I-T PROBES BUILDERS OVER TAX EVASION
The state income tax (I-T)
department on Wednesday evening started search and survey operations on five
premises across the city to probe alleged tax evasion involving three
city-based builders. As on Thursday evening, the department recovered Rs 55
lakh cash and financial transaction records of over Rs 150 crore. According to
I-T department sources, a conglomerate of three builders — Rajyash Group,
Samarth Buildcon and Silver Infracon — are developing The Retail Park (TRP) in
Bopal having an area of 71,000 sqm under development. The land belonged to
Riddhi Siddhi Infra. We have not found any transaction or entry about the real
estate development of the plot even as the scheme has been rolled out and the
bookings for the spaces have begun. Prima facie, it seems that the project has
not got registered with RERA. A separate probe is going on from the agency’s
side, said an official close to the development. I-T officials said that the
premises have also been attached. The amended I-T Act Section 132 (9)(B) gives
powers to the department to attach any premises if ‘satisfied for the purpose
of protecting the interest of revenue’ belonging to the assessee. The sources
said that the amount seized from the site and two offices of the builders — one
near Pakwan Crossroads and another near Shyamal Crossroads — are suspected to
be part of the booking amount taken by the developers. The teams have also
seized the paper and digital documents which are believed to be containing
transaction records of over Rs 150 crore. It is believed that some of the
transactions were made off the books. The financial records of all the firms
involved are being checked to understand terms and conditions and various
transactions.
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DENYING GST INPUT CREDIT, TAX CUT BENEFITS: DECOY OR ACTUAL
CUSTOMERS, PROFITEERING CHARGE IS DIFFICULT TO STICK
Fast moving consumer goods
(FMCG) majors have been in the eye of storm charged with profiteering. The
anti-profiteering authority constituted under the Goods and Services Tax Act,
(GST) suspects Proctor & Gamble (P&G) of not passing on the benefits of
the GST input credit and tax reduction on goods manufactured by it to the
consumers to the tune of Rs 250 crore. Now there are reports that the GST
officials are going to fan out to different stores across the country as decoy
customers, make a purchase of the product of a FMCG major suspected of
profiteering, only to return the product forthwith. The sanction for this
strategy is contained in the provision of the GST law that allows GST officials
to buy and procure a bill (even a cancelled one will do) with a view to
trapping the seller and hauling him over coals for profiteering. One wonders
about the wisdom of this law and strategy. Why return the goods post-haste and
thus alert the seller who in turn might alert his brethren? After all, the
government can afford to allocate a few rupees for such entrapment purchases,
as it were. It should not grudge the officials a packet of detergent powder or
biscuit! When Central Excise and Income-Tax officials could be rewarded with a
percentage of the haul they catch even though they are only doing their duty,
the GST officials should not be begrudged their small free purchases made at
government expense. Be that as it may. What about the local kirana stores who
even today totes up the total purchases on a piece of paper that at best acts
as a kachcha receipt? In the event, the GST officials would be perceived to be
harassing FMCG majors selling through big retail stores — punishing the
organised sector and leaving the unorganised alone. A kachcha bill may not
stand legal or judicial scrutiny. It is said the official purchases have become
necessary in the light of consumer apathy — they are not coming out in large
numbers with complaints of profiteering. Consumer's apathy is understandable
given the fact that nobody will take the trouble of pursuing such complaints
given small stakes. After all, a tube of toothpaste costing Rs 100 might have a
GST component of say Rs 15. At any rate, discerning customers have learnt the
art of buying from right places and at the right time. There are offers galore.
Use of a particular bank’s card at a particular retailer’s store begets a given
percentage of discount. A particular store might give a substantial discount on
purchase of a given volume in terms of overall bill. Bundled products also get
them a substantial discount. The buy-one-get-two offers also lull the customers
into complacency on the profiteering front. It is not humanly possible to
instantly halt them in their tracks, ask them to paste a fresh sticker on the
package or arrange for a return of the unsold packets to the factory for
revised MRP. There is considerable merit in this argument. It is only on stocks
awaiting dispatch from the factory as well as on future production such instant
action can and should be taken. Only petrol bunks and jewellers are amenable to
herd practices in terms of pricing. Jewellers across the country maintain the
same basic metal price scrupulously just as petrol bunks across a state
maintain the same fuel prices. These two are unique if not esoteric products
and thus amenable to such regimentation. The FMCG defies such regimentation by
the sheer bewildering number of small traders strewn across the country with
whom communication is difficult and instantaneous communication well-nigh
impossible. Even otherwise, profiteering is extremely difficult to prove. GST
input credits and final duty are not the only counters or considerations in
price fixation. There can be a wage hike. There can be increase in overheads.
No businessman is bound to guard the price line except in industries hemmed in
by price control. In this day and age, there is hardly any. Only competition
can check avarice.
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NIRAV MODI TO REMAIN IN CUSTODY AS HIS LEGAL TEAM FAILS TO
MAKE FURTHER BAIL APPLICATION
Nirav Modi will remain in
custody till the next hearing in extradition proceedings against him on May 24,
as his legal team failed to make a further application for bail before the
court. During the brief procedural hearing, Modi – the main accused in the
$2-billion Punjab National Bank fraud case – appeared by video link from
Wandsworth Prison in south London. Emma Arbuthnot, the Chief Magistrate of
Westminster Court has set May 24 for the next procedural hearing (he has to be
produced before the court every four weeks), and May 30 for the first case
management hearing, for which Modi will be brought to the court in person. There
was no further attempt to push for bail, following the unsuccessful application
made before Judge Arbuthnot in March, at which the prosecution had accused Modi
of threatening to kill a witness, and destroying evidence in an effort to
curtail his case. Judge Arbuthnot had accepted the arguments, saying she was
denying bail because of the risk he would fail to surrender to the court and
his lack of community ties. Modi would have been entitled to make a third bail
application if there had been a substantial change in circumstances for the
application. However, no such application was made during the hearing. Modi has
also so far failed to lodge an appeal at the High Court, which would have
provided another avenue for him to attempt to gain bail. There is no time limit
on this application though. Modi has been remanded at HM Wandsworth, one of
Europe’s largest and most overcrowded prisons. His case took an unexpected turn
in March, after police arrested him following a tip-off by an Indian-origin
bank clerk at a bank in central London, who had recognised him following the
wave of publicity around the case. His legal team had been in touch with the
Metropolitan Police’s Extradition Unit to arrange for him to hand himself over
voluntarily by appointment the following week.
