corruption Archives - Lokmarg

Punjab: Lookout Circular Against Badal By Vigilance Bureau

By LokMarg 26th September 2023

A Look Out Circular (LOC) has been issued against former Punjab finance minister and Bharatiya Janta Party leader Manpreet Singh Badal at all airports by the Punjab Vigilance Bureau on Tuesday.

Badal who left Congress and joined BJP in January this year is facing a criminal and corruption case in the purchase of two plots in Model Town phase-1 Bathinda.

The case was registered against him under sections 420, 467, 468, 471, and 120-B of the Indian Penal Code and section 13 (1) of the Prevention of Corruption Act, besides the Information Technology Act.

Notably, the notice has been issued by the vigilance department to stop Manpreet Badal from leaving the country.

Earlier, Badal had sought anticipatory bail from the court to avoid arrest. A hearing on his appeal will be held in the session court of Bathinda today.

Apart from Badal, cases have been registered against four other individuals as well. So far, the Vigilance Bureau has arrested at least three accused in the case, namely Rajiv Kumar (resident of New Shakti Nagar), Amandeep Singh (resident of Lal Singh Basti), and Vikas Arora (resident of Tagore Nagar).

The case was registered on a complaint filed by Saroop Chand Singla, former MLA of Bathinda city, against Manpreet Singh Badal and others, a spokesperson of the Vigilance Bureau said.

He informed that during the probe it was found that Manpreet Singh Badal during his tenure as Finance Minister between 2018 and 2021 used political pressure and influence to purchase two plots measuring 1560 square yards of land in Model Town phase-1 Bathinda near the TV tower thereby causing a financial loss of lakhs of rupees to the state exchequer, a press release from the Vigilance Bureau of Punjab said.

The spokesperson further said, “During the investigation of complaint number 11/2022, it was found that the former Finance Minister, using his influence, colluded with the officials of Bathinda Development Authority (BDA) and misled the general public during the bidding of plots in the year 2021, and fake maps were uploaded to prevent the participation of the general public in the bidding process.”

Apart from this, the plot numbers 725-C (560 square yards) and 726 (1000 square yards) in the map were also shown as commercial instead of residential and the numbers of the plots were not shown on the map on the online e-auction portal, the release said.

In addition to this, the digital signatures of Balwinder Kaur, Administrative Officer, BDA Bathinda were used for the auction of plots without her permission.

During the probe, it has also come to light that the bids of the sole three bidders namely Rajive Kumar, Vikas Arora and Amandeep Singh were made by one person Advocate Sanjiv Kumar from the same IP address and from the same place.

Apart from this, both the plots were purchased by the bidders in 2021 at a lower rate which was fixed during an auction in the year 2018 causing a financial loss of about Rs 65 lakh to the government, the release said.

The former finance minister of Punjab had purchased both plots through agreements from the bidders known to him before they got allotment letters from BDA Bathinda. It was also found that Manpreet Singh Badal has transferred 25 per cent earnest money in advance to the successful allottees which shows his connivance with the bidders.

He further informed that the VB has been hunting for the arrest of other accused and involvement of other accused would also be probed during the further investigation, the release said. (ANI)

I Want Him To Win The Fight, Chandrababu’s Wife On His Arrest

By LokMarg 9th September 2023

After the arrest of former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu in connection with an alleged corruption case, his wife Nara Bhuvaneshwari expressed her hope that Naidu should win the fight which he has been fighting for the freedom of the people of the state.

“Chandrababu Naidu continued his fight not for his family but for the freedom of the people of Andhra Pradesh. I want him to win the fight,” Bhuvaneshwari said.

Chandrababu Naidu’s wife Nara Bhuvaneshwari earlier visited to Durga Devi temple to offer prayers.

“A child goes to a parent when they are upset. That’s why I came to the deity (at Durga Devi temple) to share my pain. I prayed to the deity to protect my husband and give him courage,” she added.

The TDP chief was taken into custody by the Andhra Pradesh Criminal Investigation Department (CID), in connection with the alleged skill development scam case. A First Information Report (FIR) in the case was lodged in 2021.

