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‘We will meet in the court of law’: Himanta Biswa Sarma lashes out at Rahul Gandhi after he links him to Adani Group

OpIndia Staff
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‘We will meet in the court of law’: Himanta Biswa Sarma lashes out at Rahul Gandhi after he links him to Adani Group

On Saturday (April 8), Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma hit out at Rahul Gandhi for trying to link him with the ongoing controversy surrounding Indian businessman Gautam Adani.

In a tweet, Sarma said, “It was our decency to have never asked you, on where have you concealed the proceeds of crime from the Bofors and National Herald Scams.”

“And how you allowed Ottavio Quattrocchi to escape the clutches of Indian justice multiple times. Anyway, we will meet in the Court of Law,” the former Congress leader hinted at taking legal recourse against Rahul Gandhi.

On Saturday (April 8) morning, Rahul Gandhi courted controversy by linking former party leaders to alleged financial irregularities by Indian industrialist Gautam Adani.

In a tweet, he claimed, “They want to hide the truth and therefore misguide you every day. The question is the same – Who has poured ₹20,000 crore illegal funds into Adani’s companies.”

Screengrab of the contentious tweet by Rahul Gandhi

The tweet was accompanied by a graphic, featuring the logo of the Adani group, with each letter corresponding to a former Congress leader (some of whom have joined hands with the BJP).

Rahul Gandhi thus hit out at former party colleagues, namely, Ghulam Nabi Azad, Jyotiraditya Scindia, Kiran Kumar Reddy, Himanta Biswa Sarma and Anil Antony, insinuating that the former Congress leaders may have invested in the Adani Group.

Recently, Himanta Biswa Sarma lashed out at the Congress over its ongoing protests against the conviction of Rahul Gandhi by a Surat court, eventually leading to his disqualification from the Lok Sabha.

The Assam CM said the trend the Congress was setting with its protests wasn’t good for democracy. In a dig at Rahul, the senior BJP leader added that no one can cast aspersions on the country’s time-honoured judicial system if a particular judgment goes against him.

‘Don’t allow any obstruction in development’: PM Modi tells Telangana CM, says lack of state govt’s cooperation is delaying central projects in the state

OpIndia Staff
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‘Don’t allow any obstruction in development’: PM Modi tells Telangana CM, says lack of state govt’s cooperation is delaying central projects in the state

On Saturday, April 8, Prime Minister Narendra Modi accused Telangana Chief Minister K Chandra Shekhar Rao (KCR) of obstructing development initiatives launched by the Central government meant to benefit the people of Telangana. He said that he is pained due to the “non-cooperation” of the CM KCR-led state government. PM Modi also accused the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) leader of indulging in ‘parivarwaad’ (dynasticism) and corruption and appealed to the state govt to not allow any obstruction in development projects in the state.

It is notable that Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone and dedicated to the nation various projects worth over Rs. 11,300 crores at Parade Ground in Hyderabad in Telangana. He also flagged off the Secunderabad-Tirupati Vande Bharat Express. BRS has boycotted the PM’s visit, the CM didn’t receive him at the airport and didn’t participate in the event. The Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) had invited CM K Chandrasekhar Rao officially for the programme, but he decided against sharing the dais with PM Modi. The CM deputed Animal Husbandry Minister T Srinivas Yadav to represent him to comply with protocol.

“It causes immense grief and pain that most of the projects launched by the central government are delayed due to the non-cooperation of the state government. This is causing a loss to the people of Telangana. I would request the state government that it should stop obstructing and rather expedite development projects,” PM Modi said in his speech.

“I appeal to the state government to not allow any obstruction in developments being planned for Telangana people,” the PM said.

The Prime Minister also pointed out that while his government is working tirelessly for the people, ‘some people’ who fostered ‘parivarwad’ (nepotism) are having a problem with those working honestly.

“It is our government’s priority to fulfill the aspirations and expectations of the people of our country and we are working day in and out in a bid to accomplish this, however, some people are frustrated due to these development initiatives,” PM Modi said.

He also emphasized that people who have fostered corruption and nepotism have nothing to do with the interests of the nation or the well-being of society and also cause issues for those who carry out the honest job. The Prime Minister cautioned the people of Telangana and said that such people only look for the interest of their family in every project and investment.

