AAP condemns Delhi LG’s order for removal of party’s ‘government nominees’ from board of private DISCOMS

By

-

February 11, 2023

arvind kejriwal, kejriwal, vk saxena, saxena, discoms, aam aadmi party, aap — Image: Agency

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Saturday attacked the Delhi Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena over the order of removal of its two ‘government nominees’ from the board of private DISCOMS, and called it “unconstitutional” and “illegal”. AAP slammed the Delhi LG saying that he has made a “complete mockery” of all Supreme Court orders and the Constitution.

“LG’s orders removing Jasmine Shah and Naveen Gupta from the Board of DISCOMs is illegal and unconstitutional. LG does not have the power to issue such orders. Only the elected government has the power to issue orders on the subject of electricity. LG has made a complete mockery of all SC orders and the Constitution. He is openly going around saying that SC orders are not binding on him,” the AAP statement read. Earlier in the day, Delhi LG VK Saxena ordered the immediate removal of AAP spokesperson Jasmine Shah and AAP MP ND Gupta’s son, Naveen ND Gupta from the position of ‘government nominees’ on the Board of Private DISCOMS.

The LG Office informed in a statement that they have been removed for allegedly “illegally” occupying the positions, and they have been replaced by senior government officers. “Delhi LG, VK Saxena had ordered for the immediate removal of AAP Spokesperson, Jasmine Shah, Son of AAP MP, ND Gupta- Navin Gupta and other private individuals, who had been illegally appointed as government Nominees on the boards of privately owned DISCOMs- BYPL, BRPL (Anil Ambani) and NDPDCL (Tata),” the statement from the LG Office read.

As per the release, the two had “collaborated” with private representatives on boards of Anil Ambani-owned DISCOMS and “benefitted” them to the tune of Rs 8000 Cr at the cost of the public exchequer. The Finance Secretary, Power Secretary and MD, of Delhi Transco, will now represent the government on these Ambani and Tata-owned DISCOMS, as per regular practice, followed since Sheila Dikshit’s time as CM, when these DISCOMS came into existence, the release stated.

“Invoking “difference of opinion” under Article 239AA of the Constitution of India, after the Arvind Kejriwal government persisted in their continuance on these boards, despite proven misconduct and maleficence on their part, by way of benefiting the Ambani-owned DISCOMS to the tune of more than 8000 crores, at the cost of government exchequer, Saxena had referred the matter to the President of India for a decision. He had asked for the removal of the above-mentioned political appointees on the DISCOM boards with immediate effect, pending the President’s decision, and asked for senior government officials to replace them on the boards of the DICOMS,” the LG Office statement read. Senior government officials like the Finance Secretary, Power Secretary and representatives of Government-owned GENCOS and TRANSCO, had been the norm till Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP Government nominated party functionaries as ‘Government Nominees’ on the DISCOM boards.

The statement informed that the Delhi government which owns 49 per cent of the stake in the private DISCOMS used to nominate senior government officials so that the interests of the government and people of Delhi could be taken care of, in decisions taken by the DISCOM boards. “However, these AAP nominees on the DISCOMS, in a quid pro quo arrangement involving commissions and kickbacks, instead of acting vigilant in the interest of the people and government of Delhi, acted in cahoots with the BRPL and BYPL boards facilitated a decision by their boards to decrease the LPSC rates from 18 per cent to 12 per cent, and in the process unduly benefitted them to the tune of Rs 8468 crores- an amount that would have gone to the Delhi Government exchequer.

How did Gautam Buddha die?

By

Vaidehi Taman

-

February 10, 2023

gautam buddha, buddha, buddhism, buddhist — Image: Pixabay

Buddha’s death created a lot of controversies, the drama that might have escorted the polemics after the Buddha’s death. Mahā-Kassapa appears as an interesting and very human character. He complains very directly about what he perceives to be wrong and corrupt within the religion. There are also hints that there was real tension between Kashyapa and a man he notoriously disliked: Ananda, the Buddha’s cousin. As the Australian monk Venerable Sujato points out, despite differing emphases in the Pali texts (Samyutta-Nikaya 16.10–11) and the Chinese agama (Taisho 15.1.10–11), we can tell from both that Kashyapa felt that Ananda was too young to enjoy the privilege of being the main preserver of oral memory after One’s Parinirvana.

