News Analysis India

Tag: BJP

  • Congress urges PM Modi to order JPC investigation into Rafale deal after France opens judicial probe

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: The Congress on Saturday demanded a Joint Parliamentary Committee probe into the Rafale deal, saying it is the only way forward to find the truth about “corruption” in the purchase of the fighter jets.

    Prime Minister Narendra Modi should come forward and order the investigation, the party said.

    The Congress’ demand came after French investigative website Mediapart reported that a French judge has been appointed to lead a “highly sensitive” judicial investigation into alleged “corruption and favouritism” in the Rs 59,000 crore Rafale fighter jet deal with India.

    “Corruption in the Rafale deal has come out clearly now. The stand of the Congress party and Rahul Gandhi has been vindicated today after the French government ordered a probe,” Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala told reporters at a press conference.

    The French public prosecution agency has ordered an investigation into the alleged corruption in the defence deal, he said and urged Prime Minister Modi to come forward and order the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) probe.

    Surjewala said since the matter deals with national security and identity, a fair and independent JPC probe is the only way out and not the Supreme Court.

    “When the French government has accepted that there is corruption in the deal, should a JPC probe be not held in the country where the corruption took place,” he asked.

    Surjewala said this issue is not about Congress versus BJP, but this is an issue that concerns the security of the country and “corruption” in the biggest defence deal.

    “The facts now clearly tell and call for a thorough JPC probe into the Rafale scam. Will the prime minister, like the French, now answer to the nation and tell when the prime minister will submit his government to a JPC probe into the Rafale scam,” the Congress leader asked.

    He said this is an issue of national interest and against those who are filling their pockets by indulging in corruption in defence deals.

    Surjewala said a JPC probe will be able to call witnesses and will be able to have access to all government files which the Supreme Court (SC) or the Central Vigilance Commission could never see.

    It will be able to ask probing questions, will be able to punish somebody for lying and will be able to summon the prime minister, defence minister or defence ministry officials and anybody else, he said.

    “The JPC is the only way forward,” he claimed.

    “This is not a matter to be deliberated by the court as the SC finally conceded. They don’t have the jurisdiction, wherewithal or capacity to let witnesses depose before the SC or to have access to the entire government record.

    Only a fair independent JPC can do it,” he said when asked if the Congress would move court again.

    The prime Minister should order the JPC probe and the issue concerns national security and India’s identity both inside and outside Parliament, he said when asked if the party would raise the issue in Parliament.

  • BJP has thrown Uttarakhand into political instability, betrayed people: Congress

    The Congress condemns the BJP for insulting the state and its people by not doing anything to solve its problems, he said.

  • Akhilesh Yadav likely to join hands with uncle to take on BJP

    By Express News Service
    LUCKNOW: Four years after Shivpal Singh Yadav, younger brother of Samajwadi Party (SP) patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav, severed ties with his nephew Akhilesh Yadav, the party chief, it seems, is set to join hands with his uncle along with smaller parties to contest the UP Assembly polls scheduled for next year.  

    Shivpal, on September 28, 2018, had announced his new political party Pragatisheel Samajwadi Party after falling out with Akhilesh. Shivpal had complained that he felt neglected in the SP, which was founded by his elder brother Mulayam, after his nephew took charge. On Thursday, Akhilesh has ruled out any alliance with any major political party in the 2022 Assembly polls and has openly said his party will go with smaller parties.

    “As per the aspirations of our workers, we’ll not have any alliance with any major/big parties, but will certainly have tie-ups with small parties. Chacha se bhi baat karenge (I’ll talk to uncle Shivpal Singh Yadav also) while partnering with smaller parties,” the SP supremo and ex-UP CM said on his birthday on Thursday.

    The announcement raised the possibility of patch up with his uncle. Recently, there have been unconfirmed reports of the melting of ice between the uncle and nephew  and the recent pictures of them together at a family wedding are a key indicator of that possibility, even as Shivpal had publicly said that he would work only on building an alliance of smaller parties, including AIMIM, to fight out the ruling BJP.

