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Irreconcilable conflict over who owns the party: BJP claims ‘rift’ in Congress after Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said she will not join Rahul Gandhi’s BJN Yatra in UP

OpIndia Staff
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Irreconcilable conflict over who owns the party: BJP claims ‘rift’ in Congress after Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said she will not join Rahul Gandhi’s BJN Yatra in UP

On 16th February, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) charged that their “irreconcilable rift” over the party’s control was the reason why Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra is not joining her brother Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra in Uttar Pradesh. While reacting to a social media post by Priyanka Vadra informing that she will be skipping the yatra in UP as she has been hospitalised, BJP leader and party’s IT cell head Amit Malviya wrote, “Everyone needs to look after their health. Priyanka Vadra was absent from Yatra 2.0 from the beginning, and she won’t be present even now when Rahul’s Yatra has reached Uttar Pradesh. It has become widely recognized that there is an unbridgeable divide between the brother and sister over who owns the party.”

This came after Priyanka Vadra stated that she would not be able to accompany her brother on the party’s yatra which reached Uttar Pradesh on 16th February due to health concerns. Priyanka Vadra claimed that she would join him as soon as she recovered from her illess, which led to her hospitalization. She remarked, “I was really looking forward to receiving the BJNY in UP today but unfortunately, have ended up admitted to hospital. I will be there as soon as I am better. Meanwhile wishing all the yatris, my colleagues in UP who have worked hard towards making arrangements for the yatra and my sweet brother, all success as they reach Chandauli today.”

The Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra is being led by former Congress president and Wayanad Lok Sabha MP Rahul Gandhi who is travelling from Manipur to Mumbai. It is currently passing through the northern states of India. The yatra will commence in the evening in Uttar Pradesh, a crucial Hindi heartland state that provides the most members of parliament to the Lok Sabha. It will traverse through the state from 16th to 21st February and then again from 24th to 25th February. The Congress reported that the 22nd and 23rd of February are going to be rest days of the yatra.

Rahul Gandhi will spend the night in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s model village Domari, in Chandauli. A tent has been erected for this purpose at the military area close to the Lord Ram Samadhi place in Avadhoot. The yatra will arrive at Varanasi, the prime minister’s hometown tomorrow, where Rahul Gandhi will speak at a public gathering at Godholia Crossing. On 20th February the yatra will arrive in Rae Bareli, where Akhilesh Yadav, the president of the Samajwadi Party, will be a part of it.

Congress, however, has unexpectedly altered the itinerary, passing via the minority areas of Moradabad, Bareilly, Amroha and Badaun before entering Rajasthan from Agra. The previous plan involved moving through the districts of Bundelkhand and then entering Madhya Pradesh. However, the authorities had not yet granted authorization for the new route.

Meanwhile, Rahul Gandhi had cancelled the second stage of his yatra in Jharkhand, which was scheduled to start on 14th February and rushed to the national capital to participate in the farmers’ protest. Notably, the yatra which was organised to score political capital has ended up creating major splits in the I.N.D.I. Alliance with important coalition partners like All India Trinamool Congress, Aam Aadmi Party and National Conference announcing their intention to run in the upcoming general election on their own.

Janata Dal (United) chief and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, the primary architect of the opposition alliance severed ties with it and rejoined the fold of the Bharatiya Janata Party-led National Democratic Alliance. Akhilesh Yadav on 27th January declared that he would offer only 11 seats to the Congress party in Uttar Pradesh. The state Congress leadership reportedly rejected the proposal and claimed that the decision was of Akhilesh Yadav and not their party.

A minister in Tamil Nadu’s Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) government ridiculed the Congress party, alleging that the party was just looking for seats in the upcoming Lok Sabha poll for itself. DMK Minister Raja Kannappan described the Congress party as “big and old” and highlighted that it has now “lost its strength.”

The 6,700-kilometer East-West Manipur-Mumbai Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra passes through 15 states to allegedly promote ‘nyay’ (justice) and encounter common people along the journey.

OpIndia impact: NCPCR takes cognizance of Shiv Nadar School introducing ‘non-binary’ as children’s gender, instructs officials to ensure that unapproved gender terms not used

OpIndia Staff
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OpIndia impact: NCPCR takes cognizance of Shiv Nadar School introducing ‘non-binary’ as children’s gender, instructs officials to ensure that unapproved gender terms not used

A day after OpIndia reported that a school has introduced ‘non-binary’ as children’s gender, the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights has asked the education dept officials of the Uttar Pradesh and Haryana governments to ensure that schools don’t use non-approved terms for genders. As per NCPCR, the use of ‘non-binary’ as gender violates norms, as the approved term is ‘transgender’.

On 16 February, NCPCR issued notices to Principal Secretary of the Department of Basic Education of the UP govt and Secretary (Education) of the Directorate of School Education of Haryana over a parent feedback form issued by Shiv Nadar School with campuses in Gurugram, Faridabad, Noida and Chennai.