Ananda was Buddha’s associate and very close aid, he realised if the Buddha’s two choices for inheriting his Order were dead, excluded from power, or somehow absent, then Ananda should have been a candidate for the leadership succession or at least a kingmaker, with his authorization exercising real power. However, there is so much criticism against Ananda preserved in the canon that it is suspicious and seems to serve as justification for why Ananda did not enjoy more influence after the Buddha’s Parinirvana. The hints are enticing, but we simply don’t know for certain what happened. Unfortunately, this conspiracy theory can be neither proved nor disproved.

Although the Mahaparinibbana Sutta seems to deliberately hide something, we cannot know for certain what is being hidden or why. So, after all this suspense and the certainty that something happened, we do not even know if we have a real conspiracy to show for it. Some scholars believe that Buddha was killed because he was with the upright truth and that bothered some entities whose castles were built on lies.

If we think rationally, Buddha was a human being, and human beings appear to be born and die. It is actually an amazing fact that every human has died, and all the people alive today will die someday. There is no escaping the death of the body and this is a great teaching in itself, so perhaps one could say, Buddha died to show there is no exclusion to the truth of death. However, there is another answer to this question if we think about it in terms of the Buddha’s role in society. If he had gone on living forever, people would have become completely dependent on him as some kind of God-like guru and they would have neglected to take responsibility for their own lives. In dying, the Buddha was in effect passing on the baton to the sangha.

The Buddha’s vow was to make all people perfectly equal to him, not just a mediocre copy. We attain illumination by drawing on our own resources, not by waiting for someone to hand them to us. The parable of the physician in the Lifespan chapter of the Lotus Sutra explains how, by disappearing, the Buddha causes the disciple to seek the Way. Budha lived for 84 years and he was already dying. He found death coming on, and he asked, “Spread for me something under this tree, for I think the end is near.” And he was there under the tree, and he laid himself down; he could not sit up any more. And the first thing he did, he said: “Go to that Chanda and tell him that he has been one of my greatest supporters; for his meal, I am going to Nirvâna.

And then several men came to be instructed, and a disciple said, “Do not go near now, the Master is passing away”. And as soon as he heard it, the Lord said, “Let them come in”. And somebody else came and the disciples would not let them enter. Again, they came, and then the dying Lord said: “And O, thou Ananda, I am passing away. Weep not for me. Think not for me. I am gone. Work out meticulously your own salvation. Each one of you is just what I am. I am nothing but one of you. What I am today is what I made myself. Do you struggle and make yourselves what I am. . . .”

The death of the Buddha has been depicted widely in Buddhist iconography. The Buddha is generally shown with a serene or smiling expression, lying on his right side and resting his head on his right hand. The dates of Buddha’s life traditionally are given as 566-486 BC. Buddha died from an illness, the nature of which remains unsettled. The present paper examines a variety of sources and concludes that it was tainted pork that led to his demise. He succumbed to the disease pig-bel; necrotizing enteritis caused by the toxins of Clostridium perfringens infection. Cunda Kammāraputta was a smith who gave Gautama Buddha his last meal as an offering while he visited his mango grove in Pāvā on his way to Kuśīnagara. Shortly after having Cunda’s meal, the Buddha suffered from fatal dysentery. The condition could have been Clostridial necrotizing enteritis due to a high protein (meat) diet, which is provided as bhikkha as a mark of respect for high-ranking Bhikkus in Theravada.

Although Buddhism has no taboo about eating or not eating pork. Before entering the parinirvāṇa, the Buddha told Ānanda to visit Cunda and tell him that his meal had nothing to do with his getting ill, and therefore should feel no blame nor remorse; on the contrary, offering the Tathāgata his last meal before passing away was of equal gain as of offering him his first meal before attaining Buddhahood, and thus he should feel rejoice.

It is very much evident that the Buddha did not die of food poisoning. Someone poisoned his food. Prince Vijaya was living in the same region as Buddha and he is known for his violent deeds. Lord Buddha was fully against violence and was a great supporter of people, especially the poor. Buddha had many followers and of course, Buddha and Vijaya could have come across conflicts due to their opposite nature. The public won’t fight without any support from a great leader. They had Buddha’s support so they were able to voice their against Vijaya. This could have created problems in Vijaya’s kingdom. It could have led Vijaya to add poison to Buddha’s food to put an end to his misery. His father came to know what had happened. To avoid any issues, he might have expelled Vijaya and his 700 followers from India to save the kingdom and his son’s life and closed Buddha’s chapter as a natural death.