As police arrived early Saturday morning to arrest the TDP Chief, they faced resistance from TDP cadres. A minor scuffle also broke out between officials and Naidu’s supporters during his arrest.

Meanwhile, N Chandrababu Naidu, who was later arrested on an alleged case of corruption, said that the CID made the arrest without any proper information and that they refused to show him evidence.

Talking to mediapersons prior to his police custody, Naidu said, I did not commit any malpractice or corruption. CID arrested me without any proper information, and I asked them to show the evidence, but they refused to show it and attached my name to the FIR without my role.”

Naidu has been named as accused number 1 in the case, which involves over Rs 250 crore.

Details of the FIR and other details were provided to Naidu’s advocates, who also demanded prima facie evidence, pointing out that the former chief minister’s name was not mentioned in the FIR report.

The former Andhra Chief Minister has been charged under sections for criminal conspiracy, cheating, and dishonestly inducing the delivery of property.

“It is to inform you that you have been arrested under CrPc’s Sections 120(8), 166, 167, 418, 420, 465, 468, 471, 409, 201, 109 rw 34 and 37 IPC and other sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988,” the notice issued under Section 50 (1) (2) of the Criminal Procedure Code.

The State Police also detained several party leaders, including Naidu’s son Nara Lokesh, in East Godavari district as a preventive action to maintain law and order in the state. (ANI)

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PM, BJP Are Nexus Of Corruption: Rahul

By LokMarg 1st September 2023

Launching an attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government over allegations concerning the Adani group, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday accused the PM and BJP of being a nexus of corruption and demanded a probe into the Adani matter.

“The nexus between the PM and one businessman is for every person to see. I mentioned in my press conference yesterday that the G20 is coming and India’s credibility, our nation’s credibility that the Prime Minister make his position clear and begin an enquiry on what is happened with regards to Mr Adani,” Rahul added.

He further accused the Prime Minister and the BJP are a nexus of corruption and that is the first thing that the INDIA alliance is going to demonstrate and prove.

“The Prime Minister and the BJP are a nexus of corruption and that is the first thing that the INDIA alliance is going to demonstrate and prove. The idea behind Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government is to extract money from the poor people of this country and transfer it to a limited few. So, we are going to propose a clear path to development,” he added.

Earlier on Thursday, Rahul Gandhi accused the Prime Minister of “being quiet” and said the least that should be done is a Joint Parliamentary Committee probe.

Addressing a press conference here, Gandhi accused the Prime Minister of “protecting one person” and asked “why he is not forcing an investigation”.

Gandhi referred to the G20 Summit being hosted by India and the reports on the Adani group in two British papers and said the allegations impact perception about India.

The Congress leader said the issue affects India’s reputation, especially because of G20 Summit and alleged that PM Modi’s “reputation is on line”.

“…It is very important that the Prime Minister of India Mr Narendra Modi clears his name and categorically explains what is going on. At the very least, A JPC should be allowed and a thorough investigation should take place. I don’t understand why the PM is not forcing an investigation? Why is he quiet and people who are responsible are put behind bars? This is raising very serious questions on the PM just before G20 leaders come here…It is important that this issue is made clear before they (G20 leaders) arrive,” Gandhi said.

Gandhi, who is in Mumbai to take part in the meeting of opposition leaders, said the current flavour is G20 and it is about India’s position in the world.

“What is very important for a country like India is that there is a level playing field and transparency in our economic environment and businesses that operate here. Today morning, two global financial newspapers have raised a very important question. These are not any random newspapers. These newspapers affect investment in India and the perception of India in the rest of the world…,” he said.

“Just before the leaders of G20 are coming here, they are going to be asking what is this special company that is owned by a gentleman close to the PM and why is it in an economy like India this gentleman is being given a free ride?” he asked.

Alleging round-tripping in some funds concerning the Adani group, he asked whose money was involved. He also raised questions about the probe held in the past.

“There was an investigation, evidence was given to SEBI and SEBI gave a clean chit to Gautam Adani…So, it is clear that there is something very wrong here,” Rahul Gandhi said.