The notice issued by NCPCR states that it has received a complaint regarding use of inappropriate terminology by the school with respect to child’s gender. The notice stated, “As highlighted in the complaint, the school in its Parent’s Feedback Survey has a question on Child’s Gender. The options given arc Female, Male and ‘Nonbinary’.”

NCPCR states that the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act, 2019 defines and uses the term ‘transgender’. The National Education Policy (NEP) also refers to transgender children/students and do not use any other term, like ‘non-binary’.

The national child rights body therefore asked the education officials to ensure that no such term is used by any school in any form that does not align with the National Education Policy (NEP) and the Transgender Persons (Protection of Rights) Act, 2019. NCPCR further instructed the officials to submit a report on actions taken in the matter within 10 days of issuance of the letter.

Notably, in the Parent’s Feedback Survey, the Shiv Nadar School provided three options for the child’s gender, female, male and non-binary.

In the form, there is an option to select the child’s grade. It is evident that this form is to be filled even for kids as young as 3 or 4 years of age since selecting ‘Foundation year’ and ‘Nursery’ is also an option.

A copy of the controversial form was posted by an X user on the social media platform. The matter came into focus after OpIndia reported on the matter yesterday, 15 February.

Non-binary is used to describe people who feel their gender cannot be defined within the margins of a gender binary. Instead, they understand their gender in a way that goes beyond simply identifying as either a man or woman. It would, therefore, mean that Shiv Nadar is going down a slippery slope of elected pronouns and woke gender politics of the West.

RBI gives 15-day extension to Paytm Payments Bank, issues FAQ clarifying that Paytm QR, Soundbox and POS terminal linked to other banks will continue to work

ANI
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RBI gives 15-day extension to Paytm Payments Bank, issues FAQ clarifying that Paytm QR, Soundbox and POS terminal linked to other banks will continue to work

The Reserve Bank of India on Friday gave a 15 day relaxation to Paytm payments bank on accepting deposits. The last date will now be March 15 from the earlier date of February 29.

In its release the Central Bank said “No further deposits credit transactions or top-ups shall be allowed in any customer accounts, prepaid instruments, wallets, FASTags, National Common Mobility Cards, etc. after March 15, 2024 (extended from the earlier stipulated timeline of February 29, 2024), other than any interest, cashback, sweep in from partner banks or refunds which may be credited anytime.” the RBI said.

“Withdrawal or utilisation of balances by its customers from their accounts including savings bank accounts, current accounts, prepaid instruments, FASTags, National Common Mobility Cards, etc. are to be permitted without any restrictions, upto their available balance (no change)” the Central Bank further added

“No banking services, other than those referred to in (ii) above, like fund transfers (irrespective of name and nature of services like AEPS, IMPS, etc.), BBPOU and UPI facility should be provided by the bank after March 15, 2024 (extended from the earlier stipulated timeline of February 29, 2024). However, for (ii) above (viz. for withdrawal or utilisation of available balance by customers or wallet holders), such fund transfers including AEPS, IMPS and UPI may be allowed anytime” the RBI release said.

“The Nodal Accounts of One97 Communications Ltd and Paytm Payments Services Ltd maintained by Paytm Payments Bank Limited are to be terminated at the earliest, in any case not later than February 29, 2024 (no change)” the release added.

“Settlement of all pipeline transactions in nodal accounts referred to in item (iv) above (in respect of all transactions initiated on or before February 29, 2024) shall be completed by March 15, 2024, and no further transactions shall be permitted thereafter (no change)” the RBI further said.

“It is also directed that withdrawals up to their available balance should be facilitated by the bank from all accounts and wallets, excluding the ones that are frozen or lien marked by Law Enforcement or judicial authorities,” RBI added

“Further, it is directed that the bank shall facilitate a seamless withdrawal of customer deposits that are parked with partner banks under the automatic ‘sweep-in sweep-out’ facility without causing any inconvenience to such customers.” the Central Bank directed.

The Central Bank also issues a set of FAQs, some of which stated:

1. Customers can continue to use, withdraw or transfer your funds from their account upto the available balance in the account.

Similarly, they can continue to use your debit card to withdraw or transfer funds upto the available balance in your account.

2. After March 15, 2024, customers will not be able to deposit money into your account with Paytm Payments Bank. No credits or deposits other than interest, cashbacks, sweep-in from partner banks or refunds are allowed to be credited.

3. Refunds, cashbacks, sweep-in from partner banks or interest are permitted credits into your account even after March 15, 2024.

4. The existing Deposits of Paytm Payments Bank customers maintained with partner banks can be brought back (sweep-in) to the accounts with Paytm Payments Bank, subject to the ceiling on balance prescribed for a Payments Bank (i.e. Rs2 lakh per individual customer at the end of day). Such sweep-ins for the purpose of making available the balances for use or withdrawal by the customer will continue to be allowed. However, no fresh deposits with partner banks through Paytm Payments Bank will be allowed after March 15, 2024.

