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‘Everything for Adani, nothing for common man’: Opposition reacts to Budget 2023 in the usual way

OpIndia Staff
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‘Everything for Adani, nothing for common man’: Opposition reacts to Budget 2023 in the usual way

On February 1, 2023, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced the Union Budget for Financial Year 2023-24. While the government announced a comprehensive budget that benefits a larger section of the working class and middle and lower income groups, the opposition criticised the budget by calling it ‘corporate friendly’.

In a statement, Congress leader Shashi Tharoor said though there were good aspects of the budget, the Finance Minister did not mention MNREGA, poor rural labour, employment and inflation.

JD(U) MP Rajiv Ranjan called it ‘sapno ka saudagar’ and claimed there was no mention of how inflation and unemployment will be controlled. He said there was nothing new in the budget for 2023.

Calling it a pro-corporate budget, Congress leader K Suresh said that the budget would fulfil the interests of Adani. He further claimed that the common man has been ignored in the budget. “This budget is for Adani, Ambani, Gujarat,” he said.

PDP leader and former chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir Mehbooba Mufti claimed the budget has nothing new and it has been the same for the last 8-9 years. She suggested that the taxes have been increased and money is not being spent on welfare schemes and subsidies. She said, “Tax being collected for some crony capitalists & big businessmen.”

Samajwadi Party MP Dimple Yadav said the budget was announced keeping elections in mind hence the relaxation was given to the middle class. She said there was no mention of farmers, employment and youth in the budget.

BRS leader Kavitha Kalvakuntla called it a ‘mathematical confirmation of the failure of Modi govt’. She claimed that as the salaried persons get “good salaries” in Telangana, the additional rebates announced were of no use. “We hoped tax rebate of up to Rs 10 lakhs,” she said.

Congress leader Gaurav Gogoi said, “No solution to price-rise, inflation, unemployment. Poor got just words & rhetoric. Budget benefits only the big industrialists. Tax rebate up to Rs 7 Lakhs is insignificant considering the inflation & price-rise, it’s like a drop in the ocean for the middle class.”

Contrary to the claims made by the opposition leaders, there were many aspects of the Union budget FY 2023-24 that are being praised as middle-class and poor-friendly. Not to forget, major relief has been announced for the middle-class section in personal income tax. Furthermore, the tax rebates for MSMEs and cooperations will help in reducing expenses and increasing employment. The budget has seen a major jump in the funds for PM Awas Yojana. It has been increased by 66 per cent to Rs 79,000 crores. Detailed budget reports can be seen here.

Media portraying PFI spy Sonu Mansoori’s family secular: Mansoori continuously changing statements, lawyer Noor Jahan on the run

OpIndia Staff
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Media portraying PFI spy Sonu Mansoori’s family secular: Mansoori continuously changing statements, lawyer Noor Jahan on the run

Sonu Mansoori, who was arrested by an Indore court in Madhya Pradesh on charges of spying for the banned Islamic extremist organization Popular Front of India (PFI), has made new revelations. Police have found several call recordings in Mansoori’s mobile, in which instructions have been given by her bosses.

According to reports, the police have arrested lawyer Noor Jahan and her flat has been sealed. Details of his phone number are being extracted. On the other hand, the police say that Sonu Mansoori is changing her statement repeatedly during interrogation. Mansoori’s family members who call themselves secular have expressed suspicion that her daughter is being implicated by the agencies.

However, Sonu Mansoori has not yet given any satisfactory explanation about the Rs 1.16 lakh recovered from her. Sometimes she is telling the money belongs to a client of Noor Jahan, while other times she is claiming that someone gave it to her for a bounced cheque. Police say she is changing her statement frequently.

During the investigation, it has also been revealed that Sonu Mansoori was given a flat by a person named Riyaz. In this flat, there was a girl named Varsha, the partner of Mansoori. Police have also summoned Riyaz and Varsha and questioned them. At the same time, information has also been revealed that persons named Tarun and Mukund have also been questioned. Sonu Mansoori’s flat partner Varsha has denied having knowledge of Sonu’s PFI-related activities.

According to another report, the police have received many call recordings from Sonu Mansoori’s mobile. Some call recordings have also been deleted by Mansoori. Most of the recordings on the mobile are such that she has been instructed by her bosses. Some of these instructions are also from fugitive advocate Noor Jahan.

