Akhilesh Yadav&#39;s uncle Ramgopal Yadav filed the caveat in the Supreme Court of India, prempting Akhilesh&#39;s father and SP patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav in case he decides to challenge the Election Commission order.

A day after India&#39;s Election Commission granted the disputed &#39;cycle&#39; symbol of the Samajwadi Party (SP) to Akhilesh Yadav, the Uttar Pradesh chief minister visited his father and SP founder Mulayam Singh at his residence, describing his ties with him as &quot;unbreakable.&quot;

Akhilesh, who was reportedly given a list of about 40 candidates by Mulayam Singh, said over 90 per cent of the candidates in both lists were common. He said his priority was to form the SP government in the upcoming assembly elections in the state and that he would take his father along.

&quot;I will take Netaji (Mulayam Singh Yadav) along...My relation with him is unbreakable. I was confident that I will get cycle (symbol). Little time is left. It&#39;s a big responsibility and I will take everyone with us,&quot; he said.&nbsp;

&quot;Over 90 per cent candidates in both the lists are common. We will finalise the list of candidates soon,&quot; Akhilesh told reporters during an informal chat at his Kalidas Marg residence in state capital Lucknow.

However, the Akhilesh faction led by his mentor and uncle Ramgopal Yadav filed a caveat in the top court asking it not to pass any order challenging the Election Commission order without hearing their side.

The Uttar Pradesh chief minister also went into a huddle with his advisors, including Upper House legislators Ramgopal Yadav and Naresh Agarwal, strategising on an alliance with Congress, RLD and JD(U) for the upcoming assembly elections in the state.

SP sources said the list of party candidates will be released in a day or two.

There were reports that the three parties could come out with a common minimum programme.

While Akhilesh said in Lucknow that a decision on the alliance will be made in a day or two, senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad confirmed his party would ally with the SP in the upcoming UP elections.&nbsp;

&quot;The decision on alliance (with Congress) will be taken in a day or two,&quot; Akhilesh told journalists in Lucknow. His uncle and party strategist Ramgopal Yadav hoped a grand secular alliance would be in place for polls.&nbsp;

&quot;I am confident that the Samajwadi Party-Congress alliance will form the next government in Uttar Pradesh,&quot; All India Congress Committee (AICC) general secretary Ghulam Nabi Azad told the press in New Delhi.

Party coordinator for UP Meem Afzal said, &quot;Congress will have an alliance with Samajwadi Party in Uttar Pradesh. The details of the arrangement will be announced in the next two days.&quot;

The Congress is yet to officially announce the SP alliance and seat-sharing agreement although an announcement is expected soon. Congress leader Sheila Dikshit, had earlier said that she would withdraw as the Congress&#39; chief ministerial candidate if her party enters into an alliance with the Samajwadi Party in the state.

The poll process kicked off today with a notification being issued for the first phase of polling on February 11.

Before the poll panel settled the dispute between the warring factions in Akhilesh&#39;s favour, Mulayam had rejected all suggestions of a tie-up with the Congress despite Akhilesh saying that an alliance between the two could fetch 300 of the state&#39;s 403 seats.

According to SP sources, the party will keep the majority of over 250 seats with itself. Congress was being offered around 90-100 seats by the SP, which was also said to be trying to rope in Ajit Singh&#39;s RLD. Rashtriya Lok Dal has pockets of influence in western UP which goes to polls in the first two phases on February 11 and 15.

Ramgopal Yadav and Ghulam Nabi Azad are reportedly in talks to iron out differences over seat sharing between the two parties.

Party sources said the list would be prepared keeping in mind the possible alliance with Congress as nomination for first phase has already begun.

Mulayam Singh, meanwhile, stayed put at his bungalow, hardly a stone&#39;s throw away from that of Akhilesh. Shivpal Yadav and a few other loyalists like Ambika Chowdhury met him during the day.

(WION with inputs from PTI)

Akhilesh, who was reportedly given a list of about 40 candidates by Mulayam Singh, said over 90% of the candidates in both lists were common

Akhilesh Yadav's uncle Ramgopal Yadav filed the caveat in the Supreme Court of India, prempting Akhilesh's father and SP patriarch Mulayam Singh Yadav in case he decides to challenge the Election Commission order. A day after India's Election Commission granted the disputed 'cycle' symbol of the Samajwadi Party (SP) to Akhilesh Yadav, the Uttar Pradesh chief minister visited his father and SP founder Mulayam Singh at his residence, describing his ties with him as "unbreakable." Akhilesh, who was reportedly given a list of about 40 candidates by Mulayam Singh, said over 90 per cent of the candidates in both lists were common. He said his priority was to form the SP government in the upcoming assembly elections in the state and that he would take his father along. "I will take Netaji (Mulayam Singh Yadav) along...My relation with him is unbreakable. I was confident that I will get cycle (symbol). Little time is left. It's a big responsibility and I will take everyone with us," he said. "Over 90 per cent candidates in both the lists are common. We will finalise the list of candidates soon," Akhilesh told reporters during an informal chat at his Kalidas Marg residence in state capital Lucknow. However, the Akhilesh faction led by his mentor and uncle Ramgopal Yadav filed a caveat in the top court asking it not to pass any order challenging the Election Commission order without hearing their side. The Uttar Pradesh chief minister also went into a huddle with his advisors, including Upper House legislators Ramgopal Yadav and Naresh Agarwal, strategising on an alliance with Congress, RLD and JD(U) for the upcoming assembly elections in the state. SP sources said the list of party candidates will be released in a day or two. There were reports that the three parties could come out with a common minimum programme. While Akhilesh said in Lucknow that a decision on the alliance will be made in a day or two, senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad confirmed his party would ally with the SP in the upcoming UP elections. "The decision on alliance (with Congress) will be taken in a day or two," Akhilesh told journalists in Lucknow. His uncle and party strategist Ramgopal Yadav hoped a grand secular alliance would be in place for polls. "I am confident that the Samajwadi Party-Congress alliance will form the next government in Uttar Pradesh," All India Congress Committee (AICC) general secretary Ghulam Nabi Azad told the press in New Delhi. Party coordinator for UP Meem Afzal said, "Congress will have an alliance with Samajwadi Party in Uttar Pradesh. The details of the arrangement will be announced in the next two days." The Congress is yet to officially announce the SP alliance and seat-sharing agreement although an announcement is expected soon. Congress leader Sheila Dikshit, had earlier said that she would withdraw as the Congress' chief ministerial candidate if her party enters into an alliance with the Samajwadi Party in the state. The poll process kicked off today with a notification being issued for the first phase of polling on February 11. Before the poll panel settled the dispute between the warring factions in Akhilesh's favour, Mulayam had rejected all suggestions of a tie-up with the Congress despite Akhilesh saying that an alliance between the two could fetch 300 of the state's 403 seats. According to SP sources, the party will keep the majority of over 250 seats with itself. Congress was being offered around 90-100 seats by the SP, which was also said to be trying to rope in Ajit Singh's RLD. Rashtriya Lok Dal has pockets of influence in western UP which goes to polls in the first two phases on February 11 and 15. Ramgopal Yadav and Ghulam Nabi Azad are reportedly in talks to iron out differences over seat sharing between the two parties. Party sources said the list would be prepared keeping in mind the possible alliance with Congress as nomination for first phase has already begun. Mulayam Singh, meanwhile, stayed put at his bungalow, hardly a stone's throw away from that of Akhilesh. Shivpal Yadav and a few other loyalists like Ambika Chowdhury met him during the day. (WION with inputs from PTI)

Ties with Mulayam Singh unbreakable, will take him along: Akhilesh's olive branch to father ahead of polls

The meeting organised by the Indian National Congress in Delhi against demonetisation wasn&rsquo;t without significance. First, a major function was organised in absence of&nbsp;Congress president Sonia Gandhi and secondly Congress chose the death anniversary of late Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri as the day to organise the function.

Only Indira Gandhi and Lal Bahadur Shastri&rsquo;s photographs were put on the dais.

Indira Gandhi had given the slogan, &rdquo;Mein kahti hun garibi hatao aur vo kehte hain mujhe hatao,&rdquo; and Shastri gave the famous slogan &rdquo;Jai Jawan and Jai Kisan.&rdquo; Sources say that the imagery goes well with the anti-demonetisation drive of the Congress Party as BJP would find it difficult to pin Congress down on Shastri. And Sonia&rsquo;s absence would give Rahul ample space to engage the public&rsquo;s mind.

Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi attacked the government on the ground that it was&nbsp;a personal decision of Narendra Modi. &ldquo;We didn&rsquo;t do it because we felt that it would give the desired dividends,&rdquo; said Rahul Gandhi. He also said that Congress did not once interfere&nbsp;in&nbsp;the functioning of the Reserve Bank of India.

&ldquo;Achhe din are only going to come when the Congress party is going to come back to power,&rdquo; said Rahul Gandhi. The Congress vice-president also said that media is being constrained under the Modi regime. &ldquo;Media also have the responsibility to show what people are going through because of demonetisation,&rdquo; said Rahul Gandhi. He also took the jibe at media by saying,&rdquo; Maybe, we respected the press too much.&rdquo;

The Congress also alleged that they wanted to organise a bigger function but could not because a&nbsp;bigger auditorium wasn&rsquo;t leased out to them.

The Congress vice-president called Ramdev and Bhogle as homemade economists whose decisions the Prime Minister enforced. Congress has decided to make demonetisation a major theme in the forthcoming state Assembly elections.

The same strategy is being deployed by BJP which has linked demonetisation with an&nbsp;anti-corruption drive. In the end, Rahul Gandhi also accused RSS of running the government by saying that only Mohan Bhagwat and Modi are running the government.

&nbsp;

The meeting was significant because it was organised in the absence of Sonia Gandhi and it marked Lal Bahadur Shastri's death anniversary

The meeting organised by the Indian National Congress in Delhi against demonetisation wasn’t without significance. First, a major function was organised in absence of Congress president Sonia Gandhi and secondly Congress chose the death anniversary of late Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri as the day to organise the function. Only Indira Gandhi and Lal Bahadur Shastri’s photographs were put on the dais. Indira Gandhi had given the slogan, ”Mein kahti hun garibi hatao aur vo kehte hain mujhe hatao,” and Shastri gave the famous slogan ”Jai Jawan and Jai Kisan.” Sources say that the imagery goes well with the anti-demonetisation drive of the Congress Party as BJP would find it difficult to pin Congress down on Shastri. And Sonia’s absence would give Rahul ample space to engage the public’s mind. Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi attacked the government on the ground that it was a personal decision of Narendra Modi. “We didn’t do it because we felt that it would give the desired dividends,” said Rahul Gandhi. He also said that Congress did not once interfere in the functioning of the Reserve Bank of India. “Achhe din are only going to come when the Congress party is going to come back to power,” said Rahul Gandhi. The Congress vice-president also said that media is being constrained under the Modi regime. “Media also have the responsibility to show what people are going through because of demonetisation,” said Rahul Gandhi. He also took the jibe at media by saying,” Maybe, we respected the press too much.” The Congress also alleged that they wanted to organise a bigger function but could not because a bigger auditorium wasn’t leased out to them. The Congress vice-president called Ramdev and Bhogle as homemade economists whose decisions the Prime Minister enforced. Congress has decided to make demonetisation a major theme in the forthcoming state Assembly elections. The same strategy is being deployed by BJP which has linked demonetisation with an anti-corruption drive. In the end, Rahul Gandhi also accused RSS of running the government by saying that only Mohan Bhagwat and Modi are running the government.

