Pro-Telangana mob dumps Andhra heroes' statues in lake

HYDERABAD: Angry pro-Telangana mobs uprooted 11 statues of Andhra icons, including that of Vijayanagara emperor Krishnadeva Raya, and flung them into the Hussain Sagar lake on Thursday, as a potential precursor to a fresh spiral of violence. The protests seemed designed to deepen linguistic and political faultlines between pro- and anti-Telangana sections over an Andhra identity. 

Apart from hurling Krishnadeva Raya's statue — his 16th century reign represents the high noon of Telugu culture — the Telangana activists also smashed the statue of Sir Arthur Cotton, the British engineer who brought irrigation and prosperity to the state. 

Statues of Annamacharya, famous for his hymns in honour of Lord Balaji of Tirumala, were also vandalized among eight others, which included eminent Telugu statesmen and literary figures. 

The statues of 33 iconic personalities of Andhra Pradesh were installed more than 25 years ago by then chief minister N T Rama Rao. "This action represents the assertion of the people of Telangana that their culture is not the same as that of Andhra and that they don't care for Andhra," said an analyst. 

In the five-hour violence between 1.30pm and 5.30 pm, Telangana activists also set on fire the Dwacra building on Lower Tank Bund road, a police vehicle, the OB van of a television channel, looted an ATM and damaged another police vehicle and cameras belonging to TV channels. 

The marauding mob also manhandled Congress MPs K Keshava Rao and Madhu Yashki and forced them to flee. DGP K Aravinda Rao said cases were being registered for the violence unleashed by the protesters, including the desecration of statues, and promised to bring offenders to book. 

Furious activists attacked Rakshak, a police van, and as soon as the cops inside fled, set it on fire. Even as the security personnel began advancing towards them, the crowd starting throwing stones. Faced with relentless stone-pelting, the Rapid Action Force too retreated hastily. 

After that, the protesters had a free run as all security personnel had withdrawn from either end of the Tank Bund road. The violence that ensued ended only after police reinforcements arrived with tear gas shells to clear the area of protesters around 6pm, after which the Tank Bund road was sealed.

Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Pro-Telangana-mob-dumps-Andhra-heroes-statues-in-lake/articleshow/7675645.cms

FM may raise tax exemption limit to Rs 2 lakh

NEW DELHI: With an eye on improving the public mood ahead of crucial polls in five states, finance minister Pranab Mukherjee appears set to appease the middle class as well as UPA`s aam aadmi constituency. 

An increase in the income tax exemption limit from Rs 1.6 lakh to Rs 2 lakh is expected to be part of Mukherjee`s Union budget speech on Monday. Though the exemption limit is Rs 1.6 lakh, this year, there is an additional benefit of Rs 20,000 for those who invest in infrastructure bonds. 

The benefit available for investment in these bonds is expected to continue though Mukherjee, who will present his third budget in his second innings in finance ministry, is unlikely to heed demands for a Rs 50,000 benefit for investment in these instruments. 

The veteran politician is also likely to announce a debt relief scheme for weavers who draw largely from the Muslim community and are a sizeable constituency in poll-bound Tamil Nadu and West Bengal, besides states such as Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Andhra Pradesh. 

The amnesty may cost the Centre Rs 3,400 crore and would be similar to the Rs 70,000-crore debt waiver scheme for farm loans which is said to have turned the tide for UPA in the 2009 Lok Sabha elections. 

Heir-apparent Rahul Gandhi led a party delegation to Mukherjee on the weavers` scheme on Wednesday, lending weight to the demand. His authorship on the relief for minorities is part of an extended campaign for organisational revival in Uttar Pradesh which goes to poll next year. 

That powerloom and handloom weavers are also present in Tamil Nadu, which goes to polls in April, makes the proposed waiver a key election sop. It would be a magnet for the ruling DMK and textiles minister Dayanidhi Maran is learnt to have lobbied hard. 

Tax exemptions on cotton and silk yarns may add to weavers` relief. 

Congress circles are hoping that the budget will help beat down the perception of UPA`s decline, somewhat alleviate the pain of prices and turn people`s attention away from the scams that have eroded the goodwill that the Manmohan Singh regime enjoyed in 2009. 

The goodies will form part of Congress`s political outreach for key social groups in the backdrop of unrest over inflation. 

As per political calculations, the higher exemption limit may help blunt the pressure on the government from middle class which is weighed down by the burden of high inflation, which latest numbers put above 8%. Despite some moderation, food inflation remains above 11% and has upset monthly calculations for most households in the country.

Though the government could lose some revenue due to higher exemptions, the estimate is that higher growth will help rake in more revenue besides keeping fiscal deficit under check. 

Estimates suggest that the economy, despite the burden of higher interest rates and the spike in oil and metal prices, would grow at around 9%, helping the government to stay on course to achieve the fiscal deficit target of 4.8% of GDP

.