The number of recovered recordings is said to be 6, which the police have saved in pen drives as evidence. The police also took Sonu Mansoori to Noor Jahan’s flat. Police say they will ask for an extension of Sonu’s remand period which ends on February 1, 2023 (Wednesday).

Sonu Mansoori’s brother Iqbal Mansoori has said that his sister is innocent and her arrest is a conspiracy. Iqbal says that the real truth will come out after interrogating Noor Jahan. At the same time, Sonu Mansoori’s family members also talked about celebrating Hindu festivals, calling themselves secular.

Speaking to OpIndia, Sohan Vishwakarma, an office-bearer associated with the Hindu organization in Indore, said that the secularism being shown by Sonu Mansoori’s family is just a hoax. He said that Sonu Mansoori was involved in anti-national activities at the behest of PFI.

Sohan Vishwakarma also told about advocate Noor Jahan, who is on the run. He said that many people in Indore are aware of Noor Jahan’s action. Due to her image, Noor Jahan lost badly in the bar association election.

Budget 2023: Here is what Nirmala Sitharaman said about ‘Shri Anna’ and the International Year of Millets

OpIndia Staff
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Budget 2023: Here is what Nirmala Sitharaman said about ‘Shri Anna’ and the International Year of Millets

On Wednesday (February 1), Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman laid special emphasis on millet cultivation in the country during her Union Budget 2023-2024 speech in Parliament.

“India is the global hub for millet or Shri Anna. India is at the forefront of popularising millets whose consumption furthers nutrition, food security and welfare of farmers, said the Prime Minister,” she informed.

“We are the largest producer and second-largest exporter of Shri Anna in the world. We grow several types of Shri Anna such as jowar, ragi, bajra, kuttu…These have a number of health benefits and have been an integral part of our food for centuries ” the Union Finance Minister emphasised.

“I acknowledge with pride, the huge service done by small farmers in contributing to the health of fellow citizens by growing this Shri Anna,” Nirmala Sitharaman added.

She further emphasised, “Now to make India a global hub for Shri Anna, the Indian Institute of Millets Research in Hyderabad will be supported as the centre of excellence for sharing best practices, research and technologies at the international level.”

While presenting the Union Budget last year, Nirmala Sitharaman said, “2023 has been announced as the International Year of Millets. Support will be provided for post-harvest value addition, enhancing domestic consumption, and for branding millet products nationally and internationally.”

Massive boost to millet cultivation under PM Modi

The Indian government, led by the Prime Minister, proposed the ‘International Year of Millets (IYM) 2023’, which was approved by the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).

The declaration has allowed the Indian government to take the lead in celebrating IYM 2023. PM Modi has made it clear that he wants to use the opportunity to make the event a “People’s Movement” and make India the “Global Hub for Millets.”

In India, millets are grown as a Kharif crop, requiring less water and other agricultural inputs than other staples. Millets are crucial due to their potential to generate livelihoods, increase farmers’ income, and ensure food and nutritional security globally.

Recognising the immense potential of millet, which aligns with several UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the Indian government has made them a priority.

Millets were rebranded as “Nutri Cereals” in 2018, the same year it was declared the National Year of Millets, to increase promotion and demand. The global millets market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 4.5% from 2021 to 2026.

On December 6, last year, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations hosted the opening ceremony for the International Year of Millets 2023 in Rome in Italy.

In January 2023, the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) and DA&FW participated in a trade show in Belgium, showcasing the diversity of Indian millets through ready-to-eat and ready-to-cook millet-based products marketed by Indian companies.

Here is how much has been allocated to the Ministry of Minority Affairs in Budget 2023: Why it may disappoint the Left

Jinit Jain
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Here is how much has been allocated to the Ministry of Minority Affairs in Budget 2023: Why it may disappoint the Left

On Wednesday, February 1, India’s Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presented her 5th Union Budget and the last full budget of the Modi 2.0 government that came to power in 2019. The Finance Minister made a slew of announcements, from raising the personal income tax limit from Rs 5 lakhs to Rs 7 lakhs to a steep increase of 33 per cent in the capital investment outlay to Rs 10,00,000 crores.

The Minority Affairs Ministry is allocated Rs 3097.60 crore in the 2023-24 Union Budget on Wednesday, which is Rs 484.94 crore more than the revised figures of the previous fiscal.

