The income tax (I-T) department on Wednesday continued its survey at the offices of the BBC in Delhi and Mumbai for the second day, sources say.
On Tuesday, the I-T department conducted a survey at BBC’s offices in Delhi and Mumbai in view of the British public broadcaster’s “deliberate non-compliance” with the Transfer Pricing Rules and its vast diversion of profits. Yesterday, the sleuths arrived at the BBC offices located at the national capital’s KG Marg and Mumbai’s Kalina Santacruz for the survey. In the case of the BBC, sources said there has been persistent non-compliance with the above mentioned rules for years. As a result of the same, several notices have been issued to the BBC. However, the BBC has been continuously defiant and non-compliant and has significantly diverted its profits, sources said.
Sources said the above exercise, conducted by the tax authorities, is called “survey”, not search or raid as per the provisions of the Income Tax Act. Such surveys are routinely conducted and are not to be confused to be in the nature of a search/raid, said sources.
The key focus of these surveys is to look into the manipulation of prices for unauthorised benefits, including tax advantages. These surveys have been undertaken due to BBC’s persistent non-compliance of the norms, making it a repeat offender.
In this case, sources said BBC has been, “non-compliant under transfer pricing rules; persistent and deliberately violative of transfer pricing norms; and deliberately diverted a significant amount of the profits and have not followed the arm’s length arrangement in the case of allocation of profit.”
Accordingly, the surveys have been conducted with a view to investigating BBC’s violation of the Transfer Pricing Rules and its diversion of profits.
After the I-T department survey, sources in the United Kingdom government said they are monitoring the developments closely. “We are closely monitoring reports of tax surveys conducted at the offices of the BBC in India,” UK government sources said. Meanwhile, BBC has said it is cooperating with the income tax department, which is conducting a survey at its offices in New Delhi and Mumbai.
“The Income Tax Authorities are currently at the BBC offices in New Delhi and Mumbai and we are fully cooperating,” the BBC News Press Team said in a statement.
The development comes weeks after the BBC released a documentary on Prime Minister Narendra Modi – ‘India: The Modi Question,” which caused controversy.
The Centre had issued directions for blocking multiple YouTube videos and Twitter posts sharing links to the controversial BBC documentary on PM Modi.
The Supreme Court had on February 3 directed the central government to produce original records relating to its decision to block the BBC documentary.
(This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)
On Tuesday, February 14, US President Joe Biden, French President Emanuel Macron, and British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak hailed the ‘historic’ Air India deals with Boeing, Airbus and Rolls Royce. As per the multi-billion dollar deal, Air India will be buying 250 passenger aircraft from Airbus and 220 from Boeing. The airline has signed letters of intent with Airbus and Boeing.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke to US President Biden over a phone call as the two leaders welcomed the landmark agreement that will ‘help create opportunities’ in both countries.
‘Deal with Air India will support one million jobs in the US‘, says Biden
A press release issued by the Prime Minister’s office states that the two leaders welcomed the announcement of a landmark agreement between Air India and Boeing as a shining example of mutually beneficial cooperation that will help create new employment opportunities in both countries. PM Modi also invited Boeing and other US companies to “make use of the opportunities arising due to the expanding civil aviation sector in India.”
President Biden in a statement said the United States can and will lead the world in manufacturing. President Biden highlighted how the deal will support over one million American jobs across 44 states and assist Air India in meeting the country’s rising demand for air transportation adding that this deal reflects the strength of the economic partnership between the two countries.
“Together with Prime Minister Modi, I look forward to deepening our partnership even further as we continue to confront shared global challenges, creating a more secure and prosperous future for all of our citizens,” Biden said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Twitter to welcome the Air India-Boeing agreement and tweeted, “Glad to speak with @POTUS @JoeBiden. Excellent discussion to review the ongoing and new initiatives to further deepen India-US Comprehensive and Global Partnership. We welcome the landmark @airindiain, @Boeing agreement which will help create new opportunities in both countries.”
Glad to speak with @POTUS@JoeBiden. Excellent discussion to review the ongoing and new initiatives to further deepen India-US Comprehensive and Global Partnership. We welcome the landmark @airindiain–@Boeing agreement which will help create new opportunities in both countries.