There are many interstate gangs bullying people with bank fraud

By

Vaidehi Taman

-

February 9, 2023

bank fraud, online fraud, bank transaction, digital payment, fraud — Image: Agency

Financial cybercrime is on the rise and above all, there are some Interstate gangs that are targeting citizens at ATMs. The Mira Bhayandar-Vasai Virar (MBVV) police in Maharashtra have detected 16 cases with the arrest of four persons who distracted people at ATM centres and stole their money. But telephone money scams are yet to be controlled. In a crackdown on ATM frauds across Thane, Kalyan-Dombivli and nearby areas, the anti-extortion cell of Thane police arrested four members of an inter-district gang after solving eight such cases.

The accused used to trick women, senior citizens and teenagers on the pretext of helping them at the ATM centres and replacing their ATM cards, getting its PIN and using it to withdraw money. The gang had managed to withdraw lakhs of rupees from the ATM centres in this manner. A total of 101 ATM cards were seized from them by the police. The police have recovered Rs 70,000 in cash and Rs 4.06 lakh worth of vehicles and other items used by the gang to carry out the crime. The commoners are gullible targets and the police are sometimes most helpless. There was one television series called Jamtara – Sabka Number Ayega, it showed how this group of small-town young men run a lucrative phishing operation until a corrupt politician wants in on their scheme — and a cop wants to fight it.

In real life too there are youngsters who trap their targets through social engineering. There are a bunch of small-town young guns that operate a successful phishing racket. Phishing attacks, where a cybercriminal sends a deceptive message that’s designed to fool a user into providing sensitive information such as credit card numbers or to launch malware on the user’s system, are on the rise. There was a 61% increase in the rate of phishing attacks in the six months ending October 2022 compared to the previous year.

The attacks are also getting more sophisticated, and are spreading beyond emails to text messages and other forms of personal communication. Phishing is on the rise, and anyone who uses email, text messaging, and other forms of communication is a potential victim.

Fraudsters send messages over email, text or social media, posing as trusted organisations to trick people into handing over money or personal details. But who is most at risk, and what can we do to protect ourselves? New data have revealed half of the adults reported receiving a “phishing” message in the month before being asked. Those aged 25 to 44 years are most likely to be targeted, according to results from the Telephone-operated Crime Survey of England and Wales (TCSEW).

Traditionally sent via email, phishing involves messages from fraudsters posing as legitimate organisations to extract personal information, or money, from the victim. They have exploited significant events, including the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and the rising cost of living, to target victims. There is also evidence of fraudsters taking advantage of widespread behavioural changes because of the pandemic, such as the rise in online shopping.

This includes a nine-fold rise in “advance fee fraud” (victims making upfront payments for goods or services which then do not materialise) and a 57% rise in “consumer and retail fraud” from pre-pandemic levels. Advance fee fraud is significantly higher than pre-pandemic levels

An October 2022 study by messaging security provider SlashNext analyzed billions of link-based URLs, attachments, and natural language messages in email, mobile and browser channels over a six-month period, and found more than 255 million attacks. That’s a 61% increase in the rate of phishing attacks compared with 2021. The study revealed that cybercriminals are shifting their attacks to mobile and personal communication channels to reach users. It showed a 50% increase in attacks on mobile devices, with scams and credential theft at the top of the list of payloads.

One of the iterations of phishing that people need to be aware of is spear phishing, a more targeted form of phishing that often uses topical lures. While it is not a new tactic, the topics and themes might evolve with the world or even seasonal events. During regional tax seasons, threat actors might similarly try to exploit users in the process of filing their taxes with phishing emails that contain tax themes in the subject line.

Bombay HC gives green signal to bullet train project; rejects plea filed by Godrej & Boyce

By

Web Team

-

February 9, 2023

bullet train, bullet train project, mumbai, bombay high court, bombay hc, vikhroli, godrej & boyce — Image: PTI

The Bombay High Court on Friday green-flagged the bullet train project and refused to set aside the acquisition of Godrej & Boyce Manufacturing Co. Limited’s plot at Vikhroli.

Refusing to stay on the project, a division bench of Justices RD Dhanuka and MM Sathaye observed that there are no irregularities in the acquisition. The bench said the project is of paramount importance, and the public interest would prevail over private interest.

Godrej and the Government of Maharashtra have been at loggerheads over the acquisition of the company-owned land since 2019.

Later, in 2022, the company challenged the award of compensation passed by the deputy collector and argued that the final award of Rs 264 crore was way less than Rs 572 crore, the initial amount offered to it by the government for land acquisition.

