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Imran Khan’s party vows to protest against alleged poll rigging in Pakistan’s Parliament, will sit in Opposition

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PTI
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imran khan, pti, pakistan
Imran Khan's party vows to protest against alleged poll rigging in Pakistan's Parliament, will sit in Opposition 2

Jailed former prime minister Imran Khan’s party has decided to sit in the Opposition in Parliament while launching a countrywide protest against alleged rigging in the elections after its efforts to form the next government failed.

The major political parties in Pakistan have stepped up efforts to form a federal government after the February 8 elections delivered a split verdict. While Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party-backed independent candidates dominated the election results, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) claimed to have enough numbers to form the government as some independents joined the Nawaz Sharif-led party post-polls.

PTI leader Barrister Muhammad Ali Saif announced on Friday that following the instructions of PTI founder Khan, the party has decided to sit in the Opposition both at the Centre and in the key province of Punjab. The decision came a day after the party had named Umar Ayub Khan as its candidate for the prime minister and Aslam Iqbal as chief minister for Punjab.

Talking to the media on Friday night after visiting the Qaumi Watan Party in Islamabad, Saif said that the party decided to sit in the Opposition in the Centre and Punjab under the instructions of party founder Khan.

“We decided to sit in Opposition despite the reality that if we received seats according to our votes and the results were not changed then maybe today we might have been in the Centre with 180 seats. We have the evidence that our candidates won,” he said.

The party, which also issued a white paper against alleged rigging on Friday, has decided to kick off its demonstrations from Saturday.

A PTI source said that the party’s incarcerated founder has tasked former National Assembly speaker Asad Qaiser with engaging political parties to muster support for the protest drive.

A PTI delegation led by Qaisar met the leader of Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) and Qaumi Watan Party (QWP) on Friday, while a meeting with Pashtoonkhwa Milli Awami Party’s Mehmood Khan Achakzai is scheduled to take place on Saturday.

Qaiser-led delegation also met Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) leader Mian Muhammad Aslam and discussed the post-election scenario.

The delegation sought JI’s support for joint protests against the alleged rigging.

It was not clear if the party would participate in the election of the prime minister and Punjab chief minister after the decision to join the opposition ranks.

Khan’s party claimed that at least 85 seats won by it in Parliament were snatched in the ”biggest voter fraud” in the country’s history and announced plans to hold ”peaceful” nationwide protests on Saturday against alleged rigging.

PTI’s core committee met on Friday and finalised the plans for the nationwide protest campaign on the call of the party’s founder Khan.

The meeting urged the whole nation to come out of their houses against the “massive rigging”. The meeting also sought the resignation of the chief election commissioner.

Independent candidates – a majority backed by Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) – won 93 of the 265 National Assembly seats that were contested in the February 8 election.

However, PTI’s two main rivals appear on course to form a coalition government after former prime minister Nawaz Sharif’s Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML-N) and Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari’s Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) formed a post-poll alliance on Tuesday.

The PML-N won 75 seats while the PPP came third with 54 seats. The Muttahida Qaumi Movement Pakistan (MQM-P) has also agreed to support them with their 17 seats.

To form a government, a party must win 133 seats out of 265 contested seats in the 266-member National Assembly.

Khan declared on Friday will not seek political vengeance upon returning to power.

”We will not take any political revenge, but we will take the country and the nation forward for the sake of the development of the country and the nation,” he stated, as conveyed by PTI leader Ali Muhammad Khan following a 30-minute long meeting with Imran Khan at Rawalpindi’s Adiala Jail.

PTI’s Information Secretary Raoof Hasan and other leaders including Sher Afzal Marwat, Rehana Dar, Shoaib Shaheen and Salman Akram Raja, who challenged their election results before various forums, addressed a press conference here.

Hasan said that 2024 would be remembered due to the “biggest voter fraud” in Pakistan’s history against the party and its candidates.

“According to our estimates, out of 177 [National Assembly] seats which were supposed to be ours, only 92 have been given to us. And 85 seats have been taken away from us fraudulently,” he said.

He said that the party was taking constitutional and legal steps to counter the rigging and get its right.

“We have verified data about 46 seats and it is being compiled for 39 seats,” he said.

Hasan also highlighted the discrepancies between Form 45 and Form 47, which respectively deal with counting in each polling station in a constituency and the overall count of all polling stations.