“What is amazing to me is that the gentleman who has done the investigation is today an employee of Mr Adani. What does that tell you about the nature of the investigation that the gentleman did? It is pretty clear that no investigation took place and the only reason no investigation took place is because the PM didn’t want an investigation to take place. Mr Adani cannot stop an investigation, the PM can…This is an issue that affects India’s reputation, especially because now there is the G20 taking place and India’s and PM’s reputation is on the line…,”he added.

Months after Hindenburg Research put out a report on Adani Group which allegedly claimed accounting fraud, stock price manipulation and improper use of tax havens, the Organised Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP) earlier today alleged that two men who it claimed “secretly invested” in the conglomerate turn out to have “close ties to its majority owners”, the Adani family.

The Adani Group has categorically rejected the allegations levelled by the OCCRP, terming the allegations as “recycled”.

“We categorically reject these recycled allegations. These news reports appear to be yet another concerted bid by Soros-funded interests supported by a section of the foreign media to revive the meritless Hindenburg report. In fact, this was anticipated, as was reported by the media last week,” the Indian conglomerate said in a statement.

These attempts are aimed at generating profits by driving down our stock prices and these short sellers are under investigation by various authorities, the statement added.

OCCRP – as per the information on its website – is “an investigative reporting platform formed by 24 non-profit investigative centres”, spread across Europe, Africa, Asia and Latin America.

Adani Group had also denied allegations in the wake of the Hindenburg report, stating that the report by the New York-based entity was “nothing but a lie”. (ANI)

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BJP’s JAM Initiative Stopped Cong’s Corruption: Modi

By LokMarg 6th May 2023

Lashing out at the Congress party over corruption, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said that since Bharatiya Janata Party’s double-engine government has put a stop to Congress party’s corruption, they have resorted to abusing him.

He said that BJP has ended corruption by bringing Jan Dhan Aadhar Mobile (JAM) and sending money directly to people’s accounts.
Addressing a public meeting in Badami, PM Modi said, “BJP has come with a road map to make Karnataka, the Number-1 state in the country. But, Congress has decided that it will not brush off its old habits, and will make appeasement, foul language and ‘taalabandi’ as their election agenda”.

“They are doing vote bank politics, promising to stop BJP’s welfare schemes and are abusing OBC and Lingayat community and even me,” he added.

Hitting out at former CM Siddaramaiah, the Prime Minister said that the basic facilities had not reached out to the poor in the Bagalkote region.

“Siddaramaiah has stopped campaigning in this constituency because he has understood the wave. But, people should ask him, why the poor people in the Bagalkote region were deprived of all the basic facilities. More than 3 lakh people received tap water from our government. Houses were sanctioned for more than 25000 people. More than 6 lakh people received health cover under Ayushman Bharat. 7 lakh people received benefits of Mudra Yojana,” he said.

He further took a jibe at the Congress party using the “1 Rupee, 85 paise” reference for former PM Rajiv Gandhi.

“All this shows that only a double-engine government can work for the people. Congress party which has an 85 per cent record in taking commission can never work for the people. Former PM Rajiv Gandhi himself accepted that if the centre sanctions Rs 1 for the poor, only 15 paise reach them. It clearly means that the remaining 85 paise was taken off by some people. It was because of this corruption only, that country remained backward for so long.

PM Modi added, “Today, BJP has brought a ‘Trishul’ with Jan Dhan, Aadhar, Mobile. This has destroyed all the old habits of the Congress party. In the last nine years, Rs 29 lakh crore has been transferred in the accounts of medium to small accounts in the country without any corruption. If this would have happened under Congress, as per Rajiv Gandhi’s calculations, Rs 24 lakh crore would have gone in the hands of Congress leaders only. Today, people get impatient incurring a loss of Rs 24,000. Here I have given Congress a loss of Rs 24 lakh crore. So, isn’t it obvious that they would abuse me?”

The Prime Minister further said that the party has been receiving a great response in the state and affirmed confidence in BJp securing the mandate in the upcoming state elections.

“BJP has been receiving a tremendous response from the people of Karnataka. They are turning out in large numbers. Bestowing so much affection is a speciality of the state. It seems people are themselves fighting the election for BJP in the state. This clearly shows that a double-engine government will be formed in the state,” he added.

