Firebrand leader of India’s main opposition attacks PM over FDI in retail

Firebrand leader of India's main opposition attacks PM over FDI in retail

                                  By Girish Kumar Dubey
Uma Bharti, the firebrand leader of India's main opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), denounced Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Tuesday (November 29), saying he had 'murdered democracy' by allowing foreign direct investment (FDI) into the country's retail sector.

The reform would allow global chains like Wal-Mart Stores Inc and Carrefour to own up to 51 percent of retail ventures.

Bharti said Singh had been pressurised into making the decision by pro-American and pro-rich bureaucrats.

"The Prime Minister has murdered democracy by allowing Wal-Mart to come in because his allies don't approve the decision. The group of ministers, constituted on the issue, doesn't favour it. He has taken a decision under the pressure of bureaucrats who are pro-American and pro-rich," Bharti told reporters in Varanasi city of northern Uttar Pradesh.

Bharti went on to liken Wal-Mart to Kalanemi, a demon in Hindu mythology, and urged the people of India to destroy the global supermarket giant.

"More people will lose their employment than people getting jobs. Brokers of Wal-Mart are spreading misinformation that it will create job opportunities. I want to caution the countrymen that they shouldn't fall prey to such propaganda. We will have to destroy Wal-Mart the same way Lord Hanuman destroyed Kalanemi (demon), who was deceptive and a crook and at last Lord Hanuman killed him. Wal-Mart is Kalnemi for us and we will destroy it," said Bharti.

Singh has failed to break an impasse on the issue, with opposition parties and his own political allies demanding a rollback on the reform.

The deadlock means Singh's Congress party-led coalition faces further opposition disruption of parliament, which has been adjourned for six days already.

The controversy comes at a bad time for Congress, worried the issue could become a lightning rod for criticism of the government before state elections due next year.

The issue feeds into some deep-seated nationalism of Indian politicians, as well as fears of massive job losses among the millions of small shopkeepers.

Intro

Uma Bharti, leader of India's main opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), alleges Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has 'murdered democracy' by allowing foreign direct investment (FDI) into the country's retail sector.

PLEASE NOTE: THIS EDIT CONTAINS CONVERTED 4:3 MATERIAL

Shotlist

VARANASI, UTTAR PRADESH, INDIA (NOVEMBER 29, 2011) (ORIGINALLY 4:3) (ANI-NO ACCESS BBC)

1. UMA BHARTI, LEADER OF BHARATIYA JANATA PARTY (BJP), ARRIVING TO BRIEF MEDIA

2. (SOUNDBITE) (Hindi) UMA BHARTI, LEADER OF BHARATIYA JANATA PARTY (BJP), SAYING:

"The Prime Minister has murdered democracy by allowing Wal-Mart to come in because his allies don't approve the decision. The group of ministers, constituted on the issue, doesn't favour it. He has taken a decision under the pressure of bureaucrats who are pro-American and pro-rich."

3. (SOUNDBITE) (Hindi) UMA BHARTI, LEADER OF INDIA'S MAIN OPPOSITION BHARATIYA JANATA PARTY (BJP), SAYING:

"More people will lose their employment than people getting jobs. Brokers of Wal-Mart are spreading misinformation that it will create job opportunities. I want to caution the countrymen that they shouldn't fall prey to such propaganda. We will have to destroy Wal-Mart the same way Lord Hanuman destroyed Kalanemi (demon), who was deceptive and a crook and at last Lord Hanuman killed him. Wal-Mart is Kalnemi for us and we will destroy it."

4. BHARTI LEAVING IN A VEHICLE

Original Script Date

Nov 29 11:51 (20 hours ago)

Modified Script Date

Nov 29 11:51 (20 hours ago)

Script Version

1

Headline

Firebrand leader of India's main opposition attacks PM over FDI in retail.

Services

Subcon

Locations

VARANASI, UTTAR PRADESH, INDIA

Dates Shot

NOVEMBER 29, 2011

Sound

NATURAL WITH HINDI SPEECH

Duration

1:02

India minister announces relief package of 62.34 billion rupees for weavers.