Hasan claimed there was a huge difference in the numbers of votes polled for National Assembly and provincial assembly seats. He said that the number of rejected votes, in certain cases, exceeded the margin of victory.

Separately, Hasan affirmed the party’s readiness for dialogue with the establishment, emphasising that the purpose of contacting political parties is not to form an electoral alliance but to bring all political forces together on a unified platform.

Speaking on the Express Tribune newspaper, Hasan highlighted that PTI’s founder has consistently advocated for engaging with all political parties. He emphasised that if political parties engage in positive politics, there is no harm in holding meetings and fostering collaboration.

”The purpose of contacting political parties is not at all an electoral alliance; our aim is that all political parties come together on one platform,” stated Hasan during the programme.

Delhi court grants CM Kejriwal exemption from appearing in ED case on Saturday

By
PTI
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arvind kejriwal, aap, aam aadmi party, delhi, delhi cm
Delhi court grants CM Kejriwal exemption from appearing in ED case on Saturday 4

A Delhi court on Saturday granted exemption to Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal from personal appearance for the day in connection with a complaint filed by the ED against him over non-compliance with its summonses in a money laundering case linked to the now-scrapped excise policy.

Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Divya Malhotra granted relief to Kejriwal after the AAP leader appeared before the court via videoconferencing and urged for exemption from physical appearance for the day.

Kejriwal told the court that he was unable to appear before it due to the ongoing Budget session of the Delhi Assembly.

Appearing for Kejriwal, senior advocate Ramesh Gupta told the court that the Delhi chief minister will appear before it in person on the next date of hearing.

The court has adjourned the matter to March 16.

In its complaint, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has alleged that the Delhi chief minister intentionally did not want to obey the summonses and kept on giving ”lame excuses”. If a high-ranking public functionary like him disobeyed the law, it would ”set a wrong example for the common man ie the ”Aam Aadmi”, the agency said.

From the contents of the complaint and the material placed on record, prima facie offence under Section 174 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) is made out and there are sufficient grounds for proceeding against the accused Arvind Kejriwal, the judge had earlier said.

”Accordingly, issue summons to accused Arvind Kejriwal for the offence under Section 174 of the IPC for February 17, 2024,” the judge had added.

Section 174 of the IPC relates to non-attendance in obedience to an order from a public servant.

The ED on February 3 filed a fresh complaint case against Kejriwal for non-compliance of its summonses.

The AAP convenor had earlier written to the ED, describing the summonses issued to him as ”illegal and politically motivated”. He had alleged that the summonses were aimed at preventing him from campaigning in elections.

‘Agniveer’ scheme brought to benefit business house: Cong’ Rahul Gandhi

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PTI
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rahul gandhi, agniveer, bharat nyay yatra, congress, cong
'Agniveer' scheme brought to benefit business house: Cong’ Rahul Gandhi 6

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday charged the Narendra Modi government with having brought the ‘Agniveer’ scheme in order to spend the defence budget for the benefit of a big business house, instead of emoluments paid to the soldiers. Gandhi made the allegation at Mohania in Kaimur district of Bihar, bordering Uttar Pradesh, a region from where youngsters are known to enrol in the armed forces on a large scale.

The region was a witness to large-scale protests against the Agniveer scheme two years ago.

“An Agniveer will not get a salary and pension on par with a regular army soldier nor will he get access to the canteen,” alleged Gandhi.

The government had launched the ‘Agnipath’ scheme on June 15, 2022 to recruit aspirants in ‘below the officer’s rank’ cadre of the three services for a period of four years as ‘Agniveers’. The former Congress president claimed, ”This is because the Modi government does not want to spend the defence budget on salary and other perks of soldiers. It wants to spend the amount for the benefit of a business house.” Earlier in the day, Gandhi said his party will accept long-pending demands of farmers in the country and ensure a legal guarantee to minimum support price (MSP) of crops if the INDIA bloc comes to power after the 2024 Lok Sabha polls.

Addressing the ‘Kisan Nyay Panchayat’, a gathering of farmers, in Bihar’s Rohtas, as part of his ‘Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra’, he claimed that ”cultivators are not getting the remunerative prices for their crops”.

”If the INDIA bloc comes to power after the general elections, we will give a legal guarantee to MSP. Whenever farmers have asked for something from the Congress, it has been given to them. Be it loan waiver or MSP, we have always protected the interests of cultivators and will do so in future,” Gandhi said.

