The Centre will come out with a “detailed response” on the allegations that the 1995 Purulia arms drop case was aimed at “destabilising” the then West Bengal government.

Challenging Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and his Cabinet colleagues to say that the contents of the draft report of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) on 2G spectrum scam were not based on facts, the main Opposition BJP on Friday attacked Prime Minister Manmohan Singh of “direct complicity” in the 2G spectrum issue.

The Centre has decided to make public details of assets of all serving IAS officers and other Group ‘A’ Central Service Officers by June 1.
The DoPT is planning to post all details on its website as a move to bring transparency where information regarding assets, income tax returns and assets of their dependants, submitted by the civil servants is brought in the public domain.

Home minister P. Chidambaram on Friday sharply attacked PAC chairman Murli Manohar Joshi by saying that the draft report prepared by Mr Joshi on his role in the 2G spectrum allocation was a “gross distortion” which “deliberately and mischievously” omitted his suggestions on the issue.

Home minister P. Chidambaram on Friday said that “barring a few isolated incidents, full security was provided to the voters as well as election officials” in West Bengal during the Assembly elections in the state. A total of 758 companies of the CAPFs were deployed for purposes of the elections, he said while speaking at his monthly press conference.

The Centre’s growing dependence on the Samajwadi Party and BSP could weaken the Congress’ poll plank in Uttar Pradesh as the latter would find it difficult to launch an effective campaign against chief minister Mayawati and Mr Mulayam Singh Yadav in the coming electoral battle.

The re-appointment of Mr Manikrao Thakre as the Maharashtra Congress chief is a clear message that the party high command does not want to encourage a tussle between the chief minister and the PCC chief in the state.

In a major relief to Karnataka chief minister B.S. Yeddyurappa, the Supreme Court on Friday rejected a petition for vacating the stay on trial proceedings before a Bengaluru special court in a land allocation case on a private complaint filed following grant of sanction by governor H.R. Bhardwaj.

Facing day-to-day proceedings on examining the 16 charges of corruption and misconduct slapped on him in the impeachment process, Sikkim high court Chief Justice P.D. Dinakaran on Friday got two weeks’ stay on the probe by a three-member judicial committee from the Supreme Court after he sought removal of one of the members, P.P. Rao, accusing him of “bias”.

Air India on Saturday further reduced its operations to 39 domestic flights out of its regular 320 as the strike by its pilots entered the fourth day inconveniencing passengers.