Month: December 2020

While addressing a public meeting at the Bacha Khan Chowk, leaders of the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) consisting of an 11-party alliance, said that the wrong policies of the Imran Khan-led government had brought the country to the brink of economic disaster.

Dawn quoted PDM as saying, the struggle they had launched would continue until the ouster of the rulers who had been “imposed on the country after stealing the people’s mandate in the 2018 elections.”

Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam’s chief Maulana Abdul Wasey, Senator Usman Kakar of the Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party, Agha Hassan of the Balochistan National Party-Mengal, Khair Jan Baloch of the National Party, Rasheed Khan Nasar of the Awami National Party, Wali Mohammad of the PPP and Abdul Wahab Atal of the PML-N were among the leaders who spoke on the occasion, Dawn further reported.

The opposition alliance also organised protest meetings and demonstrations in Khuzdar, Gwadar and Hub, where local leaders spoke to the public.

They criticised the Imran Khan-led government and its leadership saying that their wrong policies had resulted in the country “becoming bankrupt”.

Those who had promised to provide 10 million jobs to the people were snatching the existing jobs from them, thus making them think in terms of committing suicide adding that despite arrests and “other excesses” committed by the government they would continue their struggle until its logical conclusion, said the leaders.

The PDM has held five similar rallies in Peshawar, Gujranwala, Karachi, Quetta and Multan since October 16. (ANI)

While addressing a public meeting at the Bacha Khan Chowk, leaders of the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) consisting of an 11-party alliance, said that the wrong policies of the Imran Khan-led government had brought the country to the brink of economic disaster.

Dawn quoted PDM as saying, the struggle they had launched would continue until the ouster of the rulers who had been “imposed on the country after stealing the people’s mandate in the 2018 elections.”

Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam’s chief Maulana Abdul Wasey, Senator Usman Kakar of the Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party, Agha Hassan of the Balochistan National Party-Mengal, Khair Jan Baloch of the National Party, Rasheed Khan Nasar of the Awami National Party, Wali Mohammad of the PPP and Abdul Wahab Atal of the PML-N were among the leaders who spoke on the occasion, Dawn further reported.

The opposition alliance also organised protest meetings and demonstrations in Khuzdar, Gwadar and Hub, where local leaders spoke to the public.

They criticised the Imran Khan-led government and its leadership saying that their wrong policies had resulted in the country “becoming bankrupt”.

Those who had promised to provide 10 million jobs to the people were snatching the existing jobs from them, thus making them think in terms of committing suicide adding that despite arrests and “other excesses” committed by the government they would continue their struggle until its logical conclusion, said the leaders.

The PDM has held five similar rallies in Peshawar, Gujranwala, Karachi, Quetta and Multan since October 16. (ANI)

By Pragya Kaushika

Ahead of the crucial fifth round of talks with protesting farmers, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday morning chaired a crucial meeting to find a solution to the ongoing agitation at the borders of the national capital.

Sources told ANI that senior ministers including Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Railways Minister Piyush Goyal, and Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar were present at the meeting.

It is understood that the senior ministers apprised the Prime Minister regarding their ongoing talks with the agitating farmers and discussed various issues related to the protests.

Meanwhile, farmers are firm on their stand and are asking the Central government to repeal the three farm laws passed during the recent monsoon session, despite an extensively elaborate ‘clause by clause’ discussion of the three acts and objections regarding them.

Speaking to ANI early this morning, Union agriculture minister Narendra Singh Tomar said that government is still hopeful and it is on the discussion table that they will know what more farmers want.

“I am hopeful and will only go by what transpires in the meeting and not on statements given by farmers outside the meeting,” he added while responding to farmer leader Baldev Singh Sirsa’s statement that even written promise of MSP won’t make them stop the agitation against three laws.

As the government is maintaining that there is headway in the discussions and a possibility of finding a solution to end the agitation across Delhi borders, but on the contrary farmers could be heard speaking in different tones.

The protests, the BJP believes are being fuelled by the opposition Congress, which is enabling the farmers to blockade the national capital by cutting of major access routes.

The ministers and farmers are meeting today at 2 pm in the national Capital for yet another round of meetings.

The farmers’ agitation in Delhi entered the tenth day today, with a large number of farmers gathered in and around the national capital to protest against the three farm laws.

Meanwhile, a nationwide shutdown has been called by the protesting farmers on Tuesday (December 8).On December 3, the farmers held the fourth round of talks with the Centre and said the government had talked of bringing some amendments to farm laws. In the fourth round of the meeting, farmer leaders suggested the government to hold a special session of the Parliament and sought the abolition of the three farm laws.

