Court Sends Chidambaram To ED Custody From Tihar

A Special court here on Thursday sent former Union finance minister P Chidambaram to the custody of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) till October 24 in connection with its probe into the INX Media money laundering case.

The ED had arrested him yesterday under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act. Special Judge Ajay Kumar Kuhar also allowed an application filed by Chidambaram seeking western toilet, home-cooked food, medicine and a separate cell.

On August 21, he was arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to probe the charges of corruption in the same case. He was produced before the court today at the end of his judicial remand in Tihar jail.

In the CBI case, the court extended his judicial custody in Tihar jail till October 24. The former union minister was in Tihar Jail since September 5.

Speaking to media persons following the orders, Karti Chidambaram, son of the accused, said that the investigation is “malafide and the main agenda of the investigation agency is to keep him in custody for as long as they can”.

The case pertains to an FIR registered by the CBI for alleged irregularities in the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) clearance given to INX Media to the tune of Rs 305 crore in 2007 by Chidambaram when he was the Finance Minister.

ED is investigating the alleged offence of money laundering that arose out of the FIR.

(ANI)

Shah Lauds Savarkar, Says History Needs To Be Rewritten

Home Minister Amit Shah on Thursday urged historians to present the true Indian version of history and not the British one and the need of writing more about great rulers like Skandagupta and Chandragupta Vikramaditya who had been not given enough due in the existing documented history.

“It is the duty of every country to preserve and nurture its history, it is the duty of the public and of the country’s historians. Till when do we keep on criticising the Britishers for it. Today the country is independent, edit our history and write out new manuscripts. I am sure the truth in our history will make it famous,” he said addressing a seminar at the Banaras Hindu University (BHU) in Varanasi.

Shah inaugurated the two-day international seminar on “the role and relevance of famous ruler of Gupta Dynasty, Skandagupta Vikramaditya and the political future of the nation” at the BHU campus.

The Home Minister said the “biggest success” for the Gupta Empire was that they ended confrontation between the Vaishali and Magadha dynasties and moved towards the creation of a united India.Talking about Skandagupta, Shah said the ruler had always tried to save the culture, language, art, literature and governance system of India.

“Chandragupta Vikramaditya had gained a lot of fame in history. But a lot of injustice happened to him in history. His might was perhaps not appreciated as much,” the Home Minister while espousing about the ruler’s significance.

He underlined that the Maurya and Gupta dynasties placed Indian culture at the highest position in the world.

“2,000 years after the Mahabharata period, the 800-year period became known because of two major dynasties — Maurya Dynasty and Gupta Dynasty. Both these dynasties placed Indian culture at the highest position in the world,” the Home Minister said.

Touching upon the contributions of Skandagupta, Shah said, “Skandagupta’s big contributions during his rule was strengthening governance, creation of cities and planning the rule for revenue collection for the effective running of the administration. He fought bravely with Huns.”

“But it is unfortunate that today if anyone asks for 100 pages to study on Skandagupta, they are not available,” he lamented.

Shah continued, “So, there is a need to write about the great rulers like Skandagupta, Chandragupta Vikramaditya and others who had been not given enough due in the existing documented history.”

The Home Minister remembered Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya and thanked him for setting up the BHU, which according to him, had played a key role in rebuilding the country after independence.

“Whatever might have been on the mind of Pandit Madan Mohan Malviyaji at the time of the establishment of BHU, but this university has played a key role propagating Hindu culture and has stood tall to protect it,” Shah said.

“After hundreds of years of slavery it is very difficult for any person to reinstate the pride, only a university can do this. These universities are the reason why we are happy with the present-day image of the country and are assured about its future too,” he added.

Invoking Vinayak Damodar Savarkar, Shah credited the former for coining the 1857 rebellion as the First War of Indian Independence.

“Had it not been for Veer Savarkar, the rebellion of 1857 would not have become history, we would have seen it from the point of view of British. Veer Savarkar was the one who named the 1857 rebellion as the first independence struggle,” he further said.

(ANI)

New ‘great’ Brexit deal agreed with EU: Johnson

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Thursday said that a new “great” Brexit deal has been reached with the European Union (EU).

