A. K. Antony: Difference between revisions
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Image:Wardak and Antony in June 2011.jpg|A. K. Antony with Defence Minister of Afganistan [[Abdul Rahim Wardak]]. |
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Image:Indian Defense Minister A.K. Antony with US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.jpg|A. K. Antony with US Secretary of State [[Hillary Clinton]]. |
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Image:AK Antony.jpg|A. K. Antony with Chairman of the U.S. [[Joint Chiefs of Staff]] and Navy Adm. [[Mike Mullen]] and [[United States Ambassador to India]] [[Timothy J. Roemer]]. |
Image:AK Antony.jpg|A. K. Antony with Chairman of the U.S. [[Joint Chiefs of Staff]] and Navy Adm. [[Mike Mullen]] and [[United States Ambassador to India]] [[Timothy J. Roemer]]. |
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Revision as of 20:29, 9 June 2011
Arackaparambil Kurien Antony അറയ്ക്കപറമ്പില് കുരിയന് ആന്റണി | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Minister of Defence | |
| Assumed office 26 October 2006 | |
| Prime Minister | Manmohan Singh |
| Preceded by | Pranab Mukherjee |
| Member of Rajya Sabha | |
| Assumed office 2005-present | |
| In office 1985–1995 | |
| Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution | |
| In office 1993–1995 | |
| Prime Minister | P. V. Narasimha Rao |
| Chief Minister of Kerala | |
| In office 17 May 2001 – 29 August 2004 | |
| Governor | Sikander Bakht T. N. Chaturvedi R. L. Bhatia |
| Preceded by | E. K. Nayanar |
| Succeeded by | Oommen Chandy |
| In office 22 March 1995 – 9 May 1996 | |
| Governor | B. Rachaiah P. Shiv Shankar Khurshed Alam Khan |
| Preceded by | K. Karunakaran |
| Succeeded by | E. K. Nayanar |
| In office 27 April 1977 – 27 October 1978 | |
| Governor | N. N. Wanchoo Jyothi Vencatachellum |
| Preceded by | K. Karunakaran |
| Succeeded by | P. K. Vasudevan Nair |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 28 December 1940 Cherthala, British Raj (now India) |
| Political party | Indian National Congress (Before 1978; 1982–present) |
| Other political affiliations | Indian National Congress-Urs (1978–1980) Indian National Congress-A (1980–1982) |
| Spouse | Elizabeth Antony |
| Alma mater | Maharajas College Mahatma Gandhi University |
Arackaparambil Kurien Antony (Malayalam: അറയ്ക്കപറമ്പില് കുരിയന് ആന്റണി) is an Indian National Congress politician, a former Chief Minister of Kerala, and the current Defense Minister of India.
He is currently a senior member of the Cabinet Committees on Accommodation, Economic Affairs, Political Affairs, and Security. He is also a member of the Central Election Committee and the Congress Working Committee (CWC) and the chairman of the Disciplinary Action Committee of the All India Congress Committee.
Early life
A. K. Antony was born at Cherthala, near Alleppey in Travancore, as the son of Arackaparambil Kurien Pillai and Elikutty.[1] He lost his father in 1959 and self-financed part of his education through odd jobs.[2]
He completed his primary education in Holy Family Boys High school (Lower primary) and Government Boys High school (Upper primary), Cherthala (both are mixed higher secondary schools now and the latter has changed its name to Sree Narayana Memorial Government Higher Secondary school) and completed his B. A. from Maharajas College and B. L. from Mahatma Gandhi University.[3]
Political career
Chief Minister of Kerala
He is a former Chief Minister of Kerala. The first term was from April 27, 1977 to October 27, 1978 after K. Karunakaran resigned following accusations in the Rajan case; the second one was from March 22, 1995 to May 9, 1996 after K. Karunakaran resigned in connection with the ISRO case; and the third term from May 17, 2001 to August 29, 2004. When he became Chief Minister in 1977, he was the youngest Chief Minister of the State. He was the Leader of Opposition in Kerala Legislative Assembly during 1996 to 2001.
He failed to retain power on the first two occasions as Chief minister. In 2004, immediately after the Congress in Kerala suffered a total rout in the Lok Sabha elections amid factional politics and in-fighting within the Congress Party, Antony resigned as the Chief Minister of Kerala. He was succeeded by Oommen Chandy.