5. After March 15, 2024, customers will not be able to receive any such credits into the account with Paytm Payments Bank.

6. Withdrawal/debit mandates (such as National Automated Clearing House (NACH) mandates) will continue to get executed till there is balance available in your account. However, after March 15, 2024, credit or deposit in the accounts will not be allowed.

7. Withdrawal/debit mandates through automatic UPI mandates will continue to get executed till there is balance available in your account. However, after March 15, 2024, credit or deposit in the accounts will not be allowed.

8. Customers can continue to use, withdraw or transfer to another wallet or bank account upto the balance available in the wallet. Minimum KYC wallets can however, be used only for merchant payments.

9. Customers can continue to use their FASTag to pay toll upto the available balance. However, no further funding or top ups will be allowed in the FASTags issued by Paytm Payments Bank after March 15, 2024.

10. Merchants using Paytm Payments Bank to receive payments using a Paytm QR code, Paytm soundbox or Paytm POS terminal, linked to another bank account can continue to use this set-up even after March 15, 2024 if their receipt and transfer of funds is linked to any bank account other than Paytm Payments Bank.

11. Merchants accepting payments using a Paytm QR code, Paytm soundbox, Paytm POS terminal linked to a bank account or wallet with Paytm Payments Bank, cannot continue to use this set-up even after March 15, 2024 and will not be able to receive any credit into their bank account or wallet with Paytm Payments Bank other than refunds, cashbacks, sweep-in from partner banks or interest.

12. After March 15, 2024 customers will not be able to receive any credit into their bank account or wallet with Paytm Payments Bank other than refunds, cashbacks, sweep-in from partner banks or interest. In order to avoid any inconvenience or disruption, it is suggested that customers may obtain a fresh QR code linked to an account with another bank or wallet to receive payments.

In response the FAQs issued Paytm founder Vijay Shekhar Sharma said in a post on X “Paytm QR, Soundbox and EDC (card machine) will continue to work like always, even after March 15. The latest FAQ issued by RBI on point #21 clarifies it unambiguously. Do not fall for any rumour or let anyone deter you to championing Digital India.”

(This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)

‘Islam Zindabad’ group behind stone pelting in Darbhanga, FIR on 200+: Faizan, Tabrez among 14 arrested after vandalism of Maa Saraswati idol

श्रवण शुक्ल
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‘Islam Zindabad’ group behind stone pelting in Darbhanga, FIR on 200+: Faizan, Tabrez among 14 arrested after vandalism of Maa Saraswati idol

In Darbhanga, Bihar, a group of Islamic fundamentalists attacked the procession carrying Maa Saraswati’s idol for immersion. According to reports, the Hindu procession that was scheduled to immerse the idol at 5 pm on Thursday (15th February) was proceeding as planned. On the way, a conservative Islamic mob halted the procession and pelted them with stones. A large number of persons suffered injuries shortly after. Islamic radicals are also said to have demolished the idol of Mother Saraswati.

Apart from that information on acid attacks also came to light in addition to stone pelting directed against Hindus. Several persons are said to have sustained injuries in this attack, including police officers. Following the incident, a considerable number of police units, including the DM and SSP, arrived on the scene and managed to bring the situation under control. Now, a major revelation has emerged regarding this incident, indicating that Islamic fanatics attacked Hindus with considerable planning.

According to reports, the incident occurred in Muria near Bhalpatti OP police station, where extremists from Butcher Mohalla in Hatgachi attacked Hindus. Faizan, Mahtab Alam, Abdul Barik, Mohammad Abdullah, and Amjad were reportedly a part of a mob that attacked Hindus. OpIndia has a copy of the FIR of this incident, which contains specific details about the conspiracy hatched by the fanatics. According to police, 14 rioters have been arrested so far, and others involved are being tracked down.

Was the attack planned using WhatsApp group?

According to the FIR, a procession was held on February 15, 2024, to immerse Maa Saraswati idols established in Tali Gumti and Muria. This procession was leaving Hatgachi and heading to Jeevach Ghat. Around 5 pm, Islamic fundamentalists gathered and halted the procession in Hatgachi. They began pelting stones at the procession. Following the incident, senior officials arrived at the scene and managed to control the mob violence. Several people were detained, including one named Mohammad Faizan. His WhatsApp details revealed that a group with the name ‘Islam Zindabad’ was newly created. There are seven administrators in this group. During the examination of this WhatsApp group, the police discovered that the Islamists had planned the event. 

After this entire incident, the police registered a case against 61 identified persons, 7 mobile numbers (administrators of WhatsApp group), and 150 unknown people for obstruction, stone pelting, disrupting law and order, inciting communal riots, disturbing social harmony, and attacking police and administration. The sections imposed are 147, 148, 149, 341, 323, 324, 325, 307, 332, 333, 353, 427, 153(A), 295(A), 120 of the IPC. The investigation of this case has been handed over to Dhruv Kumar Chaudhary.