In a tweet, Johnson said that the UK Parliament should approve the draft withdrawal agreement by Saturday (October 19).

“We’ve got a great new deal that takes back control — now Parliament should get Brexit done on Saturday so we can move on to other priorities like the cost of living, the NHS, violent crime and our environment #GetBrexitDone #TakeBackControl,” the British Prime Minister said.

The agreement was reached during a telephonic conversation between Johnson and European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker.

Echoing similar sentiments, Juncker said that the new Brexit deal is a “fair and balanced agreement”.

” Where there is a will, there is a #deal – we have one! It’s a fair and balanced agreement for the EU and the UK and it is a testament to our commitment to find solutions. I recommend that #EUCO endorses this deal,” he tweeted.

The new Brexit deal comes with just 14 days remaining for the UK to exit the EU. It also comes as Johnson is heading to Brussels for a two-day meeting with the EU leaders.

The ruling Conservative Party has been struggling to finalise a Brexit agreement which has faced opposition and rejection by British lawmakers in the Parliament for the past several months.

Since taking office in July, Johnson has vowed to take his country out of the EU on October 31, with or without a deal.

(ANI)

Population Control

‘Population Control Drive Must Not Target A Specific Community’

Anupendra Singh, 42, an advocate-cum-social worker from Moradabad, Uttar Pradesh has worked with the marginalised sections of the society teaching them about the benefits of population control. While he agrees with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s call to the nation to adopt population control measures, he says that overpopulation is not limited to a specific community. While addressing the issue, the 90 crore Hindus living in India must be sensitised too.

I have been working towards empowering large sections of marginalized people for the past 15 years making them aware of the dangers of over-population. It is an issue close to my heart. I feel that overpopulation is the root cause of multiple problems.

The PM, during his Independence Day speech, said that population control is an act of patriotism and I totally agree with it. However, I would like to mention here that overpopulation is not a community-specific problem. India’s population is close to 130 crore, nearly 90 crore people are Hindus and 30 crore are Muslims and the rest belong to other faiths. When we talk about population control, we must reach out to the 90 crore Hindus, who form the major chunk of India’s population.

Over the years I have been part of several projects aimed at population control. We have organised numerous camps, workshops, which included both individual as well as group counselling sessions. People attended them in droves. I have found that several people are open to the idea of population control and family planning, but they do not know how to go about it in the face of societal pressure. However, there are many people who try to shrug it off saying:  Ye hamare ghar ka mamla hai. Hum dekh lenge. (This is our private matter, we can handle this on our own) 

They fail to understand that a family is the basic unit of the society, which is a part of a state, and that state is part of a country. A family unit is a microcosm of a nation. Nearly 70 percent of the world’s population lives on almost 2.5 percent of the world’s land area and the area per person is shrinking at a horrific pace. This shrinking physical space can lead to lawlessness and anti-social behaviour.

The unemployment rate is on the rise. With the sheer number of people we have in our country, even if people got employed, the quality of work they would get wouldn’t be good. So if we want a quality life for everyone, our first priority should be population control.

Irrespective of age, everyone should spread the message of population control. While the adults can adopt and endorse family planning measures, youngsters can just educate people informally or by volunteering with NGOs. I run two schools in Moradabad and I make sure that my teachers and principals utilise the assemblies by talking about how kids can contribute towards betterment of society.

Children come to us with queries, related to family planning and other social issues. The prime minister should understand that it is the bureaucracy, the MLAs and MPs, who are the most important cogs in the wheel, when it comes to population control. If population control is the patriotic duty of every citizen, then the bureaucracy and the elected representatives must ensure that people take it seriously.

They also need to understand why people go for large families (what their insecurities or fears are) and then work with them to eliminate those fears. However, if they just go for population control without understanding the basic reasons and emotions of people, it will only be a temporary solution.

rss radar

Punjab, Tamil Nadu On RSS Radar Now

At a recent meeting called by the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party’s ideological mentor, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, the organization identified Punjab and Tamil Nadu as its current weak spots. It was felt that the RSS should focus on these two states as far more work needs to be done here at the grassroots in comparison to the other states.

