India

In the backdrop of corruption allegations against former IAF chief S P Tyagi in the VVIP chopper scam, Air Chief Marshal Arup Raha today said multiple agencies are involved in the procurement process and no one can pin the blame on one particular organisation or service. Tyagi, who was given bail recently, has always maintained that all decisions were taken collectively and it is wrong to solely blame him.

IAF chief Raha, who was asked about corruption charges plaguing defence deals, also lamented that despite probes into the alleged scams over the decades, not much could be achieved by the investigating agencies to bring to justice people involved in corrupt practices.

“If these corruption charges are proved, it is bad for the armed forces, or whoever is involved. It is not just the armed forces who are involved in the procurement.

“There are so many agencies who are involved. Therefore you cannot pin the blame on one particular organisation or service,” Raha said speaking to reporters just days before he demits office on December 31.

Tyagi has said that senior officials of the Defence Ministry, the Special Protection Group as well the Prime Minister’s Office besides others were part of the decision making process along with him.

Raha argued that the procurement process in the IAF is more stringent than any other service.

He said till the time a person is convicted, “I think we should give him due” but if a person is found guilty, there will be “no sympathy” for him.

“A former air force chief is like a family member, extended family member. If anybody in my family goes through a rough patch, I think we should stand by that person. And if the charges are proved, then we have no sympathy for him. Whatever charges are proved, whatever convictions are there, we will abide by it,” he said.

Raha said that every decade has its own share of defence scandals. “Despite investigations, not much could be achieved by the investigating agencies to pin down people who are involved in corrupt practices,” he said.

The court which had given bail to Tyagi had ticked off the CBI for not presenting proper evidence to deny him bail.

Talking about the procurement process in the IAF, the air chief said they have very clear cut procedures to be followed.

We are very well trained professionals who deal with acquisition or procurements. We have test pilots, test engineers, it is not not so for other services, I can tell you that,” he said.

Raha stressed that air force professionals are dealing with the subject very diligently and professionally.

“And wherever we have to exercise our specialist skills to give an opinion, we do it very diligently. We have a lot of mechanisms to review each and every procurement that we do. There are many stages of oversight,” he said.

He said that the IAF currently is reinforcing whatever is done is the past.”We are continuing with the process. We are having better oversight,” Raha said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi sacrificed the common man in his "yagna" against corruption when he decided to demonetise the Rs 500 and Rs. 1,000 notes on November 8, said Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi during the 132nd foundation day celebrations of the Indian National Congress on Wednesday in New Delhi. He added that farmers should be given bonus at 20 percent of market selling price (MSP).

"What is the Congress?. It means listening to you, understanding others. It made us understand the meaning of freedom," said Rahul Gandhi. "Modi ji said that he was performing a 'yagna' against corruption on November 8. Demonetisation yagna was being performed for 1 percent super-rich people. Every yagna requires a sacrifice and in this one the common man was sacrificed," Gandhi said.  

He quoted Urdu poet Allama Iqbal saying that there's a long battle ahead of them.

"The demonetisation decision has been taken to benefit only 50 families," said Rahul Gandhi. He also told the party workers to pull up their socks to take on the divisive ideology of RSS and BJP.

"Many people have suffered and for this loss government should give compensation. PM Modi should reveal how much black money recovered post Nov 8, how much economic loss nation suffered and how many people lost their lives. PM Modi should reveal the list of people who deposited more than Rs 25 lakh in their bank accounts two months before November 8," he said.

"Restrictions on withdrawals must be lifted now. It is taking away the financial independence of the people. PM must explain how he will he compensate farmers who are affected the most by demonetisation. We demand their loans be waived off. PM should give bonus at 20 percent of MSP. He should give women farmers BPL families Rs 25,000 each," he added.

Ending speculations and intra-party squabble over ticket distribution, Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav announced a list of 325 candidates for 2017 assembly elections. The list, which includes 176 seats where SP won in 2012 and 149 where it lost, also indicates that the party would go it alone in the forthcoming elections.

