Twist in the case of ex-Guv Bhagat Singh Koshyari accepting donations worth Rs 15 crore 2
Former Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari and his nephew Deependra Koshyari have filed a Rs 100 crore defamation suit against an RTI activist and Saamana newspaper who made the accusations. The defamation suit was filed against RTI activist Anil Galgali, Saamana’s editor-in-chief, Uddhav Thackeray, editor Sanjay Raut, and publisher Vivek Kadam.
In fact, some people recently accused former Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari of misusing Rs. 15 crore from Anant Ambani in the name of his Uttarakhand school. An anonymous letter revealed that he took the money on behalf of his educational institution, but the nephew purchased land and built a resort. Following these allegations, Koshyari has filed a Rs 100 crore defamation claim against all of the people who made them, and plans are underway to file a criminal case.
In this notice issued by Bhagat Singh Koshyari and Deependra Koshyari, it is clearly stated that they have received no donations and that there is a conspiracy to defame them. Whereas the notice states that he runs Parvati Prema Jagati School, which is run by the All India Institute of Education and has been in operation for 40 years, it was given to him voluntarily, and the money must have come from the same account.
Koshyari has stated that none of his family members are associated with this institution, nor is anyone in the management.
Bhagat Singh Koshyari and Deependra Koshyari stated in the notice that there is no institute named Bhagat Singh Koshyari and that an attempt is being made to defame him.
We will continue to oppose CAA, no alliance in Telangana: MIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi 4
AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi has attacked the BJP-led Union government over the implementation of the Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) and said the law is “unconstitutional”.
“BJP has made an unconstitutional law—CAA. It has been made based on religion, which goes against the right to equality; therefore, I tore a copy of the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill in the Parliament. We were, are, and continue to be against this,” the AIMIM leader told reporters.
He expressed confidence of party candidates doing well in the Lok Sabha polls. “We are not in alliance with anyone in Telangana. In Uttar Pradesh, we formed PDM (pichda, Dalit, and Mulsim). In Telangana, we have not allied with any party. We have full clarity, and we have faith in our hard work. I am optimistic that our candidates will be victorious,” he said.
Asked about BJP leader and candidate from Hyderabad constituency Madhavi Latha’s bogus vote allegation, the AIMIM chief said they are abusing the Election Commission. “Every year in January, the inclusion of names happens, and then lists come out. A final voter comes out before the elections… This means that they are abusing the Election Commission,” he said.
Owaisi, the sitting MP from Hyderabad, also held a door-to-door canvassing in the Falkanuma area of the city and urged them to vote for AIMIM. The Lok Sabha election in the 17 parliamentary constituencies of Telangana will be held on May 17.
In the 2019 general election, Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) won nine seats, the BJP four, Congress 3 and AIMIM one seat.
Excise case: SC to hear on Monday Kejriwal's plea against HC order upholding his arrest 6
The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear on Monday Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s plea against a high court order that has upheld his arrest in a money-laundering case stemming from the alleged excise policy scam.
According to the cause list uploaded on the apex court’s website, a bench of Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Dipankar Datta will hear on April 15 Kejriwal’s petition challenging the Delhi High Court’s April 9 order.
In a massive blow to the chief minister, the high court has upheld his arrest in the money-laundering case, saying the Enforcement Directorate (ED) was left with ”little option” after he skipped repeated summonses and refused to join the investigation.
The high court has dismissed the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader’s petition challenging his arrest by the ED and subsequent remand in the federal agency’s custody.
The matter pertains to alleged corruption and money laundering in the formulation and execution of the Delhi government’s excise policy for 2021-22 that was later scrapped.
Kejriwal was arrested by the ED on March 21, hours after the high court refused to grant him protection from coercive action by the federal anti-money laundering agency.
He is in judicial custody till April 15 and is currently lodged in Tihar Jail.
Are MNS members unhappy with Raj Thackeray's continued support for the BJP? 8
In response to Raj Thackeray’s announcement that the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) would support the BJP-led Mahayuti alliance in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, senior leaders and cadre resigned in protest.
MNS general secretary Kirtikumar Shinde recently resigned from the party, explaining his decision on Facebook.
Some questioned the existence of their party, and others may follow in the footsteps of party chief Raj Thackeray. Despite the fact that his party was not contesting the 2019 Lok Sabha election, Raj Thackeray campaigned against the BJP, specifically against PM Narendra Modi and Amit Shah.