Undoubtedly, the RSS has been steadily expanding its activities in Punjab and Tamil Nadu, especially after the BJP emerged as the main political force in the country by winning two consecutive Lok Sabha elections and sweeping most assembly polls.

But the two geographically distant states have, so far, refused to be seduced by the RSS and BJP’s ideology. The wash-out faced by the saffron party in the last general election in Punjab and Tamil Nadu was evidence that the groundwork done by the RSS foot soldiers and Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s charm offensive did not yield results.

However, this has not deterred the RSS and the BJP. Determined to make inroads in both Punjab and Tamil Nadu, the two affiliates are intensifying their efforts in these states. It’s a challenging task given the past record of the RSS here and the special character and political culture of the two states.

Also Check- RSS To Hold Akhil Bharatiya Pratinidhi Sabha In Nagpur From March 15-17

Both states do not trust of the RSS and the BJP for the same reasons. In Punjab, the RSS has always been suspect as the Sikhs fear the organization’s main objective is to destroy their distinct identity. Influenced by the ideologically-strong Dravidian movement, the Tamil people are equally wary of the saffron camp’s predatory moves which, they believe, are aimed at annihilating their language and culture.

Though the RSS has been working in Punjab for several decades now, its activities have increased exponentially since the BJP came to power in 2014. The number of RSS shakhas has gone up manifold while a large army of Sangh pracharaks has been deputed to the state to propagate its ideology.

The RSS, which operates through its Sikh arm, the Rashtriya Sikh Sangat, was once banished from the state. But it has been resurrected and reactivated once again. This has led to tension on the ground leading to the killing of several senior RSS functionaries during the last few years. Extremely proud of their distinct culture, religion, and identity, the Sikhs are constantly on guard vis-a-vis the RSS which has been wooing the Sikhs with the argument that Sikhism is a sect of Hinduism. The Sikhs see this as a clear attempt to erase their faith.

As a panthic party, the Shiromani Akali Dal, a BJP ally, has never been happy with the activities of the RSS. But this has become a further source of tension after the saffron camp demonstrated its determination to put down roots in Punjab. This has brought the focus back on their ideological differences which are kept under wraps as the two parties need each other to attain power as their social bases complement each other.

Though it has had a longstanding pact with the BJP, the SAD is suddenly not sure about the future of their alliance as the two failed to seal a deal for the forthcoming Haryana assembly polls. The SAD has, therefore, tied up with the Indian National Lok Dal instead.

The Akalis are particularly perturbed as the saffron camp is concentrating on the rural belt, which is the SAD’s traditional stronghold. Fuelled by its ambition to have a strong presence in all states, the BJP is willing to overlook its unwritten pact with the SAD that the two parties focus on areas where each is strong: the BJP on the urban areas for the Hindu vote and the Akalis on the rural belt for the Sikh peasantry. The BJP has no more than an eight percent vote share in Punjab but it is hoping to expand its footprint here by weaning away the growing young population which is more concerned with development and employment.

As in the case of Punjab, the RSS has also spread its wings far and wide in Tamil Nadu. The Sangh’s Hindutva agenda has found traction with the upper castes in the state as they genuinely believe in its philosophy. However, the RSS-BJP combine faces the tough task of wooing the backward classes and the Dalits who have been sufficiently empowered by the Dravidian parties.

On its part, the RSS is making a pitch for the unity of all Hindus and, at the same time, is trying to create a wedge between the backward classes and Dalits. It is focusing on the Dalits as they get overlooked for positions of power by the more powerful backward classes. In this connection, the Sangh has been organising Hindu festivals on a grand scale in Dalit colonies. While the RSS is feeling encouraged by the enthusiastic response to these programmes, DMK’s Lok Sabha MP A.Raja was unperturbed. He pointed to the recent general election in which the BJP and its ally, the AIADMK, were routed, saying,” The Dalits are willing to go along with the RSS and the BJP for religious festivities and temple visits but politically they are still wedded to Dravidian politics.”