India: Congress remembers Shastri in Sonia's absence, targets Modi and RSS

&nbsp;

Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi hit out against PM Modi saying&nbsp;demonetisation was a personal decision of the Prime Minister.

He said that the &#39;achhe din&#39; promised by the BJP will come only in 2019 &quot;when Congress comes to power&quot;.&nbsp;

The Congress vice-president&nbsp;said the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh were undermining the constitutional institutions like Reserve Bank of India, judiciary and the Election Commission.

(Wion with&nbsp;Agencies)

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

The Congress vice-president said that the 'achhe din' promised by the BJP will come only in 2019 "when Congress comes to power".

Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi hit out against PM Modi saying demonetisation was a personal decision of the Prime Minister. He said that the 'achhe din' promised by the BJP will come only in 2019 "when Congress comes to power". The Congress vice-president said the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh were undermining the constitutional institutions like Reserve Bank of India, judiciary and the Election Commission. (Wion with Agencies)

BJP, RSS undermining RBI, says Rahul Gandhi

Taking a dig at the Shiromani Akali Dal-Bhartiya Janta Party (SAD-BJP) government in the Indian state of Punjab, former prime minister Dr Manmohan Singh said that the alliance is responsible for wrecking the state&#39;s economy.&nbsp;

Dr Manmohan Singh &nbsp;released the Congress&#39; manifesto for the upcoming Punjab Assembly polls today.&nbsp;The manifesto promises loan waiver and free power to farmers, wiping out of drug trade within a month, stipend of Rs 2,500 per month to unemployed youth, free smart mobile phones to youth and free textbooks to all children.

The former prime minister expressed confidence that the leadership of the Congress&#39; chief ministerial candidate, Captain Amarinder Singh, will bring a better future for the state.

While lashing out at the state government for mismanaging the state, the Dr Singh told the media that &quot;the people of Punjab need a better tomorrow.&quot;

He further added that &quot;this election manifesto is a visionary document, which promises the people of Punjab that we will undo the damage done to the economy by the previous government in the last years&quot;.&nbsp;

&quot;The government has not been able to harness the potential of the state,&quot; Dr Singh, who is the head of the Punjab manifesto committee said.

On the fiscal situation of Punjab&#39;s finances, the former prime minister, who is also an acclaimed economist, said that &quot;the fiscal mismanagement in Punjab under the present government is unprecedented.&quot;

He expressed hope that &quot;Amarinder Singh&#39;s government will undo all this damage and set a new path for a better tomorrow which will see that the people of Punjab will have the highest per capita income, better distribution of income, better employment prospects for the youth and better infrastructure and social structure development.&quot;

Speaking on the occasion, Captain Amarinder Singh&nbsp;promised jobs, a new industrial policy, and complete&nbsp;crackdown on the drug menace in the state

On the contentious issue of Sutlej-Yamuna link canal, he said that the state does&nbsp;not have any water to share and that a law will be passed for not sharing any of state&#39;s water when the new assembly convenes, PTI reported. &nbsp;

The former prime minister&#39;s last big intervention in Rajya Sabha on the issue of demonetisation had generated lot of attention because of its scathing criticism of the policy.&nbsp;

(WION with inputs from ANI)

Dr Manmohan Singh, who is also an acclaimed economist, blamed the government for 'fiscal mismanagement'

Taking a dig at the Shiromani Akali Dal-Bhartiya Janta Party (SAD-BJP) government in the Indian state of Punjab, former prime minister Dr Manmohan Singh said that the alliance is responsible for wrecking the state's economy. Dr Manmohan Singh released the Congress' manifesto for the upcoming Punjab Assembly polls today. The manifesto promises loan waiver and free power to farmers, wiping out of drug trade within a month, stipend of Rs 2,500 per month to unemployed youth, free smart mobile phones to youth and free textbooks to all children. The former prime minister expressed confidence that the leadership of the Congress' chief ministerial candidate, Captain Amarinder Singh, will bring a better future for the state. While lashing out at the state government for mismanaging the state, the Dr Singh told the media that "the people of Punjab need a better tomorrow." He further added that "this election manifesto is a visionary document, which promises the people of Punjab that we will undo the damage done to the economy by the previous government in the last years". "The government has not been able to harness the potential of the state," Dr Singh, who is the head of the Punjab manifesto committee said. On the fiscal situation of Punjab's finances, the former prime minister, who is also an acclaimed economist, said that "the fiscal mismanagement in Punjab under the present government is unprecedented." He expressed hope that "Amarinder Singh's government will undo all this damage and set a new path for a better tomorrow which will see that the people of Punjab will have the highest per capita income, better distribution of income, better employment prospects for the youth and better infrastructure and social structure development." Speaking on the occasion, Captain Amarinder Singh promised jobs, a new industrial policy, and complete crackdown on the drug menace in the state On the contentious issue of Sutlej-Yamuna link canal, he said that the state does not have any water to share and that a law will be passed for not sharing any of state's water when the new assembly convenes, PTI reported. The former prime minister's last big intervention in Rajya Sabha on the issue of demonetisation had generated lot of attention because of its scathing criticism of the policy. (WION with inputs from ANI)

India: Former prime minister Manmohan Singh hits out at ruling SAD-BJP govt, releases Punjab poll manifesto

In a major turnaround, One Rank One Pension (OROP) leaders have decided to support and canvass for the Congress in the Indian states of Punjab and Uttarakhand. Both these states send substantial numbers to the Indian armed forces. The decision has come in the wake of unhappiness expressed by the OROP leaders on the package which was given out by the Centre last year.

Since then, OROP leaders have been sitting on a relay hunger strike pressing the Centre to change the OROP package. The open support is not without significance.&nbsp;

One Rank One Pension (OROP) is a pension reforms movement for Indian armed forces personnel.

OROP was an issue during 2014 Lok Sabha elections, and Narendra Modi&rsquo;s rally in Rewari in 2014 was organised by the ex-servicemen. So the open support and participation of the ex-servicemen will have a direct impact on the assembly election in both states which are going to polls on&nbsp;February 4.

The OROP leaders shared an open dais with the former chief minister of Punjab&nbsp;Amrindar Singh, Uttarakhand&rsquo;s chief minister Harish Rawat, and Veer Bhadra Singh, the chief minister of Himachal Pradesh.&nbsp;

Amrindar Singh said that they support the demand of the OROP and would like Centre to restore parity of the ranking of the armed forces members with their civilian counterparts. The resolution of the ex-servicemen was also accepted by the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee with the guarantee that all 21 recommendations will be accepted once Congress is in power in the state.

The Congress also committed itself to ensure pay parity between defence forces and class A civil servants. Congress also said that they would implement the Koshiari Committee report of 2013 in the light of suggestions made by the OROP members.&nbsp;

The Congress also said that they would be nominating more members of ex-servicemen to Rajya Sabha and the properties of serving and ex-soldiers would be brought under the provision of NRI property act.

Randeep Surjewalan, chairman of the Congress Media Cell, told WION that Congress as a party stands committed to the demand of OROP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi should deliver what the soldiers want.&nbsp;

Until last year,&nbsp;OROP, despite fighting with the government, remained hostile towards the Congress. Even Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi&rsquo;s sojourn to Jantar Mantar to meet ex-servicemen wasn&rsquo;t a smooth experience as many shouted slogans against him.

(WION)

The pension reforms movement for Indian armed forces personnel has been a contentious political issue for years

In a major turnaround, One Rank One Pension (OROP) leaders have decided to support and canvass for the Congress in the Indian states of Punjab and Uttarakhand. Both these states send substantial numbers to the Indian armed forces. The decision has come in the wake of unhappiness expressed by the OROP leaders on the package which was given out by the Centre last year. Since then, OROP leaders have been sitting on a relay hunger strike pressing the Centre to change the OROP package. The open support is not without significance. One Rank One Pension (OROP) is a pension reforms movement for Indian armed forces personnel. OROP was an issue during 2014 Lok Sabha elections, and Narendra Modi’s rally in Rewari in 2014 was organised by the ex-servicemen. So the open support and participation of the ex-servicemen will have a direct impact on the assembly election in both states which are going to polls on February 4. The OROP leaders shared an open dais with the former chief minister of Punjab Amrindar Singh, Uttarakhand’s chief minister Harish Rawat, and Veer Bhadra Singh, the chief minister of Himachal Pradesh. Amrindar Singh said that they support the demand of the OROP and would like Centre to restore parity of the ranking of the armed forces members with their civilian counterparts. The resolution of the ex-servicemen was also accepted by the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee with the guarantee that all 21 recommendations will be accepted once Congress is in power in the state. The Congress also committed itself to ensure pay parity between defence forces and class A civil servants. Congress also said that they would implement the Koshiari Committee report of 2013 in the light of suggestions made by the OROP members. The Congress also said that they would be nominating more members of ex-servicemen to Rajya Sabha and the properties of serving and ex-soldiers would be brought under the provision of NRI property act. Randeep Surjewalan, chairman of the Congress Media Cell, told WION that Congress as a party stands committed to the demand of OROP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi should deliver what the soldiers want. Until last year, OROP, despite fighting with the government, remained hostile towards the Congress. Even Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi’s sojourn to Jantar Mantar to meet ex-servicemen wasn’t a smooth experience as many shouted slogans against him. (WION)

OROP leaders to support Congress in poll-bound Indian states

The Congress top brass earlier this week had launched a stinging accusation against India&#39;s Prime Minister Narendra Modi of accepting kickbacks from Sahara Group -- an Indian conglomerate -- but when they tweeted the entire list of individuals who were &#39;paid&#39;&nbsp;by the business house today, they inadvertently showed one of their senior party members being one of the recipients.&nbsp;

The Congress party&#39;s list shows that the business house paid Delhi chief minister Rs 1 crore (a little over $147,000) on September 23, 2013. Congress&#39; Sheila Dikshit was the chief minister of Delhi till December 2013.

The gaffe will be embarrassing for the Congress party -- the main opposition party in India -- especially since it is trying to corner Prime Minister Modi by accusing him of corruption. It is a double whammy for the party as it projected her as Uttar Pradesh&#39;s chief ministerial candidate. Uttar Pradesh, which is the largest and the most populous state in India, is heading for polls next year.

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&mdash; INC India (@INCIndia) <a href="https://twitter.com/INCIndia/status/812245279730647040">23 December 2016</a></blockquote>
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On December 22, Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi had claimed that Modi, who was the chief minister of India&#39;s western state of Gujarat at the time, accepted Rs 5 crore (roughly&nbsp;$737,000) and Rs 2.5 crore ($368,536) twice.

Gandhi cited documents retrieved by the taxmen when they raided various properties belonging to Sahara Group on November 22, 2014.

However, the list tweeted by Congress blamed several senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders of taking bribes from Sahara Group.

The notable names include BJP leader Raman Singh, who was the chief minister of Chhattisgarh state then. The list claims that Singh received Rs 4 crore (over $589,000) from the conglomerate.

