Rahul Gandhi attacks PM Modi on Rafale, says 'PMO carrying out parallel negotiations'

Accusing Congress president of speaking "blatant lies" on the Rafale issue, the BJP said on Thursday he neither believes the Indian Air Force nor the Supreme Court verdict and asked if he needed a certificate from Pakistan about the fighter aircraft.

Soon after Gandhi demanded a probe against Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the Rafale deal, the BJP hit back with Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad alleging that the Congress president believes Pakistan more than Indian forces and its leaders.&nbsp;

"I totally condemn blatant lies of Rahul Gandhi. He does not believe the Indian Air Force, does not trust the Supreme Court verdict that clearly said there is no commercial impropriety in the (Rafale) procurement process. He does not believe the CAG," Prasad said.

"Will Rahul Gandhi need a certificate about Rafale from Pakistan. In that, we cannot help. Of late he believes Pakistan more than Indian forces and its leaders," the senior BJP leader added.&nbsp;

Earlier in the day, Gandhi asked why a probe cannot be ordered against Prime Minister Narendra Modi for an "Rs 30,000-crore scam" when an investigation has been initiated into the theft of official documents related to the fighter jet deal.

At a press conference, he accused the prime minister of conducting parallel negotiations on the fighter jet deal and the government of manipulating institutions to "save" him. 
The parallel negotiations "retarded" the delivery of Rafale, he claimed. 
&nbsp;

Accusing Congress president of speaking "blatant lies" on the Rafale issue, the BJP said on Thursday he neither believes the Indian Air Force nor the Supreme Court verdict and asked if he needed a certificate from Pakistan about the fighter aircraft.

Accusing Congress president of speaking "blatant lies" on the Rafale issue, the BJP said on Thursday he neither believes the Indian Air Force nor the Supreme Court verdict and asked if he needed a certificate from Pakistan about the fighter aircraft. Soon after Gandhi demanded a probe against Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the Rafale deal, the BJP hit back with Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad alleging that the Congress president believes Pakistan more than Indian forces and its leaders. "I totally condemn blatant lies of Rahul Gandhi. He does not believe the Indian Air Force, does not trust the Supreme Court verdict that clearly said there is no commercial impropriety in the (Rafale) procurement process. He does not believe the CAG," Prasad said. "Will Rahul Gandhi need a certificate about Rafale from Pakistan. In that, we cannot help. Of late he believes Pakistan more than Indian forces and its leaders," the senior BJP leader added. Earlier in the day, Gandhi asked why a probe cannot be ordered against Prime Minister Narendra Modi for an "Rs 30,000-crore scam" when an investigation has been initiated into the theft of official documents related to the fighter jet deal. At a press conference, he accused the prime minister of conducting parallel negotiations on the fighter jet deal and the government of manipulating institutions to "save" him. The parallel negotiations "retarded" the delivery of Rafale, he claimed.

Does Rahul Gandhi need certificate from Pakistan on Rafale: BJP

When India is fighting a war against terror and has even conducted an airstrike and bombed the Jaish-e-Mohammed's (JeM) terrorist training facility at Balakot in Pakistan, the leaders of Congress and other opposition parties are busy targeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the ruling BJP by casting aspersions and ascribing motives to the direct offensive launched by India to uproot and destroy the terror factories in Pakistan.

After the Pulwama attack, Prime Minister Modi was quick in announcing that the Indian Armed Forces have been given full powers to handle the situation and counter cross-border terrorism emanating from Pakistan.

After the February 26 airstrike that targeted the terror infrastructure at Balakot, Pakistan Air force F-16 jets entered the Indian territory to target military installations. They were intercepted and chased away by Indian Air Force pilots. The Pakistani offensive resulted in the downing of an F-16 aircraft. India's brave fighter pilot Wing Commander Abhinandan, whose aircraft was also hit, was captured when he ejected and landed inside the Pakistani territory. Under immense diplomatic pressure mounted by India and also the threat of direct action in case Pakistan chose to remain defiant, Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan announced in his Parliament that Abhinandan would be released.

“The Indian Air Defence system was on full alert in the morning of 27 February - a day after the Balakot airstrike. Build up of Pakistan Air Force aircraft on their side of LoC was noticed in time and additional aircraft were scrambled to tackle Pak incursion. When there was an attempt to attack Indian military installations, PAF aircraft were engaged and forced to withdraw by Mirage-2000, Su-30 and MiG-21 Bison aircraft from the Indian side. They left in a hurry as demonstrated by large missed distances of the weapons dropped by them. &nbsp;During combat, use of F-16 by PAF and multiple launches of AMRAAM (American beyond visual range air-to-air missile) were conclusively observed. Prompt and correct tactical action by Su-30 aircraft, in response to AMRAAM launch, defeated the missile. Parts of the missile fell in area East of Rajouri in J&amp;K, injuring a civilian on ground.” With this statement on Tuesday, the Indian Ministry of Defence has blasted the false claim by Pakistan of shooting down an Su-30, which was obviously a cover up for loss of its own aircraft.