Dravidian ideology, he added, is deeply rooted in Tamil pride and identity and the RSS is viewed as an organization which wants to impose a Brahamincal order and the Hindi language in the state. It was to assuage their fears that Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on his recent visit to the US spoke of India’s linguistic diversity thrice and even quoted an ancient Tamil poet at the United Nations General Assembly. On a trip to Chennai on his return, he made it a point to mention that he took it upon himself to teach everyone that Tamil is one of India’s ancient languages.

Political leaders from Tamil Nadu admit that though their people had rebuffed the RSS and the BJP, they cannot afford to be complacent as their state is now firmly on the saffron camp’s radar.

Courtroom Drama On Last Day Of Hearing in Ayodhya Case

The Supreme Court on Wednesday witnessed high decibel drama when senior advocate Rajeev Dhavan tore papers and a map handed over to him by one of the Hindu parties in connection with the Ram Janambhoomi-Babri Masjid land dispute case.

Dhavan, who was appearing for Muslim petitioners, including the Sunny Waqf Board, tore the papers and the map which was handed over to him by the opposition counsel of All India Hindu Mahasabha, during the 40th and last day of hearing in the case.

The advocate was objecting to All India Hindu Mahasabha’s counsel trying to submit map published by Kunal Kishore.

Kishore said that Dhavan tore the map as he thought it would make his case ‘non-existent’.

“He is an intellectual. He thought if this map is presented before the court his case will become non-existent. If he had objections he could have said that in the time that was given to him,” he told ANI.

During the hearing, lawyer of All India Hindu Mahasabha Vikas Singh said, “With great respect to the court, I have not disturbed the decorum of the court.”

In response, Chief Justice (CJI) Ranjan Gogoi said, “If these are the kind of arguments going on, then, we can just get up and walk out.”

Earlier today, the CJI said that the daily hearings on the Ram Mandir-Babri Masjid land dispute will end by 5 pm on Wednesday.

“By 5 pm this matter is going to be over. Enough is enough,” Justice Gogoi said while dismissing the intervention application filed by the Hindu Maha Sabha in the apex court seeking more time for arguments.

The five-judge bench Constitution bench headed by Gogoi was hearing appeals challenging the 2010 Allahabad High Court verdict, which ordered equal division of the 2.77-acre of disputed land in Ayodhya among the Sunni Waqf Board, the Nirmohi Akhara and the Ram Lalla.

(ANI)

ED Arrests Chidambaram From Tihar After Grilling

The Enforcement Directorate on Wednesday arrested former Finance Minister P Chidambaram after grilling him for nearly two hours at Delhi’s Tihar Jail in connection with the INX Media money laundering case.

At present, ED officials along with Special Public Prosecutor (SPP) Naveen Kumar Matta are outside the court of special judge Ajay Kumar Kuhar for issuance of production warrant.

Chidambaram’s arrest came a day after a special court allowed the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to grill Chidambaram for 30 minutes in connection with the matter to decide on his arrest.

A three-member team of ED including Mahesh Gupta, Sandeep Thapliyal, and Dainik Jain had arrived at Tihar Jail to interrogate P Chidambaram, who is lodged in the case which is also being investigated by the CBI.

Nalini and Karti Chidambaram, the wife and son of the Congress leader, too reached the jail premises ahead of the interrogation process.

Chidambaram is in judicial custody in Tihar Jail since September 5 in a corruption case related to the alleged scam being probed by the CBI and ED. His remand is slated to end on October 17.

The case pertains to an FIR registered by the CBI for alleged irregularities in the Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) clearance given to INX Media to the tune of Rs 305 crore in 2007 by Chidambaram when he was the Finance Minister.ED is investigating the alleged offence of money laundering that arose out of the FIR.

(ANI)

Jaish e Mohammad Chief

Terror Funding Watchdog To Retain Pakistan In Grey List

In a major development, the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) on Tuesday decided “in principle” that Pakistan will remain on its grey list till February 2020 and directed the country to take “extra measures” for the “complete elimination” of terror financing and money laundering.