(WION with inputs from agencies)

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Congress tweeted a list of individuals' names who allegedly received kickbacks from an Indian conglomerate. The list had Dikshit's name

The Congress top brass earlier this week had launched a stinging accusation against India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi of accepting kickbacks from Sahara Group -- an Indian conglomerate -- but when they tweeted the entire list of individuals who were 'paid' by the business house today, they inadvertently showed one of their senior party members being one of the recipients. The Congress party's list shows that the business house paid Delhi chief minister Rs 1 crore (a little over $147,000) on September 23, 2013. Congress' Sheila Dikshit was the chief minister of Delhi till December 2013. The gaffe will be embarrassing for the Congress party -- the main opposition party in India -- especially since it is trying to corner Prime Minister Modi by accusing him of corruption. It is a double whammy for the party as it projected her as Uttar Pradesh's chief ministerial candidate. Uttar Pradesh, which is the largest and the most populous state in India, is heading for polls next year. ???? ??, ???? ???? ????? ???? ?????? ?? ???? ??, ????? ?? ?????? ?? ???? ?????: ????? ????? pic.twitter.com/rnICMOrr4j — INC India (@INCIndia) 23 December 2016 × On December 22, Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi had claimed that Modi, who was the chief minister of India's western state of Gujarat at the time, accepted Rs 5 crore (roughly $737,000) and Rs 2.5 crore ($368,536) twice. Gandhi cited documents retrieved by the taxmen when they raided various properties belonging to Sahara Group on November 22, 2014. However, the list tweeted by Congress blamed several senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders of taking bribes from Sahara Group. The notable names include BJP leader Raman Singh, who was the chief minister of Chhattisgarh state then. The list claims that Singh received Rs 4 crore (over $589,000) from the conglomerate. (WION with inputs from agencies)

Congress' gaffe subsumes party leader Sheila Dikshit in graft case

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said that Indira Gandhi rejected suggestions for demonetisation in 1971, saying she wanted to win elections.

Indira Gandhi sold out India by ignoring advice to demonetise, the prime minister said.

Implementation of demonetisation policy was required in 1971, but it was implemented now, Modi said, hitting out at the opposition during the ruling party&#39;s parliamentary meet. &quot;For the Congress, party is bigger than nation; but for us, the nation is above the party,&quot; he said.

Modi also thanked chief ministers of India&#39;s eastern states of Odisha and Bihar for supporting demonetisation.

Prime Minister Modi said that unlike earlier when opposition parties stalled House proceedings against scams, Congress-led parties are now doing so against government&#39;s steps to curb black money and corruption.

He pitched for a&nbsp;digital economy as he urged masses to adopt it as a &quot;way of life&quot; to rid the society of corruption and black money.

Modi also noted that the Wanchoo Committee in the&nbsp;early 70s had recommended demonetisation when Indira Gandhi was Prime Minister, recalling that the then senior Left leader Jyotirmoy Basu had demanded its quick implementation, parliamentary affairs minister Ananth Kumar told reporters following the meeting.

On a day that marks the anniversary of Bangladesh&#39;s liberation, Modi also targeted the opposition over its remarks on the army&#39;s surgical strikes.

The opposition in 1971-72 did not seek evidence of the army&#39;s valour unlike that of today, he said.

(WION with inputs from agencies)

Then prime minister Indira Gandhi sold the nation by not adopting demonetisation, Modi alleged

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said that Indira Gandhi rejected suggestions for demonetisation in 1971, saying she wanted to win elections. Indira Gandhi sold out India by ignoring advice to demonetise, the prime minister said. Implementation of demonetisation policy was required in 1971, but it was implemented now, Modi said, hitting out at the opposition during the ruling party's parliamentary meet. "For the Congress, party is bigger than nation; but for us, the nation is above the party," he said. Modi also thanked chief ministers of India's eastern states of Odisha and Bihar for supporting demonetisation. Prime Minister Modi said that unlike earlier when opposition parties stalled House proceedings against scams, Congress-led parties are now doing so against government's steps to curb black money and corruption. He pitched for a digital economy as he urged masses to adopt it as a "way of life" to rid the society of corruption and black money. Modi also noted that the Wanchoo Committee in the early 70s had recommended demonetisation when Indira Gandhi was Prime Minister, recalling that the then senior Left leader Jyotirmoy Basu had demanded its quick implementation, parliamentary affairs minister Ananth Kumar told reporters following the meeting. On a day that marks the anniversary of Bangladesh's liberation, Modi also targeted the opposition over its remarks on the army's surgical strikes. The opposition in 1971-72 did not seek evidence of the army's valour unlike that of today, he said. (WION with inputs from agencies)

Demonetisation should have been done in 1971: Indian Prime Minister

Former Indian finance minister P Chidambaram slammed the ruling Modi government saying&nbsp;demonetisation was the biggest scam of the year, and that it must be investigated.&nbsp;

&quot;This is the biggest scam of the year and must be investigated. I cannot get Rs 2,000 note, how crores in Rs 2,000 notes found their way to individuals being raided all over the country,&quot; Chidambaram told reporters.&nbsp;

He also questioned the calculations done by the government which made it say one can withdraw Rs 24,000 when banks don&#39;t have enough cash to dispense that amount.

&quot;Every bank says there is no cash. So how does the government say there is cash? This is why Dr Manmohan Singh said monumental mismanagement,&quot; he added.

&quot;Who will compensate the 45 crore people who have been affected due to demonetisation?&quot; he asked.

&quot;I went for a wedding the other day, saw that the rich are not affected. It is the poor who are hurt. Has this stopped corruption, black money? The objective is not being served by this. Only poor people are being punished,&quot; he added.

The Congress leader also said the long-term impact of demonetisation will be negative in terms of GDP figures, adding that the Reserve Bank of India&#39;s projections say so.

&quot;Most economists say 1-2 per cent negative impact. I believe people will not forget for what is being done to them and will certain not forgive the govt for it. Just because people are not protesting in the manner you are suggesting that does not mean that they are condoning what government is doing,&quot; he said.

Meanwhile, the Congress Party alleged Tuesday that the government is avoiding a discussion on demonetisation in Parliament till public anger subsides.&nbsp;

&quot;They want to avoid a discussion in Parliament till the time the anger of the common man melts down. That is why they are trying to delay it,&quot; said Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge.

&quot;It is not us, but they (the ruling party) who are stopping the debate from taking place. They do not want their mistakes to be counted in Parliament and want to hide their mistakes from the people. That is why they are delaying debate in parliament,&quot; he said.&nbsp;

(This article first appeared in DNA)

He calls it a scam, says it must be investigated

Former Indian finance minister P Chidambaram slammed the ruling Modi government saying demonetisation was the biggest scam of the year, and that it must be investigated. "This is the biggest scam of the year and must be investigated. I cannot get Rs 2,000 note, how crores in Rs 2,000 notes found their way to individuals being raided all over the country," Chidambaram told reporters. He also questioned the calculations done by the government which made it say one can withdraw Rs 24,000 when banks don't have enough cash to dispense that amount. "Every bank says there is no cash. So how does the government say there is cash? This is why Dr Manmohan Singh said monumental mismanagement," he added. "Who will compensate the 45 crore people who have been affected due to demonetisation?" he asked. "I went for a wedding the other day, saw that the rich are not affected. It is the poor who are hurt. Has this stopped corruption, black money? The objective is not being served by this. Only poor people are being punished," he added. The Congress leader also said the long-term impact of demonetisation will be negative in terms of GDP figures, adding that the Reserve Bank of India's projections say so. "Most economists say 1-2 per cent negative impact. I believe people will not forget for what is being done to them and will certain not forgive the govt for it. Just because people are not protesting in the manner you are suggesting that does not mean that they are condoning what government is doing," he said. Meanwhile, the Congress Party alleged Tuesday that the government is avoiding a discussion on demonetisation in Parliament till public anger subsides. "They want to avoid a discussion in Parliament till the time the anger of the common man melts down. That is why they are trying to delay it," said Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge. "It is not us, but they (the ruling party) who are stopping the debate from taking place. They do not want their mistakes to be counted in Parliament and want to hide their mistakes from the people. That is why they are delaying debate in parliament," he said. (This article first appeared in DNA)

Demonetisation: Ex-finance minister Chidambaram slams move

After the Congress party filed a complaint against the hacking of the Twitter accounts of the party and its vice-president Rahul Gandhi, Delhi Police has initiated a probe into the matter.

The police has written to the management of the social media site seeking necessary details, PTI reported.

&quot;We have written to Twitter to provide us log details such as the IP address of the hackers. We have started investigating the matter,&quot; a senior police official said.

India&#39;s information and technology minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said the matter was being taken very &quot;seriously&quot; and prompt action had been taken.

&quot;As far Twitter account of Rahul Gandhi is concerned, when it came to my notice, I took it very seriously. Twitter representative of India was contacted and all offending tweets were removed,&quot; Prasad said. &quot;We are seeking the details of all those who logged in that twitter account in the last one week to probe it further.&quot;

Congress party hit back against the hacking today.

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Hello everyone! We are back. The tweets in the morning lacked wit, evidently. 
 
Anyway, Mr Modi, back to people&#39;s questions, care to answer?
&mdash; INC India (@INCIndia) <a href="https://twitter.com/INCIndia/status/804247947349065729">December 1, 2016</a></blockquote>
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Rahul Gandhi retaliated with a tweet of his own.

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To every one of you haters out there. I love all of you. You&#39;re beautiful. Your hatred just doesn&#39;t let you see it yet
&mdash; Office of RG (@OfficeOfRG) <a href="https://twitter.com/OfficeOfRG/status/804184407472881664">December 1, 2016</a></blockquote>
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Rahul Gandhi&#39;s official Twitter account was hacked last night and profanities posted from it, which were deleted soon after. It was hacked again this morning. The Congress&#39;s Twitter account was hacked today and messages laden with expletives and profanities posted on it.

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Gandhi&#39;s account was hacked around 8.45 PM. (Twitter)
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The party&#39;s chief spokesperson, Randeep Surjewala, demanded strict action against the hackers, tweeting that &quot;it reflected disturbing insecurities of the prevalent fascist culture in the country.&quot;&nbsp;He also expressed concern about the &quot;digital safety&quot; of Indians.

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Such unscrupulous,unethical&amp;roguish conduct of venal trolls 2hack <a href="https://twitter.com/OfficeOfRG">@OfficeOfRG</a> reflects disturbing insecurities of prevalent fascist culture
&mdash; Randeep S Surjewala (@rssurjewala) <a href="https://twitter.com/rssurjewala/status/803986961014718464">November 30, 2016</a></blockquote>
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Pre-meditated hacking of <a href="https://twitter.com/OfficeOfRG">@OfficeOfRG</a> smacks of a sinister conspiracy to abuse &amp; intimidate.It stregthens our resolve to fight for the Nation
&mdash; Randeep S Surjewala (@rssurjewala) <a href="https://twitter.com/rssurjewala/status/803991794769752064">November 30, 2016</a></blockquote>
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Such despotic &amp;vulgar attempts reflect the extremities of an intolerant culture that resorts to abuse when cornered and left answer less.2/n
&mdash; Randeep S Surjewala (@rssurjewala) <a href="https://twitter.com/rssurjewala/status/804193760644984832">December 1, 2016</a></blockquote>
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Cyber attacks on <a href="https://twitter.com/INCIndia">@INCIndia</a> &amp; <a href="https://twitter.com/OfficeOfRG">@OfficeOfRG</a> exposes the vulnerability of cyber security &amp; Digital platforms in India. An eye opener for Modiji!
&mdash; Randeep S Surjewala (@rssurjewala) <a href="https://twitter.com/rssurjewala/status/804195788238692353">December 1, 2016</a></blockquote>
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Surjewala also filed a complaint with the cyber cell of Delhi Police.

