What is the politics behind the price rise agitation? While the opposition makes noise every now and then, there are no concrete results on the ground. The public outcry against the spiraling price rise is increasing because it is impossible for the common man to buy dal at Rs 120 or tomatoes at Rs 60 or edible oil in exorbitant prices. The normal “dal roti” has become beyond the common man’s reach now with alarming double- digit food inflation. The Parliament should naturally reflect the agony of the “aam admi” and it is only right that the people’s representatives should raise their voice over this. However, the ruling Congress is not keen to risk any motion, which will require voting, as the government is fragile.

NEW DELHI: Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar’s recent request to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to reduce his burden of three ministerial portfolios has revealed another dimension to the nationwide tension over across-the-board fuel price hikes, in the midst of unprecedented rising prices of foodgrains and other essential commodities of mass consumption.

KOLKATA: Bangladesh is about to purchase rice and wheat from India in the months ahead, according to Dhaka-based sources.

With inflation getting increasingly generalized and becoming the dominant concern, the Reserve Bank of India has predictably raised the key policy rates with immediate effect, the repo rate by 25 basis points to 5.75 per cent and the reverse repo by 50 basis points to 4.5 per cent, leaving Bank Rate and CRR unchanged.

Neither India nor Pakistan covered itself with glory during their Foreign Ministers’ meeting last week—the first ministerial talks since the Mumbai terrorist attacks of November 2008. In fact, both have damaged their international image by demonstrating antipathy to each other’s concerns and a refusal to establish a framework conducive to a productive dialogue. Both governments have disappointed a majority of people in their respective countries who had hoped for such a dialogue and some improvement in mutual relations. It is ordinary people whose progress suffers the most when bilateral relations sour and mistrust prevails.

Amit Shah is the third legislator and second minister of the BJP to have fallen foul of the law. The other two are Maya Kodnani, who was a minister of state in Narendra Modi’s government before she was arrested for involvement in the 2002 Gujarat riots, and Manoj Pradhan, an MLA in Orissa, who was arrested in connection with the disturbances in Kandhamal in 2008.

Have the ghosts of terrorism and Naxalism started haunting Punjab? Yes, if one goes by the statements of the Punjab’s Director General of Police P.S. Gill. Gill has said that the ISI is trying to push in militants through the Punjab border. “There are attempts from across the border to revive terrorism in Punjab. But we, along with the BSF, are ready to deal with any challenge”.

KOLKATA: SAARC countries are examining a proposal to set up a regional police force, to handle the problem of mounting crimes like terrorism, drug dealing and human trafficking.

Nitin Gadkari, who is just six months into office, has already become a target for his many failures. The rumour mills within the party churn out juicy stories as to how he had messed up issues like the Narendra Modi-Nitish? Kumar spat, government crisis in Karnataka and interactions with the RSS. True, Gadkari, a provincial leader, lacks the stature to command a national party. It is also true that he took months to name his team and was not able to fix their work. He came with lofty ideas like performance audit for the cadre.

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The speed with which the Left Democratic Front (LDF) Government has gone about the task of tackling terrorism in the State has earned praise – even from quarters which are otherwise ill-disposed towards it.