Re: Our Puppet PM Went in G20 to beg for Autographs
by subramanyasastry hoskote on Apr 09, 2009 12:01 AM
That may be a better and fruitful job than waiting to see the DON at her residence here!
HMEDABAD: Danseuse Mallika Sarabhai on Monday invited BJP's prime ministerial candidate L K Advani for an open debate posing five questions to him even as CPI(ML) pledged support to her candidature from Gandhinagar constituency.
"I invite him (L K Advani) for an open debate," Sarabhai, who is contesting as an Independent candidate against BJP leader and four time MP from Gandhinagar Lok Sabha seat, said.
"I would like to pose five question to him today as he has been our (Gandhinagar) MP for the last 20 years," she said.
"My first question is how many and what kind of questions have you raised in the Lok Sabha about Gandhinagar in the last five years," Mallika asked Advani.
She wanted to know what efforts were made by him towards opportunities for education and livelihood generation in the rural areas of Gandhinagar constituency.
She asked why he had not spoken out against violence and atrocities against women in Gujarat and specifically in Gandhinagar.
She demanded to know that despite being MP for this constituency, why had Advani not shown any concern towards local issues of the constituency as well as the state.
Raising question about MPLADs scheme she asked "have you used your funds under MPLADs scheme to benefit the deprived and underprivileged in your constituency?"
Re: I invite Advani for an open debate: Mallika Sarabhai
by subramanyasastry hoskote on Apr 08, 2009 11:49 PM
You wrote that Mallika wants a debate with LKA. And some people have given parts of her bidata to say that she is a great person. I am not going into her biodata. When LKA invited MMS and the DON, they backtracked. Now this practically unknown (politically) lady calls for a debate with LKA. I do not about her qualifications, but I am amazed that she does not have the common sense to call someone of her stature for a debate - maybe a BJP contestant for a municipal ward will be a match!
Re: Re: I invite Advani for an open debate: Mallika Sarabhai
by Merabharat Mahan on Apr 08, 2009 11:57 PM
lets not discuss a NON ISSUE as Mallika Sarabhi here...
Re: Re: I invite Advani for an open debate: Mallika Sarabhai
by Rationalist on Apr 09, 2009 12:24 AM
SHe has nothing to loose if Advani does'nt want to debate with her non-sense arguments.There are lot of other candidates. Why do'nt she debate with them? She knows she will get all the attention if she targets a big personality like Advani.
Re: Re: I invite Advani for an open debate: Mallika Sarabhai
by Pyare Mohan on Apr 08, 2009 11:54 PM
wht ever her biodate is, at present she and Advani are candidate of Gandhinagar.... addu will become pm after winning the election not now..
Re: Re: Re: I invite Advani for an open debate: Mallika Sarabhai
by subramanyasastry hoskote on Apr 08, 2009 11:56 PM
and MMS will never venture to contest an election!
Re: Re: Re: Re: I invite Advani for an open debate: Mallika Sarab
by Pyare Mohan on Apr 09, 2009 12:00 AM
if he contest from Gandhinagar, will request him to accept Addu's invitation as candidate of Gandhinagar!!!
Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: I invite Advani for an open debate: Mallika S
by subramanyasastry hoskote on Apr 09, 2009 12:05 AM
I do not think he will muster the courage to contest from Amethi and Raibarily also. He will contest only of the DON asks him to do so!
Re: I invite Advani for an open debate: Mallika Sarabhai
by CongressIN on Apr 09, 2009 12:46 AM
Sarabhai, keep crying baby. you want some news and limelight. noway, we shall give you.
Re: I invite Advani for an open debate: Mallika Sarabhai
by Rahul Gupta on Apr 09, 2009 12:29 AM
Oh.. Mr Advani has a social life may be more than her age.. Mr Advani has made his presence felt inside and outside since last sixty years, and this dancer from Ahmedabad wants to know how many questions Advani has asked in the Lok sabha. Let me ask now how many question did Sonia asked in the Parliament that the Congress brass made her the Leader of its Party. Mallika should keep dancing and entertain her community..
Re: I invite Advani for an open debate: Mallika Sarabhai
by subramanyasastry hoskote on Apr 08, 2009 11:58 PM
I wnat a debate with the DON and MMS. Will you please ask them to fix up an appointment with me for the debate?
why are they so eager to reject the german government's offer ? who are the 100 odd individuals who have stashed so much wealth abroad ? we need to know.
should have been leading the war cry against it. But it did not even morally support those waging the war. Third, when on Sunday last L K Advani told Manmohan Singh that India should join in the G20 effort to break banking secrecy, the PM did not respond. The spokesperson of the Congress Abhishek Singhvi responded that G20 was not the forum for that, being blissfully ignorant of the fact that it was a main agenda of G20 meet. In fact just ahead of the meeting, Sarkozy had threatened to walk out unless the G20 decisively acted against secret banks and tax havens. No need to strain further to understand Manmohan’s compulsions. The fear that drove the ruling family to abort the 1987 probe into Indian monies secreted abroad is still evident. But Advani’s threat to turn the recovery of Indian wealth secreted abroad an election issue has got the PM and his party off guard. The party has blundered, saying G20 is not the forum, when it is precisely that. Now the prime minister cannot remain silent. He has to do something. At least make a show of doing. But can he? QED: Dr Manmohan Singh stands between the devil and the deep sea — between his party and L K Advani.