“The government will discuss points that emerged at the meeting on Friday and hopes that talks will move towards finality when the next round of discussions are held on Saturday,” Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar had said.

He reached out to protesting farmers over their demands, saying MSP will not be touched, the government was open to their suggestions for parity between mandis under APMC Act and that outside, for disputes under the new farm laws being adjudged in courts and for registration of traders.

Previously on December 1, during the first meeting with Centre after the agitation reached Delhi, the farmers had refused the tea invitation from the government stating that they are demanding their right from the government and not anything else.

The farmers are protesting against the Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020, the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020, and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020. (ANI)

Congress MP Rahul Gandhi on Saturday hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the minimum support price (MSP) and Agricultural Produce Market Committee (APMC) Act and also urged citizens to support the protests led by farmers.

“Farmers of Bihar are in a lot of trouble without MSP-APMC and now the PM has pushed the entire country into this well. In this situation, it is the duty of every citizen to stand with farmers,” read Gandhi’s tweet roughly translated from Hindi.

Farmers are protesting against the Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Act, 2020, the Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement on Price Assurance and Farm Services Act, 2020, and the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020.

The fifth round of talks between the Centre and farmer union leaders will take place today. The talks, the third in a week, will take place at 2 pm at Delhi’s Vigyan Bhawan.

“Government should announce to withdraw the three black laws and give in writing that MSP will continue. If any positive result doesn’t come out of today’s talks, farmers from Rajasthan will march along NH-8 towards Delhi & camp at Jantar Mantar,’ said Rampal Jat, president, Kisan Mahapanchayat.

Key routes at Delhi’s borders with Haryana and Uttar Pradesh remained choked as thousands of farmers held demonstrations for the tenth consecutive day in their quest to get the three farm laws abolished.

Earlier today, the farmers’ union has called for Bharat Bandh on December 8.

“We told the government that the farm laws should be withdrawn. On December 5, effigies of PM Modi will be burnt across the country. We have given a call for Bharat Bandh on December 8,” Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU-Lakhowal) General Secretary, HS Lakhowal said. (ANI)

The Directorate General of GST Intelligence (DGGI) and the CGST Commissionerates within three weeks of the nationwide concerted drive against GST fake invoice frauds have arrested so far 104 unscrupulous persons for illegally availing or passing on input tax credit (ITC) fraudulently through fake entities and fly-by-night firms and circular trading.

On Friday the authorities arrested eight fraudsters, booked 65 cases and unearthed 114 fake GSTIN entities. Thereby, in this drive, they have so far booked 1161 cases against 3479 fake GSTIN entities.

DGGI sources said that during the drive, searches and surveys were conducted in more than 38 cities/metros by now, namely, in Meerut, Bhopal, Jaipur, Bangalore, Delhi, Hyderabad, Bhubaneshwar, Siliguri, Ahmedabad, Lucknow, Kolkata, Kanpur, Nagpur, Chennai, Mumbai, Visakhapatnam, Coimbatore, Surat, Vadodara, Una, Rajkot, Kochi, Gurugram, Pune, Ludhiana, Ranchi, Belagavi, Patna, Guwahati, Raipur, Jammu, Durgapur, Hosur, Bhilai, Jodhpur, Unnao, Indore, and Thane.

Further investigations in these cases are in progress to unravel the network and multiple chains of fake invoices’ benefactors and, also, to ascertain the exact amount of tax evasion and usurpation by these fake entities and fraudsters.

Meanwhile, a source in the know of the matter said that some frantic attempts made by a few big masterminds of fake invoice scam to obtain bails at different courts have not succeeded so far despite their hiring of legal bigwigs.

In Mumbai, the Session Court rejected the bail application of Sunil Ratnakar Gutte, son of a sitting MLA and Managing Director of Sunil Hi-tech, – a kingpin who was arrested on the basis of multiple documentary evidence along with his business associate Vijendra Ranka, in a fake invoice scam worth of Rs 520 crore of ITC. The ACMM Court at Esplanade, Mumbai has extended his remand up to the 8th of this month.

In a dramatic scenario, Sunil Gutte first filed a bail application at ACCM Court and later withdrew it without pleading despite the filing of reply by the DGGI, Mumbai Zone and later went to the Sessions Court to seek bail. Gutte’s counsels kept demanding early bail in the Sessions Court and even had a hearing and argument on Sunday (22.11.20) with high pitched drama.

However, the Court wanted to hear both sides properly due to the gravity of the matter. During six-seven days of hearing on the bail application, the DGGI was led by Dhiraj Mirajkar, Lead Counsel and R. K. Pathak, Government Standing Counsel. On 03.12.20, in the Sessions Court, when Gutte’s legal representatives again created high drama, they were reprimanded by the Court to maintain decorum and not to shout at the departmental counsels. Later, the Sessions Court rejected the bail application of Sunil Gutte, said Sources.