Ruling out the pre-poll alliance with any political party in the state while releasing the list to media persons in Lucknow on Wednesday, the SP chief Mulayam Singh Yadav clarified that all the 325 were winning candidates and that names to the remaining 78 seats would be declared later.

“The survey for selecting winnable candidates is going on for remaining 78 seats, the names for which will be announced later,” said the SP chief.

Denying ticket to three prominent ministers including Ram Govind Chaudhary (Minister for Basic Education and Child Nutrition), Pawan Pandey (Minister of state with Independent Charge for Entertainment Tax) with Arvind Singh Gope (Minister for Rural Development), all supposedly close to Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav, the SP chief, in a political posturing, has retained the names of mafia don-turned politician Atiq Ahmad from Kanpur Cantt and another mafia don Mukhtar Ansari’s brother Sigbatullah Ansari from Mohammadabad despite Akhiesh’s known opposition to tainted faces in the party.

It may be recalled that state cabinet minister Pawan Pandey was penalised and expelled from the party for assaulting party MLC Ashu Malik in front of party workers when the SP family feud was at its peak in October.

Even after being sacked from the party, Pawan Pandey continued to be the minister in Akhilesh’s cabinet. But now the SP chief has replaced him by his cousin Ashish Pandey alias Deepu Pandey on Ayodhya seat.

Replying to a question over Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav’s candidature in the Assembly polls, Mulayam said: “Akhilesh will contest on which ever seat he wants.” However, the other prominent names in the list include SP state unit chief Shivpal Yadav from Jaswant Nagar, Mohammad Azam Khan (Minister for Urban Development) from Rampur, controversial Minister Gayatri Prajapati from Amethi and former minister & senior Samajwadi Party leader Ambika Chaudhary from Phephna seat in Balia district.

Reiterating that winnability had been the criteria for selection of candidates, the SP chief said around 4,200 party workers had applied for ticket.

“We have given tickets to the winning candidates on the basis of constituency-wise survey which the party had conducted,” Mulayam said adding that those who could not get ticket this time would be compensated and duly honoured later.

Closing the chapter of Akhilesh being the CM face of the party which is going into the polls under his leadership, the SP chief scoffed at the perception by saying that Samajwadis did not have the tradition of declaring the CM candidate in advance.

“The legislature party will elect its leader after the elections,” he said. Responding to queries over Akhilesh’s list of 403 candidates handed over to him three days back, Mulayam said that as many candidates from different lists as possible were accommodated.

Akhilesh, who was not averse to an alliance with the Congress for the Assembly polls, has been saying that the SP alone would get an absolute majority and in case there is a tie-up with the Congress, the alliance would bag over 300 seats. “Samajwadi Party is not forming an alliance with anyone,” Mulayam said, ending the speculation of a tie-up between the SP and the Congress.

Fifteen coaches of Sealdah-Ajmer Superfast Express derailed in Kanpur Dehat district in Uttar Pradesh on Wednesday. More than 60 people, injured in the accident, have been taken to nearby hospitals.

Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu, who is monitoring the situation, has ordered a probe into how the derailment happened.

The incident took place around 6 AM near Rura Railway Station when the train was crossing a bridge over a dry canal in the area, North Central Railways PRO Amit Malviya told PTI. Rescue operations are over and the stranded passengers are being ferried in buses to Kanpur railway station.

This is the second train accident in Uttar Pradesh within two months. In November, Indore-Patna Express had derailed at Pukhrayan in Kanpur Dehat district of Uttar Pradesh, killing 120 people and injuring 180 others.

Licences of around 20,000 of 33,000 NGOs have been cancelled by the government after they were found to be allegedly violating various provisions of the FCRA, thus barring them from receiving foreign funds. This was conveyed to Home Minister Rajnath Singh during a review of the Foreigners Division of the Home Ministry here today. Giving a detailed presentation, Home Ministry officials said after cancellation of FCRA licences of around 20,000 NGOs, only 13,000 NGOs in the country are legally valid now.