India minister announces relief package of 62.34 billion rupees for weavers
                                     
                                           By Girish Kumar Dubey

India's federal Commerce Minister Anand Sharma on Saturday (November 19) announced a relief package of 62.34 Billion rupees for 1.3 million weavers, in Varanasi city of northern Uttar Pradesh state.

Expressing concern over the state of handloom industry, Sharma said that the government has waived off debt worth 38.84 Billion rupees.

"The first package is for waving off the debts. That consists of 15,000 cooperatives for weavers that will facilitate more than 13 lakhs of weavers out of which three lakhs belongs to Uttar Pradesh. Including all this 3,884 crore rupees of debt has been waved off," he said.

This sector has been under tremendous stress due to the increased yarn prices and strong competition from power loom and mill sector.

Sharma further said the relief package will benefit large number of weavers across the country as it will give support to their economic condition.

"The total expense of the second package which I have announced is 2,350 crore rupees. If we sum up the cost of both the packages then it will be more than 6,200 crore rupees," he added.

A six fold strategy has been prepared by the federal government under the name of Handloom Package to help the weavers.

Meanwhile, on Saturday (November 19) Congress General Secretary Rahul Gandhi had asked the federal government to provide adequate financial assistance to handloom weavers, ahead of the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections in 2012.

Intro

India's federal Commerce Minister Anand Sharma announces a relief package of 62.34 billion rupees for 1.3 million weavers, in Varanasi city of Uttar Pradesh state.

PLEASE NOTE: THIS EDIT CONTAINS CONVERTED 4:3 MATERIAL

Shotlist

VARANASI, UTTAR PRADESH, INDIA (NOVEMBER 19, 2011) (ORIGINALLY 4:3) (ANI-NO ACCESS BBC)

1. ANAND SHARMA, INDIA'S COMMERCE MINISTER, ARRIVING AT THE EVENT

2. STUDENTS THROWING FLOWERS AT SHARMA

3. SHARMA VISITING STALLS

4. VARIETY OF WOVEN CLOTHES ON DISPLAY

5. SHARMA STANDING AT THE STALL

6. SHARMA SITTING ON THE DAIS

7. WEAVERS SITTING

8. SHARMA SITTING FOR THE NEWS CONFERENCE

9. (SOUNDBITE) (Hindi) ANAND SHARMA, INDIA'S COMMERCE MINISTER, SAYING:

"The first package is for waving off the debts. That consists of 15,000 cooperatives for weavers that will facilitate more than 13 lakhs of weavers out of which three lakhs belongs to Uttar Pradesh. Including all this 3,884 crore rupees of debt has been waved off."

10. (SOUNDBITE) (Hindi) ANAND SHARMA, INDIA'S COMMERCE MINISTER, SAYING:

"The total expense of the second package which I have announced is 2,350 crore rupees. If we sum up the cost of both the packages then it will be more than 6,200 crore rupees."

11. A WEAVER WORKING

12. MACHINES AT THE WORKSHOP

13. A MACHINERY DISPLAYED

14. A WEAVER WEAVING A CLOTH

15. THREAD BEING WOVEN ON A MACHINE

16. PEOPLE WORKING IN THE WORKSHOP

Original Script Date

Nov 20 02:06 (3 days ago)

Modified Script Date

Nov 20 02:06 (3 days ago)

Script Version

1

Headline

India minister announces relief package of 62.34 billion rupees for weavers.

Services

Subcon Extra

Locations

VARANASI, UTTAR PRADESH, INDIA

Dates Shot

NOVEMBER 19, 2011

Sound

NATURAL WITH HINDI SPEECH

Duration

2:48

India’s cash-for-vote scam accused flexes political muscle ahead of polls

India's cash-for-vote scam accused flexes political muscle ahead of polls
                                       By Girish Kumar Dubey
Flexing his political muscle ahead of the upcoming polls, Indian lawmaker and accused in the 2008 cash-for-votes scam, Amar Singh, lashed out at friend-turned-adversary, Mulayam Singh Yadav in the Varanasi town of India's northern Uttar Pradesh state on Sunday (November 13).