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MALLYA'S EXTRADITION: UK HIGH COURT TO HEAR LIQUOR TYCOON'S
PLEA ON JULY 2
Embattled liquor tycoon
Vijay Mallya has been allocated July 2 as the date for a brief hearing to
convince a High Court judge that he should be given permission to proceed to a
full-blown appeal process against his extradition to India to face alleged
fraud and money laundering charges amounting to Rs 9,000 crores. The
63-year-old former Kingfisher Airlines boss had filed the renewal application
earlier this month after he failed in his first written attempt seeking leave
to appeal in the High Court. The renewal involves a short oral hearing before a
High Court judge, now scheduled for July 2, where his lawyers will further
plead his case against being extradited to India. A date for the oral
consideration has been set for July 2, a UK court official said on Friday. UK
home secretary Sajid Javid had signed off on a Westminster Magistrates' Court
order for Mallya to be extradited to face the Indian courts back in February.
Mallya then filed an application for permission to appeal against that decision
in the High Court, which was refused by Justice William Davis, giving him a
week to apply for oral consideration via a renewal application. Once a renewal
application is made, it will be listed before a High Court judge and dealt with
at a hearing, said a UK Judiciary spokesperson. On July 2, Mallya's legal team
and the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) – arguing on behalf of the Indian
government – will go head to head to reiterate factors for and against the
businessman's extradition to Arthur Road Jail in Mumbai. A High Court judge
must now decide following the oral consideration if Mallya's appeal can proceed
to a full hearing. It will mark one of the final stages of the appeals process
in the UK as the chances of permission to appeal to the Supreme Court are
unlikely if permission to appeal is denied at the High Court stage.
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15TH FINANCE COMMISSION MEETS MINISTRY OF PANCHAYATI RAJ
The Ministry of Panchayati
Raj including its Secretary, Shri Rahul Bhatnagar and senior officials made a
presentation to the Chairman of 15th Finance Commission, Shri N.K. Singh, its
Members and senior officials of the Commission. It may be noted that Article
280 (3) (bb) of the Constitution specifies that the measures needed to augment
the Consolidated Fund of a State to supplement the resources of the Panchayats
in the State should be on the basis of the recommendations made by the Finance
Commission. Amongst several proposals to the Finance Commission, the Ministry
has proposed an allocation of Rs. 10,00,000 crores to Panchayats by the 15th
Finance Commission which is a hike of 399 per cent from that given by the 14th
Finance Commission. The meeting discussed in detail the proposals of the
Ministry which included:
·
Allocations to different
categories of Panchayats.
·
Modification in modality
for provision of Performance Grant.
·
Allocation of funds to
non-part IX areas/ DPs & IPs and UT Panchayats.
·
Sustainable Development
Goals linked to activities other than construction.
·
Need for increased
adoption of Digital Technology by the Panchayats.
·
Augmentation of Own Source
Revenue- Mechanism to be developed by State Govt.
Both the Ministry and the
Commission agreed to the view that all three tiers of Panchayati Raj
Institutions should receive fund devolution, and the proportionality should be
within a specified band. The Commission will go through all the proposals which
shall also be part of the Memorandum of the Central Government to the
Commission – for the purpose of making its final recommendations.
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28182 POLLING STATIONS IN PLACE FOR SMOOTH CONDUCT OF POLLS
Rajasthan will go to Polls
in Phase IV of General Elections on 29th April. Rajasthan has 25 Parliamentary
Constituencies (PC), out of which 13PCswill go to Polls in Phase Four on 29
April and 12 PCs will go to Polls in Phase Five on 6th May. In Phase Four, 115
candidates will be contesting for the 13 Lok Sabha seats. As per the data made
available, 25776993 voters, including13300801males, 12476052 females and 140
third gender voters will cast votes in Phase Four. 28182 Polling stations have
been set up in place for smooth conduct of polls in this Phase.
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MONEY-LAUNDERING CASE: ED FILES SUPPLEMENTARY CHARGESHEET
AGAINST CHAUTALA, NAMES IMMOVABLE ASSETS
The Enforcement
Directorate (ED) filed a supplementary chargesheet against former Haryana chief
minister O P Chautala in connection with a money-laundering case on Thursday.
The agency mentioned in the chargesheet that immovable assets worth Rs 3.68
crore were attached by it on April 13 in relation to four properties in Delhi,
Panchkula and Sirsa. It said the investigation conducted so far under the
Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) had revealed that Chautala laundered
the disproportionate assets by depositing illegal cash in the bank accounts of
his and his family members. The ED said this was done to avoid the back trail
of money, merge the illegal cash with genuine income and show it as untainted.