    The unopposed election of the SP candidate for the post of chairperson of district panchayat in Etawah could only happen due to uncle Shivpal’s tacit support to his nephew led to party’s candidate. 

  • Bengal Governor forced to cut short address in Assembly amid ruckus by BJP legislators 

    By Express News Service
    KOLKATA: The opening session of the newly constituted West Bengal Assembly on Friday got off to a stormy start as Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar was forced to cut short his inaugural speech amid ruckus by opposition BJP MLAs who took offence after finding “no mention” of post-poll violence in the address. 

    The Governor arrived at the Assembly and was received by Speaker Biman Bandopadhyay. He started reading out the address and skipped the middle portion of it. While concluding, Dhankhar read out the portion where it was mentioned that a section of the group in society is trying to divide people of Bengal and obstructing the state government’s beneficiary schemes, and that’s when the BJP legislators started shouting. Dhankhar could barely speak for four minutes as BJP MLAs, carrying posters and pictures of alleged victims of post-poll violence, rushed to the well of the House to stage a protest. To counter them, TMC MLAs, too, shouted denying BJP’s allegations.     

    According to the Assembly sources, the Governor began his speech at 2 pm and ended it at 2.04 pm, as his voice became inaudible.  Amid sloganeering, Dhankhar tabled the speech after reading a few lines from an 18-page address approved by the state Cabinet.

    “There was no mention of post-poll violence in the Governor’s speech which happened after the counting of the election results. Surprisingly, in the draft, it was mentioned that there was no post-poll violence in Bengal. We felt that it may be possible that he was saddened with the content of the speech drafted by the CM and that is why he cut short his speech,’’ said Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari.On June 28, after returning from his north Bengal trip, Dhankhar said he had requested the CM to make changes to the speech but she turned down the proposal saying it was approved by her cabinet.  

  • Bengal post-poll violence: HC orders second autopsy of BJP leader’s body, cites NHRC report on sexual assault of victims

    By PTI
    KOLKATA: Taking note of an interim report of an NHRC committee ordered by it to probe post-poll violence in West Bengal, the Calcutta High Court on Friday directed a second autopsy of a BJP labour wing leader and issued a show- cause notice to a deputy commissioner of the Kolkata Police as to why contempt proceedings will not be initiated against him.

    The BJP trade union leader was allegedly killed in the post-poll violence in Kolkata.

    A five-judge bench hearing a bunch of PILs alleging atrocities in post-poll violence in the state, accepted a request by the committee for further time to carry out investigation, while maintaining that early action in the matter is expected as delay may result in destruction of evidence.

    “Let a notice be issued to Rashid Munir Khan, Deputy Commissioner of Police, South Suburban Division, Kolkata to show cause as to why proceedings for contempt be not initiated against him for violation of the order passed by this court on June 18, 2021,” the bench ordered.

    The interim report mentioned that Atif Rasheed, a member of the committee was obstructed from discharging his duty when he and his team members were attacked by goons on June 29 in Jadavpur area which falls under the city police’s South Suburban Division, the court noted.

    The high court on June 18 directed the NHRC to set up a committee to examine all cases with regard to alleged human rights violations during post-poll violence in West Bengal.

    The court directed the state government to provide all logistic support to the committee wherever and whenever they wish to visit any place and to ensure there is no obstruction of any kind in this process.

    “Such obstruction will be viewed seriously, which may entail action under the Contempt of Courts Act besides others,” the bench said in its order.

    The bench, comprising Acting Chief Justice Rajesh Bindal and justices I P Mukerji, Harish Tandon, Soumen Sen and Subrata Talukdar directed the police to register cases in all matters which have either been reported to it or have been placed before the NHRC or any other authority.

    The court directed that steps be taken to get the statements of the victims recorded under Section 164 CrPC immediately, as per law.

