Adc 08 may 2014

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Regd. No. MH/MR/South-160/2012-14 RNI Regn. No. 43675/1985 MUMBAI THURSDAY, MAY 8, 2014 32 PAGES `3 Website: www.afternoondc.in

Aft er oo DESPATCH & COURIER

MANMOHAN SINGH BELIEVED

HE WAS ‘ACCIDENTAL’

By A Staff Reporter

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very major prime minister in India, not counting the “Gujrals and the Chowdhurys”, came to power because the previous prime minister had died. But they never considered themselves accidental. Manmohan Singh actually believed he was. Sanjaya Baru, former media adviser and chief spokesman to PM Manmohan Singh for four years during his ten-year term, was answering a question on why he had titled his book, The Accidental Prime Minister, thus. In it, he discusses UPA 1, Singh’s style of functioning, his uneasy relationship with prime ministers and later with Sonia Gandhi. At a discussion on the book yesterday in Mumbai, packed with equal parts of business and Page 3, he said that the criticism of his book as a hatchet job on the mild-mannered PM seemed to focus only on introduction and epilogue and largely ignored the 13 numbered chapters which were “all very complimentary” to Mr Singh. But it was pretty clear that few in the audience bought this claim, nor the one about why he had written the book five years after he left the PMO, or even why it had to be published right now when his ex-boss was under tremendous stress in a no-holds barred campaign

that seized upon the book to do him even more damage. The publishers dunnit, Baru said. Other interesting snippets emerged in the course of the discussion that saw copy after copy disappearing into the hands of readers who might not actually go through the tome, but wanted the author’s signature at all costs! There were remarks that it was strange the book carried little or nothing about India Inc, given that Mr Singh’s accomplishments in the sphere of economics and finance were undeniable. There was talk about the phenomenon of two centres of power, a phenomenon peculiar to India. Nor is this the first time it has surfaced with such a vengeance. During Nehru’s time as prime minister, Acharya Kripalani resigned as President of the Congress Party because the former refused to answer to him. Indira Gandhi finally came out of the shadows of the party and turned from being a ‘goongi gudiya’ to one of the most powerful prime ministers the country has ever had. At the state level, only West Bengal and then Maharashtra, suffered from twin power centres. The first was Jyoti Basu, who as chief minister of Bengal, was still “required to go to Alimuddin Street in Kolkata, headquarters of the CPM, to report to general secretary

Promod Dasgupta. After the latter died, however, no one tried to re-assert his power with Basu. And in Maharashtra, the story of chief minister Manohar Joshi and his remote control at Matoshree is too well-known to bear repeating. Why did Mr Singh not quit over the scams, was another question, to which Baru answered that he received no complaints, so they were handled at ministry level! However, later, Baru claims, he advised him to quit and even his daughter concurred in an SMS. Does he think the PM has read the book? “I know he has, but he has not contacted me,” said Baru, adding more than a little artfully, that he had written the introduction out of respect for Mr Singh, and the epilogue out of respect for his readers. He seemed to find only one question silly but was made to answer it anyway by author Rama Bijapurkar, who was moderating the event. Veteran journalistVinod Mehta called the book “a job application.” So would he be applying for his job back with the new government, asked the well-known Bachi Karkaria. “I have never gone back to the same job,” he said, primly. Would he agree that in reacting so sharply to the book, the PMO had proved his best marketer? Predictably, there was no answer to that question either!

MUMBHAI

JIGNESH ARRESTED

Vikas Sabnis

Gets picked up along with MCX CEO Sreekanth Javalgekar for their role in the Rs.5,600 crore NSEL scam By Neel Shah

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Thank God! We are not the flat owners from those floors to be demolished by the BMC!

he Economic Offences Wing (EOW) of Mumbai’s crime branch on Wednesday arrested Jignesh Shah and Sreekanth Javalgekar in connection with the National Spot Exchange Ltd (NSEL) scam of Rs.5,600 crore. Shah, chairman of Financial Technologies India Ltd (FTIL), is the main accused in the NSEL scam, said Additional CP (EOW) Rajvardhan Sinha. Shah becomes the 10th accused to be arrested in the NSEL scam. While, Javalgekar the 11th accused was MCX CEO. Shah’s being evasive most of the time when he was summoned by the EOW sleuths and the answers from him being unsatisfactory are the main reasons for which the police arrested him, added Sinha. According to the police, investigations have revealed that Shah, as a director of NSEL, had approved all the Continued on pg 8 «

Gold: `30,230 Silver: `43,465 US Dollar: `60.13 Temperature: 340C/280C Humidity: 63%

Woman’s World Pg13-20

After information, citizens move to claim services By A Staff Reporter

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regular galaxy of activists, former government servants and private citizens got together at the Indian Merchants’ Chamber to take the first important step towards citizens’ empowerment in Maharashtra. Held under the auspices of Lok Adhikar, a citizen’s movement that was launched in April this year, it discussed how to create awareness about a little-known Act which, if well implemented, could bring about a dramatic change in the quality of pub-

lic services in Maharashtra. The official title is the ‘Government Servants Regulation of Transfers and Prevention of Delay in Discharge of Official Duties Act, 2005’, and it is already operational in several other states, including MP, and Bihar and Haryana. In Maharashtra, it is only partially implemented. Lok Adhikar prefers to call it the Right to Services Act. Comprising, among others, RTI activist Shailesh Gandhi, ex-Secretary to the Chief Minister and currently head Continued on pg 8 «

NO WATER SHORTAGE Begin preparing for poor monsoons, but have no worries about bathing and drinking By Khushboo Panjabi

Commissioner Mohan Adtani said, “Barring the lakes in the aking heed of the Meteor- city, the water stock is adeological Department’s quate enough to meet the deforecast of a poor monsoon mand of the city.” this year, the Brihanmumbai He mentioned that the Municipal Corporation (BMC) water levels in Tansa, Modak is working out a precaution- Sagar, Vehar, Tulsi, Upper ary plan to ensure there is no Vaitarna and Bhatsa lakes is water shortage problem. Continued on pg 8 « BMC Additional Municipal

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