Re: part 5
by democrazy on Apr 09, 2009 12:42 AM
Vivek, Good job of recording the way the world is reacting to get the black moeny while India's so called financial wizards of UPA working to stop India lay its hands on it.
Jairam Ramesh's letter shows offense is the best defence strategy. They probably are positively answering for the question "who stole the gourd?"
Please set up a blog pade for this story and update it regularly. It will act as a valuable info base.
When the crusade of the West against Swiss banks is succeeding, here Dr Manmohan Singh and his government, instead of celebrating, seem to be worried at their success. Three bits of evidence expose the Congress-led government’s not-so-well-hidden worry. First, when Germany’s finance ministry offered the LTG bank secret data to any country that needed it, the government would not ask for it despite reports that it contained some 100 Indian names. When in April last year, L K Advani wrote to Manmohan, requesting to him to ask Germany for the data, the then finance minister responded evasively. Transparency International noted India’s “stoic silence over the issue” and that it “has not approached the German government for the data’’ (Economic Times, May 25 2008]. More, the revenue secretary in Delhi has reportedly advised the Indian ambassador in Berlin not to push Germany for the details as Germany might not like it – clear proof that the government is scuttling, not getting, the details. Second, when, in the G20 preparatory meeting at Berlin, Germany and France were threatening to blacklist Swiss and other secret tax shelters, India’s silence at Berlin was deafening. Montek Singh Ahluwalia, the PM’s righthand who, along with Dr Rakesh Mohan, represented India at Berlin, did not utter a word in support of Germany and France. India, a principal victim of banking secrecy
Soon, France joined Germany. “We want to put a stop to tax havens”, thundered Sarkozy. At the preparatory G20 summit in Berlin early February, European leaders vowed to launch a global crusade against tax havens at the G20 meet in London, said the Irish Financial News. Europe’s anger was explicit in its refusal to allow the Swiss plea to be presented before the G20 in London. The US moved even more menacingly. On February 18, the US Inland Revenue threatened the largest Swiss bank, UBS, with a lawsuit — that would have bankrupted it — unless the bank disclosed the names and accounts of some 300 American tax dodgers. A frightened UBS forthwith surrendered the secret data to the US before the account holders could stall it by a Swiss court order. Later, the Obama administration told the US Senate that it would bring laws to prise open the world’s most secretive tax havens. At this point the UK joined the crusade. Switzerland wilted under the pressure. Spiegel wrote that, for generations, the Swiss had held bank secrecy as “not negotiable”, and added that it was “no longer” so. The magazine quoted Swiss finance minister Merz as saying that they would have “to compromise”. The Swiss justice and foreign ministers, the magazine reported, had hinted that the country might have to stop protecting tax dodgers. Subsequently, a nervous Merz met Gordon Brown on March 14 with a deal to prevent any move in G20 to blacklist his country. The deal was that Swiss banks would adopt the ban
The Guardian of UK wrote (March 4), “European leaders grew increasingly agitated at how tax havens have fostered secrecy that has contributed to the collapse of banks the world over”. The newspaper’s Tax Gap Series estimated the unaccounted global wealth held in secret havens, including Switzerland, at $13 trillion. The annual tax evasion on the dirty fund, estimated at $255 billion was, the newspaper said, twice the global budget for poor nations. Der Spiegel, a German magazine, reported (March 3) that “Cash strapped governments around the world see the opportunity to finally put an end to bank secrecy” to access the money concealed by their nationals. It added “British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, French President Nicholas Sarkozy and German Chancellor Angela Merkel are now joining forces” and “they have set their sights on Switzerland”. The crusade against Swiss banks was started by Germany in early 2008 when its intelligence bribed — bribed? Yes — an informant in LGT Bank in Liechtenstein and got a CD containing the names of some 1,500 tax dodgers, and raided half of them, who were its citizens. It also offered, free of cost, the names of citizens of other countries. Many accepted the offer gratefully. Thereafter, in the third quarter of 2008, Germany pressed the Organisation of Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) to blacklist Switzerland for protecting tax dodgers. Switzerland is an OECD member and twothirds of the Swiss speak German. Yet Germany couldn’t car
A deafening silence on funny money It was unthinkable six months ago. Switzerland, once a pet of Western capitalism, is now its hate object. During World War II, the tiny nation was the common love of both the Allied and Axis powers, at war with each other. But neutral Switzerland, a friend of all since Napoleonic days, is friendless today. Its prime attraction, financial secrecy secured by law, has become its nemesis. Germany first, France next, the US later, with the UK joining last, have, individually and together, declared a war against secret banking and tax havens like Switzerland. It is a crusade by the West against the Swiss, says the media. Tax havens ask for no income tax from non-citizens and their banks ask no questions about their money. Modern capitalism had all along winked at secret banks and tax shelters; even nicknamed secret money ‘funny money’. But now the West chases secret money like it targets al-Qaeda. Why this miraculous shift? The short answer: ‘financial crisis’. The Guardian of UK wrote (March 4), “European leaders grew increasingly agitated at how tax havens have fostered secrecy that has contributed to the collapse of banks the world over”. The newspaper’s Tax Gap Series estimated the unaccounted global wealth held in secret havens, including Switzerland, at $13 trillion. The annual tax evasion on the dirty fund, estimated at $255 billion was, the newspaper said, twice the global budget for poor nations. Der Spiegel, a German magazine, report
