India

Indian parliament begins session to take up confidence vote

New Delhi - A crucial two-day session of the Indian parliament to take up a vote of confidence in the United Progressive Alliance government began Monday with the prime minister expressing confidence that his coalition will prevail. 

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was forced to call the trust vote after his communist partners withdrew parliamentary support from the Congres-party led alliance, in protest against a civilian nuclear deal with the United States which they said compromised on India's strategic sovereignty. 

The debate is scheduled to continue until Tuesday evening when the floor vote will be called. 

‘Every decision of government in best interest of the nation’: PM

New Delhi, July 21 : India Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan SinghPrime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh today moved a one-line motion on vote of confidence in Parliament.

Dr. Singh began the trust vote saying that every single decision we have taken is in the best interest of the nation.

We are here after a tenure of four years. And the credit goes to all leaders of the UPA,” he said.

During his brief speech, Dr. Singh said, "I had offered to all parties that we will come to Parliament before we go to the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) for implementing the nuclear deal.”

Government has support of more than 291 MPs: Rashtriya Janata Dal

New Delhi, July 21 : The Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) today claimed that the government has the support of more than 291 MPs to win tomorrow''s trust vote in te Lok Sabha. 

Saying that the government will win the trust vote, RJD chief Lalu Prasad said, "Our number is continuously growing. It has now exceeded the 291 mark. There is going to be a great victory for us." 

"Our trust vote is the trust of the country. The people are in favour of nuclear power," he told media persons outside Parliament.

Defending the Indo-US nuclear deal, he said that in today''s world people were getting land registered on the moon, and India, which was isolated earlier, can now get the recognition it needed. 

Tension mounts along India, Bangladesh border as death toll rises

Dhaka - A young Bangladeshi man was gunned down by suspected Indian security forces near the India-Bangladesh border amid mounting tension along the common frontier of the two neighbours, local police said Monday. 

Omar Shareef, chief of Benapole police station in north-western Bangladesh, claimed the body also bore marks of multiple wounds. 

With the latest casualty, the number of people killed since Friday in border violence rose to seven. 

Bangladeshi officials said the Indian Border Security Force (BSF) has taken up an aggressive posture since the paramilitary outfit was ordered to shoot at sight any person near the frontier after sunset. 

Peace process in South Asia, resolving Kashmir dispute: KAC

New Delhi, July 21, The Kashmiri American Council or Kashmir Center (KAC) and the Association of Humanitarian Lawyers will hold the Ninth International Kashmir Peace Conference on August 1 on Capitol Hill in Washington.

According to a KAC press release, a number of delegates from India, Pakistan and other parts of the world, including Justice Rajinder Sachar, Former Chief Justice, Delhi High Court, Kuldip Nayyar, a veteran journalist Pandit Jatinder Bakhshi, Ola Lanka, Vice President, Norwegian Parliament, Farzana Raja, Sherry Rehman, Major General (retired) Jamshaid Ayaz Khan all from Islamabad and also ambassadors of few countries will take part in the two-day conference.

Government will prove its majority: Manmohan Singh

New Delhi, July 21: Government will prove its majority: Manmohan Singh

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