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Congress, which attacked Modi govt over GST rates, now introduces new taxes in Punjab

OpIndia Staff
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Congress, which attacked Modi govt over GST rates, now introduces new taxes in Punjab

The Captain Amarinder Singh led Congress government in Punjab has introduced a slew of new taxes in the state, supposedly to fund its various welfare schemes. As per reports, the Punjab Assembly has passed a, “Punjab Social Security Bill, 2018” on Wednesday which also has a provision for introducing a slew of “social security surcharges”.

These surcharges include an up-to Rs 2 cess on petrol, diesel, 1% on vehicle registration, 5% on electricity bills and 10% on excise duty. The surcharge on electricity bills would render the consumers liable for at least Rs 25 and at most Rs 10,000.

The funds which would be generated from these surcharges would be used to fund social welfare schemes like unemployment allowance, pensions for elderly, widows and differently abled, financial assistance to acid attack victims among others.

This imposition of a surcharge comes a few days after the Punjab government also proposed a new development tax in the state, which would require Income Tax payers to shell out Rs 200 per month.

The “Punjab Social Security Bill, 2018” was passed in the absence of SAD-BJP members who had staged a walkout. It though was opposed by AAP leader HS Phoolka. In his government’s defence, state Finance Minister Manpreet Singh Badal claimed that the taxes weren’t been imposed right away, with the government just bringing in the legislation.

Regardless of the current status of Punjab’s taxation, it might soon result in a nationwide perception that a Congress led government has decided to burden the taxpayers with a slew of taxes.

What might make matters worse for the Rahul Gandhi led Congress party is that, just a few months back it was seen attacking the Modi government over the GST rates. Reports in November last year claimed that the party was strongly going to seek relaxation in tax rates for various commodities. Congress’s party president Rahul Gandhi was also quoted as saying that if the BJP didn’t reduce the GST rates to a flat 18%, they would do so after coming to power in 2019.

Evidence pointing towards a direct link between Congress and Cambridge Analytica emerges

OpIndia Staff
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Evidence pointing towards a direct link between Congress and Cambridge Analytica emerges

An image of a poster with the Congress symbol hanging in Cambridge Analytica’s office has raised eyebrows of political observers in India. The image has led to heated debates on Indian TV channels on Congress link to Cambridge Analytica. BJP MP Subramanian Swamy said that ‘Congress has been caught red handed with their dirty hand poster and therefore there is no escape’ while commenting on the issue.


This is the second evidence linking the party to the now infamous firm which has been misusing data of citizens for the sake of manipulating elections around the world. Earlier, the whistleblower James Wylie had revealed that the Congress was the client of Cambridge Analytica in his deposition before the British MPs.

Some supporters of the Congress have claimed that the poster behind Alexander Nix was photoshopped. However the journalist who was in the room has said that the image was authentic.


Some journalists have proposed the theory that Cambridge Analytica might not have been associated with the Congress party. They asked whether this was form a ‘pitch’ or ‘contract’ .

In an interview to Barkha Dutt, the Congress social media chief Divya Spandana/Ramya has claimed that Cambridge Analytica approached the Congress party’s leaders with some proposals but it was never given a contract/deal.


It remains to be seen as to how the Congress – Cambridge Analytica saga will emerge in future.

Venkaiah Naidu mocks Renuka Chowdhury again, Rajya Sabha breaks out into laughter

OpIndia Staff
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Venkaiah Naidu mocks Renuka Chowdhury again, Rajya Sabha breaks out into laughter

After Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Ramayana jibe at Renuka Chowdhury, the Chairman of the Rajya Sabha, Venkaiah Naidu, took a jibe at the Congress leader. Renuka Chowdhury is among the Rajya Sabha MPs whose tenure is about to end soon. During Chowdhury’s farewell speech to the Upper House of the Parliament, she said, “He (Naidu) knows me from many kilos before. Sir, many people worry about my weight but in this job, you need to throw your weight around,” to which Naidu responded, “My simple suggestion is, reduce your weight and make efforts to increase the weight of the party”.