This laundered money was further used to purchase new properties or carry out
construction on the already acquired properties. The chargesheet was filed
before special judge Kamini Lau, who posted the matter for consideration on May
16. Referring to Chautala's affidavits filed before the 2005 and 2009 Haryana
Assembly polls, the agency said he had disclosed his assets to publicly project
the tainted properties as untainted. During the period between May 24, 1993 and
May 5, 2006, O P Chautala, while functioning as a public servant (the CM of
Haryana), allegedly acquired assets disproportionate to his income to the tune
of Rs 6,09,79,026. The value of the disproportionate assets acquired by O P
Chautala is in the form of various movable and immovable properties which
constitutes 'proceeds of crime' in this case. It added that it was suspected
that there were more properties involved in money laundering that needed to be
unearthed as there were many people who were yet to join the investigation. The
ED told the court that the investigation in the case was in progress. It is
established that O P Chautala is involved in activities connected to proceeds
of crime, including its concealment, possession, acquisition and projecting the
proceeds of crime as untainted property and thus, shall be guilty of the
offence of money laundering, it said. The agency had earlier informed the court
that disproportionate assets worth Rs 6.09 crore were illegally generated by
Chautala between May 1993 and May 2006 through corruption and were projected as
untainted property by utilising those in the construction and acquisition of
movable assets. Chautala is currently serving a jail term for illegally
recruiting 3,206 Junior Basic Trained (JBT) teachers in Haryana in 2000.
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CONTEMPT PLEA AGAINST IL&FS FINANCIAL SERVICES EX-CEO
RAMESH BAWA
The Ministry of corporate
affairs (MCA) on Thursday filed a contempt petition at the Mumbai bench of the
National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) against Ramesh Bawa. The government
alleged that Bawa is in contempt of an NCLT order dated December 3, which
effectively put a freeze on all movable and immovable assets of Bawa and eight
other former senior officials of the IL&FS group. The NCLT in January
relaxed these conditions, allowing Bawa and the others to withdraw up to Rs 2
lakh from any bank account after informing the tribunal. The government also
filed two ancillary applications against Standard Chartered Bank CEO Zarin
Daruwala and Axis Bank CEO Amitabh Chaudhry in the matter. The NCLT is set to
hear the matter on Friday.
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CHIDAMBARAM, SON KARTI'S PROTECTION FROM ARREST EXTENDED TILL
MAY 6
A Delhi court on Friday
extended till May 6 the interim protection from arrest granted to former Union
minister P Chidambaram and his son Karti in the Aircel-Maxis case. Special
Judge O P Saini extended the interim relief to Chidambarams and posted the matter
on May 6 after ED sought more time to gather evidence.
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CONGRESS PROMISES PAYMENT TO 5.85 CR FAMILIES AFFECTED BY
PEARLS CHIT FUND SCAM WITHIN 6 MONTHS OF COMING TO POWER
The Congress on Thursday
expressed support for the 5.85 crore families affected by the Pearls chit fund
case and promising that it will ensure payment to them with interest within six
months if voted to power. The party said it unequivocally and strongly condemns
the injustice done to the families by Pearl Agrotech Corporation Limited (PACL)
as well as about 12 crore victims of the various chit fund scams and it is
taking a very serious view of this organised fraud. The Congress said in a
statement that within six months of government formation, the 5.85 crore
families affected by PACL will be ensured payment with interest according to
the February 2, 2016, decision of the Supreme Court. The party will also pass
stringent laws to curb such scams which attack the right to dignity of each
citizen, it said. The party said it has already commenced work on its pre-state
election written undertaking given to the All Investor Safety Organisation
(AISO) members in states of Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan where the local Congress
governments have opened PACL help centres at the block-level to assist citizens
with the online portal of SEBI and address their woes. Further, Chhattisgarh
has also decided to withdraw case registered against chit fund agents, the
statement said. The Congress also reassured the All Investor Safety
Organisation that it will work closely with it to raise this issue at
grassroots level as well as in Parliament to get justice for the PACL and other
chit fund victims.
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AT BIHAR RALLY, RAHUL MEETS RAHUL
Rahul Gandhi Friday found
his namesake in a young boy while addressing a rally here and asked him to come
up on the dais, much to the amusement of people. The boy answered - Rahul -
evoking guffaws from the crowd and a grin from the Congress president, who
asked the former to join him on the dais. As the boy came up, the Congress
president interrupted his speech to say namaste to the boy and introduced him
to other leaders sharing the stage, including RJD heir apparent Tejashwi Yadav
and RLSP chief Upendra Kushwaha. Resuming his speech, Gandhi told the cheering
crowd, While thousands of people are losing jobs every day, 22 lakh posts are
lying vacant in various government departments and there is also a large
potential of employment generation in panchayats. I want to give these jobs to
young people like Rahul.
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MODI BELIEVES IN RULING INDIA BY KEEPING PEOPLE IN STATE OF
FEAR: CHIDAMBARAM
Charging that Prime
Minister Narendra Modi thinks he can rule India by keeping the people in a
state of fear, P Chidambaram on Friday said the people will vote for a country
where the mind is without fear. Hitting out at BJP chief Amit Shah for saying
Congress can’t keep India safe, the former home minister asked who kept the
country safe in the three wars fought in 1947, 1965 and 1971. What is the
meaning of keeping India safe if different sections of people — women, Dalits,
SCs, STs, minorities, academics, writers, journalists etc — are unsafe? he
asked. Mr Modi thinks he can rule India by keeping the people in a state of
fear. The people will vote for a country ‘where the mind is without fear,'
Chidambaram said alluding to the poem written by Nobel laureate Rabindranath
Tagore.
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PRIYANKA GANDHI'S OWN DECISION NOT TO CONTEST FROM VARANASI:
SAM PITRODA
Sam Pitroda Friday said it
was Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra's own decision not to
contest against Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the Varanasi Lok Sabha seat.
Speculation over Priyanka Gandhi's electoral debut from Modi's constituency
ended Thursday when the Congress fielded Ajay Rai from there. The party
president had left the final decision on her, Pitroda said when reporters asked
him about Rahul Gandhi not fielding his sister from the high-profile
constituency. She decided that she has several responsibilities. She decided
that rather than concentrating on one seat, she should focus on the job she has
at hand, Pitroda, who heads the Indian Overseas Congress, said. So that decision
was finally hers and she decided it, he said.
