The prospects of an early parliamentary nod to the food bill brightened after the Samajwadi Party in its parliamentary board meeting on Tuesday decided to support the legislation subject to certain amendments to address issues pertaining to the interests of the farmers and also improving the nutritional aspects by including pulses too in the scheme.

Despite the BJP’s central leadership disapproving of its Bihar state unit’s formal call for Narendra Modi’s projection as prime ministerial candidate, the state unit leaders on Tuesday stood by their decision, saying they only bowed to the overwhelming desire of Bihar’s BJP workers.

By denying permission for the Vishwa Hindu Parishad, the Akhilesh Yadav government in UP has ensured double benefits for the ruling Samajwadi Party as well as the right wing organisations, including BJP.

The Union law and justice ministry has moved a Cabinet note to amend the Representation of the People Act wherein a legislator cannot be disqualified after conviction if the appeal is pending before a court and sentence is stayed.

Expressing concern over the BJP not appearing to be working in tandem in both Houses of Parliament, senior leader Yashwant Sinha, it was learnt, raised the issue in the BJP’s parliamentary party meeting on Tuesday. In the meeting, which was held in the morning before the Houses met, it was decided that the main Opposition will raise the issue of missing coal block allocation files and the matter pertaining to the Uttar Pradesh government’s decision to stop the VHP from holding a religious procession in Ayodhya.

Warning that communal forces could divide society, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Tuesday said these needed to be defeated in the elections. His remarks could be seen as directed at BJP’s face in the coming Lok Sabha elections and Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi.

India has raised the issue of Chinese incursions across the LAC and the need for a separate mechanism for water issues during the fifth India-China Strategic Dialogue held here on Tuesday.

The CBI on Tuesday maintained that the coal ministry refused to respond to the request of the agency made in May for information about the missing files related to the Coalgate scam.

A Delhi court has cleared the judicial requests of the CBI to be sent to the UK,
Italy and Tunisia for seeking details of certain companies based there as part of agency’s probe into Rs 3,600 crore AugustaWestland helicopter deal.

In a move that will assist in rapid deployment of forces in case of any eventuality in areas near the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in the Ladakh sector bordering China, the Indian Air Force (IAF) on Tuesday — for the first time ever — landed one of its modern and state-of-the-art C-130 J Hercules transport aircraft at the Daulat Beg Oldie (DBO) advanced landing ground (ALG) which is the highest airstrip in the world.