‘Control is the mantra of dynasts’: PM Modi

The Prime Minister stressed that nepotism is a breeding ground for corruption, underlining the parallels between the two. The Prime Minister stated that “control is the basic mantra of dynastic politics.” The Prime Minister added that dynasts want to preserve their control over every institution and despise it when someone challenges their dominance.

PM Modi also alleged that the dynastic forces maintained control over which beneficiary would receive what benefit and elaborated on the three meanings that emerge from this situation using the Direct Benefit Transfer system as an example and the promotion of digital payment across the nation.

First, the Prime Minister stated, only their family should continue to be hailed, second, the proceeds of corruption should continue to flow to the family, and third, the corrupt ecosystem should continue to benefit from money sent to the underprivileged. “Modi has attacked the legit roots of corruption today. These people are unsettled as a consequence, and their actions are motivated by rage, PM Modi added.

PM Modi takes a dig at opposition parties

PM Modi also took a jibe at political parties who approached Supreme Court alleging that the central government is using central investigative agencies such as the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in a bid to quell dissent by arresting opposition leaders.

“Out of frustration, many such political parties moved court, saying that give us protection so that nobody opens our books of corruption, but, even court gave them a shock and sent them back,” PM Modi said.

Notably, the fourteen political parties including the BRS were faced with shock as a Supreme Court bench comprising CJI DY Chandrachud and Justice JB Pardiwala on Wednesday refused to entertain the plea seeking formulation of guidelines without regard to specific factual context. The Supreme Court stated that politicians could not assert a higher level of immunity than ordinary citizens. The opposition parties had to withdraw their plea as the SC bench refused to entertain their plea. 

PM Modi speaks about development projects launched in Telangana today

PM Modi also informed about various development initiatives started by the Central government in Telangana. He mentioned that the four highway projects, the foundation of which has been laid today will facilitate the development of the state. He also highlighted that the central government is focused on both industrial and agricultural development of Telangana as he said that out of the seven textile parks to be set up across the country, one will be set up in Telangana, and will thus result in more job opportunities. Laying emphasis on his government’s focus on investing in health and education, PM Modi talked about the laying foundation stone of AIIMS Bibinagar today. 

Earlier today, Secunderabad-Tirupati Vande Bharat Express was flagged off by PM Modi from the Secunderabad Railway station. Taking to Twitter, PM Modi congratulated the people of Telangana for the newly launched Vande Bharat train.

“Flagged off the Vande Bharat Express that enhances connectivity between Secunderabad and Tirupati. I congratulate the people of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh for this train,” PM Modi tweeted.

‘Adani Watch’: How an Australian NGO-backed portal is actively engaging in anti-India propaganda and meddling in Indian politics

Dibakar Dutta
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‘Adani Watch’: How an Australian NGO-backed portal is actively engaging in anti-India propaganda and meddling in Indian politics

On Thursday (April 6), ‘Adani Watch’ courted controversy after it falsely claimed that a Chinese company, supposedly associated with Indian industrialist Gautam Adani, is building critical infrastructure projects in the country.

The propaganda portal mistook a Taiwanese person named Chang Chien-Ting for a Chinese national and went on to claim that his alleged company (PMC Projects (India) Pvt Ltd) is constructing ports, electricity lines and railway tracks in India.

The disinformation was then further amplified by Congress scion Rahul Gandhi to attack Adani and cast aspersions on the integrity of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

As per the website of ‘Adani Watch,’ it is a project run by the Australia-based Bob Brown Foundation. Interestingly, the charitable organisation was set up by former Australian Greens politician Bob Brown with the objective to save the biosphere and protect the ecology.

While championing the cause of the ‘environment’ in Australia, the Foundation turned its gaze towards India. And since then, it has been fixated on Gautam Adani and everything that goes against the incumbent political dispensation at the Centre.

Popular OSINT Twitter handle, The Hawk Eye, pointed out that Adani Watch’s vicious articles are not just limited to the Indian industrialist but often extend into the political arena. “What an Australian NGO has to take if Ravish Kumar left NDTV?” it inquired in February this year.

Interestingly, Bob Brown Foundation endorses even the propaganda-laden documentary by British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) on Prime Minister Narendra. This is despite the fact that it has nothing to do with Gautam Adani or the environment.

“In this age of rapid destruction of the biosphere, attended by cynicism and pessimism, our foundation will use ecological reality and optimism to promote real environmental wins,” reads the mission statement.

In March 2022, the Bob Brown Foundation was also seen batting for Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Mahua Moitra after she had submitted a formal complaint to SEBI against the Adani Group.