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DEFENCE MINISTER NIRMALA SITHARAMAN IN MUMBAI, BLASTS CONGRESS
Defence Minister Nirmala
Sitharaman launched a frontal attack on the opposition who alleged that PM Modi
has used the defence forces for his electoral interests. She also targeted the
opposition and MNS President Raj Thackeray over their repeated questioning of
air strikes across the line of actual control in Pakistan by India. If the
erstwhile government had taken strong steps after 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks,
the present situation of Pulwama attacks could have been prevented. Our armed
forces were always equipped to give a befitting reply, but there was no
political will which the present government has displayed. If someone including
the opposition questions these attacks then it is very unfortunate, she said. Sitharaman
also said that Modi wave this election year is bigger than the previous one in
than 2014. She explained that the crowds during her campaign in South India
wanted her to speak on Pulwama and the surgical strikes. The response indicated
that people want a decisive government. Congress is shying away from talking
about issues like Pulwama and Balakot due to their inaction when they were in
power, said Sitharaman. Congress Prime Minister had not taken any such steps
which is why they are shying away from talking on this issue. It was BJP which
always had supported the Government in power when it comes to the security of
the nation. Be it Indo-Pakistani War of 1971, or be it 26/11 Mumbai attacks, we
have stood by Government and never doubted its intentions, she added. Replying
to a question on Sadhvi Pragya's remark on 26/11 martyr Hemant Karkare,
Sitharaman said that Sadhvi Pragya Singh has expressed her agony and party has
made its stand clear on Sadhvi's statement. Sadhvi had said that Karkare died
as she cursed him for torturing her in the custody. Sitharaman said that Sadhvi
has already retracted her statement.
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AHMED PATEL RAJYA SABHA VICTORY MATTER POSTED FOR APRIL 30
Following fresh summons
issued by the Gujarat High Court, Bengaluru-based Eagleton Resort's manager,
Mathew, on Thursday remained present before the court in the ongoing trial of
the election petition filed by BJP's Balvantsinh Rajput against the Rajya Sabha
(RS) poll victory of Congress leader Ahmed Patel. Notably, Patel had kept
Congress MLAs at the resort just before the RS elections to avoid horse-trading
by the ruling BJP. However, the manager did not bring the required documents
and his cross-examination has been scheduled for April 30.
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CURBING INSURGENCY IN NORTHEAST MY BIGGEST ACHIEVEMENT AS HOME
MINISTER, SAYS RAJNATH SINGH
Curbing insurgency in the
Northeast has been his biggest achievement as home minister, according to
Rajnath Singh who says Naxal violence in the country is also on the wane. The
Union home minister asserts that BJP will come back to power with a thumping
majority as people want the good governance of the Narendra Modi dispensation
to continue. The way Modiji has led the country at national and international
levels in the last five years, there is not an iota of doubt about our win with
three-fourths majority in these polls, he claims. Singh says as home minister,
he worked, among other things, towards curbing insurgency in the Northeast and
Naxalism in parts of the country. Insurgency in Northeast is almost finished.
We are now in the most favourable position since 1971, when more security
personnel used to get killed than Naxals. Now the trend has reversed… Our
security forces have been giving a befitting reply and eliminating Naxals, he
told. Earlier Naxals operated in 126 districts, but now their activities are
limited to just six-seven districts, he says. We are quite sure that in coming days,
we will root them out. The elimination of insurgency in the Northeast has been
my biggest achievement as home minister even beyond my expectations, the former
chief minister of Uttar Pradesh says. He also says that as home minister, he
made maximum number of visits to Jammu and Kashmir and tried to find a
long-term solution to the region’s problems, though it could not yield the
desired results. Now, time has come to review articles 35A and 370 of the
Constitution (providing special status and rights to the state and its
citizens) and assess what Jammu and Kashmir got and what it lost due to these
two provisions, he says. My ministry also revoked the registration of 20,000
organisations which used to get money from overseas, under the Foreign
Contribution (Regulation) Act, and were involved in activities which were not
in the interest of our country, he says. Singh says he does not believe that
Modi’s persona is overshadowing the work of other lawmakers and ministers. Whatever
ministers or MPs do, they do it after getting the team leader’s consent, it is
but natural. All policy decisions are taken under the chairmanship of the prime
minister. So, saying that the work of other ministers or MPs is overshadowed is
not right, he says. People are smart enough and politically aware. They have
their own parameters to gauge public representatives’ records and performances,
he adds. To a query why the BJP’s campaign has no mention of demonetisation and
GST, Singh, who headed the party’s manifesto committee, says they are no longer
poll issues. Their (positive and expected) results have started surfacing. GST
has been simplified several times and we have made it abundantly clear that
whenever there is a need, we will come up with more simplifications so that the
business class does not suffer, he says. Asked why the BJP has ‘imported’
candidates from outside the party, like Bhojpuri film actors Nirahua and Ravi
Kishan, Bollywood star Sunny Deol and Pragya Thakur, he says it shows the
party’s inclusive and pluralistic character. Let me clarify that the BJP’s core
cadre is quite strong and we have no dearth of candidates. But there are some
people in every society who have a large fan following and have some intrinsic
political acumen. When we get these people in our party, they become an
integral part of the BJP family and by this way, our party becomes more
inclusive and pluralistic, he reasons. Asked about the BJP fielded only a few
Muslim candidates, he says though he was not in a position to tell the exact
number, but the party has given tickets to members from the community. We are
very careful about our core principal – ‘Sabka Saath Sabka Vikas’.
Unfortunately, the opposition parties are unsuccessfully trying to create a
fear factor. But we have built a sense of confidence and I am quite sure that
we will get their (Muslims) bigger support this time than what we got in the
previous Lok Sabha election, he claims.
