US President Joe Biden and his administration were a great hope for Indian liberals. They believed that the Biden administration will rebuke Modi Sarkar and ‘hold India accountable’ on matters of ‘human rights’. However, things are clearly not going as planned.
US Secretary of Defence General Lloyd Austin is on an official visit to India. During a press conference on Saturday in Delhi, ‘journalists’ from news networks such as NDTV tried their best to elicit a statement that could be interpreted as a condemnation of the Modi Sarkar.
But General Austin appeared unwilling to play that game. When asked whether he had spoken with Prime Minister Modi about “violations of human rights especially against Muslim minorities in the northeast,” he said, “I did not have an opportunity to talk with him about that. I did have a conversation with other members of the cabinet on this issue.”
He went on to add, “We have to remember that India is oaur partner, a partner whose partnership we value. And I think partners need to be able to have those kinds of discussions. And certainly, we feel comfortable doing that. And you can have those discussions in a very meaningful way and make progress.”
One NDTV ‘journalist’ went so far as to ask General Austin whether he shared the concerns of Senator Robert Menendez, Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, about “the deteriorating situation of democracy in India”.
General Austin responded, “You’ve heard President Biden say that human rights and rule of law are important to the United States of America. We always lead with our values. As a democracy that’s pretty important to us. India is a democratic country and you treasure your values as well. There are a number of things that we can and will work on together.”
Thus, quite clearly, despite their best efforts, Indian media could not elicit a negative comment about the Indian government from General Austin. Furthermore, he hailed India as an “important partner” under current geopolitical circumstances.
The Biden administration’s policy with respect to India appears consistent with the Trump administration. During Donald Trump’s official visit to India, the Delhi Riots had ensued and he was asked for a comment on the matter by the Indian media.
Donald Trump had replied that it was India’s internal matter and it was up to India to decide. He had said, “I want to leave that to India and hopefully they will make the right decision for their people.”
The relationship between India and the United States has been growing stronger and the US sees India as an important partner to counter China in the region. But liberals in India had convinced themselves that the USA would take it upon itself to carry forward the ‘human rights’ mantle.
One commentator, who is awarded space in the media to voice his columns despite being wrong almost every time, had gone to the extent of saying, “For four years, Trump ignored the steep decline of democracy and human rights in India. Joe Biden won’t repeat that mistake.”
During the farmer protests as well, the Biden administration in its statement on the matter had supported the laws passed by the Indian Parliament in no uncertain terms, at a time when there was a global campaign underway against India.
Thus, quite clearly, Joe Biden is unwilling to toe the liberal line when it comes to India and understands that antagonising an “important partner” it wishes to work with is not in their own interests.
In a major development, the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) has arrested two people in connection to the mysterious death of Mansukh Hiren.
As per reports, the ATS had detained a 55-year-old former police constable named Vinayak Shinde and a 31-year-old bookie named Naresh Dhare. They were later arrested by the Anti-terrorism. Shinde is an accused in the Lakhan Bhaiya encounter case and has been on a furlough during the Coronavirus pandemic. As per the ATS, he had worked with Sachin Waze in the team of encounter specialist Pradeep Sharma.
Both the accused will now be produced before a local Court. The Anti-Terrorism Squad will demand the remand of Vinayak Shinde and Naresh Dhare. On Saturday, the government informed that the probe in the case will be transferred to the National Investigative Agency (NIA) from the ATS.
Suspended Mumbai Police constable Vinayak Shinde and Naresh Dhare, a bookie arrested, in connection with Mansukh Hiren death case: Maharashtra ATS
Even though ATS has continued to probe the Mansukh Hiren death case and made the two arrests today, the case has been transferred to the National Investigation Agency. Yesterday, the union home ministry had issued orders to the NIA to take over the case from the ATS. It is not known when the ATS will formally hand over the case to NIA.
Antilia bomb scare and connection between Mansukh Hiren and Sachin Vaze
On February 25, a Scorpio car with 20 gelatin sticks was found parked near Antilia, the multi-storey residence of Mukesh Ambani in Mumbai. A few days later, it was revealed that the car belonged to a person named Mansukh Hiren. The bomb-laden car was owned by Mansukh Hiren, who had alleged that his car was stolen from Mulund-Airoli link road. Hiren had also filed a police complaint about the missing car.
Former Chief Minister of Maharashtra Devendra Fadnavis had made sensational disclosures related to the Antilia bomb scare while speaking in the Maharashtra Vidhan Sabha and said that the bomb-laden vehicle belonged to Hiren. Speaking in the assembly, Fadnavis alleged that the owner of the Scorpio car, which was used to plant gelatin sticks and a threat letter outside Mukesh Ambani’s residence in Mumbai, was in touch with a mobile phone number that is registered under the name of Mumbai Police officer and ‘encounter specialist’ Sachin Vaze.
However, hours after Fadnavis had made a statement in the legislative assembly, Hiren’s body was washed ashore in the Kalwa creek, which only deepened the mystery surrounding the attack against Mukesh Ambani. Later, top sources in the Maharashtra Anti Terrorism Squad (ATS) said that they had found injuries on the body of businessman Mansukh Hiren’s head and neck.