14 arrested for attacking the procession

Police said that so far 14 people have been arrested identified as Alauddin (age 40 years), Mohammad Sartaj (age 45 years), Mohammad Alauddin (age 40 years), Mohammad Sameer (age 20 years), and Mohammad Tabrez. (Age 25 years), Mohammad Parvez (Age 25 years), Mohammad Nizam (Age 22 years), Mohammad Naseem (Age 35 years), Mohammad Nausad (Age 40 years), Rehman Qureshi (Age 28 years), Mohammad Abdullah (Age 21 years), Mohammad Faizan (aged 20), Abdul Barik (aged 45) and Mohammad Mahtab (aged 23).

It is worth noting that two tractors were already blocked at the idol immersion path in Kasai Tola, where the Hindu procession was attacked, but at 5 pm, a crowd of Islamic extremists arrived again. As soon as the stone pelting began, there was a panic, and people fled from the idol. During this particular event, the Saraswati idol was also broken, which annoyed the crowd. Following this, the mob vandalized residences and shops.

Speaking to OpIndia, Prince Kumar Yadav, posted at Bhalpatti police station, said, “There was sudden tension due to the change in the route of the yatra. The procession was passing through Kasai locality when stone pelting started.” When asked whether the yatra was passing through any mosque, he categorically denied this. He said, “People had not reached near the mosque, yet the attack took place.”

Defence Acquisition Council clears procurement of anti-tank mines, tactical radar, maritime & refuelling aircraft and other items totalling ₹84,560 crore

ANI
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Defence Acquisition Council clears procurement of anti-tank mines, tactical radar, maritime & refuelling aircraft and other items totalling ₹84,560 crore

The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), under the chairmanship of Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, accorded approval for Acceptance of Necessity (AoNs) for various capital acquisition proposals amounting to Rs 84,560 crore, an official statement said.

According to the statement from the Ministry of Defence, in the true spirit of ‘Aatmanirbharta’, the approvals accorded on Friday, lay special emphasis on the procurement of various equipment from Indian vendors.

As per the statement, the DAC has accorded AoN under the Buy {Indian-Indigenously Designed Developed and Manufactured (IDDM)} category for procurement of a new generation of Anti-tank mines having seismic sensors and provision of remote deactivation with additional safety features.

To enhance the operational efficiency and domination in the Tactical Battle Area for engaging targets that are Beyond Visual Line of Sight by the Mechanised Forces, the AoN under the Buy (Indian-IDDM) category has been accorded for procurement of Canister Launched Anti-Armour Loiter Munition System, it added.

Further, to strengthen the Air Defence Systems, especially the capabilities to detect slow, small and low-flying targets as well as surveillance, detection and tracking of different targets, the AoN has been accorded for procurement of Air Defence Tactical Control Radar under Buy (Indian-IDDM) category.

The AoN for procurement of Medium Range Maritime Reconnaissance and Multi-Mission Maritime Aircraft, through Buy and Make category, has been granted by the DAC for strengthening the surveillance and interdiction capabilities of the Indian Navy and the Indian Coast Guard (ICG) over the country’s vast maritime area.

Further, to keep the Indian Naval Ships one step ahead of the threats posed by the adversaries, the AoN under the Buy (Indian) category has been accorded for procurement of Active Towed Array Sonar having capabilities to operate at low frequencies and various depths for long range detections of adversary submarines, the statement said.

The AoN has also been accorded for procurement of Heavy Weight Torpedoes for enhancing the attacking capabilities of Kalvari Class submarines. The AoN for sustainment support through Follow On Support (FOS) and Repair Replenishment support through Follow On Supply Support (FOSS) for 24 MH60R aircraft under Foreign Military Sale route with the US Government has also been accorded, it added.

The DAC accorded AoN for procurement of Flight Refueller Aircraft for enhancing the operational capabilities and reach of the Indian Air Force. The AoN under the Buy (Indian-IDDM) category for procurement of Software Defined Radios for the ICG has also been granted. This will fulfil the requirement of the ICG for having high-speed communication with secure networking capability for seamless information exchange between the ICG and the Indian Navy units.

The statement said that to create a friendly defence start-up ecosystem and promote procurement of Advanced technologies from start-ups and MSMEs developed under the Innovations for Defence Excellence (iDEX) and Technology Development Fund schemes, the DAC has approved amendments in the Defence Acquisition Procedure (DAP) 2020 w.r.t. benchmarking and cost computation, payment schedule, procurement quantity etc.

This will provide the much-needed incentive along with a supportive business environment for the start-ups and MSMEs under iDEX and TDF schemes, truly in the spirit of ‘Ease of Doing Business’, it added.

The Defence Ministry has approved a proposal to buy 9 maritime surveillance aircraft for the Indian Navy and 6 maritime patrol aircraft for the Indian Coast Guard.