On Tuesday, PM Modi and French President Emmanuel Macron virtually attended the launch of the Air India-Airbus deal. President Macron thanked PM Modi for having confidence in France. The two leaders were joined by Ratan Tata, Chairman Emeritus, Tata Sons, Shri N. Chandrasekaran, Chairman of the Board, Tata Sons, Campbell Wilson, CEO of Air India, and Guillaume Faury, CEO of Airbus.
The Air India-Airbus agreement, according to French President Emmanuel Macron, “marks a new stage in India and France’s strategic alliance.” In a tweet, Macron said, “The agreement between Airbus and Tata Sons this morning marks a new stage in the strategic partnership between France and India. Thank you Narendra Modi for your confidence in France and our industry.”
The contract that Airbus and Tata Sons signed this morning marks a new stage in India and France’s strategic partnership. Thank you @NarendraModi, for your confidence in France and our industry.
Meanwhile, PM Modi also thanked President Macron his role in taking the Indo-French relationship forward adding that the Air India-AirBus deal that reflects the robust Indo-French ties will “further strengthen the Indian sector and will also create opportunities for both the countries.”
I thank my friend @EmmanuelMacron for joining me at the launch of an important partnership between @airindiain and @Airbus that will further strengthen the Indian aviation sector and create opportunities in both nations. This reflects the robust Indo-French Strategic Partnership.
‘Building trade ties with growing economic powers like India’
In a tweet about Air India’s multi-billion contract with Air Bus and Rolls Royce, Rishi Sunak, the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom on Tuesday welcomed what he called a huge win for the UK’s aerospace sector.
“This landmark deal between Air India, Airbus, and Rolls-Royce demonstrates that the sky’s the limit for the UK’s thriving aerospace sector,” Sunak said.
This is one of the biggest export deals to India in decades and a huge win for the UK’s aerospace sector.
With wings from Broughton and engines from Derby, this deal will support jobs around the country and help deliver one of our five priorities – growing the economy. https://t.co/Zs0Qqf37Yr
The British Prime Minister also stated that fostering commercial ties with emerging economic powers like India will support UK firms in maintaining their leading positions in innovation and growth around the world.
“The United Kingdom is already a top investment destination, and by building trade ties with growing economic powers like India we will ensure UK businesses remain at the forefront of global growth and innovation.”
In an official statement, Boeing said that Air India has selected 190 737 Max, 20 787 Dreamliners, and 10 777 X aircraft as part of the purchase agreement. The deal between Boeing and Air India includes an option for 20 787-9S and 50 more 737 MAX aircraft.
Air India and Air Bus deal
On February 14, Air India, India’s flagship carrier and part of the Tata Sons conglomerate, announced that it had signed letters of intent with Airbus and Boeing to acquire both widebody and single-aisle aircraft.
According to an official release, the order comprises 40 Airbus A350s, 20 Boeing 787s, and 10 Boeing 777-9s widebody aircraft, as well as 210 Airbus A320/321 Neos and 190 Boeing 737 MAX single-aisle aircraft. The A350 aircraft will be powered by Rolls-Royce engines and the B777/787s by engines from GE Aerospace. Engines from CFM International will power all single-aisle aircraft.
The first of the new aircraft will enter service in late-2023, with the bulk to arrive from mid-2025 onwards. In the interim, Air India has already started taking delivery of 11 leased B777 and 25 A320 aircraft to accelerate its fleet and network expansion.
The acquisition of new aircraft, which will come with an entirely new cabin interior, complements Air India’s previously announced plan to refit its existing widebody B787 and B777 aircraft with new seats and inflight entertainment systems. The first of these refitted aircraft will enter service in mid-2024, as per an official release.
Guillaume Faury, CEO of Airbus said that “Airbus has been a longstanding partner of Air India. AI, Air India’s comprehensive growth and transformation strategy. Today marks a historic moment for Air India, Airbus, and India. The Tata Group’s decision to revive Air India with the A350 and the A320neo makes us at Airbus very proud and grateful. The magnitude of the Air India deal indicates the Indian aviation industry’s appetite for growth. It is the fastest-growing in the world.”
For more than 17 years, Air India has not ordered an aircraft till now. Additionally, it is the carrier’s first purchase made while under Tata Group ownership. The airline had placed a $10.8 billion purchase order in 2005 for 111 aircraft, 68 from Boeing and 43 from Airbus.