Many prominent MNS leaders left the party prior to the elections, including Vaishali Darekar-Rane, who is now running for Shiv Sena (UBT) in the Kalyan constituency, and Vasant More, who is running on the Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi ticket in the Pune constituency; both cited internal party politics as their reasons.
MNS North Mumbai Vice-President Nayan Kadam told Afternoon Voice that Vasant More vacated the seat because he demanded an MP’s seat but was unqualified for the position,
Furthermore, he stated that if we must support Maharashtra, which party should we support? Is there any other options? We agree that the BJP has given tickets to those who were facing ED and CBI allegations against them, and they are now clean in the BJP’s washing machine.”
Dilip Datir, the former MNS chief from Nashik who left the party last year for personal reasons, stated that the MNS party will follow in the footsteps of Raj Thackeray, who may have considered all of the benefits and drawbacks before supporting the BJP and the Modi government. MNS was supposed to compete for the 5-3 seat, but now there is none. Raj Thackeray believes that if he runs for Lok Sabha, he will fight with all of his heart.
This is election season, and campaigns are at their peak. In such a scenario, most of the leaders are arrested by the Enforcement Directorate’s (ED). The daughter of former Telangana chief minister K Chandrashekar Rao was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate in Hyderabad on money-laundering charges on March 15. Kavitha was lodged in Tihar Jail under judicial custody after the ED arrested her in Hyderabad on money-laundering charges on March 15. On April 10, the CBI got approval from a special court to arrest her.
The Delhi liquor policy case refers to a legal dispute between the Delhi government and various liquor vendors and associations regarding the government’s decision to enforce a new excise policy in the city. In 2016, the Delhi government introduced a new excise policy that aimed to rationalise the sale of alcohol in the city and increase revenue. The policy introduced measures such as raising the legal drinking age, reducing the number of liquor shops in the city, and increasing the legal drinking age from 18 to 21 years.
However, several liquor vendors and associations challenged the policy in court, arguing that it was illogical, unreasonable, and violated their fundamental rights. They also claimed that the new policy had led to a decline in their business and caused them financial losses. The case eventually reached the Delhi High Court, which in 2017 upheld the government’s policy, stating that it was within the government’s purview to regulate the sale of alcohol in the interest of public health and safety. The court also dismissed the vendors’ claims that the policy was arbitrary and violative of their rights.
It has been alleged that K Kavitha was part of a “South Group, which paid Rs 100 crore in advance as “kickbacks” through the then Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) communication and media in-charge Vijay Nair, who represented some AAP leaders. Without any reason, her name was definitely not added. Like any other political party, KCR and his party are deeply involved in corruption. It is a different matter. People in the state are still supporting and helping him retain power, but this time KCR lost it big time. Without corruption, central agencies are not appearing as guests at any house. But this is the common practice in India to syphon money in the name of development and get their own businesses to flourish. However, there have been reports of alleged corruption and illegal activities involving other political leaders in Telangana related to the distribution of liquor licences. In September 2020, the Telangana State Beverages Corporation Limited (TSBCL) cancelled the licences of several bars and restaurants in the state due to alleged irregularities in the granting of licences. Some political leaders were named in the investigation and were accused of using their influence to secure licences for individuals close to them.
There have been a lot of irregularities and corruption in the liquor policy. All this has happened under the supervision of the Chief Minister. According to the terms of the tender, there was no permission to merge two or three companies into a corporation. According to the document, a cartel has taken place. According to the tender, the blacklisted company was not allowed, but two zones were given to a company in Delhi for distribution. The manufacturing company did not have permission in the retail sector. However, these producer companies were given two zones. In this way, the wholesale traders got a free hand from the new policy of the Delhi government, and they started earning big money by selling liquor at half the price. Due to this, instead of money going directly to the government, it became a source of income for its residents.
It’s important to note that these allegations have not been proven in a court of law, and all individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty. It’s also important to rely on credible sources of information and avoid spreading unverified rumours or misinformation. The CBI told the court that Kavitha was involved in giving Rs 100 crore to AAP, and the central agency sought her five-day custody. Citing chats, the CBI said that Kavitha was holding a partnership in wholesale licences with Indo Spirits through her proxy (accused Pillai). Further, the investigative agency said, “P Sarath Reddy was also present in a meeting organised in the Taj Hotel in which Babu and Abhishek Boinpally were present, and it was decided that Indo Spirits (accused Sameer Mahendru’s company in which Kavitha allegedly had a share) would be appointed as wholesalers of Pernod Richard.”