According to Defence sources, the 15 maritime patrol planes would be built upon the Made in India C-295 transport aircraft and the cost of the project is around Rs 29,000 crore.

(This news report is published from a syndicated feed. Except for the headline, the content has not been written or edited by OpIndia staff)

‘They deserve this’: Angry commuter loses her cool over roadblock by ‘farmer protestors’, social media says she reflects how the public feels

OpIndia Staff
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‘They deserve this’: Angry commuter loses her cool over roadblock by ‘farmer protestors’, social media says she reflects how the public feels

Amidst the nationwide shutdown or Bharat Bandh called by the protesting farmers on 16th February, a video of two women having a heated argument with some of the farmers over a roadblock has gone viral online. The two women in the car were enraged when some farmers stopped their car. The woman driving the car also showed her middle finger to the protestors.

The viral video shows a woman in a car showing the middle finger to some protesting farmers who had blocked the road. She is seen abusing them and questioning why they stopped her car.

When a protestor inquired why she was abusing them, the visibly enraged woman responded, “Why are you doing this (blocking the road and causing inconvenience to ordinary people)?”

During the argument, one of the protesters tries to take her phone. The woman gets angry and claims: “Aapne mujh par hath kyun uthaya? Aapne mujhe harass kiya hai. Apne mujhe galat tarike se chua hai…” (Why did you lift your hand towards me? You tormented me. You touched me inappropriately).

Reacting to the viral video several netizens lauded the woman seen video for raising her voice against the roadblocking and inconvenience caused by the farmer protestors.

An X user named Vatsa Mishra wrote, “These two girls have more guts than central government sitting in Delhi giving zero fucks about the inconveniences face by daily commuters due to these clown protesters who want nothing but a reason to feel dissatisfied.”

Another one wrote, “Most of us are with her.. She is brave.. Bol woh rahe hai par shabd hamare hai..”

One ‘Al Bhagwa’ wrote, “Self-proclaimed farmers (aka vandals) were shown the mirror. Well done girl !!”

Another X user wrote, “Common People are fed up from these congressi stooge khalistanis…very soon common public will be out on roads to teach them lesson. Enough is enough.”

Another one wrote, “Amazing. This is right way to counter fake farmers protests & drama.”

One more X user wrote, “Brave lady. She has done right. How can anybody block roads and create problems for commuters. Common men have woken up against these fake farmers.”

A user ‘Poha Jalebi’ wrote, “Ek bandi ne pure protest ko middle finger dikha ke aukat bata di Bravo (One woman showed the whole protest its standing by showing the middle finger, Bravo).”

Another one wrote, “Kudos to this brave girl who stood up against this mob.”

“I don’t support the use of abusive language, but ordinary people have already had enough of the drama between the government and these individuals disguised as farmers. You get what you freaking deserve. Based women,” wrote another X user.

One ‘AK Chaudhary’ wrote, “General Public is Fed up of these daily Protest. I am dead sure let this Kisan union fight a election even in punjab They will not able to save deposits Leave they want to bring down Modi Graph . Most of protesters are vehle who doesn’t even Own Any land . I own land in punjab .We are Fed up of these protest where 90% are taking about Deep Sidhu type PPL As hero .”

Farmers protest and their demands

On Tuesday (13th February), a large number of farmers marched towards the national capital. In addition to drafting a law on MSP, the protesting farmers undertaking the ‘Delhi Chalo’ march have been demanding that India should quit the World Trade Organisation (WTO), halt trade agreements with other nations, and a monthly pension of Rs 10,000 to farmers who attain the age of 60 years among others. The protest has been called by Sanyukt Kisan Morcha and Punjab Kisan Mazdoor Sangharsh Committee, led by farmer union leaders Jagjeet Singh Dallewal and Sarwan Singh Pandher.

Projects worth more than one lakh crores announced: How Modi government is writing India’s new growth story

Gopal Tiwari
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Projects worth more than one lakh crores announced: How Modi government is writing India’s new growth story

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government has taken the infrastructure and other development facilities in the country to a new high in the past decade. With the inauguration and laying the foundation stone of various other projects, the Modi government is continuing to write the growth story of the New India. From 12th February to 19th February Prime Minister Narendra Modi is dedicating several projects worth more than one lakh crore rupees and inaugurating various events which will boost the economy and development of India.

New Delhi

It started on 12th February when PM Narendra Modi distributed more than 1 lakh appointment letters to newly inducted recruits via video conferencing. He also laid the foundation stone of Phase I of the Integrated Complex “Karmayogi Bhavan” in New Delhi. This complex will promote collaboration and synergy among various pillars of Mission Karmayogi.

According to a press release by the Press Information Bureau, Rozgar Mela was held at 47 locations across the country. The recruitments were taking place across Central Government Departments and State Governments/UTs supporting this initiative.  The recruits will be joining the Government in various Ministries/Departments viz. Department of Revenue, Ministry of Home Affairs, Department of Higher Education, Department of Atomic Energy, Ministry of Defence,  Department of Financial Services, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare,  Ministry of Tribal Affairs and Ministry of Railways in various positions.