On February 14, propagandist ‘comedian’ Kunal Kamra hailed fintech company Cred for continuing to work with controversial comedian Tanmay Bhat after his problematic jokes on child rape resurfaced. Kamra was later deleted, but by then, it was picked up by netizens. In a tweet, author Shefali Vaidya questioned why Karma deleted the tweet. She also questioned Cred for continuing its association with “pervert” and possibly “a closet paedophile” like Tanmay “who has made sick jokes about children enjoying rapes.
In a tweet, Kamra said, “We must give credit to brave brands like CRED who’re still running with victimised comedian Tanmay’s campaigns… Salute to their bravery for not caving into popular opinion & working with meritorious comedian Mr Tanmay Bhatt.” The tweet has now been deleted.
Following the tweet by Vaidya, many netizens called out Cred for working with Tanmay. Dr Swathi Bellam said, “I am a big user of Cred with nearly 2 million points. I am uninstalling the app because they use some brand ambassadors like #tanmaybhat, who make rape jokes about children. As a Hindu & parent of a small daughter, I can’t use a product endorsed by such people.”
I am a big user of @my_cred With nearly 2 million points Iam uninstalling the app because they use some brand ambassadors like #tanmaybhat who make rape jokes on children As a hindu & parent of a small daughter I can’t use a product endorsed by such people pic.twitter.com/uKgzkWylNl
Twitter user AkhandaBhartiya said, “Thank you, Shefaliji, I have uninstalled the app by Cred, will never associate myself again with them, and have also stopped making any payments through their gateway. Cred cannot have my money and make fun of me, my belief and my faith.”
Thank you Shefaliji, I have uninstalled the app by @cred_club, will never associate myself again with them, have also stopped making any payments through their gateway.@CRED_club cannot have my money and make fun of me, my belief and my faith.
Twitter user Dr Manoj Kandoi said, “Shame on you, Cred!! This is definitely not bravery but suicide to remain associated with a paedophile like @thetanmay.”
As of now, there are no running active Cred campaigns that involve Tanmay Bhat. However, Bhat and his team had earlier written ads for Cred, including the one with Rahul Dravid and Venkatesh Prasad.
Kamra criticised Kotak for withdrawing the ad featuring Tanmay Bhat
Kamra earlier expressed his disappointment as he saw no comedian defending Tanmay Bhat, who was removed from Kotak Mahindra Bank’s advertisement. On February 14, Kunal Kamra tweeted, “I can’t believe no comedians are siding with victim Tanmay Bhatt he has faced so many atrocities in life & still counting. Sad day for the comedy world over. Shame on the Indian comedy scene.”
After being called out for supporting a controversial ‘comedian’, Kunal Kamra went into damage control mode, stating that his tweet was meant as sarcasm.
Kotak withdrew the campaign featuring Tamnay
On February 12, Kotak Mahindra Bank’s digital banking handle Kotak811 withdrew the campaign featuring controversial former AIB comedian Tanmay Bhat after it received a backlash on social media. In a tweet, Kotak811 said, “We at Kotak Mahindra Bank Ltd. do not support or endorse the views of actors made in their personal capacity that harm or offend any individual or group. We have withdrawn the campaign.” The ad campaign also featured comedian Samay Raina.
In a major crackdown against ISIS sympathisers, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) early Wednesday morning started raids at multiple locations across Kerala, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu in two separate blast cases under investigation, sources said.
According to sources in the elite anti-terror probe agency, the searches are being conducted in connection with last year’s blasts in Tamil Nadu’s Coimbatore and Karnataka’s Mangaluru which occurred on October 23, 2022, and November 19, 2022, respectively.
Sources said that nearly five dozen locations across the three states were raided simultaneously, including those of Kodungaiyur in Tamil Nadu and Mannadi in Kerala.
The NIA began a probe on October 27 last year in a bomb blast in a car laden with explosives in front of Kottai Eswaran Temple of Coimbatore district in Tamil Nadu on October 23, last year.
Eleven accused persons were arrested earlier by the anti-terror agency in the case in which Tamil Nadu Police initially registered a complaint on October 23 last year.
The deceased accused, Jamesha Mubeen, after swearing bayath (allegiance) to ISIS was planning to carry out a suicide attack and cause extensive damage to the Temple Complex with the intention to strike terror in the community, said the NIA in a statement.