Iqbal Mirchi’s political nexus getting exposed even after his death

By

Vaidehi Taman

-

February 8, 2023

iqbal mirchi, dawood ibrahim, dawood, gangster, mumbai underworld, menon, 1993 blast — Iqbal Mirchi | File Photo

Once upon a time, Iqbal Mirchi was known as Dawood Ibrahim’s right-hand man. He is India’s most wanted criminal because there are several extortion and money laundering cases pending against him. Mirchi was often called a drug baron for his thriving narcotics business across Asia, Africa and Europe. On 1 June 2004, he was sanctioned under the Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act. Mirchi first gained notoriety in the early 1990s as one of the world’s top drug lords, and a major figurehead in the 1993 Bombay bombings.

Memon’s family originally owned shops selling chillies and spices and thus he got the nickname ‘Mirchi’ means Chilli. Mirchi’s affluence wheeled after he began smuggling in banned meth tablets, heroin and Mandrax. He also owned a disco called The Fisherman’s Wharf at Worli seafront in Mumbai which was a hotbed for narcotics.

In May 1986, Mirchi was first nabbed by the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence in connection with the seizing of 600 kg of heroin — valued at around Rs 9 crore — from a farmhouse in Thane. However, prosecutors could not link Mirchi with the farmhouse and he was let off. When the heat became too much, Mirchi left India in the late 1980s first to Dubai and later to London. The front for all his businesses in the UK was a rice mill called Eden Fine Rice.

He was first arrested by Interpol in London in April 1995, following a red corner notice for his arrest issued by the CBI. An extradition request was made on the basis that Mirchi was wanted for ordering a murder, and was the prime suspect in two drug seizure cases. However, in 1999, all investigations of Iqbal Mirchi were called off for lack of evidence. The Indian government also lost its extradition proceedings against Mirchi.

Also read: Decoding Iqbal Mirchi’s donation to BJP

Mirchi died of a heart attack in London, at the age of 63 in 2013. At the time of his death, a new investigation went underway, linking him to Indian Premier League match-fixing and several drug offences. Mirchi always claimed that he was a victim of persecution and that all the allegations against him were unfounded and biased. In an interview with The Guardian in London, Mirchi maintained his stance, explaining that was how he won his extradition proceedings. Mirchi also denied being associated with Dawood Ibrahim in any way.

Though many allegations were produced in the media against Mirchi, he was never formally charged or convicted of any crime. In April 2016, Mirchi was named in the Panama papers for stashing black money in foreign bank accounts. Mirchi till his death was in gloves with Dawood.

Iqbal Mirchi’s first wife is Hajira Memon, by whom he has two sons, Asif and Junaid. All of them live in the United Kingdom. Mirchi’s second wife is the former actress Heena Kausar, daughter of the famous filmmaker K. Asif a producer-director of the epic Mughal-e-Azam by his third wife, the actress Nigar Sultana. Mirchi and Heena got married in 1991 and they had no children together. Heena also continues to reside in the United Kingdom after Mirchi’s death. Mirchi’s family has a business setup and most of them are in real estate.

Mumbai Enforcement Directorate (ED) had secured a Letter-Rogatory to Hong Kong authorities, seeking details of the conviction of late gangster Iqbal Mirchi’s close aide Humayun Merchant in a 40-year-old cocaine smuggling case in which his wife too was arrested. The agency also sought details of the bank account of the Merchant, if any, from the Hong Kong police.

Merchant, a close aide of late gangster Mirchi who allegedly looked after the drugs trafficking business of the Dawood Ibrahim gang) was arrested in 2019 by the ED in a money-laundering case. The agency claimed that Merchant had helped Mirchi acquire properties in Worli way back in 1986 using money earned through crimes like smuggling, drug trafficking and extortion. The agency claimed that Merchant was arrested in Hong Kong in 1980-81 for smuggling cocaine from Mumbai to Hong Kong through his second wife Nasreen Farid Edroos. It was claimed that Edroos was acquitted for want of cogent evidence, but Merchant was convicted and sentenced to seven years imprisonment.

Last year the Enforcement Directorate (ED) confirmed the attachment of properties of former minister and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Praful Patel in the Iqbal Mirchi case. The attached property includes four floors in the prime property Ceejay House at Worli belonging to Praful Patel and his family. Praful Patel will have to evacuate these four floors now from the prime property of Ceejay House in Worli. ED said that the attachment was done last year, and now the adjudicating authority has confirmed the attachment of the said properties.

