan said on Thursday that overly focusing on what sovereign rating agencies think can take one's eyes off what needs to be done for the economy.

"It is also important to convince both domestic and international investors that after the crisis associated with the pandemic is over, we will return to fiscal responsibility over the medium term, and the government should do more to convince them of that," Rajan told the Global Markets Forum.

India was placed under one of the strictest lockdowns in the world in late March for more than two months to stem the spread of the coronavirus, but cases have continued to rise steadily since the government eased restrictions in June, stymieing hopes of an economic recovery.

The government has announced several initiatives to help the poor and small- and medium-size businesses, but actual cash outgo from the government's measures has been estimated at just about 1% of GDP.

Several attribute the fiscal prudence to fear of a downgrade after Moody's cut India's rating and outlook in early June followed closely by a change in outlook from Fitch.

The central bank on its part too has reduced the key lending rate by 115 basis points on top of the 135 bps last year and is widely expected to cut rates by another 25 bps later on Thursday.

"The RBI and government have certainly been cooperating, but it seems like it is elsewhere, the ball is in the government's court to do more," Rajan said.

He said the RBI needs to focus on whether credit is reaching the stressed areas of the economy and also if the viable firms were able to access credit and not the unviable ones.

"And I think that's where it has to focus its attentions, because resources, as you well know, are limited in India today."

Recently analysts, however, have cited the growing possibility the RBI may prefer to pause and cut rates only at its October meeting.

Government officials too have suggested the possibility of any more fiscal stimulus being announced, would only come in the second half of the fiscal year, once a recovery has taken root and coronavirus cases have peaked.

"What India should focus on at this point is protecting its economic capabilities, so that when it has dealt with the virus it can go resume activity in a reasonable way. That should be the focus," Rajan said.

"And if it does that, there is no reason why the rating agencies will not see that as an appropriate policy".

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