Congress President Sonia Gandhi&#39;s political secretary Ahmed Patel also tweeted:

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The way <a href="https://twitter.com/OfficeOfRG">@OfficeOfRG</a> a/c got hacked,as cybercrime &amp; Twitter watched helpless raises serious Q&#39;s on digital safety, Digital India future
&mdash; Ahmed Patel (@ahmedpatel) <a href="https://twitter.com/ahmedpatel/status/804005397635862528">November 30, 2016</a></blockquote>
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Those forcing country to adopt online payment overnight,have they taken steps to ensure a/c of ordinary ppl will be immune from hacking?
&mdash; Ahmed Patel (@ahmedpatel) <a href="https://twitter.com/ahmedpatel/status/804010661701267456">November 30, 2016</a></blockquote>
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(WION with inputs from PTI)

Delhi Police has initiated a probe into the matter and have written to Twitter management, seeking necessary details

After the Congress party filed a complaint against the hacking of the Twitter accounts of the party and its vice-president Rahul Gandhi, Delhi Police has initiated a probe into the matter. The police has written to the management of the social media site seeking necessary details, PTI reported. "We have written to Twitter to provide us log details such as the IP address of the hackers. We have started investigating the matter," a senior police official said. India's information and technology minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said the matter was being taken very "seriously" and prompt action had been taken. "As far Twitter account of Rahul Gandhi is concerned, when it came to my notice, I took it very seriously. Twitter representative of India was contacted and all offending tweets were removed," Prasad said. "We are seeking the details of all those who logged in that twitter account in the last one week to probe it further." Congress party hit back against the hacking today. Hello everyone! We are back. The tweets in the morning lacked wit, evidently. Anyway, Mr Modi, back to people's questions, care to answer? — INC India (@INCIndia) December 1, 2016 × Rahul Gandhi retaliated with a tweet of his own. To every one of you haters out there. I love all of you. You're beautiful. Your hatred just doesn't let you see it yet — Office of RG (@OfficeOfRG) December 1, 2016 × Rahul Gandhi's official Twitter account was hacked last night and profanities posted from it, which were deleted soon after. It was hacked again this morning. The Congress's Twitter account was hacked today and messages laden with expletives and profanities posted on it. Gandhi's account was hacked around 8.45 PM. (Twitter) × The party's chief spokesperson, Randeep Surjewala, demanded strict action against the hackers, tweeting that "it reflected disturbing insecurities of the prevalent fascist culture in the country." He also expressed concern about the "digital safety" of Indians. Such unscrupulous,unethical&roguish conduct of venal trolls 2hack @OfficeOfRG reflects disturbing insecurities of prevalent fascist culture — Randeep S Surjewala (@rssurjewala) November 30, 2016 × Pre-meditated hacking of @OfficeOfRG smacks of a sinister conspiracy to abuse & intimidate.It stregthens our resolve to fight for the Nation — Randeep S Surjewala (@rssurjewala) November 30, 2016 × Such despotic &vulgar attempts reflect the extremities of an intolerant culture that resorts to abuse when cornered and left answer less.2/n — Randeep S Surjewala (@rssurjewala) December 1, 2016 × Cyber attacks on @INCIndia & @OfficeOfRG exposes the vulnerability of cyber security & Digital platforms in India. An eye opener for Modiji! — Randeep S Surjewala (@rssurjewala) December 1, 2016 × Surjewala also filed a complaint with the cyber cell of Delhi Police. Congress President Sonia Gandhi's political secretary Ahmed Patel also tweeted: The way @OfficeOfRG a/c got hacked,as cybercrime & Twitter watched helpless raises serious Q's on digital safety, Digital India future — Ahmed Patel (@ahmedpatel) November 30, 2016 × Those forcing country to adopt online payment overnight,have they taken steps to ensure a/c of ordinary ppl will be immune from hacking? — Ahmed Patel (@ahmedpatel) November 30, 2016 × (WION with inputs from PTI)

Indian Congress Twitter account hacked, party vice-president Rahul Gandhi targeted again

The Twitter account of Rahul Gandhi, the vice-president of Congress, India&#39;s opposition party, was hacked on Wednesday evening and misused to post obscentities. &nbsp;

The leader&#39;s office confirmed the breach of privacy and said efforts were being made to rectify the problem.&nbsp;

The hacker also changed the name of the verified twitter handle and posted profanities.

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Gandhi&#39;s account was hacked around 8.45 PM. (Twitter)
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The offensive tweets were soon deleted, but the hacker&#39;s access to the Twitter account has not been revoked so far.&nbsp;

Congress media in charge Randeep Singh Surjewala tweeted, &quot;Such lowly tactics will never drown the sane voice of reason nor deter Rahul Gandhi from raising.&quot;&nbsp;

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Hacking of@OfficeofRG proves lack of Digital safety around each one of us. Every digital info can be accessed, altered, morphed &amp; modified.
&mdash; Randeep S Surjewala (@rssurjewala) <a href="https://twitter.com/rssurjewala/status/803992722658889728">November 30, 2016</a></blockquote>
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(WION with inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

The hacker also changed the name of the verified twitter handle and posted profanities that were deleted soon after

The Twitter account of Rahul Gandhi, the vice-president of Congress, India's opposition party, was hacked on Wednesday evening and misused to post obscentities. The leader's office confirmed the breach of privacy and said efforts were being made to rectify the problem. The hacker also changed the name of the verified twitter handle and posted profanities. Gandhi's account was hacked around 8.45 PM. (Twitter) × The offensive tweets were soon deleted, but the hacker's access to the Twitter account has not been revoked so far. Congress media in charge Randeep Singh Surjewala tweeted, "Such lowly tactics will never drown the sane voice of reason nor deter Rahul Gandhi from raising." Hacking of@OfficeofRG proves lack of Digital safety around each one of us. Every digital info can be accessed, altered, morphed & modified. — Randeep S Surjewala (@rssurjewala) November 30, 2016 × (WION with inputs from agencies)

India: Rahul Gandhi's Twitter account hacked, expletives-laden tweets posted

The demonetisation of the country&#39;s 500- and 1,000-rupee notes by the Modi government has brought about a rarely-seen unity among the Opposition parties -- they have called for nationwide protests today -- but they stand divided over the way they would protest the measure.

The Left parties have called a 12-hour bandh (strike) in West Bengal to protest against the demonetisation&nbsp;but chief minister Mamata Banerjee&#39;s Trinamool Congress (TMC) will not join the strike; her party will only hold protests.

The Congress too has decided against a bandh. Senior party leader Jairam Ramesh said no &quot;Bharat Bandh&quot; (India Strike) has been called by the party, but that it will hold nationwide protests as part of a &quot;Jan Aakrosh Diwas&quot; or People&#39;s Day of Anger. A strike he said would only add to people&#39;s miseries.&nbsp;

The JD(U) has decided not to participate in the protests after its leader and Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar welcomed the demonetisation, calling it a &quot;courageous step&quot;.&nbsp;

Mamata Banerjee&#39;s TMC and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal&#39;s AAP are the only parties which have demanded a rollback; the other parties have voiced their displeasure over the way the demonetisation&nbsp;is being implemented and the hardships that it&nbsp;is causing common people.

(This report first appeared in DNA)

But most stop short of calling a strike, say that would only add to people's miseries

The demonetisation of the country's 500- and 1,000-rupee notes by the Modi government has brought about a rarely-seen unity among the Opposition parties -- they have called for nationwide protests today -- but they stand divided over the way they would protest the measure. The Left parties have called a 12-hour bandh (strike) in West Bengal to protest against the demonetisation but chief minister Mamata Banerjee's Trinamool Congress (TMC) will not join the strike; her party will only hold protests. The Congress too has decided against a bandh. Senior party leader Jairam Ramesh said no "Bharat Bandh" (India Strike) has been called by the party, but that it will hold nationwide protests as part of a "Jan Aakrosh Diwas" or People's Day of Anger. A strike he said would only add to people's miseries. The JD(U) has decided not to participate in the protests after its leader and Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar welcomed the demonetisation, calling it a "courageous step". Mamata Banerjee's TMC and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's AAP are the only parties which have demanded a rollback; the other parties have voiced their displeasure over the way the demonetisation is being implemented and the hardships that it is causing common people. (This report first appeared in DNA)

Demonetisation: Opposition to hold nationwide protests today

Indian ministry of defence today said that it was seeking information from the manufacturers of the Embraer aircraft over alleged payment of bribes in a three-aircraft deal inked in 2008 under the tenure of United Progressive Alliance (UPA government).&nbsp; 
 
&quot;DRDO (Defence Research and Development Organisation) to seek explanation and details from manufacturers of Embraer aircraft on media reports on deal for the aircraft signed in 2008,&quot; principal spokesperson, ministry of defence, tweeted taking cognizance of the media reports about the deal coming under the US scanner.&nbsp; 
&nbsp;
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DRDO to seek explanation &amp; details from manufacturers of Embraer aircraft on media reports on deal for the aircraft signed in 2008.1/2
&mdash; DPR (@SpokespersonMoD) <a href="https://twitter.com/SpokespersonMoD/status/774477080155258880">September 10, 2016</a></blockquote>
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On receipt of information by DRDO further steps may be initiated.2/2
&mdash; DPR (@SpokespersonMoD) <a href="https://twitter.com/SpokespersonMoD/status/774477357667196928">September 10, 2016</a></blockquote>
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&quot;On receipt of information by DRDO further steps may be initiated,&quot; the spokesperson said in another tweet. 
 
The Brazilian aircraft manufacturer Embraer is being probed by prosecutors in Brazil and the US Justice Department, according to media reports, over commissions allegedly paid to a UK-based defence agent for clinching the 2008 deal. 
 
After the controversy over the 2013&nbsp;Agustawestland&nbsp;chopper deal, where several politicians of&nbsp;former UPA government were accused of taking bribes, the Embraer deal has yet again cast a shadow on the grand old Congress party that led the alliance. The scam was termed as &#39;VVIP chopper scam&#39;&nbsp;or &#39;choppergate&#39; by local media.&nbsp; 
 
It&#39;s pertinent to mention that three EMB-145 planes for $208 million were purchased under the deal. &nbsp;While the first aircraft was delivered in 2011, the other two were delivered later. 
 