The Hawk Eye also highlighted how ‘Adani Watch’ is lenient about infrastructure projects of Gautam Adani in non-BJP ruled States. “The narrative is Adani is moving into these states to get away from “Modi-favored” image,” it emphasised.

Most of the misleading pieces on the propaganda portal are written by leftist ‘journalist’ Ravi Nair, who also happened to write a malicious article about a Chinese company building India’s key infrastructure projects.

As such, the Twitter handle of the Bob Brown Foundation retweets almost every tweet, which is posted by Ravi Nair. Another group named ‘Stop Adani’, supported by the same Foundation, also regularly endorses the tweets of the leftist ‘journalist.’

In its 2017 annual report, the ‘Stop Adani’ group thanked former Australian Greens politician Bob Brown for conducting key meetings and speaking at events such as the ‘Stop Adani summit’ in Sydney and a ‘Stop Adani rally’ in Hobart.

Through his Foundation, he also manufactured and distributed 5,000 Stop Adani bumper stickers across Australia free of charge.

According to independent journalist Vijay Patel, the ‘Stop Adani’ group works in a coordinated fashion, just like the ‘Adani Watch’ project.

The group had shared politically motivated tweets by the likes of ‘activist’ Prashant Bhushan, The Wire, Hindenburg Research, dubious fact-checker Mohammed Zubair and Congress leader Jairam Ramesh.

In September 2020, an academic named Dr Jennifer Sanger published a flawed scientific paper on Australian bushfires, which she eventually had to retract. It later came to light that she was a campaigner for Bob Brown Foundation.

In April 2021, Tasmanian Resources Minister Guy Barnett wrote to the Assistant Treasurer of Australia, Michael Sukkar, urging him to de-recognise Bob Brown Foundation as a ‘charity.’

The Foundation had reportedly violated the Australian Charities Act of 2013 by asking people to ‘vote the Greens’, a political party which Bob Brown represented between 1989 and 2012. In November last year, he was arrested for protesting against logging in Tasmania.

The targeting of the Adani group, alongside the BJP government at the Centre, clearly shows that the Australia-based Foundation is working towards objectives that are a far cry from its mission statement.

China begins three-day military drill to rehearse ‘encirclement of Taiwan’ after the Taiwanese president’s US visit

OpIndia Staff
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China begins three-day military drill to rehearse ‘encirclement of Taiwan’ after the Taiwanese president’s US visit

China is performing three military drills surrounding Taiwan on Saturday, 8th April 2023. This information was shared by the People’s Liberation Army’s Eastern Theatre Command, the day after Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen returned from a trip to the United States. Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen met US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy during her visit to the USA despite stern warnings against it by the Chinese government. The Chinese military is rehearsing the encirclement of Taiwan in this exercise.

According to a statement issued by PLA, China will conduct “combat readiness patrols” and drills in the Taiwan Strait and to the north, south, and east of Taiwan. The three-day “United Sharp Sword” exercise will continue until Monday. The Chinese military said that it is testing the PLA’s capabilities to “seize control of the sea, air and information” with a multi-day exercise around Taiwan.

“The task force simultaneously organized patrols around the island to create an all-round encirclement and deterrent situation,” the Chinese military’s Eastern Theater Command said. The exercise included a long range rocket unit from the Eastern Theatre Command, destroyers, frigates, missile boats, fighter jets, bombers and electronic warfare planes. The troops are conducting patrols “surrounding and approaching” the island to encircle it, according to Chinese govt operated media house CCTV.

hi Yin, a PLA spokesman said that China’s war games will send planes, ships and personnel into “the maritime areas and air space of the Taiwan Strait, off the northern and southern coasts of the island, and to the island’s east”. According to a maritime authority, on Monday, live-fire drills will take place off the coast of China’s Fujian province, which borders Taiwan.

Shi Yin added, “These operations serve as a stern warning against the collusion between separatist forces seeking ‘Taiwan independence’ and external forces and against their provocative activities. The operations are necessary for safeguarding China’s national sovereignty and territorial integrity.”

Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen Tsai instantly condemned the drills, promising to collaborate with “the US and other like-minded countries” to combat the “continuing authoritarian expansionism” of China.

Tsai Ing-wen met US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy in Los Angeles on Wednesday, infuriating Beijing, which considers Taiwan to be its own territory.