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MODI LISTS RS 2.5 CRORE WORTH ASSETS, MA DEGREE FROM GUJARAT
UNIVERSITY IN ELECTION AFFIDAVIT
Narendra Modi has assets
worth Rs 2.5 crore including a residential plot in Gujarat’s Gandhinagar, fixed
deposits of Rs 1.27 crore and Rs 38,750 cash in hand, according to his
affidavit filed with the Election Commission on Friday. Modi has named
Jashodaben as his wife and declared that he has an M.A. degree from Gujarat
University in 1983. The affidavit said he is an arts graduate from Delhi
University (1978). He passed SSC exam from Gujarat board in 1967, it said. He
has declared movable assets worth Rs 1.41 crore and immovable assets valued at
Rs 1.1 crore. The prime minister has invested Rs 20,000 in tax saving infra
bonds, Rs 7.61 lakh in National Saving Certificate (NSC) and another Rs 1.9
lakh in LIC policies. His cash balance in savings bank account is Rs 4,143.
Modi has four gold rings, weighing 45 grams, valued at Rs 1.13 lakh. The prime
minister has declared the property details in the affidavit which is a mandatory
requirement for filing nomination papers. Modi possess about 3,531 sq ft plot
in Sector-1, Gandhinagar. The value of the property, which includes a
residential unit on the plot, is assessed to be Rs 1.1 crore, according to the
affidavit. While Modi has listed salary from government and interest from bank
as his sources of income, his wife’s source of income is mentioned as not
known. Her profession or occupation is also listed as not known. Modi has
declared that he neither has any criminal case pending against him nor has any
government dues on him. The prime minister, who is seeking a second term from
Varanasi parliamentary constituency, had disclosed a total assets of Rs 1.65
crore in 2014.
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BENGAL WILL OFFER MODI ROSOGOLLAS MADE OF CLAY : MAMATA
Miffed over Prime Minister
Narendra Modi's disclosure that she sends him kurtas and sweets, a vitriolic
Mamata Banerjee Friday said that the people of Bengal will offer him
'rosogollas' made of clay with fillings of gravel instead of votes. The
Trinamool Congress supremo had earlier said that the BJP will score a 'big
rosogolla', also invoked in the state to mean score zero in examination due to
the shape of its famed sweet, in the ongoing general elections from West Bengal,
which sends 42 MPs to the Lok Sabha. Narendra Modi is coming to Bengal
regularly to seek votes. But the people will give him rosogollas made of clay
with fillings of gravel; his teeth will break if he tries to take a bite,
Banerjee said at a rally at Raniganj. Banerjee had earlier said that Modi has
made a political issue of the courtesy shown by her by making public that she
sends sweets to him. Claiming that Modi does not suit the position of prime
minister, she said I have never seen such a prime minister, making below
standard remarks. Asking BJP not to politicise the name of Lord Ram, she said
Hindus or Muslims do not indulge in riots, it is RSS which does it. She alleged
that before Modi came to power, there was no communal strife in Asansol or Raniganj
and accused BJP of bringing money from neighbouring Jharkhand and creating
trouble in West Bengal. Communal tension gripped the two industrial and mining
towns during Ram Navami celebrations in 2018. On Modi's claim of 'goondagiri'
(strong-arm tactics) by her, Banerjee said He does not even know how to talk
about a woman. She accused that BJP candidate in Asansol, union minister Babul
Supriyo of audacious behaviour and urged people not to vote for him. The
singer-turned politician, who won the Asansol seat in 2014 and went on to
become a union minister of state in the Narendra Modi government, had at one
time shared a friendly relationship with the West Bengal chief minister. He had
even raised eyebrows in political circles by having phuchkas (panipuris) with
Banerjee in front of the Victoria Memorial in Kolkata after being given a lift
in her car on way to the Raj Bhavan in May 2015.
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LAW EQUAL FOR ALL, RAID MY HOUSE IF I DO ANYTHING WRONG:
NARENDRA MODI
Dispelling the impression
that recent searches by Income-Tax department were politically motivated,
Narendra Modi Friday said the law is equal for all and his residence should
also be searched if he has done anything wrong. He targeted the Congress on
corruption, saying it committed the Tughlaq Road election scam, whose money was
being used for the poll campaign of its chief Rahul Gandhi. Referring to recent
I-T raids at the premises of aides of Madhya Pradesh's Congress Chief Minister
Kamal Nath, Modi said, They are crying that why were they targeted by the
agencies. But they were raided as they indulged in wrongdoing. If Modi is found
to do such things then he should also not be spared. The Central Board of
Direct Taxes had said the department has also detected a trail of Rs 20 crore
suspect cash allegedly being moved to the headquarters of a major political
party in Delhi from the house of an important person who lives on Tughlaq Road,
home to many VIPs. After the raids, a Congress leader in Madhya Pradesh had accused
the BJP-led central government of targeting opposition leaders for political
vendetta. Modi tum virodhi dal valon ko kyon raid karte ho. mudda yeh nahi hai
par itna sara paisa kahan se nikla (Why is Modi targeting those in the
opposition. But this is not an issue. The point is from where has so much money
come), he said. Continuing his attack on the Congress, the PM said, Ek toh
chori upar se seenajori (They indulge in theft and then raise their voice too).