Singh, a former leader of regional Samajwadi Party, was arrested on September 06 in connection with his alleged role in the scam and subsequently granted bail on humanitarian grounds on October 24.

Police arrested Singh and his secretary Sanjeev Saxena, after being reprimanded by the Supreme Court for sloppy investigation in July 2011. A private television channel had secretly recorded the alleged transaction of money.

Boosted by the conditional release, Singh is now seeking a comeback in Indian politics to restore his old glory, claim analysts.

Addressing a massive political rally in Varanasi, the articulate Singh voiced his ire at Yadav for having betrayed him earlier, asking the regional political heavyweight to explain why he had not supported him in testing times.

"I want to ask Mr. Mulayam Singh, why did you remember me and our relations during the recent elections? Why did you not remember me when my fellow leader, Jaya Prada, was facing atrocities and a harrowing time in Rampur (a town in northern India)? You did not remember me when a local leader in Rampur called me a middleman and a supplier. Why did you not show support to me by protesting his remarks?" asked Singh.

Yadav and Singh had bitter fallout last year, following which Singh and his close friend, Jaya Prada, were expelled from the Samajwadi Party on charges of indiscipline.

Since then, ties have been extremely strained between the Yadav and Singh-who had earlier been viewed as a formidable political duo by opponents.

Singh also slammed chief of the Hindu radical party Shiv Sena, Bal Thackeray, and his nephew, chief of the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS), Raj Thackeray, for their perceived ethnic bias against north Indians.

"Bal Thackeray and Raj Thackeray celebrate the Hindu festival of Ganesha Utsav. They do not get tired of worshipping Lord Ganesha, the son of Hindu God Shiva. They say Lord Ganesha is their father. However, Lord Ganesha's father is God Shiva, who hails from the holy town of Varanasi, and so do the people of Varanasi and Uttar Pradesh," added Singh.

In the past, the Shiv Sena has often targeted north Indians, especially those hailing from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, in its stronghold, India's western Maharashtra state, on the pretext of upholding the interests of the 'sons of the soil.'

The MNS too has a powerful influence over Mumbai, much like its larger political rival Shiv Sena, drawing sustenance from a politics of resisting immigration into Mumbai by Indians from states other than Maharashtra.

For generations, waves of migrants have tried to escape rural poverty by coming to Mumbai, gradually elbowing out the local Maharashtrians, who now form less than 50 percent of the city's more than 17 million people.

Meanwhile, Singh reflected on the proposal of creation of a separate state-Purvanchal-from the existing Uttar Pradesh region, urging the provincial chief minister, Mayawati, to bring the issue in the state assembly first.

"I appeal to the Uttar Pradesh chief minister that though you have written a letter to the Prime Minister (on the issue of division of the state), it will not lead to anything. You must call a session of the state assembly and get a proposal on the issue passed from the provincial legislators. This proposal must be sent to the Prime Minister. If the Prime Minister does not take any action on the issue of Purvanchal, then the federal ruling Congress party will come under fire," said Singh.

Mayawati currently heads the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and came to power in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh after a massive victory in the 2007 assembly election.

Uttar Pradesh is politically important, as it sends the most number of lawmakers to the national parliament in New Delhi. The state elections are due in 2012.

Intro

Flexing his political muscle ahead of the upcoming polls, Indian lawmaker and accused in the 2008 cash-for-votes scam, Amar Singh, lashes out at friend-turned-adversary, Mulayam Singh Yadav and regional leader Raj Thackeray at a rally.