The meeting of the international watchdog reviewed the measures taken by Pakistan to control money laundering and terror financing, and observed that Islamabad will have to take further steps on the two parameters in these four months, reported Dawn.

The formal announcement of these decisions will be made on October 18.

The country was placed on the Grey List by the watchdog in June 2018 and was given 15 months to complete implementation of a 27-point action plan, failing which it be placed in the Black List.

It included safeguards against money-laundering and terror-financing by banned outfits and non-government entities through banking and non-banking jurisdictions, capital markets, corporate and non-corporate sectors like chartered accountancy, financial advisory services, cost and management accountancy firm, jewellery and similar related services.

According to Dawn, the FATF has linked the blacklisting of Pakistan with “unsatisfactory steps” to curb money laundering and terror financing. The watchdog will make its final decision in February 2020.

The report said that China, Turkey and Malaysia appreciated the steps taken by Pakistan, and on the outright support extended by these countries, the FATF decided not to include Pakistan on the blacklist and give it more time to implement the remaining measures.

On being asked about the development, Pakistan Finance Ministry spokesperson Omar Hameed Khan responded, “it is not true and nothing before October 18”.

A Pakistani delegation led by Minister for Economic Affairs Hammad Azhar told the meeting that the country has made positive progress in 20 out of 27 points. The FATF expressed satisfaction on the measures taken by Pakistan and its progress in various areas.

(ANI)

Kartarpur Corridor To Be Completed On Time: Govt

The work on the Kartarpur corridor will be completed on time, i.e. October 31 said the Ministry of Home Affairs Additional Secretary Govind Mohan who visited the site in Gurdaspur on Wednesday.

“The work has been completed for about 75 per cent so far. The work is underway and is in good speed. The whole building will be completed and handed over to the government by 31st October. We also have communication on both sides and the work is in progress,” Mohan told ANI.

He further said that currently there is a parking facility for around 200 cars but it is being expanded for at least 1000 cars.

The authorities are also getting golf carts to facilitate senior citizens and physically handicapped people.

“I am very happy that the corridor is going to be completed soon. I have been wanting to visit the gurudwara for a long time,” said Kulwant Kaur, a resident of the area.

Joginder Singh, another local said: “All the Sikhs are happy as we will be able to visit the Gurudwara.”

“We have been longing to visit the gurudwara for a very long time and the opening of this corridor will give us immense pleasure,” Balwinder Singh told ANI.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the much-awaited Kartarpur corridor, connecting the Dera Baba Nanak shrine in Punjab’s Gurdaspur with Darbar Sahib Gurdwara in Pakistan, on November 8.

The registration for the devotees will start from October 20 which will facilitate the visa-free movement of Indian pilgrims, who will have to just obtain a permit to visit Kartarpur Sahib, which was established in 1522 by Sikh faith founder Guru Nanak Dev.

(ANI)

Three Laskar-e-Taiba Terrorists Killed In Kashmir

Jammu and Kashmir police on Wednesday identified the three terrorists killed in an encounter in Bijbehara area in Anantnag as Nasir Chadru, Aqib Hajam and Zahid Hussain, and said that they were affiliated with the proscribed terror outfit LeT.

“#Bijbehara #encounter update: 3 killed terrorists identified as Nasir Chadru, Aqib Hajam and Zahid Hussain. Affiliated with proscribed terror outfit LeT. Involved in terror crimes as per police records. Arms and ammunition recovered. Case registered,” a tweet by the official handle of the Kashmir Zone police read.

This is the sixth operation by Jammu and Kashmir police since September 28.

On Monday police arrested two Hizbul Mujahideen (HM) terrorists from Ganderbal in Kashmir.

In the first operation that started on September 28, three hardcore militants of HM were eliminated at Batote, Ramban district.

The next day, in another operation at Kangan, Ganderbal which continued up to October 3, the forces killed two Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) members who had infiltrated recently.

While police arrested a JeM terrorist identified as Mohsin Manzoor Salhea, who was allegedly planning to kill a cop, on October 6, one terrorist affiliated to Lashkar-e-Toiba, Ozaif, was eliminated on October 7.

(ANI)