The exercise of reviewing the working of the NGOs was started about a year ago and the process is still continuing, official sources said. Among the 13,000 valid NGOs, around 3,000 have submitted applications for renewal while Ministry of Home Affairs received 2,000 new applications for registration under the FCRA for the first time.

An additional 300 NGOs are currently under prior permission category but not registered under the FCRA. However, FCRA licences of around 16 NGOs were renewed by the Home Ministry under the “automatic” route and all the cases were reviewed thoroughly and except in two cases, 14 NGOs have been put under the prior permission category while papers of the two NGOs are under examination.

As per FCRA, if an NGO is put under prior permission category, it is barred to receive foreign funding from abroad without taking permission from the Home Ministry.

Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi was speaking at a public rally in Almora, Uttarakhand. He targeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi over demonetisation.

Congress vice-president on Friday described Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s demonetisation drive as 'economic robbery'.

'Note ban is not against black money or corruption, it is an economic robbery,' Gandhi speaking at a public rally in Almora in Uttarakhand.

Here are the highlights of his speech:
- Congress party wants to obliterate corruption from India
- Congress will support any step against corruption
- But notes ban wasn't against black money or corruption, it  was economic robbery
- PM Modi hasn't listened to the farmers. But he has forgiven 1.40 lakh crore in loans to 15 rich people but not farmers.
- Speaking about labourers in Parliament, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said they dig holes. They made fun of labourers. Modi ji India's labourers don't dig holes, they build India.
- You have divided India into two halves. On one side, India's super rich - 50 families, on the other side the 99% of India, including the poor, the honest, hard-working people.
- Under NDA, 1 percent of Indians have 60 percent of the wealth
- 99 percent Indians don't have black money
- 94 percent of the black money is in Swiss Bank accounts, gold and land
- Just 6 percent of black money is in cash
- I don't know why PM Modi has made this 6 percent black money his target, not the 94 percent
- I'll tell you why he took aim at the poor people
- He had said I'll put 15 lakhs in every account
- You gave Vijay Mallya 1,200 crore ki toffee
- You could not give to Uttarakhand
- This is suit boot ki Sarkar
- They say notes ban is a surgical strike on corruption
- But no, this is firebombing on India's poor
- Don't say murdabad, they do that, we don't. This is Gandhi ji's party
- More people were killed in firebombing during WWII than in Hiroshima
- I'll tell you why they introduced notes ban
- There is some 8 lakh crore in unpaid loans today by rich people
- When farmers don't pay loans, you take away their land, houses
- But when super rich don't pay loans, you call them defaulters and their debt Non Performing Asset
- You restructure their loans but don't recover it
- With your money, Modi ji wants to forgive this 8 lakh crore in loans
- Take from the poor, give to the rich
- And he wants your money to stay in the banks for as long as possible

In a sudden move, Delhi Lt Governor Najeeb Jung resigned on Thursday, ending a nearly three-and-half- year-long eventful tenure, mostly marked by bitter confrontation with AAP government on a range of issues that virtually brought governance to a halt on many occasions. Without citing reasons for the decision, 65-year-old Jung, who had taken charge in July 2013, thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his help and cooperation and Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal for his association.

In a brief statement, Jung's office said he has submitted his resignation to the Government of India and that he would be returning back to academics, "his first love". Sources close to him said that his resignation has nothing to do with his acrimonious relationship with the AAP government and he was contemplating to quit for last few months. "His decision to quit was not at all related to his relationship with the AAP government. It was purely a personal decision which he was mulling over for quite some time," they said.

Reacting to Jung's resignation, Kejriwal said the decision surprised him. "Sh Jung's resignation is a surprise to me. My best wishes in all his future endeavours," he tweeted.

While BJP was guarded in its reaction, Congress said the Centre must explain why Jung was "unceremoniously removed and whether it was done to bring someone to the top administrative post who is ideologically close to the RSS." Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia said despite several "bitter-sweet experiences, I can say that we have worked very well for Delhi with Jung. Good wishes for his future." A 1973-batch IAS officer, Jung had assumed charge as 20th Lt Governor of Delhi on July 9, 2013, five months before the Delhi Assembly elections.