Hindenburg hinders the prospects of Gautam Adani

By

Vaidehi Taman

-

February 7, 2023

adani, adani group, hindenburg report, hindenburg, adani gathering, adani group, gautam adani, stock market, shares, modi — Hindenburg hinders the prospects of Gautam Adani 7

Hindenburg, which said it charred through two years on its investigation, guaranteed that the Adani Gathering had “taken part in a bold stock control and bookkeeping misrepresentation plot throughout the span of many years”. Among its claims was that a relative of Adani utilized seaward substances to launder cash into the gathering’s recorded organizations, adding to their “high as can be valuations” after a flood in stock costs throughout the course of recent years. Hindenburg likewise addressed what it said were high measures of influence in the gathering’s elements. Jugeshinder Singh, the gathering’s CFO, dismissed Hindenburg’s cases as “a pernicious mix of specific falsehood and flat, outlandish and ruined claims”.

Dozens of shell firms are controlled by Gautam Adani’s elder brother Vinod Adani or close associates in tax havens. These firms seem to serve several functions, including stock manipulation and laundering money independent auditor for Adani Enterprises and Adani Gas is a ‘virtually unknown firm’. Adani firms have taken on substantial debt; putting the entire group on precarious financial footing. Asia’s richest man considers legal action over short seller’s ‘baseless’ fraud claims.

With the Adani Gathering’s inclinations traversing from weighty industry to media and its situation as a main corporate business and citizen the test of the gathering’s uprightness is huge for India Inc and its monetary business sectors, controllers and lawmakers. It comes as Adani has set out on an aggressive worldwide development, enrolling worldwide accomplices and financial backers to back the gathering. 90–95% of the Adani group of stocks is owned by three Foreign institutional investors registered in Mauritius and they are willing to buy every share that is sold in the Indian equities market that’s what led to the surge in their prices also, the financials of the Adani group do not support the sudden surge and that’s exactly why the irregularities were snooped upon.

Now, three individual FPI accounts holding 43,000 crore worth of Adani stocks have been frozen on non-compliance with the regulators on KYC details and documentation. As a result, some internal operatives are trying to rig the prices of stocks and hence the regulators have taken action against the Adani group. Consider that most of the wealth was built in the past three years, with 85% being accumulated in that time frame. It’s crucial to understand the source of this wealth and its potential impact on the company and infrastructure. Despite the recession and market struggles in 2020, wealth has still grown significantly, primarily due to the rising stock market, as shown in the report by Hindenburg. The report reveals that USD 120 billion in wealth has been created, with over USD 100 billion added in the last three years, largely due to the rapid appreciation of stock prices.

If we look at the current ratios of all the Adani Group companies, the majority of them have a negative current ratio, meaning their current liabilities are greater than their current assets. Hindenburg Research also pointed out that the company management of Adani Enterprises may have been involved in unethical practices in the past. For example, Rajesh Adani, the current managing director, has a history of jail time for fraud and tax evasion, which is a concerning sign. It’s important to note that the legal status of these claims should be evaluated by a legal expert. Hindenburg Research has raised 88 questions and the Adani Group has not provided any answers, leading to concerns and potential suspensions for the companies.

There are several reasons. First is the operation of natural law, that which goes up has to come down and that which goes up fast comes down faster. Second, Adani became the third richest billionaire in the world with a small-town mentality. He kept on his rolls his old Chartered Accountant with a small set-up in Ahmedabad and didn’t hire anyone from Big Four. Similar practices were not conducive to his newfound fame.

We can also assume that Adani became a victim of political power play. The opposition politicians, who welcomed him to their states, used him to get at Modi as they could not get any political ground to hurt Modi. They forgot that Adani was earlier sponsored by them too. Fourth, when Adani went on acquiring companies through hostile takeovers like NDTV, he made many enemies and many mistakes. All his enemies were rooting for him and waiting for an opportunity. They got one when the Hindenburg Research Group report came.

‘Magic happened after 2014’: Rahul Gandhi questions surge in Adani’s fortunes under Modi

By

PTI

-

February 7, 2023

rahul gandhi, gandhi, parliament, lok sabha, rajya sabha, adani, adani group, narendra modi, modi, pm modi — Image: Screengrab / Sansad TV

Leading the Opposition attack over the Adani-Hindenburg issue in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday linked Gautam Adani’s meteoric rise to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s coming to power and said “magic” happened after 2014 that propelled the businessman from the 609th to the second spot on the global rich list.