In the meanwhile, even as Pakistan imposed a ban on Mumbai terror attack mastermind Hafeez Saeed led Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) on Tuesday, there has been no let up and Pakistan has continued to violate the ceasefire along the line of control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir and there have been civilian casualties too.

When troops on both sides are in a state of combat readiness and it is time for the nation to remain united to face the enemy, the Congress party and other opposition parties are working overtime and throwing posers about the outcome of the February 26 airstrike. They all are asking the same question in tandem and the people at large are viewing this as an attempt by the opposition to politicise the situation keeping in view the upcoming general election. What is also alarming is that the opposition leaders are even pointing their fingers questioning the “timing of the post-Pulwama offensive (ahead of the Lok Sabha polls).

Gloating over the situation prevailing in India are those at the helm of affairs in Pakistan. That country’s Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi, in an interview, has talked of differences among the political parties in India with regard to the numbers of terrorists killed in the airstrike. In a video that’s gone viral, Qureshi is heard saying, "The Congress party is questioning the claim that terror camps have been destroyed and a large number of terrorists have been killed."

On the current situation, the nation is also witnessing a war of words on social media between the BJP and opposition leaders. What is particularly capturing headlines are a couple of tweets by senior Congress leader Digvijay Singh. After citing a certain news-report and asking “what is the truth behind the bombing of Balakot”, Singh said in another tweet:&nbsp;

After the Air Strike conducted by our Air Force in the wake of the Pulwama attack, doubt is being expressed in a section of foreign media and as a consequence of this, the credibility of the government of India is being questioned. 
 
The remarks by opposition leaders are being seen as an attempt by the opposition leaders to dilute the gravity of the Pulwama attack and undermine India’s war against terror. The direct beneficiary of this is Pakistan.

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

&nbsp;

When India is fighting a war against terror and has even conducted an airstrike and bombed the Jaish-e-Mohammed's (JeM) terrorist training facility at Balakot in Pakistan, the leaders of Congress and other opposition parties are busy targeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the ruling BJP by casting aspersions and ascribing motives to the direct offensive launched by India to uproot and destroy the terror factories in Pakistan.

When India is fighting a war against terror and has even conducted an airstrike and bombed the Jaish-e-Mohammed's (JeM) terrorist training facility at Balakot in Pakistan, the leaders of Congress and other opposition parties are busy targeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the ruling BJP by casting aspersions and ascribing motives to the direct offensive launched by India to uproot and destroy the terror factories in Pakistan. After the Pulwama attack, Prime Minister Modi was quick in announcing that the Indian Armed Forces have been given full powers to handle the situation and counter cross-border terrorism emanating from Pakistan. After the February 26 airstrike that targeted the terror infrastructure at Balakot, Pakistan Air force F-16 jets entered the Indian territory to target military installations. They were intercepted and chased away by Indian Air Force pilots. The Pakistani offensive resulted in the downing of an F-16 aircraft. India's brave fighter pilot Wing Commander Abhinandan, whose aircraft was also hit, was captured when he ejected and landed inside the Pakistani territory. Under immense diplomatic pressure mounted by India and also the threat of direct action in case Pakistan chose to remain defiant, Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan announced in his Parliament that Abhinandan would be released. “The Indian Air Defence system was on full alert in the morning of 27 February - a day after the Balakot airstrike. Build up of Pakistan Air Force aircraft on their side of LoC was noticed in time and additional aircraft were scrambled to tackle Pak incursion. When there was an attempt to attack Indian military installations, PAF aircraft were engaged and forced to withdraw by Mirage-2000, Su-30 and MiG-21 Bison aircraft from the Indian side. They left in a hurry as demonstrated by large missed distances of the weapons dropped by them. During combat, use of F-16 by PAF and multiple launches of AMRAAM (American beyond visual range air-to-air missile) were conclusively observed. Prompt and correct tactical action by Su-30 aircraft, in response to AMRAAM launch, defeated the missile. Parts of the missile fell in area East of Rajouri in J&K, injuring a civilian on ground.” With this statement on Tuesday, the Indian Ministry of Defence has blasted the false claim by Pakistan of shooting down an Su-30, which was obviously a cover up for loss of its own aircraft. In the meanwhile, even as Pakistan imposed a ban on Mumbai terror attack mastermind Hafeez Saeed led Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) on Tuesday, there has been no let up and Pakistan has continued to violate the ceasefire along the line of control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir and there have been civilian casualties too. When troops on both sides are in a state of combat readiness and it is time for the nation to remain united to face the enemy, the Congress party and other opposition parties are working overtime and throwing posers about the outcome of the February 26 airstrike. They all are asking the same question in tandem and the people at large are viewing this as an attempt by the opposition to politicise the situation keeping in view the upcoming general election. What is also alarming is that the opposition leaders are even pointing their fingers questioning the “timing of the post-Pulwama offensive (ahead of the Lok Sabha polls). Gloating over the situation prevailing in India are those at the helm of affairs in Pakistan. That country’s Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi, in an interview, has talked of differences among the political parties in India with regard to the numbers of terrorists killed in the airstrike. In a video that’s gone viral, Qureshi is heard saying, "The Congress party is questioning the claim that terror camps have been destroyed and a large number of terrorists have been killed." On the current situation, the nation is also witnessing a war of words on social media between the BJP and opposition leaders. What is particularly capturing headlines are a couple of tweets by senior Congress leader Digvijay Singh. After citing a certain news-report and asking “what is the truth behind the bombing of Balakot”, Singh said in another tweet: After the Air Strike conducted by our Air Force in the wake of the Pulwama attack, doubt is being expressed in a section of foreign media and as a consequence of this, the credibility of the government of India is being questioned. The remarks by opposition leaders are being seen as an attempt by the opposition leaders to dilute the gravity of the Pulwama attack and undermine India’s war against terror. The direct beneficiary of this is Pakistan. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