According to media reports, the research and development wing of the ministry of defence, DRDO, has denied any knowledge on the matter.&nbsp; 
 
(WION with inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

The Brazilian aircraft manufacturer Embraer is being probed by prosecutors in Brazil and the US Justice Department

Indian ministry of defence today said that it was seeking information from the manufacturers of the Embraer aircraft over alleged payment of bribes in a three-aircraft deal inked in 2008 under the tenure of United Progressive Alliance (UPA government). "DRDO (Defence Research and Development Organisation) to seek explanation and details from manufacturers of Embraer aircraft on media reports on deal for the aircraft signed in 2008," principal spokesperson, ministry of defence, tweeted taking cognizance of the media reports about the deal coming under the US scanner. DRDO to seek explanation & details from manufacturers of Embraer aircraft on media reports on deal for the aircraft signed in 2008.1/2 — DPR (@SpokespersonMoD) September 10, 2016 On receipt of information by DRDO further steps may be initiated.2/2 — DPR (@SpokespersonMoD) September 10, 2016 "On receipt of information by DRDO further steps may be initiated," the spokesperson said in another tweet. The Brazilian aircraft manufacturer Embraer is being probed by prosecutors in Brazil and the US Justice Department, according to media reports, over commissions allegedly paid to a UK-based defence agent for clinching the 2008 deal. After the controversy over the 2013 Agustawestland chopper deal, where several politicians of former UPA government were accused of taking bribes, the Embraer deal has yet again cast a shadow on the grand old Congress party that led the alliance. The scam was termed as 'VVIP chopper scam' or 'choppergate' by local media. It's pertinent to mention that three EMB-145 planes for $208 million were purchased under the deal. While the first aircraft was delivered in 2011, the other two were delivered later. According to media reports, the research and development wing of the ministry of defence, DRDO, has denied any knowledge on the matter. (WION with inputs from agencies)

Indian defence ministry seeking details of $208 mn Embraer deal amid graft allegations

India&#39;s finance minister Arun Jaitley today launched a withering criticism of former prime ministers Jawaharlal Nehru and PV Narasimha Rao.&nbsp; 
 
The senior minister, who belongs to the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), also took a swipe at Congress&#39;s rule between 2004 and 2014, saying the last government neglected productivity. 
 
&quot;That model of&nbsp;development was the reason India couldn&#39;t get up to a growth rate of even 1 per cent in those early decades,&quot; the 63-year-old minister said, referring to the Nehruvian model, a liberal approach to fabianist socialism, adopted by the country after independence in 1947.&nbsp; 
 
Sharpening his attack further, Jaitley said, &quot;Less than&nbsp;1 per cent of the population had a phone.&nbsp;Other countries were developing, India wasn&#39;t, (but) that was the model of development we were following.&quot;&nbsp; 
 
The minister also blew holes in the popular perception that Congress prime minister Rao fast-tracked the country into economic liberalisation in 1991. 
 
He said the economy opened up due to fiscal expediency. &quot;The reforms in 1991 were due to bankruptcy ...otherwise he was conservative,&quot; the minister said during a meeting in Mumbai.&nbsp; 
 
(WION)

He also blew holes in the theory that former prime miniter Narasimha Rao initiated the 1991 economic liberalisation out of choice

India's finance minister Arun Jaitley today launched a withering criticism of former prime ministers Jawaharlal Nehru and PV Narasimha Rao. The senior minister, who belongs to the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), also took a swipe at Congress's rule between 2004 and 2014, saying the last government neglected productivity. "That model of development was the reason India couldn't get up to a growth rate of even 1 per cent in those early decades," the 63-year-old minister said, referring to the Nehruvian model, a liberal approach to fabianist socialism, adopted by the country after independence in 1947. Sharpening his attack further, Jaitley said, "Less than 1 per cent of the population had a phone. Other countries were developing, India wasn't, (but) that was the model of development we were following." The minister also blew holes in the popular perception that Congress prime minister Rao fast-tracked the country into economic liberalisation in 1991. He said the economy opened up due to fiscal expediency. "The reforms in 1991 were due to bankruptcy ...otherwise he was conservative," the minister said during a meeting in Mumbai. (WION)

India's finance minister Arun Jaitley rips into Nehruvian model

Accusing India&#39;s sports minister Vijay Goel for bringing disrepute to the nation at the Rio Olympics by flouting rules and codes of decency, the opposition party Congress today asserted that Goel could have done his job of taking care and cheering the Indian contingency by staying back in the country. 
 
Congress leader Priyanka Chaturvedi said it was &quot;unfortunate and disappointing&quot; that under the garb of cheering the Indian squad at the Olympics, the minister&#39;s team was busy in &quot;self glorification&quot;. 
 
&quot;We have seen how the sports minister has got a letter from the Olympic team saying that all his access will be denied if his contingent, the people he is travelling with him, continues to be rude and arrogant. How embarrassing as a nation is this for us,&quot; she said. 
 
Adding that while there are players openly complaining about uniforms not reaching on time and physios not being allotted, the Congress leader asserted that Goel was busy taking selfies and flouting every rule at Rio instead of tending to the needs of the athletes. 
 
&quot;This is a serious event, we are not there for self-glorification and are there to ensure that our players get the best of facilities, best of infrastructure and this is something that could`ve been achieved while staying back in India,&quot; she said. 
 
Taking a swipe at sports minister of &nbsp;northern Haryana, Anil Vij, for also joining Goel at Rio to take selfies, Chaturvedi stated that the purpose of his visit fell on the same grounds as the Indian sports minister, adding that it was going to be yet another disappointment for the nation. 
 
&quot;Besides seeking selfie and their own self-glorification and going on a trip at the tax payers&#39; expense, there is nothing really they do to cheer our team on. Having said that, what comes across is how the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP, the ruling party in the country) thinks only in terms of the state and region they belong to. It exposed the mindset when Mr Anil Vij who says that he is going there to only to cheer Haryana,&quot; she said. 
 
Further hitting out at Vij, the Congress leader added the minister has gone there under the Indian flag and that is who they should be representing, not their states. 
 
Earlier, after being pulled up by the Rio Olympic organisers Vijay Goel rubbished being part of any controversy in the ongoing prestigious quadrennial event saying that he has been following all the rules and regulations and is fully committed to the spirit of the Games.&nbsp; 
 
The Rio Olympic Organising Committee, in a scathing letter to India&#39;s chef-de-mission Rakesh Gupta, had threatened to cancel the accreditation of Goel for being &#39;aggressive and rude&#39; and trying to bring other non-accredited people at the accredited areas of the Games venues. 
 
Denying his involvement in any miff with the Summer Games organisers, the sports minister wrote on Twitter that there seems to be some misunderstanding. &quot;To my knowledge, we have been following all rules and regulations. We are committed to the spirit of Olympics and back our Indian players. There seems to be some misunderstanding as we have followed all protocols as advised by the organizers,&quot; Goel tweeted. 
 
The warning about Goel`s accreditation could be revoked reportedly came from Sarah Peterson, the continental manager for the Rio 2016 Organizing Committee. 
 
(ANI) 
&nbsp;

Vijay Goel's conduct has been dubbed by the opposition party in India as 'unfortunate and disappointing'

Accusing India's sports minister Vijay Goel for bringing disrepute to the nation at the Rio Olympics by flouting rules and codes of decency, the opposition party Congress today asserted that Goel could have done his job of taking care and cheering the Indian contingency by staying back in the country. Congress leader Priyanka Chaturvedi said it was "unfortunate and disappointing" that under the garb of cheering the Indian squad at the Olympics, the minister's team was busy in "self glorification". "We have seen how the sports minister has got a letter from the Olympic team saying that all his access will be denied if his contingent, the people he is travelling with him, continues to be rude and arrogant. How embarrassing as a nation is this for us," she said. Adding that while there are players openly complaining about uniforms not reaching on time and physios not being allotted, the Congress leader asserted that Goel was busy taking selfies and flouting every rule at Rio instead of tending to the needs of the athletes. "This is a serious event, we are not there for self-glorification and are there to ensure that our players get the best of facilities, best of infrastructure and this is something that could`ve been achieved while staying back in India," she said. Taking a swipe at sports minister of northern Haryana, Anil Vij, for also joining Goel at Rio to take selfies, Chaturvedi stated that the purpose of his visit fell on the same grounds as the Indian sports minister, adding that it was going to be yet another disappointment for the nation. "Besides seeking selfie and their own self-glorification and going on a trip at the tax payers' expense, there is nothing really they do to cheer our team on. Having said that, what comes across is how the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP, the ruling party in the country) thinks only in terms of the state and region they belong to. It exposed the mindset when Mr Anil Vij who says that he is going there to only to cheer Haryana," she said. Further hitting out at Vij, the Congress leader added the minister has gone there under the Indian flag and that is who they should be representing, not their states. Earlier, after being pulled up by the Rio Olympic organisers Vijay Goel rubbished being part of any controversy in the ongoing prestigious quadrennial event saying that he has been following all the rules and regulations and is fully committed to the spirit of the Games. The Rio Olympic Organising Committee, in a scathing letter to India's chef-de-mission Rakesh Gupta, had threatened to cancel the accreditation of Goel for being 'aggressive and rude' and trying to bring other non-accredited people at the accredited areas of the Games venues. Denying his involvement in any miff with the Summer Games organisers, the sports minister wrote on Twitter that there seems to be some misunderstanding. "To my knowledge, we have been following all rules and regulations. We are committed to the spirit of Olympics and back our Indian players. There seems to be some misunderstanding as we have followed all protocols as advised by the organizers," Goel tweeted. The warning about Goel`s accreditation could be revoked reportedly came from Sarah Peterson, the continental manager for the Rio 2016 Organizing Committee. (ANI)

Indian sports minister's 'selfie stunts' at Rio Games condemned by Congress

South African President Jacob Zuma on Sunday urged supporters to vote for the ruling African National Congress (ANC) ahead of fiercely competitive municipal polls that could see the party lose control of several major cities. 
 
Zuma&#39;s ANC, which now controls the majority of the country&#39;s 278 municipalities, has been weakened by graft scandals and growing public discontent since it led the fight against white-minority rule. 
 
At a massive final rally, the party made a last push for votes, stressing its anti-apartheid history and past accomplishments. 
 
&quot;Millions of our people must vote ANC and enable their movement to continue improving the lives of our people,&quot; Zuma told a packed Ellis Park Stadium in the Johannesburg city centre. 
 
&quot;Every vote counts.&quot; 
 
An estimated 55,000 supporters decked in the ANC&#39;s green, yellow and black filled the stands for the extravagant rally in a campaign the party said had cost it R1 billion ($72 million). 
 
&quot;We have walked the streets of this country, we have visited every town, every city. We have been to thousands of homes,&quot; said Zuma. 
 
The latest Ipsos opinion polls suggest that the ANC, which has ruled since the end of apartheid in 1994, could be under threat in three major cities -- Pretoria, Johannesburg and Port Elizabeth -- in Wednesday&#39;s election. 
 
The main opposition Democratic Alliance (DA), which rules in Cape Town, is hoping for a breakthrough result, citing the country&#39;s poor economic performance and a series of corruption scandals plaguing Zuma. 
 
Last week, South Africa&#39;s highest court ruled that the president pay back $500,000 of public funds spent upgrading his private Nkandla residence with facilities including a chicken coop and a swimming pool. 
 
&quot;A lot of money was wasted there that should have been spent on the people,&quot; Frieda Motlatla, 24, told AFP at Sunday&#39;s rally. 
 
But with her hair wrapped in an ANC turban, she said Zuma&#39;s troubles would not affect her support: &quot;I don&#39;t vote for a person, I for a party.&quot; 
 
&quot;Nkandla is not our business,&quot; agreed Simon Machaka, 42. &quot;Some people will always be dissatisfied. They don&#39;t focus on the good things.&quot; 
 
The radical leftist Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) party is also seeking to make a major impact in its first municipal elections. 
 
All three main parties held their final rallies this weekend. 
 