With this so-called liquor scam, AAP has lost its ground, and the party is going through a leadership crisis. There is a possibility of the president’s rule being imposed in Delhi. AAP is a victim of circumstances, and this liquor scam left no grounds for them. KCR, who was very vocal against Narendra Modi, maintained dignified silence. He is not seen much on public platforms. There is a possibility that KCR’s party can go the AAP way and slowly lose its relevance.
One fine day, Jet Airways founder Naresh Goyal was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in an alleged Rs 538 crore money laundering case linked to loans and credit lines given to the airline by Canara Bank. Naresh Goyal orchestrated a large-scale financial fraud through the systematic diversion of JIL’s funds, concealing them as overblown General Sales Agent (GSA) commissions and making substantial, inexplicable payments to various professionals and consultants. The money laundering case was made when a first information report (FIR) was made against Jet Airways, Goyal, his wife Anita, and some former company executives, which was registered by the CBI on May 3. The bank had approached the agency and said that it had sanctioned credit limits and loans to Jet Airways (India) Ltd. (JIL) amounting to Rs 848.86 crore, of which Rs 538.62 crore have not been repaid.
According to the agency, between April 1, 2011, and June 30, 2019, the airline was found to have spent Rs 1,152.62 crore on professional and consultancy expenses. Suspicious transactions to the tune of Rs 197.57 crore were identified among entities linked to the airline, with key managerial personnel also allegedly being connected to these entities. The investigation found that Jet Airways paid Rs 420.43 crore of the total Rs 1,152.62 crore in professional and consultancy expenses to entities whose business nature did not match the service descriptions on their invoices. Even personal expenses, such as salaries of staff, phone bills, and vehicle expenses, among others, of the Goyal family were paid by JIL.
Goyal was taken into custody following a long session of questioning at the ED’s office in Mumbai. On May 5, the premises of the Jet Airways founder and the old offices of the airline were raided by the CBI in connection with the Canara Bank fraud. The ED had also searched eight locations linked to Goyal and his associates in July. Jet Airways, once India’s largest private carrier, suspended operations in April 2019 because of a severe cash crunch and mounting debt.
The airline was acquired by a partnership between UAE-based businessman Murari Lal Jalan and London-based Kalrock Capital in June 2021, after a protracted insolvency process. Due to a significant shortage of funds and an increasing amount of debt, Jet Airways, which was previously India’s biggest private airline, suspended operations in April 2019. In June 2021, a prolonged insolvency process resulted in the acquisition of the airline by a partnership between Murari Lal Jalan, a businessman based in the UAE, and Kalrock Capital, based in London
There are many business houses that engaged in money laundering, cheated banks, and absconded from India, but Naresh Goyal lacked that privilege due to a lack of political support. The special PMLA court repeatedly rejected his bail plea on medical grounds, observing that he was under treatment for cancer and other ailments and was receiving better care at the private hospital chosen by him. Goyal had moved the plea on medical grounds last month after the court refused to grant him interim bail considering his ailments.
Goyal’s physical and mental health have deteriorated to such a level that he has many health risks. The Enforcement Directorate objected to Goyal’s plea, stating that since the court had previously rejected his plea of interim bail, the medical reports enclosed with the plea did not suggest any exceptional change in his medical condition. The ED said that Goyal had been allowed to get treatment from the hospital of his choice, but his plea for bail was nothing but an attempt to delay the trial.
From political statements to product sales, Ramdev always misleads the people of India. He came to the limelight with his protest against black money and then the Congress government. Baba Ramdev failed to honour his promise to bring back unaccounted money stashed abroad during the Lok Sabha election campaign. Baba Ramdev had categorically promised the people of the country that the black money would be brought back within 100 days of the BJP government coming to power. Baba Ramdev had given all sorts of details about this black money abroad, and the BJP leadership had gone to the extent of announcing that if brought back, this huge amount of money stashed in bank accounts abroad could solve the problem of poverty in the country. They promised that once the black money was brought back, each family would be given Rs 15 lakh, a pension of Rs 25,000, and a rebate on all forms of taxes. It’s been almost ten years of BJP rule, but neither Baba Ramdev clarified his promises nor did the BJP take any responsibility. Amit Shah in his media interview said, 15 lakh promise was bluff, a Jumla to woo people.