His comment comes at a time when Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM), a farmers’ body, called for ‘Bharat Bandh’ on Friday to press the BJP-led central government to accept cultivators’ demands, including a legal guarantee of minimum support price for crops.

Farmers from Punjab began their ‘Delhi Chalo’ march on Tuesday but were stopped by security personnel at the Shambhu and Khanauri border points between Delhi and Haryana.

The protesting farmers have been camping at the border points ever since. Their agitation entered the fourth day on Friday.

Addressing the rally at Mohania in Kaimur, Gandhi also said, ”If you look at the coverage in the media, you find little mention of farmers and other people and opposition leaders like us. You will find Modi sharing space with his friends.” The Congress leader also said, ”Sometimes, you may also find Nitish Kumar beside the Prime Minister.” The remark, aimed at the Bihar chief minister who recently dumped the opposition bloc INDIA and returned to the BJP-led coalition, evoked peals of laughter from the crowds.

Sandeshkhali violence: NCSC chief reports to President, recommends President’s rule in WB

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ANI
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sandeshkhali violence, sandeshkhali, west bengal, president's rule
Sandeshkhali violence: NCSC chief reports to President, recommends President's rule in WB 8

NCSC chief Arun Halder said on Friday that the commission has recommended the imposition of the President’s rule in West Bengal in its report submitted to President Droupadi Murmu on alleged harassment of women by TMC supporters in Sandeshkhali.

A delegation of the National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC) had visited Sandeshkhali on Thursday after a large number of women claimed that TMC leader Shajahan Sheikh and his supporters captured swathes of land by force and also sexually harassed them.

Speaking to reporters after submitting the report to the President, Halder shared a brief account of ”atrocities and violence endured by the people of Sandeshkhali”.

”We have recommended that President’s rule should be imposed in West Bengal over the situation there under Article 338, that aims to safeguard rights of SCs,” Halder said.

According to the mandate given to the NCSC under Article 338 of the Constitution, it is the duty of the Commission to present to the President annually and at other times as the Commission may deem fit, reports upon the working of the constitutional safeguards of the Scheduled Castes.

He said the President assured the commission that she will look into the matter and take proper action.

Halder said the state government tried to dissuade them from visiting the area, citing the law and order situation there and made no arrangements for their visit when they landed in the state.

”Criminals in the state have joined hands with the government there,” he claimed.

The violence in Sandeshkhali is also impacting the people from Scheduled Caste communities, Halder said.

Many women in Sandeshkhali are demanding the immediate arrest of Sheikh, who has been absconding since an Enforcement Directorate (ED) team that raided his house in connection with an alleged ration scam was attacked by a mob last month.

He said West Bengal has the second highest population of the SC in the country and they are suffering due to the violence. He said over the matter of violence, the Commission has also sent a notice to the state government to take immediate action.

”The state is suppose to protect them but that is not happening and they are in fact suffering under the state government rule,” he said.

Sandeshkhali continued to remain tense on Friday even as a BJP central team and a Congress delegation are scheduled to visit the area during the day.

A large number of women in the locality accused Trinamool Congress strongman Shajahan Sheikh and his supporters of ”land-grab and sexually assaulting” them under coercion.

Sheikh has been absconding since January 5 when a mob attacked Enforcement Directorate (ED) officers during a raid at his residence in connection with an alleged ration scam.

His aide Sibhu Hazra is also at large.

Maharashtra: Milind Deora, Ashok Chavan, Praful Patel file nomination for Rajya Sabha

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ANI
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ashok chavan, praful patel, nomination, congress
Maharashtra: Milind Deora, Ashok Chavan, Praful Patel file nomination for Rajya Sabha 10

Congress turncoat Milind Deora filed nomination as Shiv Sena’s (Eknath Shinde faction) Rajya Sabha candidate from Maharashtra on Thursday. Deora filed his nomination at the Vidhan Bhavan in Mumbai in the presence of Maharashtra Chief Minister and Shiv Sena chief Eknath Shinde, Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and other party leaders.

Deora earlier this year switched from Congress severing decades-old family ties with the grand old party and joined Shiv Sena. He was elected to Lok Sabha in 2004 and 2009 but lost the consecutive general elections in 2014 and 2019.

Deora, the son of late Congress veteran leader Murli Deora, quit the party on January 14, alleging that it had deviated from its ideological and organisational roots. Former CM and Congress defector Ashok Chavan also filed nomination as BJP’s Rajya Candidate from Maharashtra on Thursday.