In the budget presented for 2023-24 by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, the Centre proposed to allot Rs 3,097.60 crore to the Ministry of Minority Affairs.

Source: https://www.indiabudget.gov.in

The budget estimate for the Ministry of Minority Affairs in the financial year 2022-23 was Rs 5,020.50 crore and later the revised allocation was Rs 2,612.66 crore.

Of the proposed allocation to the Ministry, Rs 433 crore is for the pre-matric scholarship scheme and Rs 1,065 crore is for the post-matric scholarship.

A total of Rs 540 crore has been allocated for Pradhan Mantri Virasat Ka Samvardhan (PM VIKAS), a skilling initiative from MoMA focussing on the skilling, entrepreneurship and leadership training requirements of the minority and artisan communities across the country. 

The scheme is intended to be implemented in convergence with the Skill India Mission of Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship and through integration with the Skill India Portal (SIP). The scheme has components aiming to benefit approximately 9 lakh candidates the 15th Finance Commission Cycle, which includes Skilling and Training Component, Traditional Training sub-component (earlier known as USTTAD and Hamari Dharohar), Non-traditional Skilling sub-component (earlier known as Seekho aur Kamao), Leadership and Entrepreneurship Component (earlier Nai Roshni), and Education Component. 

Furthermore, the Budget allocates Rs 600 crore for PMJYK (Pradhan Mantri Jan Vikas Karyakaram), a special area development programme that aims to address the development, deficits in the selected Minority Concentration Areas (MCAs i.e identified districts headquarters blocks/towns/clusters of villages having substantial minority population which are relatively backward). The MsDP has been resturctured and revamped for implementation as Pradhan Mantri Jan Vikas Karyakaram. 

The budget earmarks Rs 10 crores to grant financial assistance to introduce modern subjects in madarsas, teacher’s Training and augmenting school infrastructure in minorities institutions. In FY 2022-2023, Rs 60 crores were allocated to ‘Education Scheme for Madrasas and Minorities’ while a year before that, the centre had spent Rs 161.53 crore on the same. 

How incrementally progressive changes and the Centre’s financial prudence has the usual suspects upset

As expected, the broad changes the Minority Ministry has been instituting in the last couple of years had cheesed off the usual suspects and leftist media organisations. Two days before the announcement of the Union Budget 2023, the leftist propaganda portal Scroll published an article lamenting how the Centre had slashed the budget for minorities.

Source: Scroll

However, it is worth noting that the Centre had allocated Rs 5,000 crore for minority affairs last year, of which a large portion (~Rs 2,300 crore) remained unutilised, as per the budget figures. This year, the Centre drew lessons from their past actions and allocated Rs 3,097, about 18 per cent higher than Rs 2,612.66 crore (revised estimates) of the current fiscal year, instead of allocating greater share only to have them unutilised.

The leftist media outlet grumbled about the Centre scrapping the Nai Udaan Scheme as well as the Maulana Azad National Fellowship for higher education. 

However, the restriction of Pre-Matric Scholarships to Classes 9 and 10 was due to the fact that students from Classes 1-8 are protected under the Right to Education Act, 2009, requiring the government to provide free and compulsory elementary education to all children. The notification by the Centre further said that the decision was taken to ensure parity with similar scholarships offered by the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment and the Ministry of Tribal Affairs, which cover students of Classes 9 and 10.

But the Scroll argued that the reasoning by the Centre did not hold scrutiny. In essence, the Scroll wanted the Centre to pay for scholarships to minority students who are anyway receiving the education for free, at taxpayers’ expense. 

The author of the Scroll article also bemoans the steep decline in the grant for madarsas. From 160 crore two years ago, the Centre has, this year, earmarked only Rs 10 crore for funding Islamic schools. However, this is in line with the Indian government’s push to promote modern education for education over madarsas, which are reportedly centres propagating traditionalism parochial outlook.

Puri Shankaracharya Swami Nischalananda Saraswati says ‘ancestors of Prophet Muhammad, Jesus were Sanatani Hindus’: Reports

OpIndia Staff
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Puri Shankaracharya Swami Nischalananda Saraswati says ‘ancestors of Prophet Muhammad, Jesus were Sanatani Hindus’: Reports

On Tuesday, Puri Shankaracharya Swami Nischalananda Saraswati said that the ancestors of Prophet Muhammad and Jesus Christ were Sanatani Hindus and the same has been proved in the past. “Opposition members in America have raised this issue in Parliament. Ancestors of Prophet Muhammad and Jesus Christ have been proved to be Sanatani Hindus,” he was quoted as saying.

