Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08NEWDELHI525
2008-02-19 12:37:00
UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY
Embassy New Delhi
Cable title:  

DELHI DIARY, FEB 11-15

Tags:  PREL PGOV CASC IN BE 
pdf how-to read a cable
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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 NEW DELHI 000525 

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TAGS: PREL PGOV CASC IN BE
SUBJECT: DELHI DIARY, FEB 11-15

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 NEW DELHI 000525

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E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PGOV CASC IN BE
SUBJECT: DELHI DIARY, FEB 11-15


1. (U) Below is a compilation of political highlights from
Embassy New Delhi for February 11-15, 2008 that did not
feature in our other reporting, including:

-- Notice Issued to Sonia Gandhi over Belgian Honor
-- Renegade Politician Finally Breaks Ties with Congress
-- Supreme Court Seeks Stay of Gere Arrest Warrant

Notice Issued to Sonia Gandhi over Belgian Honor
--------------


2. (U) On February 14, the Election Commission (EC) issued a
notice to Sonia Gandhi, seeking her response to a charge
requiring that she be disqualified from Parliament. The
complaint was filed seven months previously by an advocate,

P. Rajan from Kerala. Rajan accused Gandhi of violating the
Indian Constitution for accepting the "Order of Leopold" --
the second highest civilian award in Belgium -- from the King
of Belgium in 2006. According to the Indian Constitution, a
Member of Parliament who acknowledges "allegiance or
adherence to a foreign state" should be disqualified. The EC
debated whether, by accepting this honor, Gandhi did in fact
pledge allegiance to another country. Upon more research,
the EC found that in becoming a Member of the Association of
the Order of Leopold, one "displays an eternal devotion to
Belgium and the monarchy." Unable to come to consensus on
whether to disqualify Gandhi, the EC has requested a response
from her and more information on the award from the Ministry
for External Affairs.


3. (SBU) Comment: While the lawyers work out the semantics of
this complaint, Gandhi has yet again opened herself up to
questions of foreign allegiance. This provides good fodder
for the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party to dig at her for
not being of Indian origin. End Comment.

Renegade Politician Finally Breaks Ties with Congress
--------------


4. (U) After almost three years of bad blood, on February 13
Natwar Singh announced his resignation from the Congress
Party. After the Congress Party forced Singh to resign his
post as Minister for External Affairs for his involvement in
the Iraq oil-for-food scandal in 2005, Singh has been a
constant thorn in Congress' side. Singh resisted resigning
from the party in order to hold onto his Rajya Sabha seat.
However, since 2006, he has been saddling up with
Congress-haters and spewing vitriol at the Party, finally
announcing his resignation at none other than a Bharatiya
Janata Party (BJP)-sponsored rally in Jaipur.


5. (SBU) Since no other party has welcomed Singh into their
fold, his future remains to be seen. He has tried to knock
on the door of both the Samajwadi Party and the BJP, and
though they welcomed his anti-Congress sentiments neither has
offered him their party designation in order to try to retain
his seat in Parliament.

Supreme Court Seeks Stay of Gere Arrest Warrant
--------------


6. (U) Richard Gere's advocate asked the Indian Supreme Court
to stay his three arrest warrants and transfer the cases to a
court in Mumbai. The request comes in light of Gere's desire
to come to India in March. The Supreme Court ordered a
response from the complainants and two state governments
regarding the actor's plea. The arrest warrants against Gere
and Indian actress Shilpa Shetty were issued by two Rajasthan
courts and one Uttar Pradesh court on April 26, 2007. The
courts had issued arrest warrants after some individuals
filed complaints that Gere and Shetty had violated public
obscenity laws. The now infamous "kissing incident" occurred
on April 15, 2007, when Gere kissed Shetty several times on
the cheek during an AIDS-awareness event in New Delhi. The
aim of the event was to educate truck drivers about safe-sex
and AIDS. Several protests broke out in country, where mobs

NEW DELHI 00000525 002 OF 002


burned pictures of Shetty and beat and burned effigies of
Gere.


7. (SBU) Comment: The Gere/Shetty incident highlights the
churning in Indian society as it struggles between an
increasingly modern India and its more traditional side.
Since the incident, Shetty and Gere have both publicly
apologized. End Comment.
WHITE