On Saturday, Taiwan’s defence ministry stated that eight Chinese warships and 42 fighter planes were spotted surrounding the island. The ministry issued a “severe condemnation of such irrational conduct,” noting that the detections, which included 29 planes crossing Taiwan’s median line, were made between 6 and 11 a.m. local time.

The ministry further said that Tsai’s visit to the United States was being used by China as an “excuse to undertake military exercises, which have severely impacted peace, stability, and security in the region.”

Taiwan’s defence ministry said on Saturday it was closely monitoring the situation and would make every effort to defend national security and sovereignty. “The People’s Liberation Army (PLA) is deliberately creating tensions on the Taiwan Strait. Besides damaging peace and stability, it also creates negative impact on regional safety and development,” the ministry said. However the ministry said that Taiwan does not want to escalate conflict and they will respond to the drill in a calm, rational and serious way.

Varanasi hotel removes Tej Pratap Yadav’s luggage for not vacating room, furious Bihar minister leaves hotel at midnight and lodges police complaint

OpIndia Staff
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Varanasi hotel removes Tej Pratap Yadav’s luggage for not vacating room, furious Bihar minister leaves hotel at midnight and lodges police complaint

Tej Pratap Yadav, the elder son of Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad Yadav and a minister in the Bihar cabinet, was evicted from his room at a Varanasi hotel named Arcadia Hotel, late on Friday night. He was there on a personal visit. Mishan Sinha, his assistant, has reported the hotel management to Sigra Police Station in Varanasi for misbehaviour.

However, the hotel’s administration stated that the reservation was only valid till noon on April 7th and a different person’s name was used to reserve the accommodation afterwards. Hence, they had to take his luggage out.

Tej Pratap was incensed by this action of the hotel management and left the establishment in the middle of the night. Following a commotion, the police and hotel staff arrived and attempted to pacify him but to no avail.

Tej Pratap had reserved two rooms at the Arcadia Hotel, room numbers 205 and 206, when he arrived in Varanasi, according to the registered complaint. The minister was staying in room 206, while his staff were occupying room no 205.

He went to Assi Ghat for sightseeing and aarti at around 11 in the morning. When he returned at the midnight, he saw that bags from room 205 were removed and kept at the front desk. Moreover, his room was also opened by the hotel staff. The complaint stated that the hotel staff unlawfully removed all of the items from the room of the personnel stationed for his security.

The complaint says that opening the minister’s room without his presence is a serious breach of security. Therefore, strict action should be taken against the manager and other staff members of the hotel, it states. It is further claimed that Tej Pratap’s employee Dilawar was at the hotel at that time, and he was removed from the room and made to sit at the reception.

The management of the hotel said that the minister had to vacate the room 205 at 12 noon on Friday, but he didn’t do so. In the meanwhile, a guest from Chennai had booked that room, and he had reached the hotel. The hotel management said that due to this, they were shifting the luggage from the room to another room in front of his staff, but he became angry after seeing this. He left both rooms and sat in the car.

The management also added that Tej Pratap Yadav’s room was booked till April 7 morning, and it was the other room which was to be vacated yesterday. They claimed that the Bihar minister was confused by the development, and left the hotel last night itself.

As per the police, Tej Pratap’s aide filed a formal complaint which alleged that after looking at the CCTV footage, it was discovered that hotel employees visited his room and removed his possessions. Now, the authorities are attempting to ascertain the hotel management’s position on the matter. Sigra Inspector Raju Singh said that action will be taken as per rules after the investigation is done on the basis of the complaint filed.

Tej Pratap Yadav is a cabinet minister of the Environment, Forest & Climate Change Department in the Government of Bihar.

Assam Police arrests Zahidul Islam, Zakir Hussain, and Abu Sama of banned PFI, CFI in Barpeta; cash, electronic devices seized

OpIndia Staff
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Assam Police arrests Zahidul Islam, Zakir Hussain, and Abu Sama of banned PFI, CFI in Barpeta; cash, electronic devices seized

On Saturday, the Assam Police detained three leaders of the banned groups Campus Front of India (CFI) and Popular Front of India (PFI) in Barpeta. The Police also recovered the Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) pamphlet, four mobile phones, and Rs 1.50 lakh in cash from their possession.