The newly inducted appointees will also get an opportunity to train themselves through Karmayogi Prarambh, an online module on the iGOT Karmayogi portal where more than 880 e-learning courses have been made available for ‘anywhere any device’ learning format.

Haryana

On 16th February, PM Modi inaugurated, dedicated to the nation and laid the foundation stone of multiple development projects worth more than Rs 9750 crores in Rewari, Haryana. The projects cater to several important sectors concerning urban transport, health, rail and tourism. Modi also took a walkthrough of the exhibitions showcased on the occasion. 

The Prime Minister laid the foundation stone of the Gurugram Metro Rail project to be developed at a cost of about Rs 5450 crores. The project, with a total length of 28.5 km, will connect Millennium City Centre to Udyog Vihar Phase-5 and merge into the existing metro network of Rapid Metro Rail Gurugram at Moulsari Avenue station near Cyber City. It will also have a spur at Dwarka Expressway.

He also laid the foundation stone of the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Rewari, Haryana. To be built at a cost of about Rs 1650 crores, AIIMS Rewari will be developed on 203 acres of land at village Majra Mustil Bhalkhi in Rewari. It will have facilities including the Hospital Complex with 720 beds, Medical College with 100 seats, Nursing College with 60 seats, AYUSH Block with 30 beds, residential accommodation for faculty and staff, hostel accommodation for UG and PG students, Night Shelter, Guest House, Auditorium etc. 

Established under Pradhan Mantri Swasthya Suraksha Yojana (PMSSY), AIIMS Rewari will provide comprehensive, quality and holistic tertiary care health services to the people of Haryana.  The facilities include patient care services in 18 Specialities and 17 Super Specialities including Cardiology, Gastroenterology, Nephrology, Urology, Neurology, Neurosurgery, Medical Oncology, Surgical Oncology, Endocrinology, Burns & Plastic Surgery. The Institute will also have facilities for the Intensive Care Unit, Emergency & Trauma Unit, sixteen Modular Operation Theatres, Diagnostic Laboratories, Blood Bank, Pharmacy etc.

The Prime Minister inaugurated a newly built Anubhav Kendra Jyotisar, Kurukshetra. This experiential museum has been built at a cost of around 240 crores. The museum spans over 17 acres, encompassing over 100,000 square feet of indoor space. It will vividly bring the epic narrative of the Mahabharata and the teachings of the Gita to life. The museum also leverages cutting-edge technology, including Augmented Reality (AR), 3D laser, and projection mapping to enrich the experience of visitors.  Jyotisar, Kurukshetra is the sacred site where Lord Krishna imparted the eternal wisdom of the Bhagavad Gita to Arjuna.

The Prime Minister also laid the foundation stone and dedicated to the nation multiple railway projects. The projects whose foundation stone will be laid include the doubling of the Rewari-Kathuwas rail line (27.73 Km); doubling of the Kathuwas-Narnaul rail line (24.12 Km); doubling of the Bhiwani-Dobh Bhali rail line (42.30 Km); and doubling of Manheru-Bawani Khera rail line (31.50 Km). He also flagged off train service in the Rohtak-Meham-Hansi section.

Uttar Pradesh in line

PM Narendra Modi will inaugurate many other projects yet in this week. On 19th February, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to authorise 60 mega projects in Uttar Pradesh, projected to draw an investment of Rs 91,456.89 crore and generate approximately 81,424 job opportunities. This marks the fourth ground-breaking ceremony for the state.

The Uttar Pradesh government, under the leadership of Yogi Adityanath, is fully prepared to announce contracts worth Rs 10 lakh crore for 14,000 projects during the Ground Breaking Ceremony 4 (GBC-4). These projects are intended to transform the technological infrastructure of the state, ushering in an era of industrial revolution in Uttar Pradesh’s tech sector and propelling it to new economic heights.

The Noida Data Center Park, being developed by NIDP Developers Private Limited, is a significant investment among these initiatives. Spanning 20 acres of land within the Greater Noida Industrial Development Authority, the project entails an investment of Rs 30,000 crore and is expected to create employment opportunities for 2,160 individuals.

Furthermore, besides the projects focused in western Uttar Pradesh, particularly in Noida, Greater Noida, Ghaziabad, Mathura, Agra, and YEIDA, there are numerous projects slated for development in Lucknow, Kanpur, Varanasi, Basti, and Barabanki as well.

Maharashtra will also host PM Modi for inaugurating developmental projects

On 19th February, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the first phase of Mumbai’s coastal road project. This information was shared by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) on Friday 2nd February.

The initial segment of the Mumbai coastal road, stretching from Marine Drive to Worli, has been completed. The BMC is overseeing the construction of the entire project, with an estimated cost of Rs 12,721 crore. Phase I covers a distance of 10.58 km in south Mumbai and its work commenced in October 2018. The construction of the 10.58 km-long road extends from Princess Street Flyover to the Worli terminus of the Bandra Worli Sealink. This project is set to be named after the Hindu warrior king, Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj.