The then Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit had played a role in appointing Jung, who was serving as Vice Chancellor of Jamia Millia University, to the top post in the city administration. He had run the city for nearly one year after the AAP government had quit on February 14, 2014 after a short stint of 49 days.

In the statement, his office also said "Jung also thanks the people of Delhi for all their support and affection, especially during the one year of President's Rule in Delhi, when he got unstinted support from them and which in turn helped run the administration in Delhi smoothly and effortlessly." Normally governors are appointed for a five-year term but there is no fixed tenure for the Lt Governors.

Union Home Secretary Rajiv Mehrishi said he came to know about Jung's resignation from the media. "The LG met me day before yesterday but he did not give any indication of submitting his resignation. Another meeting of mine with the LG is scheduled for tomorrow...I have come to know about his resignation only from the media," he said.

Born on January 18, 1951 Jung has done his post graduation in History from Delhi University and later did MA in Social Policy and Planning from London School of Economics, UK. He had joined Indian Administrative Services (IAS) in 1973 and served in Madhya Pradesh government and at several key positions, including as joint secretary in the ministry of petroleum and natural gas, in the central government.

A literary enthusiast, Jung had also worked with the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Oxford Institute for Energy Studies of Oxford University on Energy related issues.

BJP leader RPN Singh said, "He did a good job and was performing on ground. He must have thought of something."

Delhi Congress Chief Ajay Maken alleged that Jung was unceremoniously removed and demanded that the Centre make public reasons behind the decision. "Was he removed to bring someone who is close to RSS? Was it done considering the upcoming municipal polls? Jung is an able administrator," he said.

Congress leader PC Chacko said BJP's attitude towards Governors and LGs may be the reason behind Jung's decision. "BJP never takes independent stand as per as the offices of Governors and LGs are concerned. BJP wants the Governors and LGs to act as per their political thinking. This is putting many Governors and LGs in difficulties. May be this is behind the resignation," he said.

The AAP alleged Jung worked under the "influence" of Modi dispensation and questioned whether the power tussle between the Centre and Delhi government will continue even after the appointment of a new LG. "Modi government promotes its people. We hope he gets a better posting after this. I am unhappy that his tenure was disgraceful. Now that he has gone, good luck to him. "Najeeb Jung's behavior was not his. He was under the influence of someone. We hope the next LG gives priority to issues concerning people and does not work under anyone's influence," AAP's Kumar Vishwas said.

Modi don't fun but please answer the questions: Rahul Gandhi

Leading opposition figure Rahul Gandhi demanded an investigation into allegations that two Indian conglomerates paid millions of rupees as bribes to Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2013-14 when he was governing a western state.

Gandhi, the Congress Party vice president and scion of India's Nehru-Gandhi family, said the allegations were found in diary notes and computer records of the Sahara Group and the Birla Group and were in possession of income tax authorities.

Rahul Gandhi today alleged that Narendra Modi as Gujarat Chief Minister had taken money from Sahara and Birla groups and demanded an independent inquiry into it, a charge BJP rejected as an attempt to divert attention from the AgustaWestland probe in which the names of Congress leaders and the family were coming up.

Addressing a rally in Mehsana in the prime Minister's home state, he alleged that in the I-T records there are notings of Sahara officials' claims that they had paid 9 times to Modi between October, 2013 and February, 2014.

Gandhi said the documents in this regard were with IT department which had raided the company when Modi was Gujarat Chief Minister.

Similarly, as per documents with Income Tax department, the Birla group also paid Rs 12 crore to Modi when he was Chief Minister.

Wondering as to why there has been no probe in the matter so far, Gandhi demanded an independent inquiry.

Last week, Gandhi claimed that he had evidence of 'personal corruption' of Prime Minister but he was being prevented from speaking in the Lok Sabha because it would cause an earthquake.

