With no sign of the government relenting on the demand for a joint parliamentary probe (JPC) on the controversial 2G spectrum allocation on the floor of the House, the non-NDA and non-UPA parties took their battle outside the two Houses of Parliament. The “secular Opposition” as they would like to call it on Tuesday staged a dharna in front of the Gandhi statue demanding a JPC probe into the 2G affair.

The NDA on Tuesday said it was ready for a five-day special session of Parliament to compensate for the loss of work due to the current deadlock, provided the government concedes to the Opposition demand for JPC probe into the 2G spectrum issue.

Amidst the din in the House, the government on Tuesday introduced the much awaited and much debated Protection of Women Against Sexual Harassment at Work Place Bill, 2010, in the Lok Sabha to ensure a safe working environment for every woman.

The BJP, which witnessed a thumping victory in the Bihar Assembly polls, is confident that its numerical strength gained in Bihar polls, can help it in increasing the NDA fold. Sources said the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP), which had recently snapped ties with the BJP, is sending feelers to the latter for a possible pre-poll alliance. Assembly polls are scheduled in Assam for 2011.

The Nationalist Congress Party has decided to celebrate December 12, the birthday of the party chief Sharad Pawar as the “Kisan Diwas” across the country.
Mr Pawar, whose parliamentary career began in 1967, remained active inside and outside Parliament and is a legislature for more than four decades.

A general body meeting of the Congress Parliamentary Party has not been called yet when the current Winter Session of Parliament is in the last phase and could adjourn sine die either during this week or on next Monday.

The BJP chief, Mr Nitin Gadkari, forced to retain the tainted Karnataka chief minister B.S. Yeddyurappa, will be reaching Bengaluru on Tuesday to issue a “warning to the entire state unit.” The BJP chief, who will meet the state office- bearers, ministers, MPs, MLAs and MLCs, is expected to deliver a “strong message” and make it clear that “there would be no compromise on the issue of corruption,” sources said.

The Central Information Commission (CIC) on Monday directed the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) to “evolve a scientific criteria for declaring certain buildings dangerous”. The directions have been given in a letter dispatched to the MCD.

The government on Monday set all airlines a deadline, asking them to upload route-wise airfares datewise on their websites by 5 pm on December 8.
This will mean passengers will be able to see the price-bands charged sectorwise and datewise by airlines and will not get any last-minute shocks if they book tickets very close to the date of travel.

A young girl was allegedly molested by the son of a businessman at a late night party at Sainik Farms after she refused to accept a drink offered by the accused.
Police sources said the victim’s bodyguard was also assaulted when he tried to rescue her. On the basis of her complaint, the police has registered a case under Section 354 of the IPC against the accused, identified as Abhishek Aggarwal, a resident of E-block, Vasant Vihar, and he was placed under detention.