    It ordered a second autopsy of Abhijit Sarkar, vice president of Bharatiya Mazdoor Trade Union Council in Kolkata, whose body is lying in the mortuary of a hospital, by a team of doctors to be constituted by the head of the Command Hospital here.

    The family of Sarkar demanded a second autopsy, which was not acceded to by the police and the administration.

    The state was directed to make all arrangements for medical treatment of all who have been injured in the violence, post assembly elections.

    The bench ordered that the information asked for by the committee from different authorities of the state, be supplied immediately, maintaining that any delay may call for adverse inference.

    “From a perusal of the report prima facie stand taken by the petitioners is established that there had been post- poll violence and the state was found on a wrong foot, where throughout it was on a denial mode,” the bench observed.

    The committee filed an initial report in a sealed cover before the court on June 30 as per its direction.

    The bench said that a perusal of the report established the allegations of the petitioners in the PIL that a number of persons were killed in violence and many suffered sexual violence and grievous injuries, including minor girls who were “brutally assaulted sexually”.

    A bunch of PILs filed before the high court had alleged displacement of people from their residences, physical assault, destruction of property and ransacking of places of business owing to post-poll violence in the state.

    The five-judge bench had directed that the committee will examine all the cases, the complaints of which have already been received by the NHRC or which may be received, and “may be by visiting the affected areas” submit a comprehensive report before it about the present situation.

    The committee would also suggest the steps to be taken to ensure confidence of the people and so that they can peacefully live in their houses and also carry on their occupation or business to earn their livelihood, the bench directed.

  • SG Tushar Mehta denies ‘unannounced’ meeting with BJP MLA Suvendu Adhikari after TMC seeks his removal

    By ANI
    NEW DELHI: A day after West Bengal BJP MLA Suvendu Adhikari met Solicitor General of India, Tushar Mehta, the All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi demanding his removal.

    In its letter, TMC has alleged that Adhikari who is accused in the Narada case and Sarada Chit Fund scam, held a meeting with the SG to influence the outcome of the cases.

    The latter by TMC said that Suvendu Adhikari is accused in various criminal cases of cheating, illegal gratification and bribery and in various offences being investigated by CBI and ED.

    “The Solicitor General of India is the second law officer in the country after Attorney General of India and advises Government of India and its various organs in crucial legal matters such as Narada and Sarada cases. Such meeting with an accused is a grave offence,” the letter said.

    The letter further said, “In order to avoid any doubt in the mind of the public at large, as to the integrity and neutrality of the office of the Learned Solicitor General of India, we approach you to initiate necessary steps for the removal of Tushar Mehta from the post of the Solicitor General of India.”

    The letter has been undersigned by TMC MPs Derek O’Brien, Mahua Moitra and Sukhendu Sekhar Roy Adhikari.

    ALSO READ: BJP MLAs ruckus compels L-G Dhankar to cut short inaugural speech in West Bengal Assembly

    Meanwhile, Tushar Mehta has denied the meeting with the BJP leader and clarified that Adhikari came to his residence “unannounced”.

    Tushar Mehta said, “Suvendu Adhikari came to my residence/office yesterday, unannounced. As I was in a pre-scheduled meet, my staff asked him to wait. After my meeting, my staff informed him of my inability to meet him. He left without insisting to meet me. Hence, the question of my meeting with him did not arise.”

    Leader of Opposition in West Bengal Suvendu Adhikari on Thursday had meetings with Bharatiya Janata Party leadership including Union Home Minister Amit Shah as the state BJP prepares to take on the Mamata Banerjee government over post-poll violence in the state during the budget session of assembly starting from July 2.

    It will be the first such session after the results of assembly polls on May 2.

    Sources stated that Adhikari briefed Shah regarding the prevailing situation in West Bengal.

    The Supreme Court on Thursday issued a notice to the Centre, Trinamool Congress government and Election Commission of India (ECI) on a plea seeking Special Investigation Team (SIT) probe to investigate into causes and reasons of post-poll violence in West Bengal.