The seer also stated that Prophet Muhammad and Jesus Christ were themselves Hindus for years before they accepted Islam and Christianity respectively. According to reports, Shankaracharya Swami Nischalananda Saraswati has been repeating this for years. He sparked outrage last year when he said that Jesus Christ and Prophet Mohammed were Hindus. He said that Jesus’ ten years of existence were not mentioned in the Bible and that he was in India throughout that time.

He said that Jesus had spent three years in Puri and that Christ was a Vaishav who practised Hindu ceremonies. His comments sparked outrage back then. “This is not the first time Shankaracharya has many times said that Jesus Christ was in India for 10 years and his ancestors were Hindu. If you take the birth of Christ into account, then Hinduism is way older than him. Naturally, his ancestors would be Hindus,” PRO of the Govardhan Peeth, Matrudatta then had responded.

At that time, there were also comments that he was following the path of RSS. However, Shankaracharya Swami Nischalananda Saraswati denied the claims and said, “I do not follow RSS. If they want, they can follow me. Even the RSS Chief, Mohan Bhagwat sits in front of me like ‘Bal Gopal’ (Baby Krishna).”

Swami on Tuesday also stated that the governments shouldn’t have control over the temples and math. ““The governments shouldn’t have control over temples and Matth, and there is a need to spend money for the development to every corner,” he said.

When questioned about the lost key of the Puri’s Ratna Bhandar, Shankaracharya remarked, “The Odisha government and Jagannath temple administration never consulted over any issues regarding the temple. Why should I interfere in the missing key issue of Ratna Bhandar?”

Reports mention that there are a total of seven treasuries within the temple, one of which is always open. The keys to four treasuries were lost around 38 years ago, but only two keys are there with the District Collector.

Meanwhile, Swami also commented on the Joshimath issue and said that proper balance should be maintained between development and the nature. “The word development should be understood in its proper context. Earth, water and air are sources of energy. It is our job to keep the earth and environment clean and pollution free. Proper balance should be maintained,” he added.

Tamil Nadu: Hindu Makkal Katchi leader Manikandan murdered in Madurai by unknown persons

OpIndia Staff
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Tamil Nadu: Hindu Makkal Katchi leader Manikandan murdered in Madurai by unknown persons

On the night of Tuesday, January 31st, a senior member of a Hindu rights group was murdered in Tamil Nadu’s Madurai by a group of assailants. The accused fled the spot after attacking the deceased victim and are still absconding.

The deceased victim has been identified as G Manikandan. He was the Southern Madurai Deputy Secretary of a local Hindu rights group called Hindu Makkal Katchi. 

The 40-year-old owned a jewellery shop in MK Puram of Madurai. Manikandan was attacked near Jaihindpuram-MK Puram junction by unidentified assailants when he was walking near his shop. At around 8:30 pm, the assailants reportedly attacked Manikandan with a sickle and stones. The attackers fled the spot after stabbing the victim multiple times. 

Manikandan was rushed to Rajaji Hospital where he was declared brought dead. Jaihindpuram police have registered a case and are investigating the motive behind the murder. The police are also trying to nab the unidentified and absconding assailants. 

Notably, a similar case was reported in 2019, when a Hindu activist Ramalingam who was a member of a local group Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) was murdered in Kumbakonam in Thanjavur district on his way back home by PFI goons and his hands were chopped off. Ramalingam died on the way to the hospital due to excessive bleeding.

Budget 2023: FM Nirmala Sitharaman announces one-time savings scheme Mahila Samman Bachat Patra

OpIndia Staff
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Budget 2023: FM Nirmala Sitharaman announces one-time savings scheme Mahila Samman Bachat Patra

On February 1, Wednesday, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced a one-time small savings scheme Mahila Samman Bachat Patra. This Patra or certificate will be available for a period of two years up to March 2025. This scheme would provide a deposit facility for a woman or girls up to Rs. 2 lakhs for a two-year term at a set interest rate of 7.5% with a partial withdrawal option in a bid to financially empower women.