Congress politics and party faction
A. K. Antony entered into politics as a student leader in Cherthala Taluk (Alleppey District) as an activist of Kerala Students Union (KSU) under the guidance of M. A. John.[4] He has been an active leader of many strikes like Oru Ana Samaram (Single Penny Strike). He served as the president of Kerala Students Union, Indian Youth Congress and Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) before becoming an All India Congress Committee (AICC) General Secretary in 1984. When he became KPCC president in 1972 he was the youngest person to hold that post. He was elected again as KPCC president in 1987, and was defeated by Vayalar Ravi in the KPCC presidential elections in 1991. He was elected several times to the Congress Working Committee (CWC), of which he's currently a member.[5] He is in charge of Karnataka and Maharashtra state affairs of the Congress Party. Antony was also made Core Committee member and inducted into all main party boards and committees in 2005. He has been appointed as the Chairman of the Disciplinary Committee of the All India Congress Committee.[6]
Congress (A) was a political party founded by Antony when he split from the Indian National Congress (Urs) a splinter group of the Indian National Congress (and opposed Indira Gandhi in inner party politics during the time when she was prosecuted by the Morarji Desai government, splitting off from the parent party with Devraj Urs.) The party was primarily active in Kerala and joined the LDF ministry headed by E. K. Nayanar during 1980-1982. After the fall of the Nayanar ministry, this party merged with the Congress in 1982, but Antony was not given any office until the death of Indira Gandhi. The members of the party have continued as a faction in the local congress afterwards.
Rajya sabha and Union cabinet
Union Minister for Civil Supplies
He was a Member of Parliament in the Rajya Sabha between 1985 and 1995 and was the Minister for Civil Supplies, Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution for a year in 1994 during the tenure of Prime Minister P. V. Narasimha Rao. He resigned on moral grounds as food minister in 1994 when his ministry was involved in a sugar import scandal, despite there being no allegations against him.[7]
Union Minister for Defence
In 2005, A. K. Antony entered the Rajya Sabha and was inducted into the Union Council of Ministers as Defence Minister following Natwar Singh's expulsion from the Congress and Pranab Mukherjee's transfer to the Ministry of External Affairs. After the Congress again won the elections in 2009 and formed the government once again under Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Antony retained the portfolio of Defence for the second term.
Issues Held
Against corruption in Armed Forces
In Sukna land scandal, then Army Chief General Deepak Kapoor toned down the action against one his key aides, Lieutenant-General Avadesh Prakash who is one of the seniormost officers of the Army, against the recommendations of the Eastern Army Commander who had ordered the probe.[8]
After an outcry over the perceived “letting off” of a senior officer in the case, who incidentally retired. Antony intervened and directed the Army Chief to order a court martial to bring out the facts of the case.[9][10]
Probing Adarsh scam
After Adarsh Housing Society Scam in Mumbai, A K Antony recommended a Central Bureau of Investigation probe to fix responsibility of the armed forces and defence estates officers.[11] He also stated that under his supervision as defence minister of India, his ministry will not cover up the Adarsh Housing Society scam, but initiate "strict" action against those guilty though top armed forces officers, bureaucrats and politicians were allegedly involved in it.[12][13]
Personal life and beliefs
He is married to Elizabeth Antony (from Neyyassery), a Syrian Orthodox, and they have two sons named Anil Kurien Antony and Ajith Paul Antony.
A. K. Antony was born into a Syrian Catholic family. He is an atheist[14] and has always assumed office by affirmation rather than by a religious oath.
Gallery
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A. K. Antony with Defence Minister of Afganistan Abdul Rahim Wardak.
-
A. K. Antony with US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. -
A. K. Antony with Chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff and Navy Adm. Mike Mullen and United States Ambassador to India Timothy J. Roemer.
Notes
- ^ "An Ideal Politician-A.K.Antony". OneIndia Living. 25 October 2006. Retrieved 04 May 2011.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|accessdate=(help) - ^ Times of India (26 February 2011). "Know your ministers: A K Antony". Times of India. Retrieved 26 February 2011.
- ^ "A K Antony".
- ^ M. A. John, Congress leader, passes away, The Hindu, 23 Feb. 2011.
- ^ "Congress Working Committee". Webpage of the All India Congress Committee. Retrieved 2010-03-29.
- ^ All India Congress Committee: Disciplinary Action Committee Indian National Congress - 1 February 2011
- ^ No allegations against AK Antony in Sugar import scandal: Possible successors to Manmohan Singh CNBC - 27 May 2009
- ^ After Antony call, Army chief orders aide’s court-martial iExpress India - January 30, 2010
- ^ Can’t tolerate single case of graft in Army: Antony iExpress India - January 31, 2010
- ^ Defense minister warns against corruption of Indian Armed Forces by outsiders in India uPI.com - January 30, 2010
- ^ A K Antony recommends CBI probe into Adarsh scam India Today - November 10, 2010
- ^ No cover up will happen in Adarsh scam: AK Antony Daily News and Analysis - November 10, 2010
- ^ Nobody will be spared in Adarsh scam: A K Antony CNN iBN - November 10, 2010
- ^ A lifestyle sans God, DNA India Interesting facts about 2009 Indian cabinet, NDTV
External links