Ashok Chavan joined the BJP earlier this week, a day after quitting the Congress. Speaking after his nomination to the Rajya Sabha Chavan thanked PM Modi for having faith in him ” I thank PM Modi, Union HM Amit Shah, party president JP Nadda, Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis and other leaders. I feel that the opportunity they have given me shows the faith BJP has in me…” Former CM Ashok Chavan quit the party and joined BJP earlier this month. With a series of exits from the grand old party, it has been a major blow to the Congress in Maharashtra.

However, the Congress has said that the exit of leaders will not have any impact on the upcoming Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha elections and that the party will come back strongly. Meanwhile, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Praful Patel filed his nomination for Rajya Sabha polls on Thursday.

Speaking after filing his nomination, Praful Patel hailed NCP leader and Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar for his leadership and expressed confidence in the BJP-led NDA returning to power. “On the instructions of Ajit Pawar, Sunil Tatkare, Dhananjay Munde, we have filed the nomination today. There is a doubt in people’s mind that my term is not over, yet people are arguing about why the nomination has been filed today. We are in politics, some things happen, you will understand the picture in the coming days. We are working under the leadership of Ajit Dada,” he said.

“Under the leadership of PM Modi, once again NDA government will come in the country, it will cross 400 and Maharashtra will also get 45 seats and Maharashtra will have a big contribution in the victory of PM,” Praful Patel said. Today is the last day for filing nomination papers for the RS polls.

The Election Commission has scheduled the Rajya Sabha elections for 15 states, including Uttar Pradesh, for February 27. Voting will take place from 9 am to 4 pm on this date, with the deadline for nominations set for February 15.

The results of the elections will be announced on the same day, February 27. The Election Commission announced the biennial Rajya Sabha polls for 56 seats, as the tenure of incumbents ends in April.

Farmers protest: Protesters block railway track at Rajpura in Patiala

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ANI
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farmers protest, patiala, punjab
Farmers protest: Protesters block railway track at Rajpura in Patiala 12

Protesting farmers from Rajpura in Punjab’s Patiala are sitting on rail tracks and blocking trains at Rajpura Railway Station as the farmer’s protest enters its third day on Thursday, which has escalated into a full-blown crisis ahead of the Lok Sabha elections. Meanwhile, due to the ongoing farmers’ protest, rail traffic on the Ambala division of the Northern Railway has been affected, an official said.

According to Captain Shashi Kiran, the Chief Public Relations Officer of North Western Railway, the following rail services will be impacted due to the farmers’ protest: Cancelled Rail Services (from the originating station):

Train number 04753, Bathinda-Shri Ganganagar service, will be cancelled on February 15.Train number 04756, Shri Ganganagar-Bathinda service, will be cancelled on February 15. Partially Cancelled Rail Services (from the originating station):

Train number 14736, Ambala-Shri Ganganagar service, which was supposed to depart from Ambala on February 15, will only run up to Bathinda, meaning it will be cancelled between Bathinda and Shri Ganganag Train number 14735, Shri Ganganagar-Ambala service, will depart from Bathinda on February 15, meaning it will be cancelled between Shri Ganganagar and Bathinda.

Route Altered Rail Service: Train number 19612, Amritsar-Ajmer Express, will be operated via a changed route through Tarn Taran Jn.-Beas on February 15, 2024. Meanwhile, the ‘Delhi Chalo’ march of the farmers from Punjab against the central government entered its third day on Thursday.

A meeting of the farmer unions and the central government is scheduled for Thursday at 5 pm to discuss the issues. The farmers have put forth 12 demands before the central government for which they’re marching to Delhi. The protest this time has been called by Sanyukt Kisan Morcha (non-political) and the Punjab Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee, led by farmer union leaders Jagjeet Singh Dallewal and Sarwan Singh Pandher.

According to the protesting farmers, the Center promised them better crop prices, after which they ended the 2021 protest. They are demanding to enact a law guaranteeing a minimum support price (MSP) for all crops, in line with the Swaminathan Commission report. They are also demanding a complete debt waiver and a scheme to provide pensions to farmers and farm labourers.

