Month: June 2020

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Thursday said that both India and China are involved in military and diplomatic engagements to ensure peace and tranquillity in the border areas.

“Both sides are maintaining their military and diplomatic engagements to peacefully resolve the situation at the earliest to ensure peace and tranquillity in the border areas,” said Anurag Srivastava, MEA spokesperson, during an online press briefing.

This is essential for the further development of India-China bilateral relations, he added.

The comments came amid a stand-off between Indian and Chinese troops in Eastern Ladakh after a skirmish last month in Sikkim.

Recently, China had moved its troops along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in the Eastern Ladakh areas including the Finger area, Pangong Tso Lake, and Galwan Nala area.

For the peaceful resolution, the Major General level talks were held on June 6 after the military Commander-level talks between 14 Corps Chief Lt Gen Harinder Singh and Chinese Maj Gen Liu Lin at Moldo opposite Chushul.

According to sources, another set of talks is expected to be held over the next few days in Chushul at multiple levels to find solutions to the dispute in specific areas. (ANI)

India has urged the United Kingdom not to consider asylum to Vijay Mallya if requested by him and has been in touch with the British authorities for early extradition of the fugitive businessman.

“We have been in touch with the UK authorities for early extradition of Vijay Mallya. We have also requested the UK side not to consider his asylum if requested by him,” External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Anurag Srivastava said at a virtual media briefing here.

Britain had said earlier this month that there is a further legal issue that needs to be resolved before Mallya’s extradition can be arranged.

The government has been in touch with the UK for extraditing the fugitive businessman, who was refused permission in May to appeal to UK’s highest court against a ruling to extradite him to face charges of defrauding a consortium of Indian banks of more than Rs 11,000 crore.

Mallya faces charges of defrauding Indian banks relating to the collapse of Kingfisher Airlines in 2012. (ANI)

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Wednesday brought back 108 consignments of various overseas entities of fugitive diamantaires Nirav Modi and Mehul Choksi, valued at around Rs 1,350 crore, from Hong Kong.

These valuables include polished diamonds, pearls and silver jewellery and were kept in the godown of a logistics company in Hong Kong. These consignments were brought back to Mumbai today and the consignments weigh approximately 2,340 kg, according to the ED.

Earlier, the agency had brought back 33 consignments of valuables from Dubai and Hong Kong in Nirav Modi and Mehul Choksi case. These valuables were valued on arrival and were subsequently seized in India and an independent valuer assessed these earlier consignments to be worth around Rs 137 crore.

Meanwhile, the extradition trial of Modi has been adjourned until September after a week of extraordinary drama at the Westminster Magistrate’s Court in Central London in May.

Modi, wanted in India on the charges of fraud and money-laundering of an estimated Rs 11,000 crore, appeared from Wandsworth Prison in South London at the court via video link, due to the social distancing rules in place across the UK due to COVID-19.

Modi’s trial will resume on September 7 with June 11 set as the date for him to be produced in court for his 28-day remand hearing. (ANI)

After talks between military commanders, India and China on Wednesday held the Major General-level talks to find a resolution to the ongoing dispute in Eastern Ladakh.

India and China have decided to hold military talks at multiple levels in the next 10 days to find a solution to the Chinese military build-up in the Eastern Ladakh sector.

Army sources said that talks have been held between the two sides on Wednesday but the outcome would be known only after some time.

This is the second round of talks after military commander-level talks on June 6 between 14 Corps chief Lt Gen Harinder Singh and Chinese Maj Gen Liu Lin at Moldo opposite Chushul.

After the first round of talks, Chinese and Indian armies disengaged by going back by 2-2.5 km from their standoff positions at Galwan Nala, PP-15 and Hot Springs.

The two sides would also hold talks at battalion commander level to find an amicable solution to the satisfaction of both sides. (ANI)

A day after Union Home Minister Amit Shah trained his guns on the West Bengal government for naming Shramik Express as Corona Express, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday said that she never called the trains ‘Corona Express’ and it was the public who named it so.

“I never called the trains ‘Corona Express’. It was the public who called it that,” said Banerjee during a press conference here.

On Tuesday, while speaking at the ‘West Bengal Jan Samvad Rally’ on the issue of special trains being run for migrants, Shah mentioned that despite opposition from West Bengal government, the Centre released a fund of Rs 11,000 crore for the state to fight the pandemic.

“You have insulted Bengal labourers who were coming to the state to meet their family amid coronavirus by naming trains as Corona Express. This express will take you out of state. It will become your exit route,” Shah said.

He had targetted the West Bengal government over continued political violence in the state.

Meanwhile, Banerjee said that 11 lakh migrant labourers, stranded due to COVID-19 lockdown in other states, have returned to the state already, and 30,000 are yet to come.

(ANI)

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has booked cardiologist and Medanta Medcity Hospital Managing Director Naresh Trehan under Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) in connection with a case related to the allotment of land for Medanta Hospital.

According to officials, the economic offences watchdog has registered an Enforcement Case Information Report against Trehan and 15 others under PMLA in connection with the case.

The case was registered on the base of an FIR registered by Gurugram Police, an ED official told ANI on Wednesday.

On Saturday, Gurugram Police booked Naresh Trehan and others for money laundering, corruption, criminal conspiracy, forgery and criminal breach of trust, among other charges, in connection with the case.

The FIR was registered at Gurgaon Sadar police station at the behest of additional sessions judge Ashwani Kumar on the complaint of a Malibu Town resident named Raman Sharma.