The Congress leader’s remarks drew a sharp response from the treasury benches, with Law Minister Kiren Rijiju asking him not to level “wild allegations” and furnish proof of his claims.

Speaker Om Birla disapproved of the Congress leader displaying two pictures of Prime Minister Narendra Modi – one in which he can be seen with Adani inside a plane and the other in which he is getting down from a plane which has an Adani logo on it – to highlight their alleged proximity.

Participating in the debate on the Motion of Thanks to the President’s Address in Lok Sabha as the first Opposition speaker, Gandhi made a barrage of allegations including that Modi helped Adani bag overseas contracts in various sectors.

Posing questions for the prime minister, Gandhi asked how many times has he travelled together on a foreign trip with Adani.

“How many times did Adani ji join you later on a visit? How many times Adani ji travelled to a country immediately after you visited the country? How many times Adaniji bagged a contract in a foreign country after your visit there?” Gandhi said.

He asked how much money Adani has given to the BJP in the last 20 years, including through electoral bonds.

Gandhi also hit out at Modi for slamming the Opposition over its criticism of the Rafale deal by allegedly overlooking the capabilities of Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL).

”Yesterday the prime minister said at HAL that we hurled wrong allegations. But in reality, HAL’s contract of 126 aircraft went to Anil Ambani, who then went bankrupt,” Gandhi said.

Gandhi, who just completed his over 4,000 km Bharat Jodo Yatra, said people asked him how Adani got into so many businesses and succeeded, as well as what is the nature of his relationship with the prime minister.

”From Tamil Nadu, Kerala to Himachal Pradesh, we have been listening one name everywhere ‘Adani’. Across the entire country, it’s just ‘Adani’, ‘Adani’, ‘Adani’…,” Gandhi said.

He said that during the yatra people also asked him how Adani’s net worth increased from USD 8 billion to 140 billion between 2014 and 2022.

”The (Adani-Modi) relationship began many years ago when Narendra Modi was Gujarat CM. When most of India was asking questions of the prime minister, was against the PM (then CM Narendra Modi), one man stood shoulder to shoulder with PM Modi, he was loyal to the prime minister and helped Mr Modi construct the idea of a resurgent Gujarat,” Gandhi said.

Adani was the backbone in setting up a group of businessmen in Gujarat, he said, adding that the result was a tremendous expansion of Adani’s businesses in Gujarat.

”Then the real magic starts, when the PM comes to Delhi and the real magic begins in 2014. In 2014, he was in 609th spot on the list of richest people and climbed to the second spot,” the former Congress chief said.

Gandhi also raised the issue of the report by US-based Hindenburg Research, saying it alleged that Adani has shell companies abroad.

Pointing out that Adani works in strategic sectors, he said the government must find out about these shell companies as to who controls them as this is a national security issue.

The opposition has been demanding a joint parliamentary committee probe or a Supreme Court-monitored investigation into the allegations of fraud and manipulation made by Hindenburg Research against Adani’s companies that triggered an unprecedented stock crash. The group has denied the charges.

Citing various examples, Gandhi alleged that the government tweaked rules in favour of Adani and said that the clause that no one without any prior experience would be involved in the development of airports was done away with.

”This rule was changed by the government and Adani was given six airports. After that India’s most strategic, profitable airport, Mumbai Airport, was taken away from GVK using agencies like the CBI, ED, and was given to Adani by the government of India,” he alleged.

The treasury benches repeatedly asked Gandhi to authenticate his claims, saying that such allegations cannot be levelled against the prime minister without documentary evidence.

Speaker Birla also asked Gandhi to focus on the President’s address ”There should be a case study by business schools such as Harvard on the relationship between business and politics, India is a case study…the PM should get a gold medal in this” Gandhi said.

”Adani never made drones while HAL used to do it and other companies do it. PM goes to Israel and Adani gets the contract… They have four defence firms and had not done this work before, small arms, sniper rifles, all are made by Adani,” he said.

He alleged that be it maintenance of aircraft, small arms or drones, the whole India-Israel defence ties have been handed over to Adani.

Adani group has a 30 per cent market share in the airports business and also controls 90 per cent of Israel-India defence cooperation, he claimed.

Gandhi also cited the example of Australia, saying PM Modi visited that country and with ”magic” USD 1 billion was given to Adani by the State Bank of India.

Gandhi also listed the examples of Bangladesh and Sri Lanka visits of the prime minister to claim that following the trips Adani got contracts there.