Zuma, 74, will have completed two terms in office in 2019 and is not eligible to run for president again, but the ANC could replace him ahead of the next general election if the party scores poorly in the local polls. 
 
(AFP)

President Jacob Zuma's ANC controls large parts of the country's municipalities, but graft scandals have made him unpopular

South African President Jacob Zuma on Sunday urged supporters to vote for the ruling African National Congress (ANC) ahead of fiercely competitive municipal polls that could see the party lose control of several major cities. Zuma's ANC, which now controls the majority of the country's 278 municipalities, has been weakened by graft scandals and growing public discontent since it led the fight against white-minority rule. At a massive final rally, the party made a last push for votes, stressing its anti-apartheid history and past accomplishments. "Millions of our people must vote ANC and enable their movement to continue improving the lives of our people," Zuma told a packed Ellis Park Stadium in the Johannesburg city centre. "Every vote counts." An estimated 55,000 supporters decked in the ANC's green, yellow and black filled the stands for the extravagant rally in a campaign the party said had cost it R1 billion ($72 million). "We have walked the streets of this country, we have visited every town, every city. We have been to thousands of homes," said Zuma. The latest Ipsos opinion polls suggest that the ANC, which has ruled since the end of apartheid in 1994, could be under threat in three major cities -- Pretoria, Johannesburg and Port Elizabeth -- in Wednesday's election. The main opposition Democratic Alliance (DA), which rules in Cape Town, is hoping for a breakthrough result, citing the country's poor economic performance and a series of corruption scandals plaguing Zuma. Last week, South Africa's highest court ruled that the president pay back $500,000 of public funds spent upgrading his private Nkandla residence with facilities including a chicken coop and a swimming pool. "A lot of money was wasted there that should have been spent on the people," Frieda Motlatla, 24, told AFP at Sunday's rally. But with her hair wrapped in an ANC turban, she said Zuma's troubles would not affect her support: "I don't vote for a person, I for a party." "Nkandla is not our business," agreed Simon Machaka, 42. "Some people will always be dissatisfied. They don't focus on the good things." The radical leftist Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) party is also seeking to make a major impact in its first municipal elections. All three main parties held their final rallies this weekend. Zuma, 74, will have completed two terms in office in 2019 and is not eligible to run for president again, but the ANC could replace him ahead of the next general election if the party scores poorly in the local polls. (AFP)

South African President urges citizens to vote for African National Congress

By&nbsp;Deepak Gidwani 
 
Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi sounded the party&rsquo;s bugle for the UP election here on Friday in a rather unique manner. Instead of addressing a rally for the purpose, which is the norm with political parties, he fielded questions from party workers at an interaction with prospective candidates. He declared that the party&rsquo;s mission was to &ldquo;make UP number one&rdquo;. 
 
The peculiar format, devised by the party&rsquo;s election strategist Prashant Kishor, aka &lsquo;PK&rsquo;, was apparently a runaway success amply reflected in the constant rounds of applause by the sizeable crowd. UP unit chief Raj Babbar shared the stage along side with Sheila Dixit, Ghulam Nabi Azad and other state level leaders. 
 
Rahul faced some uneasy moments during the Q &amp; A session, too. Perhaps the most difficult one about why a 78-year-old leader was the chief ministerial candidate. Without losing his cool, Rahul answered: &ldquo;The energy of the youth is extremely important in an election. But, experience is equally important. Sheila ji has ruled in Delhi for three consecutive terms and people there are still praising the development work she has done.&rdquo; 
 
As the swathes of party cadres clapped and cheered, the experiment which PK had been planning for over a month seemed to have worked. The expansive Ramabai Ambedkar rally ground with a capacity of over a lakh swayed with a multitude of Congressmen party leaders have not seen in the last 27 years since the Congress lost power in 1989. 
 
The crowds were being managed since morning in a very organised manner, with each prospective candidate required to register along with at least 10 booth level agents. The applicants were also asked to submit a question they wanted to ask Rahul. 
 
The questions were later picked out randomly. Rahul also answered impromptu questions from the ticket seekers with great aplomb. To a question about whom he saw as the biggest challenger in UP, he said: &ldquo;The biggest challenge is to unite. Once we are united, there is no challenge. No one can defeat us.&rdquo; 
 
On how the Congress would improve UP&rsquo;s law and order, the proverbial Achilles&rsquo; heel for the Akhilesh Yadav regime, Rahul said: &ldquo;Police stations have become party offices. We will change all that. Those who don&rsquo;t perform, will be shunted out.&rdquo; 
 
Though the party&rsquo;s first big show turned out to be a huge success, many were disappointed over Priyanka Gandhi Vadra&rsquo;s absence. There had been a buzz in the party circles that she would be coming for the workers&rsquo; convention, too. No party leader was willing to comment on whether she would join the campaign at a later stage. 
 
(WION)

Though the party?s first big show turned out to be a huge success, many were disappointed over Priyanka Gandhi Vadra?s absence

By Deepak Gidwani Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi sounded the party’s bugle for the UP election here on Friday in a rather unique manner. Instead of addressing a rally for the purpose, which is the norm with political parties, he fielded questions from party workers at an interaction with prospective candidates. He declared that the party’s mission was to “make UP number one”. The peculiar format, devised by the party’s election strategist Prashant Kishor, aka ‘PK’, was apparently a runaway success amply reflected in the constant rounds of applause by the sizeable crowd. UP unit chief Raj Babbar shared the stage along side with Sheila Dixit, Ghulam Nabi Azad and other state level leaders. Rahul faced some uneasy moments during the Q & A session, too. Perhaps the most difficult one about why a 78-year-old leader was the chief ministerial candidate. Without losing his cool, Rahul answered: “The energy of the youth is extremely important in an election. But, experience is equally important. Sheila ji has ruled in Delhi for three consecutive terms and people there are still praising the development work she has done.” As the swathes of party cadres clapped and cheered, the experiment which PK had been planning for over a month seemed to have worked. The expansive Ramabai Ambedkar rally ground with a capacity of over a lakh swayed with a multitude of Congressmen party leaders have not seen in the last 27 years since the Congress lost power in 1989. The crowds were being managed since morning in a very organised manner, with each prospective candidate required to register along with at least 10 booth level agents. The applicants were also asked to submit a question they wanted to ask Rahul. The questions were later picked out randomly. Rahul also answered impromptu questions from the ticket seekers with great aplomb. To a question about whom he saw as the biggest challenger in UP, he said: “The biggest challenge is to unite. Once we are united, there is no challenge. No one can defeat us.” On how the Congress would improve UP’s law and order, the proverbial Achilles’ heel for the Akhilesh Yadav regime, Rahul said: “Police stations have become party offices. We will change all that. Those who don’t perform, will be shunted out.” Though the party’s first big show turned out to be a huge success, many were disappointed over Priyanka Gandhi Vadra’s absence. There had been a buzz in the party circles that she would be coming for the workers’ convention, too. No party leader was willing to comment on whether she would join the campaign at a later stage. (WION)

Rahul woos UP Congress workers, blows poll bugle

The Indian government on Wednesday made crucial ammendments to its goods and services tax bill in a move to enlist the support of opposition parties as well as state governments. 
 
Indian finance minister Arun Jaitley met his state counterparts on Tuesday to forge a political consensus on the bill that is held up in parliament. 
 
As part of the ammendments, the government has dropped a contentious 1 percent additional levy on inter-state movement of goods, and has agreed to compensate states for any revenue losses for five years. 
 
While there is a broad political support for the measure, differences persist on the details, in particular pitching the tax at the right level to offset possible revenue losses. 
 
The cabinet, headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, decided to include in the Constitutional Amendment Bill that any dispute between states and the centre will be adjudicated by the GST Council, which will have representation from both the Centre and states. 
 
With states on board and the cabinet approving the amendments, the government is hopeful of passage of the long-pending Goods and Services Tax (GST) Bill in the ongoing monsoon session of Parliament, which ends on August 12. 
 
The GST Bill, with the changes approved by the cabinet, could come up in the upper house of Parliament, the Rajya Sabha as early as this week, but certainly by next week. 
 
By doing away with the 1 per cent inter-state tax over and above the GST rate, the government has met one of the three key demands over which the main opposition party Congress has been blocking the bill in the upper house. 
 
The other demands of including GST rate in the statute and a Supreme Court judge-headed dispute resolution body has not been accepted. It remains to be seen if meeting of its demands halfway will persuade the Congress to support the legislation. 
 
The proposed tax reform, the biggest since India&#39;s independence from Britain in 1947, seeks to replace a slew of taxes and levies in 29 states, transforming the nation of near 1.3 billion people into a customs union. 
 
The Bill, in its present form, provides that the centre will give 100 per cent compensation to states for first three years, 75 per cent and 50 per cent for the next two years. 
 
However, the select committee of the Rajya Sabha had in its report recommended 100 per cent compensation for probable loss of revenue for five years. 
 
As per the amendments, the centre will now constitutionally guarantee states any loss of revenue from the GST subsuming all indirect taxes, including VAT, in the first five years of introduction. 
 
Analysts say the goods and services levy (GST) could boost India&#39;s economic growth by up to 2 percentage points. 
 
(PTI, Reuters) 
&nbsp;

Indian finance minister Arun Jaitley met his state counterparts to forge a political consensus on the bill that is held up in parliament

The Indian government on Wednesday made crucial ammendments to its goods and services tax bill in a move to enlist the support of opposition parties as well as state governments. Indian finance minister Arun Jaitley met his state counterparts on Tuesday to forge a political consensus on the bill that is held up in parliament. As part of the ammendments, the government has dropped a contentious 1 percent additional levy on inter-state movement of goods, and has agreed to compensate states for any revenue losses for five years. While there is a broad political support for the measure, differences persist on the details, in particular pitching the tax at the right level to offset possible revenue losses. The cabinet, headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, decided to include in the Constitutional Amendment Bill that any dispute between states and the centre will be adjudicated by the GST Council, which will have representation from both the Centre and states. With states on board and the cabinet approving the amendments, the government is hopeful of passage of the long-pending Goods and Services Tax (GST) Bill in the ongoing monsoon session of Parliament, which ends on August 12. The GST Bill, with the changes approved by the cabinet, could come up in the upper house of Parliament, the Rajya Sabha as early as this week, but certainly by next week. By doing away with the 1 per cent inter-state tax over and above the GST rate, the government has met one of the three key demands over which the main opposition party Congress has been blocking the bill in the upper house. The other demands of including GST rate in the statute and a Supreme Court judge-headed dispute resolution body has not been accepted. It remains to be seen if meeting of its demands halfway will persuade the Congress to support the legislation. The proposed tax reform, the biggest since India's independence from Britain in 1947, seeks to replace a slew of taxes and levies in 29 states, transforming the nation of near 1.3 billion people into a customs union. The Bill, in its present form, provides that the centre will give 100 per cent compensation to states for first three years, 75 per cent and 50 per cent for the next two years. However, the select committee of the Rajya Sabha had in its report recommended 100 per cent compensation for probable loss of revenue for five years. As per the amendments, the centre will now constitutionally guarantee states any loss of revenue from the GST subsuming all indirect taxes, including VAT, in the first five years of introduction. Analysts say the goods and services levy (GST) could boost India's economic growth by up to 2 percentage points. (PTI, Reuters)

India makes crucial tweaks to push through stalled GST reform

India&#39;s finance minister Arun Jaitley&#39;s meeting with the empowered committee of state finance ministers on good and services tax (GST) on Tuesday ironed out matters relating to dual control, compensation guarantee for revenue loss to states and other key issues. 
 