Former Pakistan High Commissioner to India Abdul Basit had poured his heart out to praise Chief Minister of West Bengal Mamata Banerjee. While calling her the tigress of West Bengal, Basit in an article published in Arab News extended his support to her in the upcoming West Bengal elections.
Basit met Banerjee twice during his tenure
As Pakistan high commissioner to India from March’14 to August’17, Basit visited West Bengal twice. During the first visit, he met Banerjee. Basit said that he was impressed by her ‘modesty’, ‘political sharpness’ and ‘acumen’. He even endorsed Banerjee as a ‘true patriot and stateperson’ for not criticising Prime Minister Modi in front a Pakistani national and diplomat.
Basit believes that Banerjee is possibly the only politician left in India who can put real opposition to the Bharatiya Janata Party. He alleged that the Indian Congress party had lost its ground, and it does not seem like the party will ever be able to recover. He said,” prospects for the party [Congress] as whole look rather bleak as it appears to continue facing serious leadership crisis at all levels.”
‘Banerjee conducted herself like a true patriot’ – Basit
During his meeting with Banerjee, Basit tried to have a conversation with her about India-Pakistan relations and how Prime Minister Narendra Modi acted against him for meeting leaders in Jammu and Kashmir. Basit, while hiding his frustration in the article, praised her and said though PM Modi and Banerjee are political rivals, she did not utter a word against him. She also refused to engage with him in discussing India-Pakistan relations. “In short, she conducted herself like a true patriot and statesperson,” Basit added.
Biryani that ‘deeply touched’ Basit
Basit once again praised Banerjee for her warmth. He said he was ‘deeply touched’ by CM Banerjee’s gesture when she sent him Kolkata’s famous mutton biryani to his hotel for dinner. “The biryani was no doubt an unforgettable treat,” he claimed. Towards the end, Basit said he has a bias towards Banerjee for the upcoming elections and ‘hoped’ the people of West Bengal make the ‘right choice’.
Former Pak envoy Abdul Basit
Basit is known for his controversial statements and goof-ups. In the last few years, Basit has made several controversial statements and once, he even confused a porn star with a Kashmiri youth.
One of the most bizarre things Basit had done was confusing a porn star with Kashmiri youth. In September 2019, in haste to peddle anti-India narrative, Basit took to Twitter to re-tweet an image of the adult movie star Johnny Sins claiming he is Yousuf from Anantnag, who has been blinded by a pellet. He was extensively trolled for his actions.
The Kashmir issue, which has been created and nurtured by Pakistan for decades, went out of the hands of Pakistan in August 2019 when Home Minister Amit Shah announce the abrogation of Article 370. At that time, the step taken by the Indian government shook Basit so much that he started to build up a theory that India may ask then US President Trump to help resolve the Kashmir issue.
Then Basit was also caught admitting he has used influential Indian writers to propagate Pakistan’s agenda. In an interview with Pakistani blogger Farhan Virk, Basit claimed that he had used Indian authors who were anti-establishment to propagate Pakistan’s Kashmir stand. Claiming he influenced Shobha De to write an article on Kashmir, he said, “One of the challenges I had faced was how to find a journalist who we can convince to write a good article on behalf of us, advocating a referendum in Kashmir. Then I found a lady, Shobha De…”
Notably, Shobha De had written an op-ed for Times of India titled “Burhan Wani is dead, but he’ll live on till we find out what Kashmir really wants”. She wrote, “Let’s see if the present government has the guts to go ahead with a referendum to resolve the Kashmir crisis once and for all. Let’s end the lingering pain in the region and allow Kashmiris to live in peace, with the dignity and harmony they are entitled to.”
The Rajasthan government has compulsorily retired ACP Kailash Bohra, who was arrested for seeking sexual favours from a rape victim. Principal Secretary (Home) Abhay Kumar, in a signed order, said that the decision to sack the Rajasthan Police Service officer was taken in “public interest”.
ACP Kailash Bohra was arrested after he allegedly refused to accept the complaint of a woman’s sexual assault case and instead asked for sexual favors from the victim to take against the accused.
ACP Kailash Bohra, who was posted in the Special Investigation Unit (SIU) of the Crime Against Women cell in Rajasthan, first demanded money from the woman complainant who had filed three complaints, including one of rape. When the woman refused to give money citing her inability to do so, ACP Kailash demanded sexual favours from her to take action on her case.
The woman complainant approached the ACB after Kailash insisted on meeting her after work hours.
For official records to be able to arrest him, the anti-corruption unit laid a trap and recorded his phone conversation with the complainant.
Rising cases of rape in Rajasthan
Jaskaur Meena, BJP leader from Rajasthan made some shocking revelations in the Parliament proceedings on March 19, 2021. In what should be a grave matter of concern for the country, she alleged that there are currently 6.14 lakhs cases of violence against women in Rajasthan and 23 such cases are in her own constituency. She added that “There are 12,000 rape cases alone in the State and the government has been silent on the issue”.
In another distressing report, Rajasthan had reported the highest number of rape cases across India in 2019 with close to 6000 cases. We earlier reported how Rajasthan witnessed almost a dozen instances of sexual crimes against women.