The FIR was registered under several relevant sections of the PMLA, the Prevention of Corruption Act, and the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

(ANI)

India on Wednesday reported a spike of 9,985 more COVID-19 cases in the last 24 hours, taking the country’s COVID-19 count to 2,76,583, according to the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

279 deaths were reported in the last 24 hours taking the total death toll to 7,745.

The total number of active cases has reached 1,33,632 while 1,35,205 patients have recovered. While one person has migrated.

With 90,787 cases, Maharashtra reported the highest number of coronavirus cases in the country followed by Tamil Nadu with 34,914 cases.

According to the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), 1,45,216 samples were tested in the last 24 hours while overall 50,61,332 samples have been tested so far. (ANI)

Ahead of the next round of military talks scheduled to start this week, troops of India and China have disengaged on the ground at multiple locations in Eastern Ladakh.

The talks between the two armies are going to be held this week at multiple locations including Patroling point 14 (Galwan area), Patrolling point 15, and Hot Springs area, top government sources told ANI.

Because of the talks to be held in the next few days and the Lt Gen-level talks held on June 6, the Chinese Army has pulled back its troops from the Galwan valley, PP-15 and Hot Springs in Eastern Ladakh area by 2 to 2.5 kilometres, they said.

The sources said to reciprocate the Chinese disengagement, the Indian side also brought back some of its troops and vehicles from these areas.

Sources said the talks are being held on these points at the battalion commander level and they have had hotline talks with their counterparts.

The initial talks are being held in these areas, the Chinese activities had also started in Eastern Ladakh from this location only, they said.

Indian military teams are already in Chushul to engage the Chinese in talks and are coordinating with the senior officials in this regard.

(ANI)

Union Home Minister Amit Shah, while addressing Jan Samvad virtual rally for Bharatiya Janata Party workers in West Bengal, sounded the poll bugle as he attacked the Mamata Banerjee government for protesting against Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) that gives the rights of citizenship to persecuted minorities coming from India’s neighbouring countries.

Shah said CAA was equally important as the abrogation of Article 370 and 35A.

“I want to tell Bengal that CAA is an equally historical decision for persecuted minorities and due to the politics of appeasement by prior governments. I saw Mamata’s face that day. She was fuming and she was red-faced. She was so angry that she forgot civility. I want to know what wrong they (refugees) have done to her,” Shah said.

“Jab matpetiya khulengi to Bengal ki janata aapko rajnaitik sharanarthi bannane wali hai. CAA ka virodh mehenga padega. (When ballot boxes open, Bengal will make you a political refugee. You will pay dearly for protesting against CAA),” said Shah while challenging the Bengal Chief Minister.

The Union Home Minister, while addressing the virtual rally, said that corona will not stop BJP’s campaign as national President JP Nadda has found a way of virtual rallies for the party to continue with its outreach programme.

He repeatedly urged West Bengal Chief Minister to send the list for availing Prime Minister Samman Nidhi scheme for farmers and accused the state government of stalling this benefit from reaching farmers in the state.

Shah also lamented that the Ayushman Bharat scheme was not being implemented by the TMC government in West Bengal.

“Bengal did not get the benefit of this scheme because of the Mamata government. Do people of Bengal not have the right to get their old members treated? We want to transfer money to farmers we don’t get a list of beneficiaries. There is a limit to politics and you accuse us of politics. Even Kejriwal accepted Ayushman Bharat. We have so many platforms to fight so I urge Didi to leave people alone,” Shah stated while attacking Banerjee.

Taking a dig at the Chief Minister on asking the Centre to come and administer Bengal if the Central government believes that the state isn’t doing enough.

“People will fulfil this wish of Mamata Didi very soon,” said Shah.

On the issue of special trains being run for migrants, Shah trained his guns on the West Bengal government for naming Shramik express as Corona Express. He mentioned that despite opposition from state, the Centre released a fund of Rs 11,000 crore for the state to fight the pandemic.

“You have insulted Bengal labourers who were coming to the state to meet their family amid corona by naming trains as Corona Express. This express will take you out of state. It will become your exit,” said Shah.

Shah targeted West Bengal government over continued political violence in the state.

“Can political violence become a means of politics. You can stop our helicopters and road journeys or rallies. Now we are speaking to people through a virtual rally. Can you stop the change? We are not the people who are afraid of violence. We will bloom more while you continue to spread violence,” added Shah while commenting that people are praising communists looking at the corruption and bad governance of TMC government.

Shah also presented details of various Central schemes being implemented for the welfare of the masses.

“The Modi government has completed one year of its second term. We opened bank accounts for 31 crore people under the Jan Dhan Yojana. Prime Minister Narendra Modi issued Direct benefit transfer (DBT) to these account holders,” he said.

Shah while urging Bengal to use Swadeshi and local product said BJP did not go to Bengal to kick-start movement but to reawaken the ‘Sonar Bangla’ dream.

“The BJP may have got 303 seats in the general elections in 2019 but for me, the most important seats out of these are the 18 seats that we got in West Bengal,” Shah said pointing to party’s successes in the state in the last Lok Sabha elections.

“BJP is a democratic party and we believe in spreading the party’s ideology in a democratic way. We are not amongst those who keep complaining even after coming to power,” he added.

Also present during the virtual rally at the party’s headquarters were Union Ministers Babul Supriyo and Debasree Chaudhuri, along with Bengal co-in charge Arvind Menon and Director of Syama Prasad Mookerjee Research Foundation Anirban Ganguly.

West Bengal is expected to go to Assembly polls in 2021. (ANI)