Source:-http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/FM-may-raise-tax-exemption-limit-to-Rs-2-lakh/articleshow/7567189.cms

Congress banks on Budget to stem anger over scams, prices

NEW DELHI: Corruption and inflation, the bugbears of UPA-2, dominated discussions Congress functionaries held with finance minister Pranab Mukherjee amid expectations from the party that a populist Budget would help check the negative tide against the Centre. 

Party leaders are hoping specifically for income tax relief for the middle class and concessions for rural populace as the budgetary antidote to the negativity post-2G spectrum scam. 

Mukherjee assured his party that prices would come down by March. 

That the Opposition campaign on graft is playing on the government's mind was evident when Mukherjee opened discussions at AICC headquarters on Tuesday by explaining how the Centre had nothing to hide on black money but was bound by secrecy clause in treaties with countries which had supplied names of foreign bank account holders. He is likely to touch on the issue in his Budget speech. 

Maharashtra chief minister Prithviraj Chavan stressed that corruption and inflation were the main issues concerning the common man and demanded measures to satisfy people. Ved Prakash, one of the joint secretaries, called for state funding of elections. 

On inflation, party spokesperson Abhishek Singhvi demanded that essential commodities should be taken off forward trading. 

The twin concerns provide the backdrop for Union Budget 2011 on February 28 as Congress brass is working hard to counter an incessant stream of negative reports. A senior leader said the expectations from Budget reflected the thinking that the finance minister's offer to people will have an impact also on polls in five key states soon after. 

The leaders, who included senior partymen, office-bearers and ministers, flooded Mukerjee with demands for concessions for key social groups like minorities. AICC secretary Vivek Bansal cited Sachar Commission to demand that grants be hiked for schools run by Aligarh Muslim University, while Mohsina Kidwai and Shakeeluzzaman Ansari demanded a waiver on loans to weavers on the lines of amnesty to farmers. 

Partymen are hoping for I-T rebate and rationalization of tax slabs which they say will counter the negative perception about government among middle classes and the service sector by cushioning them from inflation. There was a demand for check on fuel price hike. 

Austerity, long identified by Congress chief Sonia Gandhi as a vehicle to people's hearts and to counter negative perceptions, found a strong mention. R K Dhawan asked why repeated diktats for party leaders to observe austerity, simplicity and to shun vulgar display fell on deaf ears. He demanded that ostentatious weddings be taxed. 

Sonia exhorted partymen at the recent plenary meeting to embrace austerity, a recurring feature with her addresses.

Source:-http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Congress-banks-on-Budget-to-stem-anger-over-scams-prices/articleshow/7505179.cms

2G scam: DMK remains silent over Raja's arrest

The DMK has gone into silent mode. The arrest of disgraced telecom minister A. Raja has been a bitter pill for the party to swallow. That it comes barely a day after DMK patriarch M. Karunanidhi's return from the Capital, ensuring the alliance with the Congress, has surprised the party rank and file. A gloom has descended on the DMK. None from the party has reacted to the development.

Even Karunanidhi, who had been parotting that action would be taken against Raja if he was found guilty, has chosen to maintain a studied silence.

Though some senior DMK leaders maintain that it is better to face the music now rather during the polls in May, the party had hoped that the arrest would be postponed till the election was over.

What worries the DMK most is how to face the opposition onslaught during the poll campaign, in which the 2G spectrum scam would be a main plank.

The arrest has provided fresh ammunition to the opposition, and especially to AIADMK czarina Jayalalithaa. In private, party functionaries confide that the taint of corruption would certainly affect the party's prospects.

Karunanidhi's visit to the Capital was reportedly to persuade the Congress high command to delay the action against Raja.

But, his hopes were dashed as sources said home minister P. Chidambaram had briefed him about the impending arrest at Tamil Nadu Bhavan on Monday night.

What's more, while his photoop with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was widely publicised, the one with Congress president Sonia Gandhi was conspicuously not. The octogenarian was kept waiting for more than six hours for an audience with Sonia.

The DMK chief and Congress troubleshooters discussed the legal and political fallout of Raja's arrest on the upcoming polls.

Both Congress and DMK leaders maintained that the arrest would not impact their proposed electoral tie-up.

AICC general secretary Janardan Dwivedi said the development would not have any bearing on the relations between the Congress and the DMK.

"It is absolutely no reflection on the alliance. It is continuation of a legal process," AICC spokesperson Abhishek Singhvi said, adding that no one should mix up legal process and politics.

Already the spectrum scam has created fissures within Karunanidhi's family as everyone is against his daughter, Kanimozhi's, faction. But for her father, she has no one to bank on. Jayalalithaa could not have hoped for much more to take on the DMK as well as the Congress.

Her gameplan is to reinforce the notion that the DMK is corrupt to the core and with the Karunanidhi family holding sway over the party, it serves to build up public opinion. After all, the first time Karunanidhi was dismissed from power was on corruption charges. The patriarch appears rattled by this and also by her charisma to pull huge crowds. If anything, his recent utterances point to his apprehensions of losing power - so much so that he had asked his partymen to remain united or face being thrown out of power.

Source:-http://indiatoday.intoday.in/site/Story/128516/top-stories/2g-scam-dmk-remains-silent-over-arrest-of-raja.html