In a significant endorsement to the farm reforms initiated by the Central government, a Parliamentary panel comprising of the opposition party members on Friday had endorsed one of the three recently enacted farm laws. The panel urged Modi government to implement the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020 in “letter and spirit”. However, soon after, the Congress MP from Koraput in Odisha, Saptagiri Sankar Ulaka, wrote to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla and claimed that he did not want to be associated with the committee’s latest recommendation.
In his letter, Ulaka said, “In fact, during the meeting on 16.12.2020, I expressed my opposition against the three farm laws to the Hon’ble Chairperson and the members of the Committee.
Written to Hon’ble @loksabhaspeaker to dissociate myself from the Eleventh Report of the Standing Committee on Food, Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution on the subject matter – ‘Price Rise of Essential Commodities – Causes and Effects’ tabled in Parliament on 19.03.2021. pic.twitter.com/qsuh5KC8tt
“The Draft Report on the subject matter was circulated only via e-mail by the related Section of the Committee at 19:00 hrs on 17.03.2021 and adopted between 10:00 hrs and 10:30 hrs on 18.03.2021, under Acting Chairperson Shri Ajay Misra Teni. He said the report was tabled in Parliament without recording his dissenting opinion. I was not present when the report was adopted as the meeting was called in a short notice of merely 15 hours,” he claimed.
Interestingly, the Lok Sabha website, mentions Ulaka’s name in the list of members who attended the committee meeting on March 18, the day the report was adopted.
Minutes of the THIRTEENTH SITTING OF THE STANDING COMMITTEE ON FOOD, CONSUMER AFFAIRS AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION (2020-2021) Held on 18 March 2021. Two Congress MPs were present at the meeting.
However, Ulaka claims he did not attend the meet.
The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Food, Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution recently tabled a report titled ‘Price Rise of Essential Commodities- Causes and Effects’ recommending the implementation of one of the three farm laws passed by the Modi government last year.
Interestingly, the Parliamentary panel headed by TMC leader Sudip Bandyopadhyay comprised of MPs of parties that have opposed the three new farm laws. Apart from Bandyopadhyay, the panel included another TMC MP, a nominated MP, 13 BJP MPs, 4 Congress MPs and one parliamentarian from DMK, BJD, Shiv Sena, AAP, TRS, YSRCP, JD(U), NCP, NPF, PMK and BSP each.
The Parliamentary committee expressed hope that the recently enacted The Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020 will become a “catalyst” for unlocking vast untapped resources in the farm sector.
Extending the support for the Essential Commodities Act, the Standing Committee on Food, Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution with 15 opposition party members in its report to Parliament said, “The Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020 which was aimed at addressing the issue will become a catalyst for unlocking vast untapped resources in the agriculture sector by creating an environment for enhanced investments in agriculture sector, fair and productive competition in agricultural marketing and increase farmers’ income.”
The report further noted, “They, therefore, recommend the Government to implement the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020 in letter and spirit, and without let or hindrances so that the farmers and other stakeholders of farming sector in this country receive the benefits intended under the said Act. Noting further that foodstuffs such as potato, onions and pulses 63 are part of a common man’s daily diet and that lakhs of people who do not get the benefits of Public Distribution System (PDS) may suffer adversely in the aftermath of the implementation of the new Act, the Committee also desire the Government to continue to keep a constant watchful eye on the prices of all essential commodities and to resort to the remedial provisions provided in the Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020 when called for.”
It is worth mentioning that on June 5, President Ram Nath Kovind had promulgated three ordinances – The Farmers’ Produce Trade and Commerce (Promotion and Facilitation) Ordinance, 2020, The Farmers (Empowerment and Protection) Agreement of Price Assurance and Farm Services Ordinance, 2020 and The Essential Commodities (Amendment) Ordinance, 2020.
In September, the centre introduced three bills to replace these ordinances, which both Houses cleared of Parliament in the Monsoon Session of Parliament, they were signed into law by the President on September 27. One of the three farm laws – The Essential Commodities (Amendment) Act, 2020 specifies that the supply of foodstuffs including cereals, pulses, potato, edible oilseeds, and oils shall be regulated only under exceptional circumstances such as war, famine, extraordinary price rise, and natural calamity of a grave nature.
According to the Centre, the Essential Commodities Act, 1955 has been amended to ensure that the farmers get a good price on many commodities.
However, as soon as the farm bills were passed by the government, the opposition parties took to streets to protest against the farm reforms initiated by the government. The opposition parties, joined by a few ‘farmer’ associations from Punjab, have hit the streets to demand the repel of the law and are now currently camping outside borders of national capital causing massive inconvenience to the public.
The opposition parties have extended their support to these so-called protests against the Modi government, which have been continuing for over three months now. Three months after supporting the alleged farmer cause by opposing the farm laws, it seems like some of the opposition parties may have had a change of heart on the particular issue and are slowly endorsing the farm reforms initiated by the Modi government.