    Mamata Banerjee has also challenged Adhikari’s victory from Nandigram in Kolkata High Court.

    Apart from the post-poll violence, the BJP is likely to take on the Trinamool Congress government on “fake vaccination camps” and “poor preparedness of the government to fight COVID-19” during the assembly session.

    The budget session is expected to witness fireworks between BJP and the ruling TMC.

    An NHRC team had recently visited Bengal to probe the post-poll violence. The team, which went to the state on orders of Calcutta High Court, faced “heckling” in Jadavpur.

    During his visit to Delhi, Adhikari also met Nitish Pramanik, BJP MP from Cooch Behar.

  • Maharashtra DyCM Ajit Pawar denies links with firm under ED lens

    By PTI
    PUNE: Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar on Friday said he did not have any connection with Guru Commodity Services Pvt Ltd which is under the Enforcement Directorate’s (ED) scanner, though a sugar mill owned by the company is being run by one of his relatives.

    The central agency, which has attached Jarandeshwar Sahkari Sugar Karkhana in Satara district in connection with the alleged Maharashtra State Cooperative Bank (MSCB) scam, claimed on Thursday that a company linked to Pawar and his wife was involved in the case.

    Speaking to reporters here, the senior NCP leader said he had no idea why Guru Commodity Services — which owns the sugar factory — was facing probe.

    “This sugar factory was among 14 mills which were sold after they failed to repay loans to MSC Bank. The Bombay High Court had asked the bank to give them one year and put them up for sale if they could not clear the outstanding amounts in that period,” said Pawar.

    The MSCB then floated a tender to which 15 companies responded and as Guru Commodity Services’ bid of Rs 65.75 crore was the highest one, the bank sold the mill to the company, he said.

    As per his information, no sick sugar mill had fetched so much price, he added.

    Later, BVG group’s Hanmant Gaikwad and one of his directors floated Jarandeshwar Sugar Mill Pvt Ltd and leased the mill from Guru Commodity Services, but they backtracked after suffering losses, Pawar said.

    “One of my relatives, Rajendra Ghadge, then took the company on lease and started running it, but he also suffered losses for some years,” he added.

    He himself was not at all associated with Guru Commodity Services, the deputy CM said.

    The new management of the mill decided to expand the business to avoid further losses and approached banks for loans of Rs 300 to 400 crore, he said.

    “Obtaining all necessary permissions and following all procedures, the management expanded the business by obtaining a loan and started a distillery of one lakh liter capacity, increased the per day capacity of sugar production to 10,000 metric tonnes and this is why the mill is currently in good condition,” he said.

    The sugar mill is repaying the loans on time, Pawar added.

    “I have not got into the details of why Guru Commodities is being probed by the ED because I do not have any relation with Guru Commodities,” said Pawar.

    There were several probes in the past by agencies such as the state CID, Anti-Corruption Bureau and Economic Offences Wing, but nothing came of them, he said.

    “Currently, everyone knows what kind of politics is going on in the country and there is no way to find out the reason behind it.

    But there are places where justice can be sought and the mill management will try and go there,” he said.

    Earlier in the day, the NCP, which is a constituent of the Maha Vikas Aghadi government in Maharashtra, alleged that there was a conspiracy to malign the image of the party and its leaders.

  • Conspiracy going on to malign NCP and its leaders, claims Minister Nawab Malik

    By PTI

    MUMBAI: The NCP, which is one of the constituents of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government in Maharashtra, on Friday alleged that there was a conspiracy to malign the image of the party and its leaders.

    NCP’s chief spokesperson and Maharashtra minister Nawab Malik made the statement a day after the Enforcement Directorate (ED) sealed a sugar mill allegedly linked to state Deputy Chief Minister and senior NCP leader Ajit Pawar.

    “The manner in which reports are planted against Ajit Pawar and his family are wrong,” Malik said.

    “The ED has sealed the sugar mill and taking further legal action. Ajit Pawar and his family members are not involved in any illegal activities,” he claimed.

