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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 NEW DELHI 000525 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
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