PLEASE NOTE: THIS EDIT CONTAINS CONVERTED 4:3 MATERIAL

Shotlist

VARANASI, UTTAR PRADESH, INDIA (NOVEMBER 13, 2011) (ORIGINALLY 4:3) (ANI-NO ACCESS BBC)

1. AMAR SINGH, INDIAN LAWMAKER AND ACCUSED IN THE 2008 CASH-FOR-VOTE SCAM, ARRIVING AT A POLITICAL RALLY IN A CAR

2. SINGH BEING ESCORTED OUT OF THE CAR IN A WHEELCHAIR

3. SINGH'S SUPPORTERS SITTING IN THE AUDIENCE

4. SINGH'S AIDES OFFERING A HUGE GARLAND TO HIM

5. AUDIENCE

6. (SOUNDBITE) (Hindi) AMAR SINGH, INDIAN LAWMAKER AND ACCUSED IN THE 2008 CASH-FOR-VOTE SCAM, SAYING:

"I want to ask Mr. Mulayam Singh, why did you remember me and our relations during the recent elections? Why did you not remember me when my fellow leader, Jaya Prada, was facing atrocities and a harrowing time in Rampur (a town in northern India)? You did not remember me when a local leader in Rampur called me a middleman and a supplier. Why did you not show support to me by protesting his remarks?"

7. AUDIENCE

8. (SOUNDBITE) (Hindi) AMAR SINGH, INDIAN LAWMAKER AND ACCUSED IN THE 2008 CASH-FOR-VOTE SCAM, SAYING:

"Bal Thackeray and Raj Thackeray celebrate the Hindu festival of Ganesha Utsav. They do not get tired of worshipping Lord Ganesha, the son of Hindu God Shiva. They say Lord Ganesha is their father. However, Lord Ganesha's father is God Shiva, who hails from the holy town of Varanasi, and so do the people of Varanasi and Uttar Pradesh."

9. AUDIENCE

10. (SOUNDBITE) (Hindi) AMAR SINGH, INDIAN LAWMAKER AND ACCUSED IN THE 2008 CASH-FOR-VOTE SCAM, SAYING:

"I appeal to the Uttar Pradesh chief minister that though you have written a letter to the Prime Minister (on the issue of division of the state), it will not lead to anything. You must call a session of the state assembly and get a proposal on the issue passed from the provincial legislators. This proposal must be sent to the Prime Minister. If the Prime Minister does not take any action on the issue of Purvanchal, then the federal ruling Congress party will come under fire."

11. AUDIENCE

Original Script Date

Nov 14 00:51 (9 days ago)

Modified Script Date

Nov 14 00:51 (9 days ago)

Script Version

1

Headline

India's cash-for-vote scam accused flexes political muscle ahead of polls.

Services

Subcon Extra

Locations

VARANASI, UTTAR PRADESH, INDIA

Dates Shot

NOVEMBER 13, 2011

Sound

NATURAL WITH HINDI SPEECH

Duration

2:07

Rahul Gandhi pays a surprise visit to holy shrine in north Indian Hindu pilgrimage city

Rahul Gandhi pays a surprise visit to holy shrine in north Indian Hindu pilgrimage city

NOVEMBER 01, 2011             By Girish Kumar Dubey

India's federal ruling Congress party's General Secretary Rahul Gandhi paid a surprise visit to the holy shrine of Guru Ravidas Maharaj at the Hindu holy city of Varanasi in India's northern Uttar Pradesh state on Tuesday (November 01).

Gandhi paid a surprised visit to the holy shrine earlier in the day, which sent the local people, and the pilgrims gathered there into frenzy.

The Congress party leader met the religious leaders of the temple and listened to the religious discourses given out, after which he had food at the community kitchen of the temple.

"He had come to seek blessings at the temple of Guru Ravidasji Maharaj here. He prostrated in front of Guruji's idol and then he listened to the religious discourses, which were being delivered at that time. Then he had food at the community kitchen for about ten minutes. Then he gave out autographs to the people at the guesthouse. Then he told the people that he would serve to the most through the medium of politics," said Pramod Kumar, a local man.