    The ED had said on Thursday that the sugar mill – Jarandeshwar Sahkari Sakhar Karkhana, located at Chimangaon-Koregaon in Satara district- worth over Rs 65 crore has been attached under the anti-money laundering law in connection with the alleged Maharashtra State Cooperative Bank (MSCB) scam.

    It had also said that a company linked to Ajit Pawar and his wife was involved in the case.

    Earlier, Maharashtra BJP president Chandrakant Patil had demanded a CBI inquiry against Ajit Pawar and another state minister into the allegations levelled against them by dismissed Mumbai cop Sachin Waze.

    The ED had last week conducted raids at the premises of former Maharashtra home minister and NCP leader Anil Deshmukh in connection with the money laundering case against him.

    The agency had also arrested two aides of Deshmukh in that connection.

    Deshmukh, who had resigned from his post in April following the allegations, has denied any wrongdoing.

    The Sharad Pawar-led NCP shares power with the Shiv Sena and the Congress in the MVA government that was formed after the 2019 Assembly polls.

  • BJP MLAs ruckus compels L-G Dhankar to cut short inaugural speech in West Bengal Assembly

    By PTI
    KOLKATA: West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar was forced to cut short his inaugural address to the newly constituted state assembly amid ruckus by opposition BJP over post-poll violence in the state.

    Dhankhar, who arrived in the afternoon to deliver the inaugural address, could speak only for 3-4 minutes as BJP MLAs carrying posters and pictures of alleged victims of post- poll violence came to well to stage protest.

    According to assembly sources, as he was unable to speak Dhankhar tabled his speech in the House and left.

    The governor was seen escorted by Speaker Biman Banerjee and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee as he left the assembly premises.

    Later on while speaking to the reporters,Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari said the BJP legislators were forced to stage protest as there was no mention of post-poll violence in the speech copy circulated among the MLAs.

  • Where are vaccines, asks Congress leader Rahul Gandhi; BJP cites figures to hit back

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: In a swipe at the government, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said on Friday that July has come but vaccines have not, drawing a sharp retort from the BJP which cited figures to ask if spreading “confusion” is the opposition party’s undeclared policy.

    “July has come, vaccines have not. Where are vaccines,” Gandhi tweeted.

    The BJP hit out at him and claimed that people often ask why maturity, wisdom and responsibility have not come to the Congress leader despite the passage of 51 Julys, a reference to his age.

    At a press conference, BJP spokesperson Gaurav Bhatia said 41.60 lakh Covid vaccine doses were administered on July 1 while a total of 6.85 crore jabs have been given between June 21 and July 1 with an average daily dose of over 62 lakh.

    These statistics tell a different story and show that the government has been working at a “war footing” to give vaccines to people, he said, adding that the pace of vaccination will gather more speed in the coming days.

    Is there any country with a better average in the last 11 days, he asked, adding that India by administering over 34 crore doses has surpassed countries like the US, Canada and other.

    The central government has begin providing free vaccines to all adults since June 21.

    “While the government under Prime Minister Narendra Modi is giving citizens safety shield in form of vaccines, the Congress and some other opposition parties do not want India to defeat Covid,” Bhatia claimed.

    The government is committed to administering jabs to all adults by this year end, he reiterated.

    “You may hate Modi but why hate people. Is spreading confusion the undeclared policy of the Congress,” he said, attacking Gandhi.

    Bhatia also hit out at the alleged corruption and irregularities in Covid management in the Congress-ruled states and questioned Congress president Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi about it.

    He cited media reports to accuse the Congress government in Rajasthan of buying oxygen concentrators at an exorbitant rate and alleged that many of them were defunct.

    He claimed that even Congress leaders in Maharashtra have alleged corruption by the coalition government in the state.

    Answering a question related to Uttar Pradesh, Bhatia lauded the Yogi Adityanath-led government in the state and expressed confidence that the BJP will win the assembly polls in the state next year with even a bigger margin than 2017.