The arrested accused belonging to CFI and PFI have been identified as Zahidul Islam, Zakir Hussain, and Abu Sama. According to the reports, two radicals belonging to the PFI who were arrested from Assam’s Barpeta district on April 8 will be produced before Chief Judicial Magistrate’s (CJM) court today. Meanwhile, one member of CFI was arrested from the Barpeta Road railway station on April 6.

The PFI Assam State Committee is reportedly led by Samad Ahmed, whereas the CFI Assam Committee is led by Jahidul Islam, who is the resident of Sanbari village of Govardhana in the Baksa district. Zakir Hussain apparently acts as the state committee’s secretary.

The arrest was confirmed by Hiren Nath, ADGP (SB), Assam Police who said, “Police arrested three persons of PFI and CFI including PFI’s Assam unit secretary and CFI’s national treasurer from Barpeta district.”

“The arrested PFI and CFI leaders were identified as Jakir Hussain, he is also the State Secretary of PFI, Abu Sama and CFI National Treasurer Sahidul Islam. Police also recovered cash of Rs 1.50 lakh, four mobile phones, pamphlet of SDPI in possession from them,” he added.

Meanwhile Superintendent of Police Amitabh Sinha stated to the New Indian Express that these PFI and CFI leaders had been hiding in different places across the country after fleeing from Assam. ”The three PFI and CFI leaders will be produced before the Barpeta Chief Judicial Magistrate’s court today. However, the police will seek custody of the three top leaders for the investigation,” he added.

The Delhi High Court’s Justice Dinesh Kumar Sharma, who chairs the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act Tribunal (UAPA Tribunal), supported the Union government’s move to impose a five-year ban on PFI and its associate groups last month.

The Ministry of Home Affairs in September last year issued a notification banning the Islamist organization named Popular Front of India and its affiliate organizations. The MHA stated that the organizations including All India Imams Council, Campus Front of India (CFI), Rehab India Foundation, National Conf of Human Rights Org, National Women’s Front, Junior Front, Empower India Foundation, and Rehab Foundation, Kerala operated unlawfully and needed to be banned under UAPA.

The ban on the PFI came after two rounds of searches by the NIA in a multi-agency investigation against the organization for sponsoring terror operations in the nation. The NIA officials also recovered several incriminating materials from the PFI hubs located in around 17 states of the country back then. Prominent among them include a brochure and CD related to ‘Mission 2047’.

Further, a huge amount of undocumented cash was also recovered from the PFI leaders of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu and also document in a ‘short course on how to make IEDs using easily available materials’. Meanwhile, pen drives containing videos related to ISIS, and Gajwa-e-Hind were found from the Uttar Pradesh PFI leadership and Marine radio sets from Tamil Nadu PFI leadership. Many such other materials including wireless communication devices were taken into custody by the official.

‘Construction of unauthorised mosques, attempt to drive out Hindus’: Delhi’s Brahmapuri residents write to Amit Shah

OpIndia Staff
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‘Construction of unauthorised mosques, attempt to drive out Hindus’: Delhi’s Brahmapuri residents write to Amit Shah

On Wednesday, April 5, Hindus of Delhi’s Brahmapuri, who were the victim of the anti-Hindu riots in 2020 there, wrote a letter to Union Home Minister Amit Shah. In this letter, the Hindus have complained about the gathering of non-local Muslims in the lane in the name of Namaz and Madrassa.

The Hindus have expressed concern about being compelled to evacuate their homes, as it has become difficult for them to step out of their homes. In the letter sent on Wednesday, Hindus have accused one Abdul Rafiq of bringing about the design to drive them away from the locality.

Along with complainant Sheeshpal Tiwari’s signature, the letter also bears the signatures of several other Brahmapuri residents.  The letter mentions the construction of unauthorised mosques and madrasas to push Hindus away. Moreover, Rafiq is accused of violating the agreement reached by the DCP of the Delhi Police in 2018. Only the residents of the street were permitted to offer Namaz under this agreement, but the complaint alleges that now people who live outside the area are going there to offer Namaz.

According to the complainants, it was an intentional act. Hindu families, it is claimed, are finding it increasingly difficult to step out of their homes. The complaint also claims that in order to evict Hindus, construction of a mosque and a madrassa was begun in lane number 8 at house C-76/4 in the years 2017–2018. The Hindu community strongly opposed this construction. The local administration called both communities in 2018 and got a mutual agreement between them. A copy of this agreement has also been affixed by the complainants. Sagar Kumar, a Journalist working at Sudarshan News has tweeted the said letter.