The Ravidas Maharaj temple is one of the most revered shrines for the people of the lower castes from the Hindu and Sikh religion in north India.

Many pilgrims who had come in from the northern state of Punjab also saw Gandhi coming in suddenly to pay homage to the saint's shrine.

"There were many people present there who have come over from Punjab. Nobody knew as to who was coming and going. Then he came up all of a sudden," said Satvinder Singh, a pilgrim from Punjab.

Political speculations are high that Gandhi's visit is to target sympathies from the lower caste sections of north India by visiting the shrines of one of their traditional patron saints.

Also some see it as a direct challenge to Uttar Pradesh's Chief Minister Maywati's hold over the lower caste sections in the state for the coming state elections.

The polls to the legislature of Uttar Pradesh, scheduled in the early part of 2012, are seen as an opportunity for the Congress party to re-establish a firm political base in the country's fifth largest and most populous state, before the 2014 general elections to the federal parliament.

Rahul Gandhi is determined to give a tough fight to the ruling Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) in the Uttar Pradesh provincial polls.

His visits to various parts of state have been focused equally on the lower caste Dalits, Muslims, socially backward classes and marginalised Hindus.

Intro

India's federal ruling Congress party's General Secretary Rahul Gandhi pays a surprise visit to the holy shrine of Guru Ravidas Maharaj at the Hindu holy city of Varanasi in India's northern Uttar Pradesh state.

PLEASE NOTE: THIS EDIT CONTAINS CONVERTED 4:3 MATERIAL

Shotlist

VARANASI, UTTAR PRADESH, INDIA (NOVEMBER 01, 2011) (ORIGINALLY 4:3) (ANI-NO ACCESS BBC)

1. ENTRANCE DOOR OF THE TEMPLE OF SRI GURU RAVIDAS TEMPLE

2. LETTERS ON TOP OF THE ENTRANCE DOOR IN HINDI READING 'SRI GURU RAVIDAS TEMPLE'

3. RAHUL GANDHI, LAWMAKER AND GENERAL SECRETARY OF INDIA'S FEDERAL 4. RULING CONGRESS PARTY, MEETING WITH RELIGIOUS LEADERS OF THE TEMPLE

5. THE RELIGIOUS LEADERS FELICITATING GANHI WITH A PIECE OF CLOTH

6. (SOUNDBITE) (Hindi) PRAMOD KUMAR, A LOCAL PERSON, SAYING:

"He had come to seek blessings at the temple of Guru Ravidasji Maharaj here. He prostrated in front of Guruji's idol and then he listened to the religious discourses, which were being delivered at that time. Then he had food at the community kitchen for about ten minutes. Then he gave out autographs to the people at the guesthouse. Then he told the people that he would serve to the most through the medium of politics."

7. GANDHI WRITING DOWN HIS SIGNATURE AT A BOOK IN THE TEMPLE

8. A GHROUP OF PEOPLE SEATED

9. GANDHI STANDIGN WITH TWO RELIGIOUS BOOKS FROM THE TEMPLE

10. THE IDOL OF SRI GURU RAVIDAS MAHARAJ

11. GANDHI HAVING A MEAL FROM THE TEMPLE'S COMMUNITY KITCHEN ALONG WITH OTHER PEOPLE

12. (SOUNDBITE) (Hindi) SATVINDER SINGH, A PILGRIM FROM NORTHERN PUNJAB STATE, SAYING:

"There were many people present there who have come over from Punjab. Nobody knew as to who was coming and going. Then he came up all of a sudden."

13. GANDHI COMING OUT OF THE TEMPLE WITH OTHER PEOPLE

14. GANDHI GETTING INTO HIS CAR

Original Script Date

Nov 01 16:54 (16 hours ago)

Modified Script Date

Nov 01 16:54 (16 hours ago)

Script Version

1

Headline

Rahul Gandhi pays a surprise visit to holy shrine in north Indian Hindu pilgrimage city.