Earlier in the day, PM Modi also held a mega roadshow in Bengaluru during the last leg of the campaigning for the Karnataka Assembly polls. He is scheduled to hold two mega road shows and four public meetings this weekend, as per the party sources.

Karnataka will go to polls on May 10 and the votes will be counted on May 13. (ANI)

Anil Deshmukh Released From Jail In Mumbai

By LokMarg 28th December 2022

Former Maharashtra Home Minister and NCP leader Anil Deshmukh was on Wednesday released from Arthur Road jail in Mumbai.

He was released after formalities for his release were completed and sureties furnished.
His advocate Aniket Nikam said CBI had moved another application yesterday for extension of stay on order granting him bail.

“Yesterday one more application was moved on behalf of CBI seeking further extension of the stay order. The application was rejected by the High Court,” Nikam said.

According to the conditions imposed by the court, Deshmukh cannot leave the jurisdiction of Mumbai without the prior approval of the trial court and must cooperate with the investigation.

Anil Deshmukh was granted conditional bail by the Bombay High Court on December 12 on a bond of Rs 1 lakh but the CBI filed an application for a stay order to challenge it in Supreme Court which was granted by Bombay HC. A stay of 10 days was granted, and later it was extended till December 27. On Tuesday the plea for its further extension days was rejected by the Bombay High Court.

The CBI had filed a corruption case against the NCP leader. (ANI)

Honest Punished, Thieves Are Enjoying: Swati Maliwal

By LokMarg 9th December 2022

Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) chairperson Swati Maliwal, who is charged with corruption and criminal conspiracy, on Friday, said that honest people in the country have to prove their honesty while thieves are enjoying.

The DCW chief took to Twitter, “Those who work honestly have to prove their honesty, while thieves enjoy in this country. Handled lakhs of cases, saved hundreds of girls from trafficking, got liquor-drug mafia arrested, and stood with the poor. This is my only crime. As long as I am alive, I will keep fighting.”
https://twitter.com/SwatiJaiHind/status/1601144740283838465?s=20&t=Mxg1A6ogyi29P5H1YPxgAQ

Her reaction came after a special court on Thursday ordered the framing of corruption and criminal conspiracy charges against Swati Maliwal. The court had found prima facie sufficient material that the accused had abused their official position in allegedly appointing Aam Admi Party (AAP) workers to different posts in the commission.

Earlier, on Friday former Delhi Commission for Women chief Barkha Shukla pointed at the Aam Aadmi Party’s (AAP) involvement in the appointment of members in the body while also alleging that there was no conduct of educational checks during their recruitment.

“It’s AAP’s fraud. It’s all happening under the Aam Aadmi Party’s watch. They do what they want. The level of education and social work experience of appointees weren’t checked before making a person a member. I complained in 2015, the result has come now,” she said.

Along with DCW Chairperson Swati Maliwal, the court also ordered to put the members of DCW Promila Gupta, Sarika Chaudhary, and Farheen Malick on trial.

According to the prosecution, all the four accused in the conspiracy were together involved in abusing their official position and obtaining pecuniary advantages for the party workers and acquaintances of Swati Maliwal as well as the ruling party namely AAP. (ANI)

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The Leisurely Lives Of Pakistan’s Army Generals

By LokMarg 8th December 2022

An army’s role around the world is to protect its country from perceived and actual threats and to ensure national security. But in Pakistan, where extortion and corruption are rife, the army takes on the role of the mafia.

With a dubious record of toppling elected governments, installing puppet dictators, and plundering the country’s resources to fund the lavish lifestyles of its generals, the Pakistani army is truly unique in its functioning.

Most recently, General Qamar Jawed Bajwa has come under fire for what many are calling a questionable accumulation of wealth while he was head of the Pakistani Army.

A recent investigative report by the website, Fact Focus, out of Pakistan, revealed Pakistani Army General Qamar Jawed Bajwa and his family’s suspected financial and tax information.

The report raises many questions as to the Bajwa family’s disproportionate accumulation of wealth during the General’s tenure as Army Chief, and to the Army’s financial transactions in general.

In an ironic twist, Pakistan, instead of vowing to investigate the Bajwas’ financial situation, has ordered an investigation into what they call the “illegal” and “unwarranted leakage” of the family’s tax information.