Agar Modi bhi gadbad kar raha hai to uske ghar bhi raid panda chahiye, kanoon
sabke liye saman hona chahiye (If Modi does anything wrong, then his house
should also be raided. Law should remain equal for all). Slamming Kamal Nath
without naming him, Modi said money sent by the Centre under different schemes,
including for providing nutritious food to pregnant women, is being swindled by
the Congress government in Madhya Pradesh. This stolen money is being sent to
Tughlaq Road, where the bungalow of a big Congress leader is located, and from
there it is routed to the place of `naamdar' (apparently referring to Gandhi)
for funding his electioneering, Modi said. He said the Kamal Nath government
has resorted to power cuts in the name of halving electricity bills of
consumers. This is an example of how they function, he said, warning people not
to vote for the Congress in the Lok Sabha polls. Modi said money disbursed by
the Central government for farmers in Madhya Pradesh under its schemes was yet
to reach the beneficiaries. He accused the Nath dispensation of not sharing
with the Centre the list of farmers requiring the help. Taking a jibe at the MP
chief minister, Modi said perhaps Nath was too busy to share the list with the
Centre due to his Switzerland visit and political grooming of his son (who is contesting
Lok Sabha election). He criticised the Congress for the way it had dealt with
the issue of terrorism while in power and remarked that the approach to tackle
the menace has changed under the NDA government. The present government wont
spare any terrorist and will hit them by entering in their den, the PM said. He
asked the people who from among the opposition wanting to become the PM can
wipe out terrorism. When they chanted his name in response, Modi said it is not
him but their one vote that would help wipe out terrorism. Modi said Karnataka
Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy had insulted soldiers with his reported remark
that only those who cannot manage two square meals a day seek jobs in armed
forces. He took potshots at those from the opposition parties aspiring to
become the next prime minister. They have already ordered their tailors for new
attires, he added.
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RAHUL PROMISES 'KISAN BUDGET', LAW TO PREVENT FARMERS GOING TO
JAIL FOR FAILING TO REPAY LOAN
Rahul Gandhi Friday
promised to introduce a separate kisan budget and bring a law to prevent
farmers from being jailed for inability to repay farm loans. Mounting a
scathing attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Gandhi said if the BJP-led
government can waive huge debts of industrialists, why should the distressed
farmers be punished. A new law will be brought if Congress is voted to power.
It will ensure that no farmer is sent to jail for being unable to repay
agriculture loan, Gandhi said at an election rally in this coastal Odisha town.
Similarly, a separate budget for the agriculture sector will be introduced
which will be presented before the general budget, the Congress chief said. We
will introduce a kisan budget which will specify the amount of farm loans to be
waived a year in advance, Minimum Support Price (MSP) for foodgrains. Places
where cold storages and food processing units are to be set up will also be
shared a year in advance, he said. Hitting out at Modi for skipping issues such
as unemployment, farmers distress, price rise and corruption which were being
raked up before 2014 polls, Gandhi said the prime minister is aware that
speaking about his past promise of depositing Rs 15 lakh each to people's bank
accounts will simply boomerang now. Noting that Congress is not promising to
give everybody Rs 15 lakh, Gandhi said Rs 72,000 will be deposited in the bank
account of the woman member of each of the five crore poor families per year
under the 'NYAY' scheme. Stating that poor states like Odisha and Bihar will
benefit immensely from NYAY scheme, Gandhi said every month Rs 6000 will be
given to the poor family whose monthly income is less than Rs 12,000.
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ASARAM BAPU’S SON NARAYAN SAI FOUND GUILTY OF RAPE, SENTENCING
ON APRIL 30
A local in Surat court on
Friday held self-styled godman Asaram Bapu’s son Narayan Sai guilty in a rape
case of two sisters. The quantum of punishment will be pronounced on April 30. Narayan
Sai (47) and his father are currently lodged in jail in connection with rape
cases. While Sai is lodged in Lajpor jail on charges of the rape of a lady in
Surat, Asaram is lodged at a Jodhpur jail. Sai was arrested from Kurukshetra in
Haryana in December 2013 after two Surat sisters filed rape complaints against
him and Asaram in October the same year. One of the sisters had alleged that
she was raped by Sai multiple times between 2002 and 2005 when she was living
in his ashram.
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THOSE CLOSE TO CONGRESS HIT AS HOME PRICES FELL AFTER NOTE
BAN: PM NARENDRA MODI
Narendra Modi Friday said
the Congress was targeting him over demonetisation owing to the reverses
suffered by people close to it in the realty sector as a result of the note
ban. Housing prices fell due to the note ban, leading to the devastation of
people close to the Congress who had invested in the sector, Modi said. Modi
said a majority of Indians supported his move despite the difficulties which it
entailed. He said a campaign was launched when he started acting against black
money and corruption and public was instigated by showing videos of people
standing in queues outside banks. A few people sitting in AC rooms of Delhi
celebrated the decision, saying 'Modi's fate is sealed', but the majority
countrymen have proved them wrong, he said. Note ban led to a reduction in
house prices, but those close to the Congress who had invested in the sector
are devastated. The Congress is at pains because 3 lakh companies were sealed
following note ban, he said. Modi said no one blames him for the note ban
decision and added that there are only 15 lakh people -- assuming five in each
of the three lakh companies -- who are his enemies. The prime minister appealed
people to help him against the dishonest and also decried Congress' attempts at
finding fault with the Swachh Bharat campaign. He also attacked the Congress
over its record of governance in Madhya Pradesh in a short span of just a few
months and also made a reference to recent tax raids in Delhi, which he has
been terming as the Tughlaq Road election scam. Dacoits and kidnappers have got
a new energy after Congress came to power in Madhya Pradesh last year, he said.