Baba Ramdev did his level best to create anger against the Congress and fetch power for the BJP. In turn, he got rewards from the powers, such as landings at minimal prices, and product promotions. BJP leaders presented this Baba above everything. Baba understood the game and got into the consumer product business. When Patanjali was launched, people were excited to buy their products as they were promoted as a cheaper, healthier, and healthier/safer alternative to other FMCG brands. Slowly, they tried jumping into the manufacturing of every other similar kind of item that other FMCG brands are into. Moreover, there is hardly any difference in the pricing. Ramdev’s intention was to commercialise his Patanjali products. He used every media channel and Indian politicians and celebrities to promote his brands. The quality of many of the products is suspect because he outsources most of them to third parties, where adequate controls are not feasible with his kind of infrastructure.
On radio and over TV, Patanjali products are advertised ad nauseam, and it is estimated that Ramdev’s face appears on one major Indian TV channel every 30 seconds, which, coupled with ad spends for print and radio, involves an annual expenditure of Rs 400 crore. That too, because the cost does not involve that of the model”—the so-called yoga guru himself. But most importantly, in radio ads, his sales pitch is that Patanjali products must be purchased to secure “aarthik azaadi for Bharat.”. Similarly, in one of the frequently aired ads, references are made to the Swadeshi movement of 1906, and images of Bhagat Singh and Chandrasekhar Azad are used liberally.
Essentially, this means that Ramdev is likening his products to those that were popularised in the first flush of the nascent national movement, and he is presenting himself as part of the generation of India’s freedom fighters. A businessman must remain in his territory, and such tactics must be disallowed. It is for the government to decide that. If it chooses to allow Patanjali or any other company to use national icons, symbols, and episodes of the freedom struggle, it becomes open to charges of pandering to crony capitalism.
In his advertisements, the promoter of Patanjali also claims that profits earned from the sale of products are accrued in the account of any person. However, Balkrishna, Ramdev’s aide who spent time in jail on charges of money laundering, owns 94 per cent of the shares of Patanjali Ayurved Limited. The Supreme Court of India pulled them, and then they rendered an unconditional apology as well. But then, the Supreme Court of India rejected apologies filed by Patanjali founders Ramdev and Balkrishna for the company’s misleading ads and said, “We don’t want to be so generous in this case,” asking why it should not treat the apology with the “same disdain as shown to the court undertaking?” The bench also noted that it is not satisfied with the Centre’s reply in the matter. The honourable court stated, “Why should we not treat your apology with the same disdain as shown to the court undertaking? We are not convinced. Now going to turn down this apology. Now a message must go to society. We are making it a part of your conduct. What kind of medications have you been coming out with,” Justice Kohli said. Noting that Ramdev and Balkrishna sent their apologies to the media first, the court said, “Till the matter hit the court, the defendants did not find it fit to send us the affidavits. They sent it to the media first, till 7.30 pm yesterday, it was not uploaded for us. They believe in publicity clearly.”
The Apex Court also pulled up the Uttarakhand government for not taking action against Patanjali Ayurved for violation of the law. The court told the Uttarakhand government that it was not going to let it go. “All complaints were forwarded to the government. The licencing inspector remained quiet, there was no report by the officer. The concerned officers should be suspended right now,” the court said. Asking the Uttarakhand state licencing authority about why “we should not think you are in cahoots with alleged perpetrators,” Justice Kohli said, “You are keeping your eyes shut deliberately. You are hand in glove.”
Well! The timely intervention of the honourable court may control the mindless claims and advertisements of Patanjali, and also create some deterrence in these people who are taking people for granted. If I talk about my personal experience, as his business grew by leaps and bounds, my reasons to stop using Patanjali products also increased for several reasons, but most importantly, what I noticed is that he proclaimed himself a Guru and established himself as a businessman by taking advantage of people’s sentiments for saffron.
MVA coalition finalizes deal for Maharashtra polls; Sena (UBT) secures 21 Lok Sabha seats, Cong 17, NCP (SP) 10 16
The opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi on Tuesday announced its seat-sharing deal under which the Shiv Sena (UBT) will contest 21 Lok Sabha seats, the Congress 17 and the NCP (SP) 10 seats in Maharashtra.
NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar, Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray and state Congress president Nana Patole announced the poll pact for the 48 parliamentary seats in the state at a press conference here after weeks of negotiations.
The Lok Sabha polls will be held in the state in five phases from April 19 to May 20.