“Investigations have revealed that the accused persons had entered into a criminal conspiracy in the interior of forested regions of Asanoor and Kadambur areas of Sathyamangalam forest, Erode district, in February 2022,” the NIA stated.
“The meetings were led by previously arrested accused Umar Farook and participated by deceased accused Jamesha Mubeen, Mohammed Azharudin, Sheikh Hidayatullah and Sanofar Ali, where they conspired to prepare for and execute terror acts,” it added.
In December last year, the NIA took over the investigation into the November 19 pressure cooker blast in an autorickshaw in Mangaluru wherein a passenger, identified as Mohammed Shariq, was carrying a pressure cooker bomb made from an Improvised Explosive Device (IED).
The auto-rickshaw exploded leading to injuries to the passenger, Mohammed Shariq, who was carrying a pressure cooker turned into an improvised IED, and the auto-rickshaw driver Purushottam Poojari.
The cooker bomb was designed to carry out a large-scale attack to fuel communal tensions in the coastal region and in the state, the agency said.
Shariq was en-route to a pre-decided location for carrying out the blast when the explosion took place. The NIA started its investigation under the provision of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and the investigating officers then questioned the main accused Shariq, as the state police found his links with the Islamic State (IS) during its investigation. It also learned that he had radicalised his schoolmates, Syed Yasin and Muneer Ahmed, and introduced them to IS as well.
Together, the three of them had experimented and rehearsed the explosion on the banks of the Tunga river in the Shivamogga district, sources said, adding that the practice explosion was also reportedly successful. Further, according to sources, the main accused, Shariq, had a handler who was orchestrating and instructing him regarding all these activities.
(This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)
The ‘Amhi Punekar’ (We Punekar) NGO said on 14th February 2023 that it will erect the statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj near the India-Pakistan line of control. the motive behind this is to ensure that the soldiers fighting the enemies get motivated by the ideal and moral values of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj by looking at his statue on a daily basis and that they remember the bravery of the Hindu king and get the strength to fight against the enemies.
In order to achieve this feat, the Amhi Punekar NGO has taken up this initiative. The statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj will be installed along the Line of Control at two places in the Kiran and Tangdhar-Titwal valleys of Kashmir as per reports.
The statue will be installed under the permission of Kupwara district collector Dr Sagar Dattatreya Doiphode in Kashmir. Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Atakepar Smarak Samiti chief Abhayraj Shirole and We Punekar NGO president Hemant Jadhav have planned the initiative.
Hemant Jadhav said, “The Bhoomi Poojan of the statue installation work will be held by the end of March. The soil and water from Raigad, Torana, Shivneri, Rajgad, and Pratapgad forts, which have become holy by the footsteps of Shivaraya, will be taken to Kashmir for the Bhoomi Poojan by the Amhi Punekar NGO.”
Abhayraj Shirole said, “Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, with his tactics and daring deeds, drove away the enemies. Various countries around the world follow his guerrilla warfare techniques. The statue of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj is being installed on the Indo-Pakistan border to provide inspiration to the Indian soldiers on the border with the ideals of Shivaraya and the motivation through the statue.”
It is notable that two statues of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj were established in Jammu and Kashmir in January 2022 by the Maratha regiment. One of these statues has been installed near the LOC at a height of 14800 feet above sea level. Now, two more statues will be erected by Pune-based NGOs.
People’s Anti-Fascist Front (PAFF), a terror organisation backed by Jaish-e-Mohammed, has vowed to attack the recently found lithium deposits in Jammu and Kashmir. PAFF, a frontal terror organisation linked to JeM in Pakistan issued a letter provoking the people of Jammu and Kashmir to oppose and stand against the usage of natural resources in Jammu and Kashmir.
According to the reports, the PAFF has been regularly threatening Indian security personnel, political figures, and civilians working in Jammu and Kashmir. It is said that the letter has been posted from Muzaffarabad city of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.
The letter states that PAFF welcomes international partnerships for the development of Jammu and Kashmir and that it would not let any Indian firms plunder the region’s resources. Additionally, the letter features drone images. The terrorist group intended to convey that they are closely monitoring events in Jammu and Kashmir by utilising these images.