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RAHUL GANDHI SHOWING SIGNS OF DESPERATION: ARUN JAITLEY
Arun Jaitley Friday said
Congress President Rahul Gandhi is showing signs of desperation as the fake
narratives built by him over the Rafale jet deal and loan waivers to business
houses have evaporated. In a Facebook post, Jaitley said the desperation
reached a peak when Gandhi offered four Lok Sabha seats in Delhi to the Aam
Aadmi Party without realising that its chief Arvind Kejriwal was playing games
with the Congress. He (Gandhi) displayed the desperation of a loser, Jaitley
said. The minister further claimed that going by the euphoric reaction on the
ground, the Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP) would get a larger mandate in the
ongoing general elections than what it had received in 2014. Rahul Gandhi, in
the last one year, built up a fake narrative on Rafale and loan waiver to
business houses, which was contrary to the truth. The fake issues evaporated
and now strike no chord in the electorate, he said. The desperation of Gandhi
was at a climax when the Congress and the NCP outsourced the job of attacking
Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Raj Thackeray without realising the fallout of
such a move in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and other north Indian States, Jaitley
said. Observing that the Congress and Rahul Gandhi are 48 years behind the
times, Jaitley said India's social combination and economic profile has
completely changed since 1971. The Congress is contesting the 2019 election on
the 1971 agenda. It is not in tune with the times. The writing on the wall is loud
and clear. Those who lived a life of entitlement all through, give up when
office seems to be a distant dream, said the post, titled 'Has the Congress
Thrown its Hands up?'. The 'New India' is a positive India, Jaitley said,
adding it does not accept the negativism of Rahul Gandhi, Arvind Kejriwal,
Mamata Banerjee and TDP. Voting for the first three rounds of the elections
covering 303 Parliamentary seats are over and there is a groundswell for the
BJP, he added. A 65 per cent to 70 per cent approval rating for an incumbent
Prime Minister is unprecedented in India, Jaitley said.
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TARGETED JEM, 69 MILITANTS KILLED THIS YEAR: FORCES
The security forces on
Wednesday said they have targeted the leadership of Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) in
Kashmir, adding that 69 militants have been killed this year so far. K J S
Dhillon, said, This year, total of 69 terrorists have been killed and 12
apprehended. Post Pulwama (suicide attack), 41 terrorists have been killed and
25 belonged to JeM. Basically we have targeted the JeM leadership. The Jammu
and Kashmir Police on Wednesday presented before the media a Pakistani militant
arrested in North Kashmir two days previously. The militant, identified as
Mohammed Waqar, said, I was told that (in Kashmir) there is persecution of
children, wrong is done to women, Muslims are not allowed to pray, the houses
of Muslims are being dismantled, while answering some questions by the
journalists. However, he denied that he was involved in any attack in the
Valley.
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‘HE IS FILMY FAUJI, I AM REAL FAUJI’: AMARINDER SINGH’S JIBE
AT SUNNY DEOL
Amarinder Singh Friday
took a dig at the BJP’s Gurdaspur candidate and film actor Sunny Deol, saying
that the latter is only a filmy ‘fauji’ (soldier) while he is the real ‘fauji’.
He (Sunny Deol) is a filmy ‘fauji’, while I am a real fauji. We will defeat
him, he is no threat to Sunil Jakhar (Congress Lok Sabha candidate from
Gurdaspur) or the Congress, ANI quoted Amarinder as saying. Deol was inducted
into the BJP on April 23 and was elected as the party’s candidate from the
Gurdaspur Lok Sabha seat on the same day. Joining the party, the actor had
said, The way my father (actor Dharmendra, who was a Lok Sabha MP from BJP) was
attached with Atalji, today I have come to join Modiji. Whatever I can do for
this family (BJP), I will do it. I won’t talk, I will show you through my work.
The move to field Deol, who does not have any political experience, had revived
a debate on the party giving tickets to ‘outsiders’ and sidelining those who
have come up through the ranks. The BJP, however, defended the move by saying
that such celebrities help the party expand its constituency.
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OVER 130 ISIS-LINKED SUSPECTS ARE IN SRI LANKA: PRESIDENT
SIRISENA
Over 130 suspects linked
to the Islamic State (IS) terror group have been operating in Sri Lanka,
President Maithripala Sirisena said Friday, days after the terror outfit
claimed responsibility for the Easter bombings that claimed the lives of 253
people. The president said that several suspects have already been arrested
following the Easter Sunday attacks, and the terror network will be completely
eliminated from Sri Lanka. Information is that around 130-140 ISIS suspects
linked to the terror network are in Sri Lanka. Around 70 are arrested, we will
arrest them all very soon ending this (terror), Sirisena said. The president
said the Defence Secretary and Inspector General of Police had failed in their
duties and that is why he called for their resignation. He said that they had
failed to share prior information obtained by them over a possible terror
attack in the country. The president added that he and the entire Government
will also take the full responsibility for the attacks. Pujith Jayasundara and
defence secretary Hemasiri Fernando have resigned from their posts over the
security establishment's alleged failures which led to the attacks on three
hotels and three churches on Sunday. The IGP has resigned. He has sent his
resignation to the acting defense secretary. I'll nominate a new IGP soon, the
president said. The police chief's resignation came a day after the country's
defence secretary Hemasiri Fernando handed over his resignation letter to the
president.
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SRI LANKA'S PAIN IS FUELING AN UGLY DEBATE IN INDIA
It is increasingly clear
that the Easter Sunday blasts in Sri Lanka could and should have been
prevented. Warnings about the group responsible, their intentions and even
specific attackers were delivered in well in advance. Both President
Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremasinghe have acknowledged
that the information did not reach them and wasn’t acted upon. The two men -- and
their respective parties -- are still at loggerheads after a months-long
constitutional crisis last year in which the former tried and failed to fire
the latter. The president has attempted to exclude the prime minister from
decisions over most national-security issues; a divided and confused Colombo
establishment clearly contributed to the security breakdown. No doubt this will
become a factor in elections later this year: Former Defense Minister Gotabhaya
Rajapaksa -- whose family, led by former president Mahinda Rajapaksa, dominated
Sri Lankan politics till a few years ago -- recently insisted in an interview
with Bloomberg that the government was never serious about security and was
more concerned about reconciliation after Sri Lanka’s decades-long civil war.