Parliamentary panel report on Farm Laws
Reportedly, the Congress Lok Sabha MP from Kasaragod, Rajmohan Unnithan, has also written to the Lok Sabha Speaker, Rajya Sabha Chairman and chairman of the Standing Committee on Food, Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution saying he did not attend the meet in which the farm laws were endorsed.
Speaking to Indian Express, Unnithan said that the committee’s meeting had earlier been postponed twice due to lack of quorum. “This time, they held the meeting on March 17, which I could not attend. I have written to the Speaker to dissociate myself from the report,” he added.
Two other Congress members – Ve. Vaithilingam and Rajmani Patel were also part of the panel. The Lok Sabha records suggest that Rajmani Patel had attended the meeting. Congress MP Vaithilingam, however, did not attend the Parliamentary panel meet. Only 16 MPs, 13 MPs from Lok Sabha and 3 from Rajya Sabha, out of the 30 elected members of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Food, Consumer Affairs and Public Distribution, were present at the meeting that was held on March 18.
Reportedly, TMC leader Sudip Bandyopadhyay was also absent from the Standing Committee meeting. In his absence, BJP Rajya Sabha MP Ajay Misra Teni presided over the committee. Opposition party members – AAP MP Bhagwant Mann, who had vociferously raised slogans inside the parliament against three farm laws, NCP MP Fauzia Khan and Shiv Sena MP Rajendra Dhedya Gavit were present at the meeting that endorsed one of the farm laws.
Meanwhile, BJP MP Teni said to the media that no member of the committee gave me the dissent note and said that the report was adopted with the consensus of all members.
The Indian Railways coach factory in Kapurthala has successfully completed the trial of the first prototype of Linke Hofmann Busch (LHB) AC three-tier economy class coach.
A new variant of LHB AC three-tier coach will have a number of features
✅Increased passenger capacity of 83 berths
✅AC ducting by providing individual vents for all berths
✅Increased headroom in the middle and upper berths
The Indian Railways have planned to introduce the new German LHB AC 3-tier economy class coaches in express and mail trains with pre-existing LHB coaches. However, premium trains such as Duronto, Rajdhani and Shatabdi will be exempted from this new scheme. The Indian Railways have taken several steps to enhance the comfort of train passengers by improving security systems, modernising existing coaches, and revamping the electrical and lighting system
The new variant of LHB AC 3-tier economy class coaches have passenger capacity of 83 berths. These berths have been designed to reduce weight, ensure higher maintainability and increase the comfort of passengers. The new variant will also see mobile charging points for each berth along with individual reading lights. All such berths will have AC ducting for individual vents. Indian Railways is also planning to assign magazines, water bottles and cell phones in the new coaches. There will also be provisions for a foldable snack table for each berth.
To ensure passenger comfort, the Indian Railways will introduce more head space for the middle and upper berths along with improvised ladders for their access. Passengers will also have more floor space due to the introduction of electrical panels with reduced footprint on desks. In the new variant, the Indian Railways have improved their washrooms and also introduced luminescent aisle markers. Besides, differently-abled individuals will be provided with wheelchair access and friendly lavatories in compliance with the Sugamya Bharat Abhiyan rules.
In another massive twist to the Antilia bomb scare case on Saturday, former Mumbai Police Commissioner Param Bir Singh made an explosive accusation against the Maharashtra government. In a letter to Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray, he alleged that Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh had ordered Assistant Police Inspector Sachin Vaze to collect Rs 100 crore per month from various businesses in Mumbai.
However, soon after the letter went viral, Congress supporter and Rahul Gandhi loyalist Saket Gokhale tried to float conspiracy theory that the BJP IT cell was behind the letter, because why would Parambir Singh refer to himself with ‘Shri’ salutation.
Saket Gokhale’s tweet floating conspiracy theory
The IPS officer, who was transferred as the Commandant General of Home Guards only recently, sent a letter to Maharashtra CM making explosive allegations against the Home Minister. The letter by Parambir Singh raised several questions regarding the whole Antilia Bomb Scare case and the death of businessman Mansukh Hiren whose car was used to place bombs outside Ambani residence.
As Parambir Singh’s letter caused havoc in the Maha Vikas Aghadi government, the supporters of the Maharashtra coalition government soon descended on social media platforms to reject all the allegations made by him. They even questioned the authenticity of Singh’s letter.
As the letter was not signed and Parambir Singh respectfully addressed himself as ‘Shri’, Saket Gokhale declared that the letter was fake. Incidentally, the assertion of Saket Gokhale had come despite Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh had issued a statement confirming Parambir Singh’s letter.
However, it was soon revealed that Parambir Singh had indeed written the letter to Maharashtra CM.
Ex-Mumbai Police Commissioner Parambir Singh ends speculation, confirms that the e-mailed letter to the CM is indeed his own & that signed copy will reach the Maharashtra Govt shortly. @IndiaToday
Caught on a back foot, Gokhale then decided to float another conspiracy theory that Anil Deshmukh is now being ‘targeted’ because of some alleged scam he promised to investigate.
The *real* reason Fadnavis is targeting Maharashtra Home Minister @AnilDeshmukhNCP is because he ordered a probe in this scam which involves Fadnavis’ OSD & advisor Kaustubh Dhavse.