After striking down Electoral Bonds scheme, SC orders SBI to stop issuing immediately

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ANI
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After striking down Electoral Bonds scheme, SC orders SBI to stop issuing immediately 14

The Supreme Court, on Thursday, after striking down the Electoral Bonds Scheme, which allowed for anonymous funding to political parties, ordered the State Bank of India (SBI) to stop issuing Electoral Bonds immediately. A five-judge Constitution bench of Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud and Justices Sanjiv Khanna, BR Gavai, JB Pardiwala, and Manoj Misra unanimously quashed the Electoral Bonds scheme as well as amendments made to the Income Tax Act and the Representation of People Act which had made the donations anonymous.

It asked the SBI to furnish details of the political parties that have received Electoral Bonds since April 12, 2019, and all the particulars received, and submit them to the Election Commission of India by March 6. The details that the SBI will furnish will disclose details of each electoral bond encashed by the political parties, which shall include the date of encashment and the denomination of the electoral bond.

The apex court said that by March 13, the ECI shall publish the details of Electoral Bonds on its official website. It further ordered that Electoral Bonds which are within the validity period of 15 days but which have not been encashed by the political parties yet shall be returned by the political party to the purchaser. The issuing bank shall then refund the amount to the purchaser’s account, it ordered.

The apex court further said that while the privacy of donors is important, transparency in political funding cannot be achieved by granting absolute exemptions. Hence, it struck down the Electoral Bonds Scheme saying its anonymous nature is violative of Right to Information under Article 19(1)(a) of the Constitution.

The infringement of the right to information is not justified, it said. The Constitution bench held that the Electoral Bonds scheme will help the party in power to gain an advantage.

“There is also a legitimate possibility that financial contributions to a political party would lead to a quid pro quo arrangement because of the close nexus between money and politics. The Electoral Bond scheme and the impugned provisions to the extent that they infringe upon the right to information of the voter by anonymous contributions through Electoral Bonds are violative of Article 19(1)(a),” the verdict stated. Electoral Bonds scheme cannot be justified by saying that it will help curb black money in politics, the bench held.

An Electoral Bond is an instrument in the nature of a promissory note or bearer bond which can be purchased by any individual, company, firm or association of persons provided the person or body is a citizen of India or incorporated or established in India. The bonds are issued specifically for the purpose of contributing funds to political parties. The Centre in an affidavit had said that the methodology of the Electoral Bonds scheme are “completely transparent” mode of political funding and it is impossible to get black money or unaccounted money.

Various petitions are pending before the top court challenging amendments made to different statutes through Finance Act 2017 and Finance Act 2016 on the ground that they have opened doors to unlimited, unchecked funding of political parties. NGOs Association of Democratic Reforms and Common Cause had said that the Finance Bill, 2017, which paved the way for the introduction of the Electoral Bond scheme, was passed as a money bill even though it wasn’t.

Day-light murders in Maharashtra challenge law and order

By
Vaidehi Taman
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Day-light murders in Maharashtra challenge law and order 16

The entire city of Mumbai and Maharashtra has been shaken by the firing incident in Dahisar. In this incident, both Abhishek Ghosalkar and the accused, Mauris Noronha, alias Mauris Bhai, who opened fire, died. One after another, two murders in a series show how the state has turned lawless. There was no remorse or fear while shooting or killing each other. The son of former Shiv Sena (UBT) MLA Vinod Ghosalkar, Abhishek Ghosalkar, was shot in Dahisar, in the northern suburbs of Mumbai. Abhishek was a former corporator, and a person known to him fired three bullets at him over some dispute. Ghosalkar is known to be a youth leader of the Shiv Sena (UBT) and was a two-term corporator from ward number 7.

Abhishek, who is also the Vibhag Pramukh of Shiv Sena (UBT) in the Dahisar area, is known to be close to Aaditya Thackeray, the son of former Maharashtra CM and Shiv Sena (UBT) head Uddhav Thackeray. Abhishek’s wife was also a corporator from Ward No. 1. Abhishesh came to politics due to nepotism; his father is a veteran leader and he gave his son a chance. They have done enormous work in their constituency but the son failed to earn the status of his father. The offspring of politicians are now spreading their wings but most of them are at some calculated risk due to the political and power rivalry.

Mauris Noronha, who likes to refer to himself as Mauris Bhai, is a 49 -year-old businessman who resides in Borivali. Noronha, who earlier worked in Dubai and in the United States, had set up a finance business in Borivali. If you take an auto, you will find his poster behind every rickshaw. He was very good at self-promoting. Mauris was good at power play and he had dominance in his area. Mauris had gained substantial press coverage for his social work during the pandemic and was felicitated by the then Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshiyari as a COVID warrior.