The development is likely to help government pass the crucial Constitution (122nd) Amendment Bill for GST in the upper house of the Indian Parliament, the Rajya Sabha, in the ongoing monsoon session and steam roll opposition party Congress&#39; objections. 
 
West Bengal state finance minister Amit Mitra, who heads the empowered panel, said there was consensus among states that businesses with turnover of up to 1.5 crore Indian Rupees should come under their jurisdiction while those with turnover of over Rs1.5 crore would be under the dual control of the state concerned and the Centre. 
 
&quot;There was a standing issue on the question of dual control... Further, the states were also satisfied with wording (in the Constitution Amendment Bill) by which states will be guaranteed five years of compensation if there is any loss of revenue,&quot; he told the reporters after the meeting. 
 
Manufacturing states like Gujarat, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and others have expressed concern over loss of revenue due to GST, which is a destination tax. 
 
The Constitution Amendment Bill for GST, which will subsume all indirect taxes to create one single levy for the entire market, is stuck in the Rajya Sabha due to differences between the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and main opposition Congress over it. 
 
While the lower house (Lok Sabha), where the NDA has majority, has passed the Bill, the government failed to push it in the upper house for want of support. 
 
One of the major point of dispute is the GST rate. Congress has demanded that the rate be capped at 18 per cent and included in the Constitution. Mitra said the GST rate could be decided when the law is enacted. He said the &quot;wording&quot; for it had been &quot;worked out&quot;. 
 
&quot;The question of (GST) rate was very important. A wording has been worked out which essentially means that the incident of tax on the common man has to be significantly reduced (currently it is over 30 per cent), at the same time there should be a safeguard for existing level of revenues of the Union and states.These are the two objectives. A broad framework of words has been worked out and we hope that all political parties would be in agreement,&quot; he said. 
 
Mitra said the issue of disbursement of funds to the states from central consolidated pool was also discussed. 
 
&ldquo;When the money goes into the Central government&rsquo;s consolidated pool, it becomes difficult for that money to come out to the state. On that, there is a broad consensus and hopefully that has been resolved, which will be reflected in the Constitutional Amendment,&rdquo; he said. 
 
Mitra, however, did not say anything on the 1 per cent additional tax that is one of major bone of contention with the Congress. 
 
It has asked for the extra levy, which will imposed on goods that are moved between states, to be completely scrapped as it will have a cascading impact and push up prices of goods. The industry has also opposed it. 
 
Rajeev Dimri, leader, indirect tax, BMR &amp; Associates, said resolution of dual control issue was a small step in fine-tuning the GST Bill but it does not have to be included in the Constitution. 
 
&ldquo;It can easily be done by administrative or legislative pronouncements rather than in the Constitution,&rdquo; he said. 
 
He said any change in the language of the Constitution Amendment Bill at this stage would mean it will have to go back to the Lok Sabha for approval. 
 
(Praveena Sharma/ DNA) 
&nbsp;

India's finance minister Arun Jaitley irons out issues of dual control, compensation in good and services tax bill amendment

India's finance minister Arun Jaitley's meeting with the empowered committee of state finance ministers on good and services tax (GST) on Tuesday ironed out matters relating to dual control, compensation guarantee for revenue loss to states and other key issues. The development is likely to help government pass the crucial Constitution (122nd) Amendment Bill for GST in the upper house of the Indian Parliament, the Rajya Sabha, in the ongoing monsoon session and steam roll opposition party Congress' objections. West Bengal state finance minister Amit Mitra, who heads the empowered panel, said there was consensus among states that businesses with turnover of up to 1.5 crore Indian Rupees should come under their jurisdiction while those with turnover of over Rs1.5 crore would be under the dual control of the state concerned and the Centre. "There was a standing issue on the question of dual control... Further, the states were also satisfied with wording (in the Constitution Amendment Bill) by which states will be guaranteed five years of compensation if there is any loss of revenue," he told the reporters after the meeting. Manufacturing states like Gujarat, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and others have expressed concern over loss of revenue due to GST, which is a destination tax. The Constitution Amendment Bill for GST, which will subsume all indirect taxes to create one single levy for the entire market, is stuck in the Rajya Sabha due to differences between the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and main opposition Congress over it. While the lower house (Lok Sabha), where the NDA has majority, has passed the Bill, the government failed to push it in the upper house for want of support. One of the major point of dispute is the GST rate. Congress has demanded that the rate be capped at 18 per cent and included in the Constitution. Mitra said the GST rate could be decided when the law is enacted. He said the "wording" for it had been "worked out". "The question of (GST) rate was very important. A wording has been worked out which essentially means that the incident of tax on the common man has to be significantly reduced (currently it is over 30 per cent), at the same time there should be a safeguard for existing level of revenues of the Union and states.These are the two objectives. A broad framework of words has been worked out and we hope that all political parties would be in agreement," he said. Mitra said the issue of disbursement of funds to the states from central consolidated pool was also discussed. “When the money goes into the Central government’s consolidated pool, it becomes difficult for that money to come out to the state. On that, there is a broad consensus and hopefully that has been resolved, which will be reflected in the Constitutional Amendment,” he said. Mitra, however, did not say anything on the 1 per cent additional tax that is one of major bone of contention with the Congress. It has asked for the extra levy, which will imposed on goods that are moved between states, to be completely scrapped as it will have a cascading impact and push up prices of goods. The industry has also opposed it. Rajeev Dimri, leader, indirect tax, BMR & Associates, said resolution of dual control issue was a small step in fine-tuning the GST Bill but it does not have to be included in the Constitution. “It can easily be done by administrative or legislative pronouncements rather than in the Constitution,” he said. He said any change in the language of the Constitution Amendment Bill at this stage would mean it will have to go back to the Lok Sabha for approval. (Praveena Sharma/ DNA)

With states on board, India one step closer to passing crucial tax bill amendment

Indian state of Gujarat continued to simmer for a third consecutive day as protests against brutal thrashing of Dalit youths (placed at the bottom of Indi? caste system) allegedly by some self-styled cow vigilantes. In several parts of the state, a shutdown was observed, besides road blockade and silent protests. 
 
Amid tensions, Congress Vice-President Rahul Gandhi met the kin of the tannery workers who were beaten up allegedly by self-styled vigilante for skinning a dead cow on July 11 and assured them of all help. He also visited the hospital in Rajkot where the victims are admitted. 
 
Bharatiya Janata Party termed Rahul Gandhi&#39;s visit to Gujarat a &#39;&#39;political pilgrimage&#39;&#39; and &#39;&#39;photo-op&#39;&#39; and accused the opposition of trying to make political capital out of social tensions. 
 
With the party coming under increasing attack from opposition over its &quot;anti-dalit&quot; stand, BJP&#39;s senior party member M Venkaiah Naidu sought to highlight its pro-dalit and pro- weaker sections credentials by noting that it had highest number of SC, ST and OBC Members of Parliament. 
 
He claimed in a press conference that the opposition was afraid because weaker sections of the society were moving to the BJP and the Modi government was &quot;immensely popular&quot;. So they have launched a disinformation campaign against it, he alleged. They are doing so because of the UP assembly polls, he said. &quot;They, including our main rival (Congress) are instigating one community against another,&quot; he said. 
 
Separately, Nationalist Congress Party politician Praful Patel along with two MLAs in Gujarat met one victim, Bhanubhai Sarvaiya, and his family members at Mota Samadhiyala and offered compensation of Rs 2 lakh, before leaving for Rajkot to meet the hospitalised victims. 
 
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal is scheduled to visit Una in Gujarat&#39;s Gir-Somnath district on Friday. 
 
Naidu also targeted Kejriwal saying, &quot;Now they are making a political pilgrimage. It is nothing but an attempt to make political capital out of social tensions.&quot; 
 
Attacking Gandhi over his Gujarat visit, the Information and Broadcasting Minister said he did not find time to visit Kerala where a dalit girl was raped and murdered and the Hyderabad university, where many dalit students committed suicide during the UPA government. 
 
(PTI) 
&nbsp;

Bharatiya Janata Party has accused the opposition of trying to make political capital out of social tensions in Gujarat

Indian state of Gujarat continued to simmer for a third consecutive day as protests against brutal thrashing of Dalit youths (placed at the bottom of Indi? caste system) allegedly by some self-styled cow vigilantes. In several parts of the state, a shutdown was observed, besides road blockade and silent protests. Amid tensions, Congress Vice-President Rahul Gandhi met the kin of the tannery workers who were beaten up allegedly by self-styled vigilante for skinning a dead cow on July 11 and assured them of all help. He also visited the hospital in Rajkot where the victims are admitted. Bharatiya Janata Party termed Rahul Gandhi's visit to Gujarat a ''political pilgrimage'' and ''photo-op'' and accused the opposition of trying to make political capital out of social tensions. With the party coming under increasing attack from opposition over its "anti-dalit" stand, BJP's senior party member M Venkaiah Naidu sought to highlight its pro-dalit and pro- weaker sections credentials by noting that it had highest number of SC, ST and OBC Members of Parliament. He claimed in a press conference that the opposition was afraid because weaker sections of the society were moving to the BJP and the Modi government was "immensely popular". So they have launched a disinformation campaign against it, he alleged. They are doing so because of the UP assembly polls, he said. "They, including our main rival (Congress) are instigating one community against another," he said. Separately, Nationalist Congress Party politician Praful Patel along with two MLAs in Gujarat met one victim, Bhanubhai Sarvaiya, and his family members at Mota Samadhiyala and offered compensation of Rs 2 lakh, before leaving for Rajkot to meet the hospitalised victims. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal is scheduled to visit Una in Gujarat's Gir-Somnath district on Friday. Naidu also targeted Kejriwal saying, "Now they are making a political pilgrimage. It is nothing but an attempt to make political capital out of social tensions." Attacking Gandhi over his Gujarat visit, the Information and Broadcasting Minister said he did not find time to visit Kerala where a dalit girl was raped and murdered and the Hyderabad university, where many dalit students committed suicide during the UPA government. (PTI)

Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi visits Gujarat, BJP terms it a political gimmick

Bharatiya Janata Party&#39;s Uttar Pradesh vice president Dayashankar Singh has been relieved of all responsibilities with immediate effect for derogatory statement against Bahujan Samaj Party supremo Mayawati, said BJP UP president Keshav Prasad Maurya. 
 
Singh stoked a major row by making derogatory remarks against BSP Chief Mayawati that drew severe condemnation from parties, while an embarrassed BJP expressed regret, but furore over the issue forced adjournment of Rajya Sabha for the day. 
 
&quot;Mayawati is breaking the dream of Kanshi Ram into pieces. Mayawati is selling tickets like...,&quot; BJP Vice President Dayashankar Singh told reporters in Mau. 
 
&quot;Mayawati gives tickets for Rs 1 crore and if there is someone who can give Rs 2 crore than she sells it for Rs 2 crore within an hour. If someone is ready to give Rs 3 crore by the evening, she gives the ticket to him,&quot; Singh alleged. 
 