The initiative is being launched to commemorate ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav’. “One-time new small saving scheme under ‘Mahila Samman Saving Certificate’ will be made available up till March 2025. This will offer a deposit facility of up to Rs 2 lakh for the women and girls for a tenure of two years, with a fixed rate of interest 7.5% with a partial withdrawal option,” FM Sitharaman announced.

The Senior Citizens’ Savings Scheme’s (SCSS) maximum deposit amount was increased by the Finance Minister from 15 lakhs to 30 lakhs. 

As part of the Monthly Income Accounts Scheme, she also announced an increase in the maximum deposit limits from 4.5 lakhs to 9 lakhs for single accounts and from 9 lakhs to 15 lakhs for joint accounts.

Earlier while speaking about the growing economy of India, the Finance Minister said that the world has recognized the Indian economy as a bright star.

She said, “Our current year’s economic growth is estimated at 7%. Notably, this is the highest among all the major economies. This is despite the massive slowdown globally caused by Covid-19 and the war. The Indian economy is therefore on the right track and despite the time of challenges, heading towards a bright future.”

13 year old madarsa student raped, killed in Deoband, was son of imam of local mosque

OpIndia Staff
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13 year old madarsa student raped, killed in Deoband, was son of imam of local mosque

A 13 year old madarsa student was raped and killed in Uttar Pradesh’s Deoband. The student was murdered by another student studying with him. The accused killed the deceased student fearing that his act of rape will be exposed. The police have arrested the accused.

According to reports, during the investigation of CCTV footage, the police saw some of the friends of the deceased boy accompanying him. After this, the police considered 5 students as suspects and detained them, and questioned them. In this interrogation, a student confessed to his crime.

The accused student told the police that he first raped the 13-year-old minor student. After that, he was afraid of getting caught. He pulled out a knife and slit the student’s throat with it. The deceased and the accused were students of the same madarsa. The police have arrested the accused.

The deceased boy was the son of an Imam

According to Mamur Hasan, general secretary of Deoband’s Sarpanch organization and Sarpanch of Manki village, the deceased student was the son of the imam of the local mosque. Speaking to OpIndia, Mamur Hasan said that both the students, the deceased and the killer, were from the same village and students of the same madarsa. The accused student is the senior of the deceased. According to Mamur, the deceased and the accused were students of Madrasa Rahimia in Sampla village. This madrasa is run by a committee.

The incident took place in Sampla Bakkal village of Deoband Kotwali. The 13-year-old student studying in the madrasa here left home at 7:30 pm on Monday, January 30, 2023. When he did not return home at night, his family started searching for him. Even after searching all night, they could not find the student.

The next day, they found the dead body of the student at a farm in the village. There was a possibility of rape of the deceased student as there was no cloth in the lower part of the student’s dead body. Police registered a case and started investigating the matter and arrested the classmate of the deceased student on charges of rape and murder.

Nawazuddin Siddiqui’s wife alleges sexual harassment by husband, torture by in-laws, read details

OpIndia Staff
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Nawazuddin Siddiqui’s wife alleges sexual harassment by husband, torture by in-laws, read details

Bollywood actor Nawazuddin Siddiqui’s wife Alia has accused her husband of sexual harassment at his residence for the past seven days. She is being monitored by limiting her in the hall of the house, she alleged. She has alleged is not getting food and does not have access to any bed or bathroom.

Nawazuddin Siddiqui’s wife Alia took to Instagram to allege that she is being forced to stay in the hall in her husband’s house. Their children, who returned from Dubai, are also forced to sleep on the sofa. They are being monitored by security guards and cameras. They are somehow able to use the guest toilet, she alleged. She has said that all this has been going on for seven days. But her husband Nawazuddin Siddiqui is not worried about her safety.

Alia’s lawyer has blamed Nawazuddin Siddiqui’s family for this torture. He has also accused the police of torturing his client.

According to reports, Alia’s lawyer Rizwan has expressed dissatisfaction with the police action being done against his client. Rizwan said, “Nawazuddin Siddiqui and his family members are using all tactics to evict Alia from the house. Alia is not even allowed to eat and bathe in her in-laws’ house.” Calling the FIR lodged by Alia’s mother-in-law Mehrunnisa false, advocate Rizwan has accused the police of harassing Alia by taking unilateral action.