Another Congress leader, Rajni Patil, was lamenting the fact that she could not get a full term either in the Lok Sabha or the Rajya Sabha to which Venkaiah Naidu replied, “then you go to Lok Sabha again.” The House broke out into peels of laughter on both occasions.

Earlier, when Renuka Chowdhury had started laughing hysterically in the Upper House of the Parliament, Prime Minister Modi had said, “Ramayan serial ke baad aisi hasi sunne ka ab saubhagya mila hain.” (After the serial Ramayan, first time we got to hear such a laughter.) Venkaiah Naidu had then quipped in as well and told the Congress leader, “If you have some problem, please go to the doctor.”

Times Now responds to Election Commission on leaks of Karnataka Election dates

OpIndia Staff
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Times Now responds to Election Commission on leaks of Karnataka Election dates

The Election Commission has set up a committee [ pdf ] to probe in the leak of dates of Karnataka assembly elections prior to the CEC’s announcement. Times Now had flashed the election date as May 12 and counting date and May 18. This was partially correct information as the counting date was May 15.

Times Now had got the date of election accurately. The news was Tweeted by media cell members of both BJP and Congress though, BJP’s Amit Malviya was singled out for most of the criticism.

Amidst the ruckus created in political circles over leak of Karnataka assembly election dates, the channel which beamed the dates on its screens has escaped serious scrutiny. In a short reply [ pdf ] to the Election commission, the channel has said that the information beamed by it was not a leak as it was not accurate.

The editor-in-chief of Times Now, Rahul Shivshankar wrote :

Apropos letter ref no 193/6/2/2018. TIMES NOW news channel accessed the details from informed sources. Given that the information wasn’t entirely accurate it is obvious it wasn’t a leak.

 

Times Now letter to Election Commission

Meanwhile, the Congress spokesperson has continued to malign the activities of the Election Commission by questioning the credibility of the commission for allegedly explaining BJP’s version.


It remains to be seen as to what findings will emerge from the election commissions committee and how political parties will respond to the outcome of the investigation.

Cambridge Analytica helped JD(U) identify the ‘right castes to target’ during 2010 Bihar polls: Whistleblower

OpIndia Staff
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Cambridge Analytica helped JD(U) identify the ‘right castes to target’ during 2010 Bihar polls: Whistleblower

The sandstorm let loose via the revelations into controversial data agency’s association now seems to have reached Nitish Kumar led JD(U)s doorstep, if claims by the data firm’s whistelblower are to be believed.

Christopher Wylie, former Cambridge Analytica (CA) employee turned whistleblower on Wednesday, released a set of documents on Twitter relating to the past projects of SCL group which is the parent company of CA:


As per the document titled “National Experience”, which details the past work of SCL in India, the JD(U) was helped by the data agency during the 2010 Bihar elections. This help supposedly included “providing electoral research and strategy for the party”. This strategy included SCL undertaking a behavioural research program which targeted 75% of the state’s households.

This targeting was used to identify the correct backgrounds, right audiences, messages and more importantly the “right castes to target” with their campaigns.

The JD(U) has since then come out to deny having ever used Cambridge Analytica’s services for caste analysis and claimed that the party doesn’t believe in using such means for electoral politics.

As per an Indian Express report, another allegation made against the JD(U) is that the address of SCL group’s India headquarters, “155, Niti Khand 1, Indirapuram, Ghaziabad” is the same as that of the official address of Ovleno Business Intelligence (OBI).

The report alleges that OBI which is/was SCL’s partner in India is owned by Amrish Tyagi, who is the son of JD(U) leader KC Tyagi. Tyagi has earlier dismissed the allegation of his son and Cambridge Analytica colluding to influence the 2010 Bihar polls.

