Unfazed by Opposition’s demand,Cong backs Pawan Bansal and Ashwani Kumar

PM backs Law Minister at Congress core group meeting; party MPs to meet today.

The Congress top brass on Sunday decided to back its beleaguered ministers,Pawan Kumar Bansal and Ashwani Kumar,choosing to brazen it out with the Opposition,and thereby risking all crucial legislations listed in the current session of parliament which now looks set to be washed out. The decision was taken at the Congress core group meeting held at the Prime Ministers residence here today.

The ruling partys decision was driven by its assessment that resignation of Railway Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal,who has been under fire since the arrest of his nephew for allegedly talking bribe to facilitate a Railway Board appointment,would only open the floodgates for the Opposition to raise the stakes,right up to the level of Prime Minister.

Sources told The Indian Express that the Congress was not very convinced about the case of Law Minister Ashwani Kumar,who is reported to have vetted the CBIs status report on the coal blocks controversy,but had to give in after PM Manmohan Singh openly supported him. In Bansals case though,the party does not want to repeat the mistake that it made in former chief minister Ashok Chavans case.

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Till today,we have not found a shred of evidence against Ashok Chavan (in the Adarsh scam)… We do not want to commit any mistake. Even in Bansals case,all that we are saying is that we will go by the investigation report. We are not giving him a clean chit as yet, said a senior Congress leader.

The Congress had earlier taken a nuanced stand,with AICC general secretary and media department chairman Janardan Dwivedi saying that Bansal has already supported the inquiry. Shortly after the core group meeting,Information & Broadcasting Minister Manish Tewari told mediapersons that Bansal has already welcomed the investigations. It would be inappropriate to pre-judge, he said.

As for the Law Minister,Tewari said the case is sub-judice and the government of India would spell out its stand through its law officers when it comes up for hearing on May 8.

On the pending legislations,ruling party sources said the government would be compelled to resort to the ordinance route to implement its ambitious legislations regarding food security and land acquisition and resettlement. Let them oppose it in parliament later, said a senior Congress functionary.

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Given that the party is expecting to win the Assembly elections in Karnataka,for which counting is scheduled to be held on May 8,Congress sources said the Opposition may be forced to revisit their stand after the results. Meanwhile,the Congress has convened a meeting of all its MPs on Monday to deliberate over the partys strategy in the respective houses,with the Opposition looking determined to disrupt the proceedings.

SP leader Azam Khan walks out of jail after 23 months, hundreds of supporters welcome him

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Senior Samajwadi Party leader Azam Khan, who is facing multiple cases, walked out of the Sitapur jail today after 23 months. He was scheduled to be released early Tuesday morning, but it was delayed due to impending court proceedings. Hundreds of supporters gathered outside the Sitapur jail, waiting for the SP leader to walk out of prison.

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