Advocate Rizwan said, “The police never protected Alia’s rights. They even tortured and humiliated them in front of the police. In front of the police, not only questions were raised about Alia’s character but the authenticity of her child was also questioned. In this regard, the police have not taken any action against the accused on the complaint given by Alia under IPC 509.”

Alia’s lawyer has further alleged that Alia’s in-laws have been torturing her badly for the last 7 days. This torture includes keeping Alia in CCTV surveillance for 24 hours and keeping a male security guard around her.

Last month, her mother-in-law Mehrunnisa lodged an FIR against Alia at Versova police station in Mumbai under IPC sections 452, 323, 504, and 506. In this case, the police had issued a notice to Alia to appear by January 23. Calling the FIR an injustice against her, Alia accused the police of not paying heed to her complaint and taking immediate action on the complaint against her.

Even during the coronavirus lockdown, there were reports of a rift between Alia and Nawazuddin. Then Alia accused Nawazuddin Siddiqui of assaulting her. Alia had lodged an FIR against her husband Nawazuddin, and his brothers Minhajuddin, Faizuddin, Ayazuddin, and his mother Mehrunnisa at Versova police station in Mumbai. Later, the case was transferred to Budhana police station as the spot of the said incident was Muzaffarnagar in Uttar Pradesh. In this complaint, Alia accused Nawazuddin’s brother Minhajuddin of molestation and showing obscene videos to her.

Rana Ayyub used crowd-sourced money for personal luxury and enjoyment: ED to Supreme Court in PMLA case

OpIndia Staff
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Rana Ayyub used crowd-sourced money for personal luxury and enjoyment: ED to Supreme Court in PMLA case

On Tuesday, the Enforcement Directorate submitted before the Supreme Court that donation fraud accused Rana Ayyub had used money sought for slum dwellers, COVID-19, and some work in Assam for “personal enjoyment, luxuries and pleasure”.

Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, representing the Enforcement Directorate (ED), opposed a writ petition filed by Ayyub before a bench consisting of Justices V Ramasubramanian and J B Pardiwala. The writ petition was against the summons issued by a Ghaziabad court in connection with a case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

The court reserved its judgement in the matter.

Advocate Vrinda Grover, appearing for Ayyub, argued that her client can’t be deprived of personal liberty by a procedure not authorised by law.

During the arguments, advocate Vrinda Grover, appearing for Ayyub, contended her client can’t be deprived of personal liberty by a procedure not authorised by law.

Grover stated that the Enforcement Directorate has attached her client’s personal bank account at HDFC in Navi Mumbai, containing around Rs 1 crore. She argued that since the account is in Navi Mumbai and her client resides there, the Ghaziabad court lacks jurisdiction to try the offence.

“My personal liberty is being threatened, and the issuance of summons is not legally authorized,” she said, referring to the Supreme Court judgement in Vijay Madanlal Chaudhary. She added that the special court should be established in the area where the offence was committed.

She also claimed that the complainant, Vikas Pandey, a member of the Hindu IT cell, has no valid complaint as he has not been defrauded by her.

However, Mehta, on the other hand, contended that Ayyub sought over Rs 1 crores in the name of donations and transferred Rs 50 lakhs to a fixed deposit, and even after the first campaign was over, she continued receiving money.

“Our investigation revealed that the money was misdirected and used for personal indulgence, luxuries, and pleasure. People were donating large sums without knowledge of where the money was being directed,” he said.

Mehta, for his part, added that the Enforcement Directorate filed a prosecution complaint in the Ghaziabad court as part of the cause of action that arose in Uttar Pradesh, where many individuals, including those from Ghaziabad, contributed money to her crowdfunding campaign.

He stated that the offence of money laundering is not a standalone crime and is always tied to a listed offence for which an FIR was filed at the Indirapuram police station in Ghaziabad.

The Solicitor General said Ayyub used fake bills for groceries and others to show expenses but was used for personal luxury items and consumption.

Challenging Ayyub’s counsel, Mehta asked if a person chooses to launder money in Singapore or Thiruvananthapuram, will the agency have to go and file a case there? “This is not the scheme of the law,” he emphasised.

Mehta further added that a judicial order of summons cannot be subjected to a petition filed under Article 32 of the Constitution.

On January 25, the top court asked the Ghaziabad court to defer its hearing in the case after it had issued a summons against journalist Rana Ayyub for January 27.

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