Noronha, who describes himself as a philanthropist and social worker, was also keen on contesting the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation elections. Mauris Noronha shot Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Abhishek Ghosalkar today at Dahisar in Mumbai, when Abhishekh and Mauris were live on Facebook.

Mauris Noronha invited Abhishek to an event because Abhishek and Mauris had a dispute in the past but recently their argument was resolved. During the event, he took him inside his cabin and shot him. He fired three bullets’ shots using his revolver. Later, he also shoots himself.

In 2022, Mauris Noronho was arrested by the MHB Colony Police for allegedly blackmailing, raping, cheating, and threatening a 48-year-old homemaker with Rs 88 lakh since 2014. But Mauris was enjoying the support of BJP and its tall leaders

In the past few weeks, purported photos of Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar and their sons meeting individuals with criminal backgrounds have surfaced. The law-and-order situation in Maharashtra is worsening day by day. As usual, the Mumbai Crime Branch has taken over the investigation and the investigation will focus on various aspects such as the source of the weapon, Noronha’s state at the time, and questioning witnesses. Both Ghosalkar and Noronha had personal issues, but Facebook Live was meant to reconcile their differences for the betterment of the IC Colony area. The police are examining Noronha’s alcohol consumption and have collected his blood samples. Let’s see what comes out of the bag.

FM Nirmala Sitharaman moves Finance Bill 2024 in Rajya Sabha

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PTI
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FM Nirmala Sitharaman moves Finance Bill 2024 in Rajya Sabha 18

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Thursday moved the Finance Bill 2024 for consideration in the Rajya Sabha.

The Finance Bill 2024 will be considered for returning to the Lok Sabha which passed the bill on Wednesday. The finance minister also moved a bill related to Jammu and Kashmir budget bill and appropriation Bill authorising the government to meet expenses for four months in the next financial year.

”I move that the bill to continue the existing rates of income tax for the financial year 2024-25 and to provide for certain relief to taxpayers and to make amendments in certain enactments as passed by Lok sabha be taken into consideration,” Sitharaman said while introducing the Finance Bill 2024-25.

The minister moved the appropriation vote on Account Bill 2024 as passed by Lok Sabha as part of the discussion on the interim budget.

The Appropriation Bill 2024 , The Jammu and Kashmir Appropriation 2 Bill, and the Jammu and Kashmir Appropriation Bill 2024 were also moved by the finance minister for joint discussion.

“We will not be afraid”: Delhi Minister Atishi on ED raids at AAP leaders

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ANI
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"We will not be afraid": Delhi Minister Atishi on ED raids at AAP leaders 20

Public Works Department Minister Atishi alleged on Tuesday that Aam Admi Party leaders were “threatened” in her first reaction to the Enforcement Directorate raids at the residence of Aam Admi Party leaders, claiming that the probe agency “has not been able to recover even a single rupee from them”. The Enforcement Directorate is conducting searches at nearly 10 locations, including the residence of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s personal secretary, among others connected to the Aam Aadmi Party.

Speaking at a news conference called specifically to ‘expose’ the ED Atishi said, “For the last 2 years, AAP leaders have been threatened. In the name of this so-called liquor scam, someone’s house is raided, gets summoned, and is arrested…Even after hundreds of raids in two years, ED has not been able to recover even a single rupee. “Even after two years, ED has not found any concrete evidence, and the court has also repeatedly asked that evidence be presented…,” the AAP leader added.

The Delhi minister also questioned the conduct of the agency during the probe into the alleged liquor scam “Cross questioning was done with government witness. The statement given and statement in court were different. When footage was given, audio footage was deleted” Atishi claimed.

The AAP leader asserted that their leaders would not be “scared” of ED raids. Giving details about the raids, she said, “ED raids are going on against AAP leaders and people associated with it. Raids are underway at the residence of AAP Treasurer and MP ND Gupta, Arvind Kejriwal’s PA and others”

“BJP want to suppress our party through central agencies but I want to tell them (BJP) that we will not be afraid…,” the AAP leader further alleged. According to sources the raids are part of a money laundering probe being conducted by the agency.

These raids come even as the agency moved a Delhi court against the AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal for skipping its summons for the fifth time in a case linked to the Excise policy case. Earlier in the month, a team from the Delhi crime branch visited the residence of Arvind Kjeriwal in civil lines and served a notice to join a probe into allegations that the BJP attempted to “poach” MLA’s to topple his government.

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