As per the documents released by Wylie, a caste census was also carried out by SCL India during the 2012 Uttar Pradesh elections on behalf of a “national party”. It is also claimed that the organisation was asked to carry out research commutation campaign in support of a pan-India campaign for countering non-desired behaviour of recruitment and support of “violent jihadism” in 2007.

Reports show Hindus leaving their homes in Asansol, West Bengal after riots

OpIndia Staff
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Reports show Hindus leaving their homes in Asansol, West Bengal after riots

As per ABP News report, following the riots in Asansol and other parts of West Bengal during Ram Navami celebrations, Hindus in the area are moving to ‘safer locations’.

According to one of the migrants ABP News talked to, the Hindus are moving to safer locations where ‘population of Muslims is quite less’. Another migrant reportedly said that Mamata Banerjee is doing nothing for the Hindus.

Parts of West Bengal have turned into a melting pot following Ram Navami celebrations on 24-25 of this month. Union Minister Babul Supriyo, pinned the entire blame for the Burdwan incident on Trinamool Congress and alleged that Mamata Banerjee was deliberately “antagonising” Hindu sentiments for votes. The epicentre of the violence seems to have shifted to Raniganj, a town about 100 KM from Burdwan. As per reports, the trouble began at the Hill Bustee area of the town when stones were pelted at a Ram Navami procession on Monday morning. This escalated into a clash between various groups which included bomb blasts and shots getting fired in various parts of the town.

Recently, fresh violence was reported from Asansol where a Ram Navami procession was attacked by both groups pelting stones at each other. Shockingly, even as Bengal burnt, West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee was busy in the national capital forging an anti-BJP alliance for the upcoming 2019 general elections.

As of now, 3 casualties have been reported in the violence and 60 people have been arrested.


Section 144 has been imposed in certain areas adjoining Asansol in Bardhaman district and additional security forces, including the Rapid Action Force (RAF), have also been deployed alongside the police keeping in view law and order situation.

ED arrests close aide of Nirav Modi for allegedly laundering money for the diamond merchant

OpIndia Staff
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ED arrests close aide of Nirav Modi for allegedly laundering money for the diamond merchant

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Tuesday Night arrested Shyam Sunder Wadhwa, believed to be a close aide of fugitive diamond baron Nirav Modi. Wadhwa was arrested under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), with regards to a money laundering probe into the Rs 12,000 crore PNB fraud. Wadhwa is the vice-president of Firestar group.

As per reports, officials have claimed that Wadhwa has been in close touch with Nirav Modi and has also allegedly laundered money at his behest. It is being claimed that Wadhwa might be a key figure in “unravelling the truth behind the scam”. Wadhwa has previously been accused of misleading the agencies during interrogation, which led to his arrest.

Wadhwa has been accused of making fraudulent transactions Firestar International and Firestar Diamond International which are owned by Nirav Modi. Wadhwa also supposedly made a certain Kartik Doshi the shareholder of Hong Kong-based Sino Traders, which had allegedly received about Rs 468 crores crore generated via the fraudulent issue of Letters of Undertakings (LoUs).

This arrest of Nirav Modi’s aide comes just a few days after the ED searched his Samudra Mahal properties, worth 15.45 crore and 81 crores respectively. This search resulted in the ED laying its hands on several paintings, antique jewellery and expensive watches. These include recovering a Rs 1.40 crore watch and Rs 10 crore ring. These properties were already attached by the ED in February. Following the searches, the total assets of Nirav Modi attached stand at 7664 crores.

Two FIRs relating to money laundering have been filed against Nirav Modi and his uncle Mehul Choksi for probing this matter. In total, the ED has conducted about 251 raids across India after starting the criminal proceedings.