It may be recalled that M/s Sunil Hi-tech Engineers Ltd has been engaged in availing and utilizing ITC based on bogus invoices, issued without any supply/receipt of goods/services.

It was revealed that M/s Sunil Hi-tech Engineers Ltd. has availed fraudulent ITC to the tune of Rs. 304 crore from multiple entities and has passed on fraudulent ITC to the tune of Rs. 216 crore to multiple entities, based on bogus invoices issued, without any receipt/supply of goods/ services. M/s Sunil Hi-tech is registered PAN India and is under investigation in other Zonal units of DGGI also for availing and passing on ITC fraudulently. The main objective appears to be to artificially inflate the turnover and obtain an enhanced credit limit from the bank and/or loans. (ANI)

Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) emerged as the single largest party in Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) elections winning 55 seats and BJP gave a strong performance by winning 48 seats.

The TRS won fewer seats it won in 2016 elections when it had won a majority in the elections to GHMC.

The BJP emerged as the major gainer in the elections. The strong performance by BJP came on the heels of its victory last month in Dubbak assembly seat. The party had wrested the seat from the ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi.

The GHMC results have been declared on 149 of 150 seats with result in Neredmet division held.

Asaduddin Owaisi-led AIMIM won 44 seats and Congress two seats.

BJP leaders hailed the party’s strong performance in the elections.

Party chief JP Nadda said the “historic result” for BJP in Hyderabad GHMC elections shows people’s unequivocal support towards PM Modi’s development and governance model.

” I want to thank the people of Hyderabad,” Nadda told ANI.

Taking a jibe at TRS, Nadda said that people of Telangana have decided to “say goodbye to the corrupt” Chandrashekar Rao government.

Voting for GHMC elections was held in 150 wards on December 1. (ANI)

The daily recoveries outnumbered daily new cases of COVID-19 during the past seven days, according to Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare Dr Harsh Vardhan on Friday.

India’s active COVID-19 caseload continued to further dip below the 5 per cent mark to 4.35 per cent on Friday, the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare informed.

With 36,595 new infections and 42,916 recoveries, the trend of more daily recoveries than the new cases has led to a continuous contraction of India’s active caseload which presently stands at 4,16,082.

The total number of recoveries now stands at 90,16,289, taking the recovery rate to 94.2 per cent. The gap between recovered cases and active cases is steadily increasing and currently stands at 86,00,207.

The following states have reported the highest number of cases of COVID-19 so far.

Maharashtra reports 5,229 new cases, 6,776 discharges and 127 deaths today due to COVID-19, according to the State Health Department.

Karnataka reported 1,247 new cases, 877 discharges and 13 deaths due to COVID-19, according to the State Health Department.

Andhra Pradesh reported 599 new cases, 6 deaths and 913 recoveries in the last 24 hours of COVID-19, according to the State Health Department.

Tamil Nadu reported 1,391 new cases, 1,426 discharges, and 15 deaths in the last 24 hours of COVID-19, according to the State Health Department.

Kerala reported 5,718 fresh cases and 5,496 recoveries from COVID-19 today, according to the data issued by the Government of Kerala.

Delhi reported 4,067 new cases, 4,862 recoveries and 73 deaths in the last 24 hours due to COVID-19, according to the State Health Department.

West Bengal reported 3,206 new COVID-19 cases, 3,215 recoveries, and 52 deaths in the last 24 hours, as per the State Health Department.

About 80.19 per cent of the new recoveries are from 10 States/UTs. 540 case fatalities have been reported in the past 24 hours out of which 77.78% of them are from 10 States and UTs. (ANI)

Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) named newly born 17 Belgian Malinois pups after Galwan, Shyok, Khardungi, etc where Indian troops are engaged in a face-off with the Chinese army.

This is for the first time when such names have been given to pups belong to the Indian security forces.

“Competent Authority is pleased to approve the following names for the pups. These names have been decided after threadbare deliberations to move away from anglicised western’ names, and to name our K9 assets on our own cultural and operational ethos,” an official communication of ITBP said.

“The pups have been given catchy names that resonate with the names of our deployment, as a mark of respect to all the troops guarding the excruciatingly tough borders of this nation,” ITBP said.

A female pup has been named Ane-la and others are Sasoma, Chip-Chap, Galwan, Shyok, Daulat, Saser, Chang-Chenmo, Rezang, Rango, Yula, Mukhpri, Charding, Srijap, Chung-thung, Imis, Sultan-Chusku, Khardungi. (ANI)