In June 2022, the chairman of Sri Lanka’s Ceylon electricity board informed a parliamentary hearing that President Rajapaksa told him that PM Modi ”pressured” him to give the wind power contract to Adani, Gandhi alleged.

This is not India’s foreign policy but a policy to enhance Adani’s businesses, the Congress leader said.

”I was asked by the people during the Yatra as to why LIC’s money is being put in the Adani group. They also asked Adani’s shares which are volatile, why LIC’s funds are being put in it. I want to say, how do the government and PM help Adani — thousands of crores of (money from) public sector banks is given to Adani,” he said.

Participating in the debate, Gandhi also questioned the Agniveer scheme for recruiting defence personnel claiming that youths aspiring to be in the army were not on the same page as the government on the scheme.

Senior officers have said the scheme will weaken the army, he claimed.

Outside Parliament, BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad hit out at Rahul Gandhi, saying he has made ”baseless, shameless and reckless allegations against PM Modi”.

Congress and its leaders were involved in all big scams which tarnished the image of India, he alleged.

Cong senior leader Balasaheb Thorat resigns as legislature party chief, a day after writing a letter to Kharge

By

PTI

-

February 7, 2023

balasaheb thorat, nana patole, congress, thorat, inc, indian national congress — Cong senior leader Balasaheb Thorat resigns as legislature party chief, a day after writing a letter to Kharge 10

On Tuesday, Maharashtra Congress leader Balasaheb Thorat resigned as the state legislature party head, a day after his letter to Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge over apparent friction with state unit chief Nana Patole came out, party sources said.

Thorat has sent his resignation to the party high command, they said. The Congress leader is the maternal uncle of Satyajit Tambe who recently won the Legislative Council election from the Nashik division graduates constituency as an independent candidate.

Thorat is a staunch Congress loyalist and has earlier served as the party’s state president apart from holding many critical ministerial portfolios. An aide of Thorat had said that the Congress leader had written to the party high command citing his inability to work with Patole due to the latter’s ”anger” towards him. Thorat also said he was not being consulted before decisions were being taken, the aide added.

The matter surfaced days after Thorat’s brother-in-law and then Nashik graduates constituency MLC Sudhir Tambe declined to contest despite being the Congress’ official candidate. His son Satyajit Tambe then fought as an independent and won the election, the results of which were announced on February 2.

While the Congress was left red-faced due to the episode, the silence of Thorat, who is recuperating from a shoulder injury, was seen as silent support to the Tambe father-son duo, sources said.

It is possible for Trans couples to have their own child

By

Vaidehi Taman

-

February 5, 2023

zahhad, ziya paval, trans, transgender, trans couple, kerala couple, pregnant — It is possible for Trans couples to have their own child 12

In 2022, Reese, a transgender man, had seen friends lead healthy pregnancies as trans men, and he knew such a scenario was possible. The couple did their research, and in doing so, they realized transgender men can lead perfectly healthy pregnancies. And so that’s exactly what Reese did: He gave birth to the couple’s son, Leo.

While Reese’s hormonal therapy gave him a beard and a deeper voice, his uterus and ovaries continued to function. The process of getting off testosterone hormones wasn’t so different from what most women face when they stop taking birth control before conception… and about five months later, Reese was pregnant. Reese insisted that he’s not a pioneer for this issue—those transgender men carry out successful pregnancies more often than people tend to think.

Many transgender individuals express specific desires for parenthood, such as biological relatedness and barriers to parenthood, such as physical limitations or lack of legal protections, which influence how transgender individuals choose to become parents in the future. Reproductive medicine has seen definitions of motherhood expand to embrace egg-donor mothers and adoptive mothers, in addition to the gestational, or birth, mother. Today there is a fourth category: the transgender mother.

This can mean, among a variety of possibilities, a man with a uterus who has transitioned from a woman, and who stops taking hormone-replacement therapy to conceive; or a woman who has transitioned from a man using frozen sperm with a surrogate. Simply put, ‘motherhood’ and ‘fatherhood’ is no longer defined only by the chromosomes and sex organs with which we were assigned at birth but by the gender with which we choose to identify.

In India as the first case in India, Ziya and Zahhad, a transgender couple from Kerala, are expecting their baby in March, Ziya announced in an Instagram post claiming that this is the first case in India that a transman has conceived. Ziya, born as a man and changed into a woman and Zahhad, born a woman and transformed into a man, have been living together for the last three years. Zahad conceived the baby amid his transition process from a woman into a man, which was stalled for the baby. The decision of the baby was taken when Zahhad’s breasts were already removed but doctors said as the uterus was there, it would be possible.