Services

Subcon Extra

Locations

VARANASI, UTTAR PRADESH, INDIA

Dates Shot

NOVEMBER 01, 2011

Sound

NATURAL WITH HINDI SPEECH

Duration

2:42

Gandhi scion visits villages in north Indian state ahead of provincial assembly polls.

Gandhi scion visits villages in north Indian state ahead of provincial assembly polls
     

NOVEMBER 01,2011

                                   By Girish Kumar Dubey

In an attempt to reach out to the locals ahead of provincial assembly polls, Gandhi scion and Congress party General Secretary, Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday (November 01) visited village in Chandauli district of India's northern Uttar Pradesh state.

Rahul Gandhi paid a surprise visit to the holy shrine of Guru Ravidas Maharaj at the holy city of Varanasi in India's northern Uttar Pradesh state on Tuesday (November 01).

Gandhi's visit was not announced in advance and no mediapersons were allowed to report the event.

The Gandhi scion sat among the villagers and patiently heard their grievances.

Media reports said that after staying in the district, his entourage moved to Mirzapur district in the state.

Political speculations are rife that Gandhi's visit is aimed to garner sympathy from the marginalised section of north India as he visited the shrine of one of their traditional patron saints.

Also some see it as a direct challenge to Uttar Pradesh's Chief Minister Mayawati's hold over the marginalised sections in the state, during the upcoming assembly elections in the state.

The polls to the legislature of Uttar Pradesh, scheduled in the early part of 2012, are seen as an opportunity for the Congress party to re-establish a firm political base in the country's fifth largest and most populous state, before the 2014 general elections to the federal parliament.

Rahul Gandhi is determined to give a tough fight to the ruling Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) in the Uttar Pradesh provincial assembly polls.

His visit to various parts of the state focused equally on the lower caste Dalits, Muslims, socially backward classes and marginalised Hindus.

Intro

EDITORS PLEASE NOTE -RE-SENDING WITH FULL SCRIPT

In an attempt to reach out to the locals ahead of the provincial assembly polls, Gandhi family scion and Congress party General Secretary, Rahul Gandhi visits villages in India's northern Uttar Pradesh state.

PLEASE NOTE: THIS EDIT CONTAINS CONVERTED 4:3 MATERIAL

Shotlist

CHANDAULI, UTTAR PRADESH, INDIA (NOVEMBER 01, 2011) (ORIGINALLY 4:3) (ANI-NO ACCESS BBC)

1. HUTS ON ROADSIDE

2. LOCALS GATHERED AROUND CARS IN A VILLAGE

3. RAHUL GANDHI, GENERAL SECRETARY OF INDIA'S RULING CONGRESS PARTY INTERACTING WITH LOCALS

4. LOCALS SHOUTING SLOGANS IN SUPPORT OF GANDHI

5. GANDHI STANDING

6. GANDHI SITTING IN A PUBLIC MEETING

7. WOMEN SITTING ON THE FLOOR DURING THE PUBLIC MEETING

8. GANDHI LISTENING TO A LOCAL DURING THE MEETING

9. LOCALS STANDING DURING THE PUBLIC MEETING

10. PREMISES OF A PRIMARY SCHOOL

11. GANDHI ADDRESSING THE LOCALS

12. GANDHI LISTENING TO A LOCAL DURING THE MEETING

13. SECURITY PERSONNEL PRESENT ON THE SPOT

14. GANDHI TALKING TO A LOCAL

15. GANDHI SITTING INSIDE HIS CAR

16. CAR LEAVING THE SPOT

Original Script Date

Nov 02 04:50 (4 hours ago)

Modified Script Date

Nov 02 05:06 (4 hours ago)

Script Version

2

Headline

Gandhi scion visits villages in north Indian state ahead of provincial assembly polls.

Services

Subcon Extra

Locations

CHANDAULI, UTTAR PRADESH, INDIA

Dates Shot

NOVEMBER 01,2011

Sound

NATURAL

Duration

1:44