The reclaimed area totals 111 hectares. Anticipated benefits of the coastal road include a 70 percent reduction in travel time between Marine Lines in south Mumbai and Kandivali in north Mumbai, a 34 percent decrease in fuel consumption, and mitigation of noise and air pollution.

In this way, Narendra Modi’s government is writing the new growth story of the New India. Prime Minister is inaugurating the projects one after the other.

Karnataka HC dismisses petition filed by company owned by Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan’s daughter that challenged probe against shady transactions

OpIndia Staff
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Karnataka HC dismisses petition filed by company owned by Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan’s daughter that challenged probe against shady transactions

In a setback to Veena Vijayan, the daughter of Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, the Karnataka High Court on Friday dismissed the petition filed by Exalogic Solutions Private Limited of which she is a director.

The petition challenged the investigation launched by the Serious Fraud Investigation Officer (SFIO) against the company. The Union Ministry of Corporate Affairs had asked the SFIO to probe the company’s affairs.

Investigation revealed that Rs 135 crores was given by Cochin Minerals and Rutile Ltd (CMRL) to various political functionaries and Rs 1.72 crores was paid by CMRL to Exalogic under the guise of a software agreement but no software was actually provided.

The ASG said, “When Rs 135 crore is involved, there are a lot of transactions which look shady. Officers said we cannot get information from the income tax department and it may be placed before SFIO. Union Govt need not hear petitioner before ordering an investigation.”

The petitioner argued that another Centre launched a second investigation against the company while a first probe was already underway. The petitioner argued that there cannot be two parallel investigations at the same time against the company.

Meanwhile, in related news, the KSIDC has approached the Kerala High Court against the SFIO probe in connection with the CMRL transactions.

In January, the Kerala HC had asked the Centre is an SFIO investigation against Exalogic was necessary.

CMRL reportedly made a payment of Rs 1.72 crore to Exalogic Solutions over three years since 2017. An order passed by the Income Tax Interim Board of Settlement suggested that the amount was paid without availing any services.

Allegations of kickbacks surfaced that the money was routed to Veena Vijayan’s company under the guise of consideration for IT services.

Uttar Pradesh STF nabs Javed with four time bombs, reveals accused had made similar bombs during 2013 Muzaffarnagar riots

OpIndia Staff
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Uttar Pradesh STF nabs Javed with four time bombs, reveals accused had made similar bombs during 2013 Muzaffarnagar riots

On Friday, February 16, Uttar Pradesh’s Special Task Force (STF) thwarted a possible terror attack as they arrested a youth named Javed Shaikh from Muzaffarnagar. They also recovered four time bombs from him. He is currently being interrogated.

A bomb squad was also summoned from Meerut. Special Task Force (STF) sources revealed that he was apprehended in the Khalapar area in Muzaffarnagar on the morning of 16th February.

The police said that the accused had built similar bombs and distributed them during the 2013 Muzaffarnagar riots.

The bombs were found with the culprit who manufactured them in Muzaffarnagar. These bombs were reportedly going to be part of a major conspiracy. Javed informed the STF that they were made on the order of a woman named Imrana. The cops are now searching for the female.

Javed had previously developed and distributed similar bombs during the 2013 Muzaffarnagar riots. His maternal family lives in Nepal. The police are also looking into his ties with the neighbouring country.

Their informer tipped off the police that Javed is about to arrive on the Nyajupura bridge of Kaali River with some suspicious items after a unit of STF Meerut and local police reached there promptly and captured him. They discovered the bombs inside a box of campus shoes upon frisking him and a bomb squad was immediately called to the scene. Afterwards, the squad defused the explosives in the Nyajupura forest, far away from the location. Other local authorities including the Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) were also made aware of the situation.

Javed unveiled that these were improvised explosive device (IED) bottle bombs which contained gun powder-999, iron pellets, cotton and POP among other things. He bought glucose bottles from doctors, iron nails from bicycle shops and watch machinery from watch stores. They were prepared by him at the behest of Imrana, wife of Azad, a resident of the Bantikhera village under Babri Police Station of the Shamli district in exchange for Rs 50,000. He was already paid Rs 10,000 and the rest of the amount was set to be given on the delivery of the bombs. Javed was captured while he was on his way to deliver the bombs to Imrana.

He divulged that he made the gunpowder and IED while staying at the home of his late uncle Mohammad Arjashi son of Khalil, a native of Mimlana Road, Ramlila Tilla who made fireworks. He learned about the construction of bombs and gathered some knowledge through the internet and YouTube. Notably, Imarana alone knows the precise location and timing of when these explosives were supposed to be used.