Sadly, there are people close to the CM who are protecting Dhavse without his knowledge. pic.twitter.com/a6W6sEnlTH
Congress supporter and Rahul Gandhi’s ardent fan – Saket Gokhale, known for peddling conspiracy theories in the past.
The conspiracy theories peddled by Saket Gokhale were also echoed by several people sympathetic towards the Maharashtra government to dismiss corruption charges against the Maha Vikas Aghadi coalition. Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray had himself raised questions on the authenticity of the letter saying it was not duly signed by Parambir Singh and was also sent via a Gmail account.
Since the unsigned letter was not sent by his official account, Uddhav Thackeray said that it was possible that the letter was fake and they were ‘trying to contact Parambir Singh’ to authenticate the letter.
Anil Deshmukh acknowledges letter, says he will file defamation
Following the allegations, Anil Deshmukh acknowledged the authenticity of the letter by not only denying the allegations made against him by Parambir Singh but also said that he would file a defamation case against former Mumbai Police Commissioner for making false accusations. Singh has accused Deshmukh of ordering Assistant Police Inspector Sachin Vaze to collect Rs 100 crore per month from various businesses in Mumbai.
Mainstream media, too, reported the signed copy of the letter that was sent again to Uddhav Thackeray was indeed by Parambir Singh. Essentially, the conspiracy theory peddled by Saket Gokhale accusing BJP of circulating the letter was punctured by Parambir Singh himself as he accepted that he had written such a letter.
Parambir Singh’s letter to Maharashtra Chief Minister
In an explosive letter, former Mumbai Police Commissioner Parambir Singh alleged that Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh had ordered Assistant Police Inspector Sachin Vaze to collect Rs 100 crore per month from various businesses in Mumbai.
The IPS officer, which was the Mumbai Police Commissioner till last few days, sent a letter to Maharashtra CM making explosive allegations against the Home Minister. The copies of the letter were also sent to the deputy chief minister, additional chief secretary of the home ministry and the governor’s office.
The letter seems to be triggered by the comments of the Home Minister Anil Deshmukh on the issue, who on March 18 had said that Parambir Singh’s transfer was not a routine transfer. Deshmukh had said Singh was removed from the post as he had committed serious mistakes. Responding to these claims made by the Home Minister, Parambir Singh has made several allegations against him.
In the letter, the former police commissioner said that after the Antilia incident, he had pointed out to the CM several misdeeds and malpractices being indulged into by the Home Minister. Parambir Singh alleged that Sachin Vaze was called by Anil Deshmukh to his official residence Dyaneshwar several times in the last few months and repeatedly instructed to assist in the collection of funds. “The Hon’ble Home Minister expressed to Shri Vaze that he had a target to accumulate Rs. 100 crores a month”, said the letter.
Further, the letter said that the Home Minister had even advised Vaze how to achieve this target of collecting Rs 100 crore per month. He had explained that there are about 1,750 bars, restaurants and other establishments in Mumbai, and if a sum of Rs. 2-3 lakhs each was collected from each of them, a monthly collection of Rs. 40-50 crore was achievable.
Anil Deshmukh had said that the rest of the fund can be collected from “other sources”, according to Parambir Singh. He added that Sachin Vaze came to his office on the same day and informed about the instructions of the Home Minister, and says that he was shocked hearing this and was mulling how to deal with the situation.
In the letter, Parambir Singh also said that Anil Deshmukh wanted to interfere in the case of suicide of Lok Sabha MP Mohan Delkar, to achieve political mileage. The MP from Dadra & Nagar Haveli was found dead on February 22, and he had left a suicide note where he had alleged harassment by senior officers of the Dadra & Nagar Haveli administration as the cause of the suicide.
Despite the current state of affairs in Maharashtra, Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut is of the opinion that the Maha Vikas Aghadi model of alliance should be adopted across the country.
Sanjay Raut in his latest interview to Aaj Tak batted for making NCP supremo Sharad Pawar the UPA Chief, a post currently held by Congress President Sonia Gandhi. Later, while addressing media in Maharashtra’s Nashik, Raut claimed that Sonia Gandhi has done a good job till now as UPA leader but it is now time for Sharad Pawar to take over. He added that Sonia Gandhi has been unwell and been staying away from politics, because of which Pawar should now take over.
It is imperative to note that Shiv Sena is not part of the UPA. It is in alliance with Congress and NCP in Maharashtra state government, but outside of state, it is not part of UPA.
Shiv Sena MP, Sanjay Raut sending further shockwaves, added that Sharad Pawar is the only leader at present who can help UPA revive its presence in national politics. He said that the MVA model should be adopted across India.
He further states that it is a matter of concern as to why the big and small regional parties are not a part of UPA as yet. He believes UPA needs restructuring, active leader and participation of regional parties to be able to take BJP head on. Again, Shiv Sena is not part of the UPA.
Sanjay Raut’s Twitter timeline where he retweeted journalist Aashish Jadao’s speculation of Shiv Sena joining the Congress-led UPA
Sanjay Raut also retweeted journalist Aashish Jadhao’s assumption that Shiv Sena could join Congress-led UPA strengthening the MVA government raising the bar of speculations. In Nashik, he had said that if UPA under Sharad Pawar becomes stronger, Congress, too will become stronger, thereby implying its ally in Maharashtra is weak.