Bajwa’s blue-eyed boy, Munir is appointed as Pakistan army chief; it will be business as usual with no heads rolling for the rampant corruption plaguing the Pakistani army. Financial mishandling, corruption, and influence peddling by generals for personal gain have been the subject of several scandals in Pakistan.

At the beginning of this year, data leaked from Credit Suisse, an investment banking firm registered in Switzerland, revealed information about 600 accounts linked to 1400 Pakistani citizens. Account-holders included several key politicians and generals, including the ex-ISI chief, General Akhtar Abdur Rahman Khan.

“Expose like this coming out is nothing new. It has been well-known for a long. We also know the case of a Pakistani General who fled from Pakistan and opened a chain of pizza huts in the US. So it’s nothing new”, says, Defence Expert Lt Col JS Sodhi (Retd)

One of the Pakistani Army’s biggest scandals remains its appropriation and sale of land in the name of welfare and providing housing for its officer cadre.

On 27 August 2016, an article titled ‘Lust for Land’ was published in the Pakistani newspaper ‘Dawn’. In the article, Pakistani freelance columnist and former civil servant, Irfan Husain, exposed the reality of multiplying defence societies and the Pakistani Army’s insatiable hunger for land.

Several other reports from Pakistan have claimed that the Pakistani Army is using government land to fulfill commercial interests.

The Army has built shopping malls, cinema halls, and marriage halls on government land.

The military appears interested in many lands and commercial entities, ranging from petrol pumps to huge industrial plants.

Money earned by rentals of these properties is being given to the families of Army officers.

In Pakistan, many petitions have also been filed over the failure to implement laws to protect lands from the military mafia.

Though the Supreme Court of Pakistan has criticized the military establishment in the past for their involvement in commercial pursuits, the practice continues.

While Pakistan has descended into a deep economic crisis, military officers have been given taxpayer-funded land allocations worth millions.

J S Sodhi further added, “Well the fact that today Pakistan is on the brink of being declared a bankrupt nation. They have no money with them. We have seen the recent floods in which one-third of Pakistan was under water.”

Pakistan recently ranked 140th out of 180 countries on the Corruption Perception Index (CPI) 2021 by Transparency International, dropping 16 spots from the previous year.

In Pakistan, corruption is so ingrained within the military that it seems unlikely that the appointment of a new General, or even of new political leadership will be able to change the functioning of the country’s most powerful institution.

As Pakistan descends deeper into economic and political instability, the Army’s top leaders continue to enjoy an enrichment of power and finances. (ANI)

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God Tests Those Who Pursue Path Of Truth: Kejriwal On Sisodia

Kejriwal: Will Make MCD Corruption-Free

By LokMarg 7th December 2022

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, who led Aam Aadmi Party to astounding victory in the civic body polls on Wednesday, thanked the people for “believing” in him and also sought Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “blessings” for making the city better.

Kejriwal was addressing the party workers and candidates after registering a win in the Municipal Corporation of Delhi polls as AAP won 134 seats out of 250 wards in the polls, and the BJP won 104 wards.
“I congratulate the people of Delhi for this win and thank them for bringing change. We have fulfilled the responsibilities that the people of Delhi gave us. I am indebted to you for believing in me and giving me love. We all have to work together. I appeal to all the candidates and parties that politics was only till today, we all have to work for the betterment of Delhi,” Kejriwal said.

The Chief Minister sought cooperation from the BJP and Congress in working “together” for the city.

“I want cooperation from the BJP and the Congress. I expect their cooperation. I appeal to the Centre and ask for the Prime Minister’s blessings to make Delhi better. We have to make MCD corruption-free. Today, the people of Delhi have given a message to the entire nation,” he said.

Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia and Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann were also present on the occasion.

Sisodia said that the mandate by the people of Delhi was to oust the BJP from power.

“The people of Delhi have not only given the mandate to make Kejriwal win, but also to oust the BJP from the MCD. It is not just a victory but a big responsibility to clean the city,” he said.