In a statement, Uttar Pradesh Additional Director General of Police, Law & Order and state STF chief Amitabh Yash said, “Two accused were arrested in Muzaffarnagar and four IEDs were recovered from them. All of these could be triggered through a remote control or timer. Those who built these bombs and have been arrested had built similar bombs and distributed them during the Muzaffarnagar riots. Both these accused are being questioned…”

Javed who lives on Mimlana Road, Ramlila Tilla in the city’s police station neighbourhood repaired radios in the past. His grandfather used to make firecrackers. He reportedly learned how to make explosives from his granddad. Thereafter, he acquired knowledge in creating improvised explosive device bombs.

Brajesh Kumar Singh, the Additional Superintendent of STF revealed that the offender has a strong knowledge of machinery because of his work on radio repairs. During questioning, Javed admitted to creating time bombs earlier. The accused are at present being questioned by Anti-Terrorism Squad and Intelligence Bureau personnel.

As Income Tax tribunal allows Congress party to operate its bank accounts after being ‘frozen’, read details of the ₹135 crore tax demand case

OpIndia Staff
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As Income Tax tribunal allows Congress party to operate its bank accounts after being ‘frozen’, read details of the ₹135 crore tax demand case

On Friday, 16th February, Congress party said that the Income Tax department has frozen its bank accounts over a tax demand. Addressing a press conference, party leader Ajay Maken said that banks are not honouring cheques issued by the party. He said that a demand of ₹210 crore has been made by the I-T department on flimsy grounds over a case relating to income tax returns of 2018-19.

However, a few hours later, the party said that the Income Tax Appellate Tribunal granted relief and ordered to unfreeze the party’s bank accounts. But the party added that it has been asked to keep ₹115 crore in their bank accounts. This means, effectively ₹115 crore is still frozen, and the party can spend the rest of the amount from their accounts. Ajay Maken claimed that this amount is much more than what they have in current accounts.

Congress Rajya Sabha MP and advocate Vivek Tankha, who appeared for the party before the ITAT, said that the ITAT said there is no restriction on bank accounts but only a lien of ₹115 crore.

However, the Income Tax department has said that it never froze the bank accounts of the Congress party, and only recovered some of the due amount from the party’s bank accounts. The I-T dept said that as the party is not paying am outstanding tax amount of ₹135, it was decided to recover around ₹116 crore from the party’s bank accounts. The dept added that the party has more fund in its other accounts which it can freely use.

The case pertains to a tax demand of ₹103 crore raised by the I-T department against the Indian National Congress for the Assessment Year 2018-19. Around ₹32 crore interest was added to it, and therefore the total demand was ₹135 crore.

As per government sources, the assessment under section 143(3) of the Income Tax Act, 1961, was completed in July 2021. The party had claimed exemption under section 13A, which grants exemption from tax to political parties for voluntary contributions received from individuals. The prayer for exemption was not allowed because the Congress party failed to comply with the provisions of section 13A(d), and the return of income was also fled late.

Notably, section 13A(d) of the Income Tax Act says that any income of a political party made through voluntary donation will not be included in the total income of the party, provided that “no donation exceeding two thousand rupees is received by such political party otherwise than by an account payee cheque drawn on a bank or an account payee bank draft or use of electronic clearing system through a bank account or through electoral bond.”

This means, the exemption is allowed only if individual donations are ₹2000 or less, it is not applicable for all donations.

The assessment was done on an income of ₹199 crore, and a tax demand of ₹103 crore was created.

After that, the Congress party had appealed with the Assessment Officer seeking a stay, and accordingly the party was asked to pay 20% of the total demand, around ₹21 crore, as per rules. However, the party paid only ₹78 lakh. As the party failed to pay 20% of the outstanding demand, a letter was issued asking it to pay the balance demand of ₹104 crore. Moreover, later the appeal filed by the party was dismissed.

Congress party submitted a second appeal against the tax demand with the Income Tax Appellate Tribunal in May, 2023. However, this time the party didn’t file any plea seeking stay. Later in October 2023, Congress paid ₹1.72 crore.

Therefore, the Income Tax department decided to withdraw ₹115.80 crore from various bank accounts of the party. As per the information received, I-T Dept recovered the amount from six bank accounts on 13, 14 and 15 February. The amount was recovered from accounts maintained with the Bank of Baroda, Union Bank, Canara Bank, Oriental Bank of Commerce, and two branches of the State Bank of India.

As per the dept, after recovering ₹1,15,79,58,732 an amount of ₹19,27,30,251 is still pending, as the total demand is over ₹135 crore. However, as per the ITAT order today, the ‘recovered’ money will now be kept as a lien and the amount will lie in the bank accounts of the Congress party.

In proceedings before ITAT on 16/02/2024, the Income Tax Department said that the recovery made by withdrawing money from accounts is a routine recovery measure. The I-T dept added that the operation or activity of the accounts has not been stopped. “Further, INC has many more accounts for its activities, a fact which was taken note of by the ITAT,” the dept added.

The next hearing by the ITAT has been scheduled on 21 February 2024.

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