Congress leaders unsure about the survival of MVA government
While Sanjay Raut seems confident about the MVA government, Sanjay Nirupam, Congress leader, has expressed his concerns over the recent developments in Maharashtra. Pointing a direct attack on Anil Deshmukh, Home Minister of Maharashtra, Sanjay Nirupam in his latest tweet questioned, “If at all, whatever Parambir Singh is saying is truth, question should be asked from Hon Sharad Pawar ji because he is the arcitect of current Maharashtra Govt. Is it what the so called third front is going to do finally? Congress must take a stand on this issue.”
If at all, whatever Parambir Singh is saying is truth, question should be asked from Hon Sharad Pawar ji because he is the arcitect of current Maharashtra Govt. Is it what the so called third front is going to do finally ? Congress must take a stand on this issue.#AnilDeshmukh
This is not the first time Sanjay Nirupam has expressed his displeasure over the mismanagement by current MVA government. In July, Sanjay took a potshot at the Maha Vikas Aghadi alliance by stating government’s complete failure in handling the Covid-19 crisis in Maharashtra.
देशभर में रोज #Covid_19 के 20 हजार से ज्यादा पॉज़िटिव मरीज पाए जा रहे हैं। उनमें से 6 हजार से ज्यादा महाराष्ट्र से हैं।यानी लगभग 30 फीसदी।जब आंकड़े कम करके बताए जा रहे हैं,तब ये हाल है। जाहिर है,जो सरकार बनाने के लिए भारी जोश में थे, वे सरकार चलाने में लगातार फेल होते जा रहे हैं।
Adding to the existing tiff, Sanjay Nirupam took a jib at Shiv Sena MP, Sanjay Raut for always wanting to making headlines in a tweet posted in September, 2020.
ऐसा लगता है शिवसेना के कंपाउंडर को हेडलाइन बनाने की भारी भूख लग गई है। यही भूख अक्सर नेताओं को खा जाती है। यह दुर्भावना नहीं, एक वास्तविकता है।#GrandHyatt
While Sanjay Raut’s gumption is at an all time high, the Congress leaders seem to be worried about the daily controversies unraveling in Maharashtra.
Maharashtra mayhem
The mayhem in Maharashtra peaked on Saturday when former Mumbai Police Commissioner Parambir Singh wrote to Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray making serious allegations against Home Minister Anil Deshmukh. He alleged Deshmukh had asked controversial cop Sachin Vaze to collect Rs. 100 crore every month from bars, restaurants and other establishments. Vaze got embroiled in controversy after investigation revealed he played a major role in planting explosives outside Mukesh Ambani residence to ‘restore’ his lost glory. He had also revealed top Shiv Sena leaders being involved in the same. He is also being investigated for mysterious death of businessman Mansukh Hiren, whose car was used to plant explosives.
Subsequently, Parambir Singh was transferred. However, after the explosive letter by Singh, the Maha Vikas Aghadi government has found itself in a soup. There are speculations that Anil Deshmukh, the NCP leader may be asked to resign. Amid all this, Shiv Sena leader wants Sharad Pawar to head UPA, an alliance led by Congress where Shiv Sena is not a part of.
From being flaunted as the gift of ‘British rule’ to being cursed as a primitive and unevolved mode of transport- Indian Railways has had quite a long journey just like the Dibrugarh-Kanyakumari Vivek Express. The Indian Railways witnessed a gleaming start under the British Raj in 1853, with country’s first passenger train setting off on a 34 km journey between Mumbai’s Bori Bunder station and Thane, carrying 400 passengers.
Even though Indian Railways was regarded as the lifeline of independent India, it was plagued with multiple plights. Primitive maintenance methods, ageing track and machinery, outmoded rolling stock technology and increasing railway accidents were some grave issues apart from safety and hygiene.
An article dated May 1989, highlights how while safety was the main concern, the government focused on making railways a 5-star affair. Did you know in Congress-led Central government, MoS for Railways Madhavrao Scindia introduced plastic tumblers for tea in the railways? That too at an enormous cost of Rs 80 lakh a year.
Some staggering data revealed one-fifth of the total length of railway track in the system needed replacement but was not being done. Continuous use of old and weakened track led to metal fatigue and fractures causing major accidents, rail fractures increased from 4,517 in 1980-81 to 6,272 in 1987-88 resulting in severe speed restrictions. As many as 690 railway bridges were in distress. 2,119 out of 26,277 broad and meter gauge coaches were overaged and required immediate replacement but the required number of new coaches were simply not available. The article while citing many more statistics revealed the pathetic condition of Indian Railways.
Then how did we manage to come to a year which recorded 0 deaths due to rail accidents in 2019 from 2,400 deaths between 1990-1995? The past 6 years have been exceptional for the Indian Railways. From eliminating deaths caused by rail accidents to inaugurating ‘Dedicated Freight Corridor’ to boost transport to introducing semi-high speed fully air-conditioned trains operated by private operators.