Is it unfair of the BJP to give fewer seats to women in the forthcoming Lok Sabha election? 18
In India, the Lok Sabha elections play a key role in the democratic process by choosing the country’s future leaders and direction. All political parties have been disclosing the names of their candidates for the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections. Although the Modi government enacted a women’s reservation bill, the BJP maintains that it always looks out for the welfare of women and supports their empowerment. However, when it comes to allocating seats to women and providing tickets, the BJP falls short of its claims.
Only 16% of the 417 candidates on the BJP’s published list for the next Lok Sabha election are women, accounting for 68 seats. Of them, 40 women are either politically connected or have a political history.
When we spoke to BJP spokesperson Shazia Ilmi, she emphasised that the BJP is committed to increasing the representation of women in politics and will prioritise deserving candidates when given a level playing field. She also highlighted the importance of choosing candidates who have the potential to win elections.
Congress spokesperson Atul Londe stated that the BJP’s Women Reservation Bill is merely a scam. Under Modi’s government, criminals like Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh, Kuldeep Sengar, and others are given big portfolios. He further said the party, which advocated for women’s empowerment, has shown its true colours with the number of female candidate seats given for the Lok Sabha elections. It’s all a scam.”
NCP-SCP faction leader Rohini Khadse said, “The BJP has also historically treated women unfairly, citing Indian President Droupadi Murmu as an example. She added that since she was not even invited to the new parliament’s inauguration, it is absurd to believe that they would allocate a significant number of seats for women in elections.” It is clear that the BJP’s actions do not align with their rhetoric regarding women’s empowerment.
Kingpin of 'khichdi' scam in Maharashtra is Sanjay Raut: Former Congress leader Sanjay Nirupam 20
Amid Shiv Sena (UBT) leader and Mumbai North West Lok Sabha candidate, Amol Kirtikar, being summoned by the Directorate of Enforcement (ED) in connection with the money laundering probe linked to alleged irregularities in distribution of ‘Khichdi’ during the Covid-19 pandemic, former Congress leader Sanjay Nirupam on Monday claimed that Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut is the kingpin of the ‘khichdi’ scam. “When I started working on this scam, I came to know that the ‘kingpin’ was someone else. The kingpin in this whole scam is Shiv Sena (UBT) spokesperson, Sanjay Raut…,” Nirupam said while speaking to reporters at a press conference on Monday.
Explaining how Sanjay Raut amassed money in the name of his family members and partner in the alleged scam, Nirpuam said that he took bribes from the company that got the contract to supply ‘khichdi’ during Covid. “In this scam, he has taken money in the name of his daughter, brother and partner. There is a company called Sahyadri Refreshment where Rajiv Salunkhe and Sujit Patkar were involved, who were partners of Sanjay Raut. The company recieved a contract worth Rs 6.37 lakh to supply khichdi during Covid. Sanjay Raut’s family and his friends took Rs 1 crore as brokerage. ..He has taken bribes through cheques in the name of her daughter Vidhita Sanjay Raut, who herself is innocent and unaware of these things…,” the former Congress leader said.
“…Sanjay Raut is the main kingpin of the Khichdi scam…Sanjay Raut has taken a bribe of Rs 1 cr in the name of his family and partner. I believe that her daughter is innocent and unaware of such things. He is a ‘Khichdi chor’ and ED should arrest such people…,” Nirpuam said speaking to ANI. Speaking about the questioning of Amol Kirtikar by the ED in the ‘khichdi’ scam case, Nirupam said, “What ED does after the interrogation, I don’t know, but action must be taken against him. The entire people from the North-West district should know, how dishonest their possible candidate is.”
Responding to a question by the reporter on the possibility of his joining any other political party, Nirupam said, “I haven’t decided yet. Talks will start during the Navratri which is starting tomorrow and then I’ll decide where to go.” The ED on Friday issued a second summons to Shiv Sena (UBT) Lok Sabha candidate Amol Kirtikar for questioning in his alleged involvement in the ‘khichdi’ scam, which pertains to irregularities in the distribution of ‘khichdi’ among migrant workers and homeless people by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) during the Covid-19 pandemic.
“ED’s second summons! Khichdi thief still absconding. Such is the candidate for #MVA. Humble question, will you campaign from jail?” Congress leader Sanjay Nirupam asked in a post on X. Kirtikar had skipped the first summons served to him on Wednesday after the party announced him as its candidate from the Mumbai North-West constituency in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