Zahhad, an accountant from Thiruvananthapuram and Ziya, a professional classical dancer, both are excited to have a child in their life. Most transgender people giving birth are those born with a uterus — transgender men, non-binary people, gender fluid people, genderqueer people, two-spirit people, and others with uteruses who do not identify as women. According to health professionals, it is a misconception that taking testosterone will make transgenders “sterile” and potentially unable to conceive.

A recent study that researched female-to-male transgender people receiving in-vitro fertilization found that egg quality and quantity were similar between transgender men and cisgender women. While taking testosterone, ovulation may stop but egg reserves continue to be there. So, if a transgender man stops taking his testosterone, his menstrual cycle often returns, reportedly within about six months.

Even though there are no exact records, according to news reports collected by Rutgers University, nearly 30 per cent of transgender men across the world have had unplanned pregnancies. Transgender men, who take testosterone therapy do so to suppress the effects of estrogen while stimulating the development of masculine secondary sex characteristics, however, many doctors suggest that for transgenders, getting and carrying a pregnancy has to come with more care, as there are higher chances of placental abruption, preterm labour, anaemia, and even hypertension. Transgender men and non-binary people assigned to females at birth may also be encouraged to freeze their eggs before any medical transition. However, some researchers and doctors are also exploring experimental cancer fertility techniques to retrieve gametes in individuals who transition early.

Here are the 7 best benefits of using Apple Cider Vinegar

By

Web Team

-

February 5, 2023

apple cider vinegar, apple cider, weight loss, skincare, health care, blood sugar — Image: Unsplash

A common home ingredient with many uses that dates back centuries is apple cider vinegar. This natural product has many uses in cooking, cleaning, skincare, and wellness. Here, we’ll go over some of the apple cider vinegar’s most great benefits and how they can enhance your life.

Supports Weight Loss: One of the most popular benefits of apple cider vinegar is its potential to support weight loss. It is believed that apple cider vinegar can help reduce body fat and suppress appetite, leading to a reduction in calorie intake and weight loss over time. The acetic acid in apple cider vinegar can also help to increase metabolism and break down fat cells, further aiding in weight loss efforts.

Regulates Blood Sugar Levels: Apple cider vinegar has been shown to have a positive impact on blood sugar levels, making it a great option for those with type 2 diabetes. The acetic acid in apple cider vinegar can help to slow down the digestion of carbohydrates, preventing spikes in blood sugar levels. Additionally, studies have shown that apple cider vinegar can also improve insulin sensitivity, further supporting healthy blood sugar levels.

Boosts Immune System: Apple cider vinegar is rich in antioxidants and essential vitamins, including Vitamin C, which can help boost the immune system. Antioxidants protect cells from damage and can help to reduce the risk of chronic diseases such as heart disease and cancer. In addition, apple cider vinegar also contains potassium, which can help to strengthen the immune system and improve overall health.

Promotes Skin Health: Apple cider vinegar is a popular ingredient in skincare products due to its ability to promote healthy skin. It can help to balance the skin’s natural pH levels, which can help to prevent breakouts and improve skin clarity. Additionally, the antibacterial properties of apple cider vinegar can help to kill bacteria that can cause acne, helping to prevent future breakouts.

Supports Digestion: Apple cider vinegar can also help to improve digestion and alleviate symptoms of indigestion. It can help to stimulate the production of digestive enzymes and break down food, helping to improve the digestive process. Additionally, the acetic acid in apple cider vinegar can help to kill harmful bacteria in the gut, supporting healthy gut flora and overall digestive health.

Lowers Cholesterol: Apple cider vinegar has been shown to have a positive impact on cholesterol levels, making it a great option for those looking to improve their heart health. The acetic acid in apple cider vinegar can help to lower triglycerides, which are a type of fat found in the blood that can contribute to heart disease. Additionally, apple cider vinegar has been shown to lower total cholesterol and LDL (bad) cholesterol levels, while increasing HDL (good) cholesterol levels.

Alleviates Allergies: Apple cider vinegar has been shown to have anti-inflammatory properties, making it a great option for those with allergies. It can help to reduce symptoms of seasonal allergies, such as runny nose and sneezing, by reducing inflammation in the body. Additionally, the antibacterial properties of apple cider vinegar can help to kill harmful bacteria in the body, reducing the risk of infections and further alleviating allergy symptoms.

In conclusion, apple cider vinegar is a versatile and natural product that has numerous benefits for health and wellness.