Reacting to Gandhi's allegations, Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said in New Delhi that the charges are baseless, false, shameful and mala fide and an attempt to divert attention from the AgustaWestland probe as names of Congress leaders and the family are coming up.

G. V. L. Narsimha Rao, a spokesman for Modi's Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party, dismissed Gandhi's accusations as baseless and asked him to file a criminal case against Modi.

Gandhi said he was raising the issue on behalf of the country which needs answers over the questions raised against the Prime Minister.

"PM Modi takes bribes and then shamelessly foists Demonetisation on Indians under the garb of 'fighting Black Money," Congress tweeted after the rally quoting its Vice-President Rahul Gandhi.

"Rahulji asks if Modiji received this money from Sahara or not? If this document is with Income Tax, will Modi now investigate it?," tweeted party chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala.

NGO Common Cause had filed a PIL on the issue in the Supreme Court and a bench headed by CJI-designate Justice J S Khehar last week had refused to take up the matter saying there was no evidence but only allegations against the Prime Minister.

The bench then asked lawyer Prashant Bhushan to provide evidence before it could decide on whether it could admit the petition.

Gandhi alleged that the I-T records show Sahara officials' claims of having paid Rs 40 crore to Modi on various dates between October, 2013 and February, 2014.

"You (Modi) did not allow me to speak in Parliament. I did not know why you did not wanted to face me in the House. I tell you the reason. Any business entity keeps record of its transactions. On November 2014, Income Tax department conducted raids on Sahara, a very large corporate house," he said.

"During that raid, I-T department found some documents, which are on record. I want to share with you the contents of those documents. There were several entries in those documents, which I am reading out before you," he said.

He then alleged that another record suggests that Birla Group gave Rs 12 crore to 'Gujarat Chief Minister'.

"This record is with I-T department since last 2.5 years.

I-T even recommended to conduct an inquiry in this issue. I want to ask you why no such inquiry was done? We want to know whether it is true that money was given to you nine times by Sahara?" Rahul asked.

"You doubted the honesty of citizens, their hard-earned income, and made them stand in the queues. Now, on behalf of citizens, I am asking you whether the information is true or not. And if it is true, then when you will set up an inquiry," said Gandhi.

AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi asked why the country's premier probe agencies are not showing the same urgency to convict the accused in all terror cases, a day after a special NIA court awarded death penalty to five IM operatives, including Yasin Bhatkal, in the 2013 Dilsukhnagar bomb blasts case.

In a series of tweets, the Hyderabad Lok Sabha MP questioned the NIA and also mounted a veiled attack on the Centre saying, "Do not be surprised the way NIA is pursuing those Bomb Blast cases where accused are Non-Muslims they will be exonerated bcos of Ache Din?".

"Why can't our Premier Investigation Agencies show same urgency to convict all alleged terrorist cases, Demolition (of) Babri Masjid pending since 92," he asked.

Over the awarding of death penalty to the five Indian Mujahideen operatives, he sought to know, while 2013 Dilsukhnagar blast accused were convicted, will the NIA "get conviction" in Mecca Masjid blast, Ajmer Dargha blast and Malegaon blasts cases.

"2013 Dilsukhnagar blast accused all get conviction Mecca Masjid blast, AJMER Dargha Blast, Malegaon blasts Will NIA get conviction these cases," Owaisi said in a tweet.

In further tweets, the AIMIM chief said, "Dilsukhnagar bomb blast accused can be convicted in 3 years why is it taking long to convict M Masjid, Ajmer, Malegaon Can NIA throw some light."

However, in another tweet, Owaisi said "Dilsukhnagar blast courts have given a verdict which must be accepted, terrorist should be punished."

Five key operatives of the banned terror outfit Indian Mujahideen, including its co-founder Yasin Bhatkal and a Pakistani national, were yesterday awarded death penalty by a Special NIA Court here for the February 2013 Hyderabad's Dilsukhnagar bomb blasts which claimed 18 lives.