The Aam Aadmi Party crossed the halfway mark gaining a majority in the Municipal Corporation of Delhi elections on Wednesday, thus uprooting the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) 15-year-long rule in the city’s civic body.

Way earlier than the final results were declared, celebrations started at the Aam Aadmi Party office in the national capital after the trends showed that the party is set to take over the MCD from the BJP.

The party workers gathered in front of the office and rejoiced, danced and chanted slogans praising party chief Arvind Kejriwal.

In a fiercely fought battle, the BJP began the day by leading in the initial trends for nearly one and a half hour initially, however, the trends started shifting as the AAP gained the lead and maintained thereafter until the final results were declared.

Both the parties held on to hope as the counting began at 8 am, with the BJP claiming to win the elections for the fourth time, while the AAP exuded confidence in winning the elections.

“The BJP has got the answer today that the people of Delhi vote for those who work, and not for the ones who defame. The BJP fielded its MPs, Ministers, CBI and ED, but the people of Delhi still voted for the AAP. The people have given a befitting reply to the BJP for the allegations that it levelled against Kejriwal. We will make Delhi the most beautiful city in the world,” Raghav Chadha said earlier.

The high-decibel battle which was fought in the election campaign ahead of the polling on December 4, witnessed the claims and counter-claims by both parties (BJP, AAP) of winning the elections, however, it all boiled down to December 7 when the outcome of the election was revealed. (ANI)

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Cong Alleges Corruption In Kejriwal’s Electricity Model, Demands CBI Probe

By LokMarg 22nd November 2022

Congress leader and former Delhi Power Minister Ajay Maken has targeted Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s electricity model and termed it as the “corruption” model.

Releasing a booklet along with the affidavit, Maken said that the electricity rate in Delhi is the highest in the country. The industrial rate is Rs 13/unit and the commercial rate is Rs 16.09/unit. Whereas in neighbouring states like Uttarakhand, Punjab, Haryana, and Rajasthan, it is very less, he added.
Between 2014 and 2019, 2,638 factories were closed or migrated, due to which 1,38,000 jobs were lost.

The manufacturing sector in Delhi was growing at the rate of 12 percent during Congress rule, but it has come down to below 1 percent i.e. 74 percent in the last six years, Maken claimed.

Kejriwal’s electricity model is the reason for rising unemployment in Delhi, he alleged.

Due to the privatization done during the Sheila Dixit government, Delhi has the least power theft, while the electricity rate is the highest. The electricity theft figure was 45.3 percent in 2002, which is now only 8.9 percent, he said.

In the last five years, the average rate of electricity has increased up to Rs 2.45/unit electricity and distribution companies have earned Rs 1,746 crore annually in one year, yet why are electricity rates increasing? he asked.

“Delhi government gives money directly to private companies without audit. Instead of providing Rs 14,731 crore as a power subsidy to consumers, it is being given directly to private companies. At the same time, the Aam Aadmi Party had earlier said in its manifesto that the subsidy would be given to government companies instead of private companies. With this much money, consumers can get up to 500 units of free electricity. If the Congress government comes, they will do it,” he further said.

“Delhi government has appointed Aam Aadmi Party’s treasurer and MP ND Gupta’s son Naveen Gupta as director of the electricity company, Kejriwal should answer this,” he stated.

There are 58 lakh domestic consumers in Delhi. The Delhi government used to say that 90 percent of the consumers are taking advantage of the subsidy. Now only 37 lakh i.e. contrary to the claim, only 60 percent of consumers got registered in the Delhi government’s Voluntary Scheme. So till now why this 30 percent fake consumers’ money was given to a private company? he asked.

Maken claimed that unemployment has increased in Delhi due to expensive electricity in Kejriwal’s electricity model and corruption of crores has taken place in the name of 30 percent fake consumers.

Maken has demanded a CBI inquiry, terming the 30 percent fake consumer case as a power subsidy scam.

Making it Kejriwal’s “BBB” model, Maken said that it is an electricity, unemployment, and corruption model. “We will take this among the people in Gujarat and also tell the people there that, if unemployment is to be increased and industries are to be closed, only then give Kejriwal a chance. The Congress will use this booklet extensively in the MCD and Gujarat elections as well.” (ANI)

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