“People’s Anti Fascist Front wishes to reassure the Nation of Jammu and Kashmir that under no circumstances will we allow the Colonial Exploitation and theft of resources of Jammu and Kashmir. These resources belong to the people of Jammu and Kashmir and should be and will be used for the betterment of the people of Jammu and Kashmir,” the letter added.
“No Ugly Hindutva thief will be allowed to steal our resources and then kill us with the same. We will attack Indian Companies that dare to venture into the troubled waters of Jammu and Kashmir not only inside Jammu and Kashmir but also inside India and those who know us know that we will go to any lengths to fulfil our word,” it read further.
Further instigating the people of Jammu and Kashmir against the Indian government, the threat letter by PAFF read, “Brothers and Sisters do not think that these Hindutva rats will stop at anything less than our Genocide. Our Lands are being confiscated our homes and businesses are being bulldozed and our resources are being stolen so that they will be used to kill us only. Do we still have any choice except to rise against this tyranny?”
Notably, the Geological Survey of India revealed on February 9 that 5.9 million tonnes of estimated lithium deposits had been discovered in the Salal-Haimana area of the Reasi district of Jammu and Kashmir, marking the first time that lithium deposits had been discovered in India.
According to the reports, several global powers are interested in Jammu and Kashmir now that lithium has been discovered in Jammu. The Union territory may soon become India’s primary source of lithium, a commodity that is currently seeing huge demand across the world.
Reports also point out that as employment prospects increase, youngsters would be drawn away from Jihadi preaching and insurgency efforts, which is unacceptable to terrorist organisations like PAFF.
Recently, on January 6, the Center labelled PAFF, a front organisation for the outlawed terrorist group Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), as a “terrorist” organisation under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).
In a statement, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) stated that “PAFF frequently issues threats to Indian security forces, political figures, and civilians operating in Jammu-Kashmir from neighbouring states.”
On February 14 (local time), Prime Minister Narendra Modi, President of the United States Joe Biden, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Rishi Sunak and President of France Emmanuel Macron remarked on the historic multi-billion deals between Air India, Boeing, Airbus and Rolls Royce. The remarks came after India’s flagship carrier and part of the Tata Sons conglomerate Air India announced its plans to acquire widebody and single-aisle aircraft.
In an official statement, the White House said that President Joe Biden and PM Modi spoke to discuss the historic agreement of Air India to purchase over 200 American-made aircraft from Boeing. President Biden noted the deal would support over one million jobs in America across 44 states. They also discussed the importance of the strategic technology partnership between the two nations.
The White House’s official statement on Air India-Boeing deal. Source: The White House
In a tweet, PM Modi said, “Glad to speak with President of the US Joe Biden. Excellent discussion to review the ongoing and new initiatives to deepen India-US Comprehensive and Global Partnership further. We welcome the landmark Air India Boeing agreement, which will help create new opportunities in both countries.”
Glad to speak with @POTUS@JoeBiden. Excellent discussion to review the ongoing and new initiatives to further deepen India-US Comprehensive and Global Partnership. We welcome the landmark @airindiain–@Boeing agreement which will help create new opportunities in both countries.
In the official statement, PMO said that PM Modi and President Biden had a warm and productive phone call. Both leaders expressed satisfaction at the deepening Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership between the two nations that have resulted in robust growth in all domains. They welcomed the landmark agreement between the two companies as a shining example of mutually beneficial cooperation that will help create new employment opportunities in both countries. PM Modi also invited Boeing and other US companies to use the opportunities arising in India due to expanding civil aviation sector.
Commending the Air India-Airbus deal, France’s President Macron said in a tweet, “The contract that Airbus and Tata Sons signed this morning marks a new stage in India and France’s strategic partnership. Thank you, Narendra Modi, for your confidence in France and our industry.”
The contract that Airbus and Tata Sons signed this morning marks a new stage in India and France’s strategic partnership. Thank you @NarendraModi, for your confidence in France and our industry.
During the call with PM Modi, he said, “I am confident that our bilateral relations will touch even greater heights this year. Under India’s G20 Presidency, we will have more opportunities to work together. Once again, many thanks and best wishes to all of you.”
In a tweet, PM Modi said, “I thank my friend Emmanuel Macron for joining me at the launch of an important partnership between Air India and Airbus that will further strengthen the Indian aviation sector and create opportunities in both nations. This reflects the robust Indo-French Strategic Partnership.”