Let’s have a look at some of the key achievements by the Indian Railways.
Faster and modern travel experience
Indian Railways flagged off it’s first private semi-high speed fully air-conditioned train adorned with modern technology- Tejas Express.
A Journey to Remember: Equipped with modern amenities, hygiene & comfort, the Delhi-Lucknow Tejas express train will change the way we travel in trains.
Operated by IRCTC ( Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation), a subsidiary of Indian Railways, the train is capable of attaining a speed of 160kmph, the Indian Railways has identified 12 clusters to run these faster and modern private trains. Giving a boost to the ‘Make In India’ project, these modern trains will be manufactured by the private sector.
Operating on 4 routes currently, Tejas Express is fitted with bio-vacuum toilets, water level indicators, tap sensors, hand dryers, integrated braille displays, LED TV for each passenger with phone sockets, local cuisine, celebrity chef menu, WiFi, tea and coffee vending machines, magazines, snack tables, CCTV cameras, fire and smoke detection and suppression system.
Dedicated freight corridor
In what is considered to be a game changer in rail transportation, Dedicated freight corridor involves the construction of six freight corridors traversing the entire country. The project holds key to unlock maximum freight potential, increase freight speed and ensure economical transportation.
Undertaking the work of two corridors, construction of a 1504 km long Western DFC and 1856 km Eastern DFC has begun. This will be done along with the development of a 4km-long tunnel, 262 bridges, 33 flyovers, 505 road-over-bridges and 200 road-under-bridges on Western DFC and 104 new bridges, 368 road-over-bridges, 189 road-under-bridges and 21 flyovers on Eastern DFC.
Enhancing infrastructure of railway stations
India is all set to witness clean, vibrant and swanky railway stations equipped with world-class technology.
Hubballi Junction Railway Station of Karnataka is providing a delightful experience to passengers with its cleanliness, vibrant lighting, beautification & modern facilities.
The enhanced infrastructure & new passenger-friendly amenities have made this station a class apart. pic.twitter.com/Hd0jWa533d
The Indian Railway Station Development Corporation (IRSDC) has taken up the mammoth task of beautifying and redeveloping as many as 110 railway stations.
बदल रहा है देश बदल रही है भारतीय रेल!
देशभर में रेलवे स्टेशनों का कायाकल्प कर उन्हें आधुनिक विश्व स्तरीय सुविधाओं से युक्त किया जा रहा है जिससे यात्रियों का सफर और भी सुगम एवं आरामदायक हो रहा है।#HumSabKiRailpic.twitter.com/kxs4KDlrhv
From a 5-star hotel atop Gandhinagar Railway Station to making Surat station a multi-modal transport hub, the passengers are in for an airport like experience.
Enhancing agri logistics system
With a vision to increase farmer income the Government of India has taken several steps to develop a robust and integrated agri logistics systems in the country for transportation of agri-produce.
किसानों की आय को दोगुना करने के संकल्प में महत्वपूर्ण भूमिका निभा रही है भारतीय रेल! किसानों के उत्पादों को नए बाजार मिले इसके लिए भारतीय रेल लगातार प्रयास कर रही है।
As a part of ‘Kisan Rath’, Indian Railways operates 208 Kisan Rail Services on 24 routes for transportation of fruits, vegetables and other perishables. In addition, to facilitate storage of perishables, temperature controlled Perishable Cargo Centres have been established at multiple locations.
Promoting clean energy
Announcing the initiative for 100% electrification of trains by 2023, Indian Railways will become zero net emitter by 2030. With the vision to promote clean energy, railways inaugurated the first waste to energy plant in Bhubaneshwar in 2020.
The first diesel to electric locomotive conversion in the world. A Massive step towards offsetting carbon emissions by the @RailMinIndia Kudos to the @diesellocoworks to achieve this feat towards making #India cleaner, greener & a beautiful country.#CleanEnergy#GreenEnergypic.twitter.com/iBa698J3X9
The waste to energy plant, with the capacity of 500 Kg waste per day will convert multiple feedstocks into hydrocarbon liquid fuels, gas, carbon and water using a patented technology.
Sharp decline in rail accident deaths
Infrastructure plays a major role in rail accidents. From rail fractures to weak bridges, deaths due to rail accidents remained a major cause of concern for the country. However, for the first time in history, India managed to record 0 deaths due to rail accident in 2019. Ensuring mega blocks for maintenance, using modern machinery, removal of all unmanned level crossings, signalling modernization and more delegation of power to field level officers made this feat possible.
With these initiatives, Indian Railways is sure to experience a transformation in not just passenger experience but also freight and transportation. We leave you with one interesting video on the world’s highest rail bridge being built in the Reasi district of Jammu & Kashmir.
Railway Arch bridge on Chenab:
? Watch this video to learn some interesting facts about the highest arch Railway bridge ? in the world. pic.twitter.com/2uWs3lGmbj
On Saturday evening, former Commissioner of Mumbai Police Param Bir Singh wrote a letter to Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray alleging that the state Home Minister Anil Deshmukh had asked controversial cop Sachin Vaze to collect Rs. 100 crore every month from bars, restaurants and other establishments. The letter by Param Bir Singh raises several questions regarding the whole Antilia Bomb Scare case and the death of Mansukh Hiren. Soon, Anil Deshmukh issued a statement denying the allegations.