Read about Shashi Tharoor’s Twitter faux pas

OpIndia Staff
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Read about Shashi Tharoor’s Twitter faux pas

Following the ‘soft Hindutva‘ approach Congress is taking to woo back alienated communities, Congress leader, who had once reportedly told the court he is not a Hindu, wrote a book ‘Why I am a Hindu’ has committed a faux pas while wishing for Mahavir Jayanti today. Congress MP Shashi Tharoor today wished his followers for Mahavir Jayanti, the birth anniversary of the twenty-fourth and last Tirthankar and is one of the most important religious festivals of the Jains by posting a picture of Gautam Buddha.

Twitterati came together to teach Tharoor a lesson or two in religion, liberally sprinkled with humour.


After being pointed out his error, Tharoor accepted the same and posted a link to the source of his image where he said he welcomes more authentic and acceptable alternatives.


While Gautam Buddha and Lord Mahavir, both stood for peace and non-violence, and were born decades apart, they are very different from each other and founded two different Indic school of thoughts. One would expect someone who writes books on India and Hinduism to have the basics sorted.

Police recover huge cache of explosives from a truck in Kerala’s Malappuram, two arrested

OpIndia Staff
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Police recover huge cache of explosives from a truck in Kerala’s Malappuram, two arrested

The Kerala police on Wednesday morning recovered a huge cache of explosives from a truck in the state’s Malappuram district. This cached contained a whopping 10,000 detonators, 3,750 KG of gelatin sticks and 213 fuse wire rolls.

These massive amounts of explosives were hidden in the truck under packets containing chicken droppings which are used as a manure. The visuals of the explosives were shared by ANI:


The truck in question which had a Karnataka registration plate was heading towards Kozhikode in Kerala. The truck supposedly started its journey in Karnataka’s Hassan district. The police conducted this raid based on a tip-off and took the truck driver and his associate into custody.

The arrested duo have been booked under section 4,5 of the explosives act and the section 286 of the IPC. The drivers also failed to produce any documents with regards to the consignment. An investigation is underway in this matter and the arrested persons would be produced before a court on Wednesday afternoon.

As per local reports, the explosives were being shifted to a godown in Mongam, which was raided by the police owing to a possibility of recovering more such explosives. The possible motive behind transporting the explosives is unknown, though reports have claimed that they were intended to be used in quarries.

Such a recovery of explosives is not a new incident in the state. In February the police had recovered about 1000 KG of gelatin sticks which were being transported while being hidden in boxes. In the same month, the police had discovered explosives near a railway bridge in the Malappuram district. These explosives were perceived to be meant for a possible terror attack.

In January suspected landmines were recovered from under an over-bridge in Kuttippuram. The police were tipped off by the villagers following which a bomb disposal squad was rushed to the spot. In September last year, seven high-intensity explosives were recovered from the state’s Kannur region.

One more bank loan fraud: this time IDBI discloses Rs. 772 crore fraud, shares fall

OpIndia Staff
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One more bank loan fraud: this time IDBI discloses Rs. 772 crore fraud, shares fall

State owned IDBI bank on Tuesday disclosed fraudulent loans worth Rs. 772 crore were issued from five of its branches in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. It is reported that some of these loans were issued during the years 2009-2013 for fish farming businesses against allegedly fake lease documents of non-existent fish ponds and by inflating value of collateral. The company has said that they have found major lapses in the processing and disbursement of loans by two of its officials, one of whom has retired and other is dismissed.

The CBI (Central Bureau of Investigation) has registered cases for two of the five complaints and the company has initiated quality assurance audit which is expected to be complete by April.

Earlier reports said that the defaulting borrowers had allegedly offered valuable gifts and commissions to bank officers and bank panel valuers in an attempt to influence them. Preliminary probe has revealed that about 200 borrowers, in collusion with bank officers at various branches of IDBI, obtained pisciculture loans and other credit facilities through 220 loan accounts in the bank. The bank officers involved are understood to have accepted huge commissions from borrowers for sanctioning loans without checking land documents properly.

IDBI shares fell as much as 3.5 per cent to 73.6 rupees, while the index for public sector lenders Nifty PSU Bank index dropped as much as 1.8 per cent.

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