I thank my friend @EmmanuelMacron for joining me at the launch of an important partnership between @airindiain and @Airbus that will further strengthen the Indian aviation sector and create opportunities in both nations. This reflects the robust Indo-French Strategic Partnership.
During the call, the PM said, “The deal is a testament to the deepening relationship between India and France and the successes and ambitions of India’s civil aviation industry. Today, our civil aviation sector is an integral part of India’s development. Strengthening civil aviation is an important aspect of our National Infrastructure Strategy. In the last eight years, the number of airports in India has jumped from 74 to 147, almost double the increase. Through our regional connectivity scheme (UDAN), remote parts of the country are also getting linked via air connectivity, which is promoting the economic and social development of the people.” He added that in the next 15 years, the number of aircraft in India is estimated to be more than 2,000.
Prime Minister of the UK Rishi Sunak also reacted to the deal. In a tweet, quoting the reports of the deal, he said, “This is one of the biggest export deals to India in decades and a huge win for the UK’s aerospace sector. With wings from Broughton and engines from Derby, this deal will support jobs around the country and help deliver one of our five priorities – growing the economy.”
This is one of the biggest export deals to India in decades and a huge win for the UK’s aerospace sector.
With wings from Broughton and engines from Derby, this deal will support jobs around the country and help deliver one of our five priorities – growing the economy. https://t.co/Zs0Qqf37Yr
Nationalisation of Air India and how it lost its charm over the years
On January 27, 2022 Tata Sons officially took over Air India, AI Express and AI SATS after the government transferred 100% shares to Tata’s wholly-owned subsidiary Talace Pvt Ltd. Former chairman of the Tata Group shared an emotional message and wrote, “Welcome back, Air India”.
He wrote, “wrote, “Tata Sons winning the bid for Air India is great news. While it will take considerable effort to rebuild Air India, it will provide a very strong market opportunity for the Tata Group’s presence in the aviation industry.”
Notably, the story of Air India began in 1932 when JRD Tata laid the foundation of Tata Aviation Service, then known as Tata Air Mail. Tata’s fascination for the airline business began in 1927. In 1929, when Flying Club opened in Mumbai, he spent hours mastering the art of flying a plane. The first cargo flight under his company was flown by Tata himself from Karachi to Madras, on which he carried 25 KG of airmail. In just five years, his company made over Rs 6 lakhs worth of profits.
In 1938, he changed the name to Tata Airlines. Soon after World War II broke out, and British Government took control of all the aircraft owned by Tata. He regained control after WWII was over. In 1946, the company was renamed Air India.
In 1947, Tata laid down a proposal to the Congress government to acquire a 49 per cent stake in Air India Ltd with a provision to increase it by 2 per cent in later stages. Tata Group was to hold 25% ownership of the company while the rest was to be publicly traded.
Notably, Tata was not a fan of nationalisation. In a statement, he had said, “There is an overwhelming case against nationalisation of India airlines”. By 1948, the Nehru-led Indian government held a 49% stake in Air India Ltd. JRD Tata was unable to fathom the drastic move by Nehru, which was to wreak havoc on the airline industry and the empire he built.
In 1953, the Indian government decided to nationalise Air India and the airline industry. In his own words, Tata recounted, “(I was) indignant at how the government had treated the air transport industry.” Notably, Nehru did not consult the Tata group before nationalising the airlines. “(The government was) driven to the conclusion that there was no other way out except to organise [the airlines] together under the State,” Nehru claimed in a letter to JRD Tata.
In his remarks, Tata said, “My friend Nehru stabbed me in my back. I can only deplore that so vital a step was taken without giving us a proper hearing.” The once successful private player in the airline industry was reduced to a loss-making venture. With subsequent government interference and bureaucratic red tapeism, Air India ended up with an accumulated loss of ₹80,000 crores.
In his parting note, JRD Tata said, “And now the time has come to say goodbye. As we turn the last page and put away the book, regret or bitterness has no place in our hearts. Instead, we may find content in the thought that what we did was worth doing, that we set our standards high and would not lower them, that we never need part with our memories….” From being an excellent aviator to pioneering India’s first airline enterprise to losing his dream and hard work to the government, JRD Tata saw it all in his lifetime.