Fair enough. In the elections already underway in next-door India, though, the
attacks are adding more fuel to an already ugly politics of patriotism and
national-security. And accountability is the last thing being discussed. Indian
Prime Minister Narendra Modi was swift to bring up the Sri Lanka attacks as a
reason to vote for his Bharatiya Janata Party: A vote for the BJP, he said, was
a vote to destroy terrorism of the sort Sri Lanka had suffered. This feeds into
the Modi campaign’s ongoing efforts to exploit high-octane nationalism. The BJP
seized upon a confrontation with Pakistan in February to turn the national
conversation away from its spotty economic record. Since the BJP is actually in
power, though, it can’t snipe from the outside as the Rajapaksas are doing. So
BJP figures have essentially resorted to calling the opposition terrorist
sympathizers. The Congress Party’s fairly detailed election manifesto could
have served to open an argument on the most effective way to balance welfare and
economic growth. Instead, the BJP has zeroed in on the Congress’ proposal that
some particularly draconian and illiberal laws be diluted. Modi’s finance
minister, who you’d think would have had plenty to say regarding the
opposition’s lack of fiscal mathematics, instead focused on calling their
manifesto a charter to weaken India and an agenda for balkanizing India. It has
been absurdly easy for Modi and the BJP to make security into a major, if not
the primary issue in the election. Unfortunately, this heated rhetoric seems to
be considered an adequate replacement for any more rational response. India’s
February air strikes into Pakistan -- in retaliation for an attack on an Indian
paramilitary convoy in troubled Kashmir -- were seen in many quarters as influenced
by electoral considerations. Crucially, there has been no accountability for
the security failures that led to the convoy bombing. Kashmir is so heavily
militarized that a sophisticated attack of that sort should have been
prevented. Unlike in Sri Lanka, nobody in New Delhi has taken responsibility
for the original failure. It’s fine to talk about national security during a
campaign. But the most important questions aren’t being asked: Why did the
attack happen? Which group organized it and how did they build up their
strength? How can other such attacks be prevented? The coarseness of the
current debate in India is not just a betrayal of the large part of the
electorate that wants a clear discussion of bread-and-butter issues. It is
frankly dangerous for national security itself. One hopes Sri Lanka will, over
the next few months, have a more productive political dialogue than India has
had.
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FB USER BOOKED FOR SPREADING RUMOURS OF TRIPURA CM BIPLAB
DEB’S DIVORCE; WIFE SAYS ‘CHEAP PUBLICITY’
Tripura Police Friday
booked one Anupam Paul, a Facebook user, for allegedly spreading rumours of
divorce suit filed against Biplab Kumar Deb by his wife Niti Deb on social
media.bA document, purportedly about a divorce suit against Chief Minister Deb,
went viral on social media on Thursday. Following this, Niti Deb Friday took to
Facebook to clarify that it was a fake news and termed the post on social media
a ‘dirty rumour’ spread to gain political mileage. In her Facebook post, Niti
Deb wrote, Rumours have no mouth, only dirty, filthy and sick minds generate
for cheap publicity and mileage, and importantly when paid high for spreading
such dirty rumours to gain political advantage against influential people otherwise,
who will follow these culprits. She also appealed people to ‘boycott’
rumour-mongers if they loved her and had faith in her. Terming herself ‘boudi’
(sister-in-law), daughter-in-law, mother and sister of Tripura, Niti, in her
social media post, claimed that the rumour was spread to ‘tarnish’ her image. Niti
is serving in a managerial position with State Bank of India (SBI) in Tripura.
The couple has two kids —a son and a daughter, both of whom are school
students. Advocate Ashwani Jha, whose name was mentioned in the document which
went viral, told indianexpress.com that it was about a divorce suit filed by a
man residing in Delhi with the Tis Hazari Court in Delhi and has nothing to do
with the Tripura Chief Minister. We have registered the FIR. The accused has
not been arrested till now. He was not present at his home when police searched
for him there, the DIG said.
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BRITAIN WARNS AGAINST TRAVELING TO SRI LANKA, SEES FURTHER
ATTACKS
Britain said terrorists
were likely to try to carry out further attacks in Sri Lanka and warned its
nationals to avoid the country unless it was absolutely necessary following the
Easter Sunday bombings that killed 359 people. The British Foreign Office said
future attacks could be indiscriminate, including in places visited by
foreigners. Following the horrific attacks on Easter Sunday, and the ongoing
Sri Lankan security operation, I have decided to update the travel advice to
British nationals to Sri Lanka to advise against all but essential travel,
Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt said. We will keep this decision under close and
constant review. In its updated travel advice it added: Terrorists are very
likely to try to carry out attacks in Sri Lanka. Most of the victims in
Sunday's attacks were Sri Lankans, although authorities have said at least 38
foreigners were killed, many of them tourists sitting down to breakfast at
top-end hotels when the bombers struck. They included eight British people. The
Foreign Office advised any Britons in Sri Lanka to follow the advice of local
security authorities, to keep a low profile and avoid crowded public places,
and to avoid traveling during periods of curfew.
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CHRISTCHURCH BUSINESSMAN PLEADS GUILTY TO SHARING MOSQUE
SHOOTING VIDEO
A Christchurch businessman
has pleaded guilty to sharing a live stream video that was recorded by a gunman
last month as he began killing 50 people at two mosques. Philip Arps pleaded
guilty to two counts of distributing the mosque video and will remain in jail
until he's sentenced on June 14. He faces a maximum penalty of 14 years in
prison. Prosecutors accused the 44-year-old of sending the video to an unknown
person and instructing that person to insert crosshairs and to include a kill
count. Prosecutors say he then forwarded the entire chilling 17-minute video to
30 associates. New Zealand's Chief Censor David Shanks banned both the video
and a manifesto written by the white supremacist accused of the attack, making
it illegal to view, possess or distribute them.
#For Source of Information copy and paste the heading in google.
Thanks & Regards,
CS Meetesh Shiroya
Thanks & Regards,
CS Meetesh Shiroya
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