Moreover, Sheeshpal Tiwari and others alleged that the accused even spilled blood in their homes following which a complaint was lodged at the New Usmanpur police station. Residents of the lane have made the new accusation that the accused, Abdul Rafiq, is breaking the police’s 2018 agreement. Also, Rafiq is involved with encouraging outsiders including several anti-social elements to perform Namaz in the gully. The complainants have raised concern that Rafiq’s actions were prompted by a conspiracy to drive the local Hindus away.

It has also been hinted in the letter that there is a plan to construct a new Madrassa in the area. The letter concludes with a demand for strict action against accused Abdul Rafiq and his accomplices. It is further stressed that taking action against the accused is pertinent to stop the Hindus from leaving Brahmapuri.

A conspiracy has been ongoing for 8-10 years

OpIndia spoke to the complainant, Ramnaviwas Sharma, to confirm whether any such complaint letter has been written or not. Sharma confirmed sending the letter and alleged that certain Muslims frequently harass him and other locals in the name of Namaz. Sharma said that Namaz is offered in the street by shifting the location. He added that the administration had not yet taken any action.

OpIndia called DCP North East of the Delhi Police to find out what actions had been taken regarding the case, but the first time we tried, his phone was busy, and the second time, he did not pick up the call. ACP Seelampur’s official number was also switched off. The story will be updated once the police version is available.

US think tank: Pakistan needs to pay $77.5 billion in external debt; risk of default ‘real’

OpIndia Staff
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US think tank: Pakistan needs to pay $77.5 billion in external debt; risk of default ‘real’

Pakistan must pay back a staggering $77.5 billion in external debt between April 2023 and June 2026, all the while grappling with a severe economic collapse.

United States Institute of Peace (USIP), an American think tank has warned that the country’s enormous foreign debt might lead to the country’s economic default, which would have disruptive implications.

According to the USIP analysis, which was released on April 6, Pakistan is at risk of default due to soaring inflation, domestic political strife, an uptick in terrorist assaults, and a colossal foreign debt load.

“Amid skyrocketing inflation, political conflict between Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s government and former Prime Minister Imran Khan, and surging terrorism, the country is facing the risk of a default due to its massive external debt obligations,” the report read.

The research stated that there would be a cascade of disruptive repercussions if the country defaulted on its $77.5 billion foreign debt repayment commitment from April 2023 to June 2026. Pakistan which is already groaning under a mountain of debt will have to make enormous repayments to Saudi Arabia, individual creditors, and Chinese financial institutions over the course of the next three years. 

Pakistan is under tremendous pressure to repay its debt between April and June 2023 because it must service USD 4.5 billion in external debt, as mentioned by the US institute. Significant repayments are allegedly anticipated in June when a $1.4 billion Chinese commercial loan and a $1 billion Chinese SAFE deposit will mature.

Noting that the Chinese government and commercial banks have previously done the same, the Pakistani government is attempting to convince China to refinance and roll over both liabilities.

Even if Pakistan is able to fulfil these obligations, the upcoming fiscal year would be more challenging since, as per the USIP, the cost of repaying the debt will climb to over $25 billion. The country still hasn’t received a much-needed $1.1 billion funding tranche from the International Monetary Fund (IMF). The money was initially supposed to be given out in November 2022.

Analysts asserted that the payments are a crucial component of a $6.5 billion rescue plan that the IMF authorised in 2019 if Pakistan is to avoid defaulting on its commitments under external debt. The IMF programme expires on June 30, 2023, and under the current procedures, it cannot be extended after that date.

“This burden has been exacerbated by the derailment of the $6.5 billion International Monetary Fund (IMF) program Pakistan entered in 2019, as the international lender is unsatisfied with Pakistan’s commitment to reform and ability to arrange for funds to meet external financing requirements,” the report observed.

“Troublingly, Pakistan’s official foreign exchange reserves are hovering around $4 billion, which is insufficient to finance even a one-month of the country’s import bill,” it added.

There has been no progress on the relaunch of the programme despite months of talks between Pakistan and the IMF. The country’s government is confident that they have undertaken all the tough decisions required to restart the IMF plan that has been suspended, but there is no easy fix for Pakistan’s faltering economy.

Two solutions to the issue of foreign debt are highlighted in the assessment. The first measure is to take out new loans and explore the option of debt rollovers and the second one is that Pakistan seeks a pre-emptive restructuring of debt. 