Tata’s announcement to buy a fleet of aircraft to expand its aviation business
According to an official release, the order comprises 40 Airbus A350s, 20 Boeing 787s and 10 Boeing 777-9s widebody aircraft, as well as 210 Airbus A320/321 Neos and 190 Boeing 737 MAX single-aisle aircraft.
The A350 aircraft will be powered by Rolls-Royce engines, and the B777/787s by engines from GE Aerospace. Engines from CFM International will power all single-aisle aircraft.
Commenting on the occasion, Tata Sons and Air India Chairman N Chandrasekaran said, “Air India is on a large transformation journey across safety, customer service, technology, engineering, network and human resources. A modern, efficient fleet is a fundamental component of this transformation. This order is an important step in realising Air India’s ambition, articulated in its Vihaan.”
On Tuesday, February 14, the Tripura unit of the Congress party lodged a complaint against Jan Ki Baat founder and CEO Pradeep Bhandari over the recently released opinion polls that predicted a victory for the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) in the state.
Apparently, the opinion poll did not go well with the Congress leaders who filed a police complaint against Bhandari saying that despite a directive issued by the Election Commission on the broadcast of opinion and exit polls, the Jan Ki Baat opinion poll was released.
Congress leaders Dr Ajoy Kumar and Gaurav Gogoi along with party workers reached the local police station to file a complaint against Bhandari seeking action against him for allegedly violating the Model Code of Conduct and ‘false reporting’.
নির্বাচনের প্রাক্কালে নির্বাচন কমিশনের নিষেধাজ্ঞা সত্ত্বেও ওপিনিয়ন পোল করার অপচেষ্টার বিরুদ্ধে থানায় অভিযোগ করা হলো।
While addressing a press conference, the Tripura Congress in-charge Ajoy Kumar called Pradeep Bhandari a fraud and claimed that Bhandari did the same during the Bengal assembly elections as BJP won half the number of seats predicted in the opinion poll and TMC got double the seats the Jan Ki Baat poll had predicted.
“Such incompetent (Nikamma) and fraud who do such opinion polls for the sake of money should at least do some homework. Where will you go after March 2,” Kumar said.
Notably, the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), Gitte Kirankumar Dinkarrao issued a directive on February 10 regarding opinion and exit polls, as well as print advertising, for the impending state election scheduled to be held on February 16.
As per the directive issued by Tripura CEO, opinion polls are not permitted to be broadcast 48 hours before the polls. Beginning on February 14 at 4 pm, content, opinions, panel appeals, and remarks that could influence people were to be restricted. On February 15 and 16, print outlets will be able to run political adverts after seeking permission from the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) committee. From February 14 to February 27, neither opinion polls nor exit polls shall be allowed to release.
Interestingly, the directive barred the release or broadcast of exit and opinion polls from 14 February onwards, the Jan Ki Baat opinion survey was released on February 13.
According to the Jan Ki Baat opinion poll, the BJP, which ended 25 years of Left rule in Tripura in 2018, would retain control of the state. The polling agency forecast a resounding victory for the Manik Saha-led Bharatiya Janata Party government in the state of Tripura in their survey, which included 10,000 respondents from all districts. According to the poll, the BJP would win between 30-35 seats in the upcoming Assembly elections, while the CPI(M) and its ally Congress, which failed to win any seats in the 2018 elections, could get 13–16 seats, or around half of what is predicted for the ruling party. The Tipraha Indigenous Progressive Regional Alliance (also called Tipra Motha), meanwhile, might bag 13-11 sets as per the poll survey.
In an interview with ANI, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, on the question of the possibility of a hung assembly said that the constituencies in Tripura are small and “you will see that before 12 on counting day, the BJP would have crossed the majority mark.”
Amit Shah said Congress and CPI-M joining hands shows that they are not in a position to defeat BJP on their own and “it is a very good position” for the party.
“We will increase our seats and also our vote share in Tripura. Congress and the Communist party have come together as they have accepted that they can’t defeat BJP alone. We will form a government with full majority in the state,” Shah said.
A man was arrested for allegedly strangulating his live-in partner to death and storing her body in a refrigerator in Delhi’s Mitraon village, police said on Tuesday, adding that he married another girl the same day.
According to the Crime Branch unit, the accused was identified as Sahil Gehlot, 24, while the deceased was identified as Nikki Yadav. They were in a relationship for a few years. The police said that Sahil killed the victim and married another girl on the same day. The incident took place on the intervening night of February 9 and 10.