&quot;She is even worse than....The BSP workers, who are in BSP since Kanshi Ram&#39;s days are deserting the party,&quot; said Singh, who was in Mau for the first time after becoming party vice president to meet party workers this morning. 
 
Singh&#39;s remarks drew severe flak from members in the Rajya Sabha, including women MPs, with Deputy Chairperson P J Kurien saying that the House wants the Government to ensure that stringent action is taken against the BJP leader, as per law, for his &quot;unforgivable&quot; comments. 
 
There was all-round condemnation of Singh for his remarks by MPs, including Leader of Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam&#39;s Kanimozhi, Congress&#39; Kumari Selja and Renuka Chowdhury, TK Rangarajan of Communist Party of India (Marxist) and Satish Chandra Mishra of BSP and demands were made for action against him. 
 
Leader of the House Arun Jaitley got up to offer regret on behalf of the party, and said the remarks were highly condemnable. 
 
&quot;It is highly condemnable that a political leader uses such words against a prominent woman leader. I regret the use of such words and will ensure that the matter is taken up by the concerned. I personally express regret to Mayawatiji and we are with you on the issue of protecting dignity,&quot; Jaitley said. 
 
A visibly agitated Mayawati, who was present in the House, thanked Jaitley and all other members for their condemnation of Singh&#39;s remarks, but demanded that BJP leaders including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Amit Shah discuss the matter, expel Singh from the party and take action against him. 
 
She said mere expression of regret will not suffice and added, &quot;His (Singh&#39;s) remarks apply for his sister and daughter and not for me. The whole country will not forgive BJP. People will come on the streets.&quot; 
 
Mayawati said the remarks by the BJP leader reflected the &quot;capitalistic mindset&quot; and asserted that never in her political career had she used any derogatory or personal remarks against her adversaries or questioned their character, though there could be ideological differences. 
 
The BSP chief said she represented the most oppressed and exploited people of the country and had dedicated her whole life to them. She said the BSP always collected funds from the poor to carry forward the movement started by Kanshi Ram so that it does not have to rely on capitalists. 
 
&quot;On my birthday, I have told my supporters not to give me any expensive gifts like gold and jewellery, but make economic contributions to the party,&quot; she said. 
 
Mayawati attacked the BJP, saying it was jittery, and its anti-dalit mindset has been exposed as it has still not sacked a minister who had compared dalits to dogs, an apparent reference to Minister of State V K Singh.&nbsp;As the uproar over the issue continued, the Deputy Chairperson adjourned the House till tomorrow. 
 
BSP MP S C Mishra said that the party will carry forward the issue and take legal action against Singh for his utterances under the 
SC/ST Act, as they do not expect the government to take any action in this regard. &quot;We will drag him to court,&quot; he said outside Parliament. 
 
Later in Ballia, Dayashankar Singh sought to do damage control saying it was a slip of tongue. 
 
&quot;Mayawati is a big leader and came from a small family. I did not want to hurt anyone. I regret the slip of tongue. I never meant to hurt the dignity of anyone,&quot; he said. 
 
(PTI)

Singh stoked a major row by making derogatory remarks against Bahujan Samaj Party Chief Mayawati that drew severe condemnation from parties

Bharatiya Janata Party's Uttar Pradesh vice president Dayashankar Singh has been relieved of all responsibilities with immediate effect for derogatory statement against Bahujan Samaj Party supremo Mayawati, said BJP UP president Keshav Prasad Maurya. Singh stoked a major row by making derogatory remarks against BSP Chief Mayawati that drew severe condemnation from parties, while an embarrassed BJP expressed regret, but furore over the issue forced adjournment of Rajya Sabha for the day. "Mayawati is breaking the dream of Kanshi Ram into pieces. Mayawati is selling tickets like...," BJP Vice President Dayashankar Singh told reporters in Mau. "Mayawati gives tickets for Rs 1 crore and if there is someone who can give Rs 2 crore than she sells it for Rs 2 crore within an hour. If someone is ready to give Rs 3 crore by the evening, she gives the ticket to him," Singh alleged. "She is even worse than....The BSP workers, who are in BSP since Kanshi Ram's days are deserting the party," said Singh, who was in Mau for the first time after becoming party vice president to meet party workers this morning. Singh's remarks drew severe flak from members in the Rajya Sabha, including women MPs, with Deputy Chairperson P J Kurien saying that the House wants the Government to ensure that stringent action is taken against the BJP leader, as per law, for his "unforgivable" comments. There was all-round condemnation of Singh for his remarks by MPs, including Leader of Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam's Kanimozhi, Congress' Kumari Selja and Renuka Chowdhury, TK Rangarajan of Communist Party of India (Marxist) and Satish Chandra Mishra of BSP and demands were made for action against him. Leader of the House Arun Jaitley got up to offer regret on behalf of the party, and said the remarks were highly condemnable. "It is highly condemnable that a political leader uses such words against a prominent woman leader. I regret the use of such words and will ensure that the matter is taken up by the concerned. I personally express regret to Mayawatiji and we are with you on the issue of protecting dignity," Jaitley said. A visibly agitated Mayawati, who was present in the House, thanked Jaitley and all other members for their condemnation of Singh's remarks, but demanded that BJP leaders including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Amit Shah discuss the matter, expel Singh from the party and take action against him. She said mere expression of regret will not suffice and added, "His (Singh's) remarks apply for his sister and daughter and not for me. The whole country will not forgive BJP. People will come on the streets." Mayawati said the remarks by the BJP leader reflected the "capitalistic mindset" and asserted that never in her political career had she used any derogatory or personal remarks against her adversaries or questioned their character, though there could be ideological differences. The BSP chief said she represented the most oppressed and exploited people of the country and had dedicated her whole life to them. She said the BSP always collected funds from the poor to carry forward the movement started by Kanshi Ram so that it does not have to rely on capitalists. "On my birthday, I have told my supporters not to give me any expensive gifts like gold and jewellery, but make economic contributions to the party," she said. Mayawati attacked the BJP, saying it was jittery, and its anti-dalit mindset has been exposed as it has still not sacked a minister who had compared dalits to dogs, an apparent reference to Minister of State V K Singh. As the uproar over the issue continued, the Deputy Chairperson adjourned the House till tomorrow. BSP MP S C Mishra said that the party will carry forward the issue and take legal action against Singh for his utterances under the SC/ST Act, as they do not expect the government to take any action in this regard. "We will drag him to court," he said outside Parliament. Later in Ballia, Dayashankar Singh sought to do damage control saying it was a slip of tongue. "Mayawati is a big leader and came from a small family. I did not want to hurt anyone. I regret the slip of tongue. I never meant to hurt the dignity of anyone," he said. (PTI)

Dayashankar Singh removed as Bharatiya Janata Party's Uttar Pradesh vice president

Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal washed dishes today at Golden Temple in north India&#39;s Punjab state as a mark of &#39;repentance&#39; after his party received flak for depicting the image of the reverred Sikh shrine with the party symbol, a broom, in their election manifesto. 
 
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), or the common man party, created controversy when they superimposed a broom&#39;s image on the cover of their youth manifesto for 2017 local elections alongside a picture of Sri Harmandir Sahib, also known as Golden Temple. 
 
AAP spokesperson Ashish Khetan added fuel to the fire when he compared the party manifesto to the Guru Granth Sahib, the prime Sikh religious scripture. 
 
Party chief Arvind Kejriwal offered voluntary service at the holy shrine to make up for the mistake. 
 
&quot;We made some mistakes while drafting our youth manifesto due to our ignorance. I have come here to apologise for them. We offered sewa (voluntary service offered by devotees in Gurudwaras) which gave us immense pleasure. Then we prayed before God,&quot; he said in Amritsar city. 
 
In its youth manifesto, AAP promised to free the region of corruption and end the widespread drug menace in Punjab. 
 
A three-way political contest is shaping up between the AAP, the ruling Akali Dal-Bharatiya Janata Party alliance, which has ruled Punjab since 2007, and opposition Congress party. 
 
(Reuters)

His party had created controversy by printing a broom's image with a photo of Golden Temple, the most revered Sikh shrine

Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal washed dishes today at Golden Temple in north India's Punjab state as a mark of 'repentance' after his party received flak for depicting the image of the reverred Sikh shrine with the party symbol, a broom, in their election manifesto. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), or the common man party, created controversy when they superimposed a broom's image on the cover of their youth manifesto for 2017 local elections alongside a picture of Sri Harmandir Sahib, also known as Golden Temple. AAP spokesperson Ashish Khetan added fuel to the fire when he compared the party manifesto to the Guru Granth Sahib, the prime Sikh religious scripture. Party chief Arvind Kejriwal offered voluntary service at the holy shrine to make up for the mistake. "We made some mistakes while drafting our youth manifesto due to our ignorance. I have come here to apologise for them. We offered sewa (voluntary service offered by devotees in Gurudwaras) which gave us immense pleasure. Then we prayed before God," he said in Amritsar city. In its youth manifesto, AAP promised to free the region of corruption and end the widespread drug menace in Punjab. A three-way political contest is shaping up between the AAP, the ruling Akali Dal-Bharatiya Janata Party alliance, which has ruled Punjab since 2007, and opposition Congress party. (Reuters)

Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal washes utensils in Golden Temple

Protesters burnt vehicles and set tires on fire to barricade roads in South Africa&#39;s capital on Tuesday, June 21, after the ANC named a mayoral candidate not nominated by the ruling party&#39;s regional branches. 
 
The violence spread overnight from the townships and started after a member of the African National Congress (ANC) was shot dead on Sunday, June 19, as factions clashed at a meeting in Pretoria to decide on the candidates for mayor of Tshwane municipality, where Pretoria is located. 
 
The ANC then named senior party member and former cabinet minister, Thoko Didiza, as its candidate for Tshwane, saying that it made the decision after wrangling between members at the party&#39;s headquarters over who should lead the municipality. 
 
According to local media, residents want the incumbent mayor Kgosientso Ramokgopa to be allowed to run on the ANC ticket but Ramokgopa has publicly backed Didiza&#39;s selection and called for calm. 
 
The ANC said its members were not to blame for the violence. 
 
Local elections in August pose a major test for the ANC as it gears up for a 2019 presidential vote in the face of a slowing economy and a strong challenge from the opposition 
 
(Reuters)

The violence spread overnight, starting after a member of the African National Congress was shot dead on Sunday

Protesters burnt vehicles and set tires on fire to barricade roads in South Africa's capital on Tuesday, June 21, after the ANC named a mayoral candidate not nominated by the ruling party's regional branches. The violence spread overnight from the townships and started after a member of the African National Congress (ANC) was shot dead on Sunday, June 19, as factions clashed at a meeting in Pretoria to decide on the candidates for mayor of Tshwane municipality, where Pretoria is located. The ANC then named senior party member and former cabinet minister, Thoko Didiza, as its candidate for Tshwane, saying that it made the decision after wrangling between members at the party's headquarters over who should lead the municipality. According to local media, residents want the incumbent mayor Kgosientso Ramokgopa to be allowed to run on the ANC ticket but Ramokgopa has publicly backed Didiza's selection and called for calm. The ANC said its members were not to blame for the violence. Local elections in August pose a major test for the ANC as it gears up for a 2019 presidential vote in the face of a slowing economy and a strong challenge from the opposition (Reuters)

Protesters in Pretoria burn cars, tires after unnominated man becomes mayoral candidate

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