The report remarked that there is a genuine risk that the country, a country with nuclear weapons and a population of close to 230 million, may be unable to pay its foreign debt commitments, leading to a sovereign default.

It is crucial to note that Pakistan is facing an unprecedented challenge from all directions as a result of the country’s worsening financial woes, political turmoil, and terrorist strikes, all of which have contributed greatly towards severe poverty, bloodshed and fatalities there.

Tamil Nadu Congress leader threatens to chop off the tongue of the judge who sentenced Rahul Gandhi in 2019 criminal defamation case, booked

OpIndia Staff
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Tamil Nadu Congress leader threatens to chop off the tongue of the judge who sentenced Rahul Gandhi in 2019 criminal defamation case, booked

The Congress loyalists have been crying hoarse ever since their boss Rahul Gandhi has been convicted and subsequently disqualified from the Lok Sabha. Such is the vitriol that a Congress leader in Tamil Nadu has recently gone on to threaten to chop off the tongue of the judge who sentenced Rahul Gandhi to two years in prison in the 2019 criminal defamation case.

Manikandan, the Congress Dindigul district president reportedly made the remark during a protest that was organised by the party on Thursday (April 6, 2023). “On March 23, the Surat court judge gave two years prison term for our leader Rahul Gandhi. Listen, Justice H Varma, when Congress comes to power, we will chop off your tongue. Who are you to give jail term to him?” said Manikandan, while addressing a crowd at the protest.

Manikandan made the comments at a protest by the Congress party against the disqualification of Rahul Gandhi held at Dindigul.

After the video of the incident went viral, an FIR was filed against him under three sections including section 153B of the IPC on Saturday.

“We have registered a case against him (Manikandan) under three sections including section 153B of the IPC and an investigation is underway,” the Dindigul Police was quoted by news agency ANI as saying.

Congress senior leader Rahul Gandhi’s conviction

Gandhi was convicted by a Surat Court and sentenced to 2 years in prison in a 2019 defamation case. Gandhi’s conviction led to an automatic disqualification from Lok Sabha as per the regulations. His disqualification has been used by Gandhi and Congress leaders to attack Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), claiming “democracy is in danger” and “Modi is suppressing the voice of opposition”. In 2019, Rahul Gandhi abused the OBC community by questioning “why all thieves have a common surname, Modi”. Irked by his comments, a defamation case was filed. Surat Court found him guilty and sentenced him to two years. He had 30 days to appeal against the sentencing.

Chennai: NIA conducts multiple raids, busts racket working for LTTE revival; 1 arrested

OpIndia Staff
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Chennai: NIA conducts multiple raids, busts racket working for LTTE revival; 1 arrested

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) conducted raids at many locations owned by suspects in Chennai as part of a recent crackdown on the Indo-Sri Lankan illegal narcotics and guns trafficking racket and arrested a man named Ayyappan Nandhu. He was found to be running the drug business for Muhammad Asmin, a Sri Lankan exile and drug dealer.

According to reports, the aforementioned racket purportedly worked to revive the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). The agency also confiscated a huge amount of cash, gold bars, digital gadgets, narcotics, and papers during its operations in addition to other evidence. Muhammed Asmin had conspired with other accused to resurrect the LTTE through the sale of narcotics and weapons.

The NIA has made 14 arrests so far since it started an inquiry into the scam in July 2022. 13 individuals were apprehended in December 2022 amid searches at 21 different places around Tamil Nadu. The accommodations allotted to nine accused at Tiruchirappalli’s special detention camp were among the targets of these searches.

All nine were apparently working with Haji Salim, a drug dealer with ties to Pakistan who is suspected of being involved in the March 2021 incident near Kerala’s Vizhinjam port, in which Indian defence forces had seized a boat carrying 300 kilogrammes of heroin, five AK-47 assault rifles, and 1,000 rounds of 9mm ammunition.

Investigations into the matter have revealed that the proceeds of drugs and arms trade in Sri Lanka were received in India through hawala agents, including one Shahid Ali of Chennai. The transactions were discovered to have been carried out through hotels and companies situated in Mannadi, Chennai.

The recent seizure on April 6 comprised Rs. 68 lakhs in Indian cash, $1,000 in Singapore Dollars, and nine gold biscuits (totalling 300 grammes) from Shahid Ali’s shop. The Hotel Orange Palace in Chennai was where the NIA also found Rs 12 lakhs in Indian currency.

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