“The accused strangulated the deceased with the help of a data cable of his mobile in his car on the intervening night of 9/10 February 2023 and stuffed the dead body in a refrigerator kept at his dhaba at Mitraon village, Delhi. The accused and the deceased were in a relationship for the past few years,” Ravindra Singh Yadav, Special Commissioner of Police said.
The police said that they received the input about the incident on February 10 following which the team reached the Mitraon village in search of the accused who was absconding.
Sahil was apprehended from the Kair village crossing in the national capital by the police team.
The police said that he tried to mislead the team during the initial interrogation.
“But on sustained interrogation, he disclosed that he had killed his girlfriend in the intervening night of 9 & 10 February 2023 and kept her dead body in a refrigerator at his dhaba in a vacant plot situated on the outskirts of village Mitraon,” the police said.
Elaborating about the interrogation, the police said that Sahil and Nikki used to meet while going to their respective coaching centres in Uttam Nagar and became friends and later fell in love.
“In February 2018 the accused took admission in D Pharma in Galgotiya College at Greater Noida and the deceased also took admission in the same college in BA (English Hons.). Thereafter, both of them started living together in Greater Noida in a rented house. They became very close to each other and also travelled to several places such as Manali, Rishikesh, Haridwar, Dehradoon etc,” the police said.
“During Covid lockdown, they returned to their homes and after end of the lockdown, they again started living together in a rented house in the Dwarka area,” the police added.
The accused did not inform his family members about this relationship.
“His family was pressurizing him to get married with some other girl and finally in Dec. 2022, the engagement and marriage of the accused with another girl were fixed for 09.02.2023 & 10.02.2023, respectively. The accused did not inform the deceased about his engagement or marriage plans,” the police said.
However, according to the police, Nikki came to know about the marriage and confronted the accused leading to arguments between the two.
“The accused strangulated the deceased with the help of a data cable of his mobile phone kept in his car. Thereafter, he went to the dhaba owned by him and put her dead body in a refrigerator,” the police said.
He then married another girl.
The police are conducting an investigation to verify the accused’s claims during interrogation.
(This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)
Consulate General of India in Toronto on Tuesday (local time) condemned the defacing of Ram Mandir in Mississauga with anti-India graffiti.
It requested Canadian authorities to investigate the incident and take prompt action against the perpetrators. “We strongly condemn the defacing of Ram Mandir in Mississauga with anti-India graffiti. We have requested Canadian authorities to investigate the incident and take prompt action on perpetrators,” tweeted the Consulate General of India in Toronto. This is not the first time that a Hindu Temple in Canada was defaced with anti-India graffiti.
Earlier, a Hindu Temple in Brampton in Canada was defaced in January with anti-India graffiti triggering outrage among the Indian community.
The Indian Consulate General in Toronto condemned the vandalism at the Gauri Shankar Mandir stating that the act has deeply hurt the sentiments of the Indian community in Canada.
The consulate office in a statement said “We strongly condemn the defacing of Gauri Shankar Mandir in Brampton, a symbol of Indian heritage, with anti-India graffiti. The hateful act of vandalism has deeply hurt the sentiments of the Indian community in Canada. We have raised our concerns on the matter with Canadian authorities.”
Brampton Mayor Patrick Brown also condemned the vandalism and the Canadian authorities are investigating the incident. “This hateful act of vandalism has no place in our City or Country,” adding that he had raised his concerns over this hate crime with Peel Regional Police Chief Nishan Duraiappah,” Brampton Mayor tweeted.
“Everyone deserves to feel safe in their place of worship,” the Brampton Mayor said.
Earlier in September 2022, BAPS Swaminarayan Mandir in Canada was defaced by ‘Canadian Khalistani extremists’ with anti-India graffiti.
Chandra Arya, Member of Parliament, Canada tweeted, “Vandalism of Toronto BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir by Canadian Khalistani extremists should be condemned by all. This is not just an isolated event. Canadian Hindu temples have been targeted in the recent past by these kinds of hate crimes. Hindu Canadians are legitimately concerned.
Also, a statue of Mahatma Gandhi at the Vishnu Mandir in Richmond Hill in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) was defaced in July 2022.
In both instances, pro-Khalistan slogans were painted and the vandalization was promoted on social media by pro-Pakistan handles.
(This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)