However, not too long after Anil Deshmukh issued a statement denying the allegations levelled by Param Bir Singh, Uddhav Thackeray reportedly said that the authenticity of the letter itself was under question. Uddhav Thackeray said that the letter was not duly signed by Param Bir Singh and was also sent via a Gmail account. Since the unsigned letter was not sent by his official account, Uddhav Thackeray said that it was possible that the letter was fake and they were ‘trying to contact Param Bir Singh’ to authenticate the letter.
Uddhav Thackeray in his statement said that the letter was received from [email protected] while the official email ID given by Param Bir to the government was [email protected].
However, just as Uddhav Thackeray was setting the ground to deny the authenticity of the letter and thus the allegations made, including the fact that Param Bir had alleged already spoken to the CM about the allegations contained in the letter, Home Minister Anil Deshmukh issued another statement.
Anil Deshmukh shared a letter today rubbishing the allegations levelled against him by former Mumbai CP Param Bir Singh. In his letter, Deshmukh has accused Singh of hatching a conspiracy to defame him and the Maha Vikas Aghadi government.
His statement says:
I would like to draw your attention to these points which would demonstrate that Param Bir Singh is lying:- Why was Param Bir Singh silent for so many days after Sachin Vaze’s arrest? Why did he not speak up early? On March 16, when Singh realised that he is going to be removed from the post of Mumbai CP the next day, he tried to hatch a plan against the government. He sent a few questions over Whatsapp to his close aide ASP Sanjay Patil and got favourable answers from him in return. It was a part of a larger plot by Param Bir Singh. Through this, Singh wanted to show the government in a bad light. It is reflected in the impatience that Singh displays in seeking answers from Patil on Whatsapp. If you look at the chat, Singh is constantly prodding Patil to answer the questions asked by him.
On March 18, At the Lokmat event, I said Singh is going to removed from the office on account of serious allegations levelled against him. A day later, in order to save himself, Param Bir Singh yet again tried to use Whatsapp to manufacture evidence and implicate the government. In the entire police force, it is widely known that Sachin Vaze and ASP Sanjay Patil are close to Param Bir Singh. The decision to reinstate Sachin Vaze, who was suspended for 16 years, was taken by Param Bir Singh. Param Bir Singh has made false allegations to save himself.
Param Bir Singh’s allegations are absolutely baseless and he should prove his allegations against me. I am filing a defamation lawsuit against him. Singh says Vaze met and confided in him details of the entire case in Feb itself, then why did he not speak up then? Why was he mum for so many days? When Singh realised he is in trouble with respect to the Antilia bomb scare, he started making false allegations so as to blackmail the government.
In the statement issued by Anil Deshmukh, on his official letterhead no less, Anil Deshmukh essentially acknowledges that the letter was authentic by answering the allegations contained therein, thereby, contradicting the statement of CM Uddhav Thackeray.
The circus, however, did not stop there.
Soon after the statement issued by Anil Deshmukh, in contradiction to the statement issued by Uddhav Thackeray, Param Bir Singh himself told the media that the letter was authentic and that he was sending another copy, duly signed by him, to the government.
The media then reported the signed copy of the letter that was sent again to Uddhav Thackeray by Param Bir Singh, thereby ending the speculations by Uddhav Thackeray himself that the letter might be fake.
Letter signed by Param Bir Singh
Meanwhile, Congress too has jumped on the bandwagon and started asking questions of Sharad Pawar himself.
Sanjay Nirupam said, “If at all, whatever Parambir Singh is saying is truth, question should be asked from Hon Sharad Pawar ji because he is the arcitect of current Maharashtra Govt. Is it what the so called third front is going to do finally ? Congress must take a stand on this issue”.
If at all, whatever Parambir Singh is saying is truth, question should be asked from Hon Sharad Pawar ji because he is the arcitect of current Maharashtra Govt. Is it what the so called third front is going to do finally ? Congress must take a stand on this issue.#AnilDeshmukh
This comes only weeks after Sanjay Nirupam had crawled back to the graces of the Congress party. Three weeks after Congress President Sonia Gandhi reshuffled the Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC), four new vice-presidents and 3 additional Parliamentary Board members were appointed. They are: Nana Gavande, Sachin Naik, Sanjay Rathod and Charulatha Tokas (MPCC Vice-Presidents), while Eknath Gaikwad, Sanjay Nirupam and Janardhan Chandurkar — all three ex-Mumbai Regional Congress Committee presidents – are named new Members of MPCC Parliamentary Board. This came 2 years after Sanjay Nirupam was removed as MRCC President in March 2019.
Clearly, the Antilia bomb case in which Sachin Vaze is the prime accused and Param Bir Singh is deeply embroiled as well, the alliance in Maharashtra is on a shaky wicket with Shiv Sena turning against NCP, NCP not communicating with Shiv Sena and Congress apparently turning against NCP and being snide about Shiv Sena as well.