By politicising Balakot airstrike, opposition leaders have given Pakistan a big reason to cheer

Scaling down his party's demand, JDS supremo HD Deve Gowda Wednesday asked Congress President Rahul Gandhi to allocate at least 10 out of the 28 Lok Sabha seats in Karnataka to his party.

The Janata Dal (Secular) had earlier demanded that it be given 12 seats to contest.&nbsp;

After Gandhi met the former prime minister at the latter's residence, the JDS said the seat-sharing agreement is likely to be finalised shortly and will be announced by March 10.

At the two-hour meeting, Gandhi and Deve Gowda broadly discussed seat sharing in Karnataka, the prevailing political situation in the country and the need for opposition unity.

AICC's general secretary in Karnataka KC Venugopal and JDS national general secretary Danish Ali were present at the meeting.

"Gandhi discussed seat sharing in Karnataka. This is the first such discussion between the two parties... Earlier, I had asked for 12 seats. At the meeting, I requested Rahulji to give at least 10 seats to the JDS," Gowda told reporters.

Asserting that the objective of the pre-poll alliance is to win the elections, Gowda said the Congress chief will take a final call on the seat-sharing arrangement after taking inputs from Ali and Venugopal.

The ruling coalition partners in Karnataka have held formal talks on seat sharing at the state level.

Ali said, "Some issues which were not discussed at the meeting have been left to me and Venugopal to decide and finalise."

The Congress would contest two-thirds of the seats and the JDS will get the rest, he said.

"However, seat wise, we have to discuss and finalise. We are going to reach a decision shortly and will announce it by March 10," he noted.&nbsp;

Scaling down his party's demand, JDS supremo HD Deve Gowda Wednesday asked Congress President Rahul Gandhi to allocate at least 10 out of the 28 Lok Sabha seats in Karnataka to his party.

Scaling down his party's demand, JDS supremo HD Deve Gowda Wednesday asked Congress President Rahul Gandhi to allocate at least 10 out of the 28 Lok Sabha seats in Karnataka to his party. The Janata Dal (Secular) had earlier demanded that it be given 12 seats to contest. After Gandhi met the former prime minister at the latter's residence, the JDS said the seat-sharing agreement is likely to be finalised shortly and will be announced by March 10. At the two-hour meeting, Gandhi and Deve Gowda broadly discussed seat sharing in Karnataka, the prevailing political situation in the country and the need for opposition unity. AICC's general secretary in Karnataka KC Venugopal and JDS national general secretary Danish Ali were present at the meeting. "Gandhi discussed seat sharing in Karnataka. This is the first such discussion between the two parties... Earlier, I had asked for 12 seats. At the meeting, I requested Rahulji to give at least 10 seats to the JDS," Gowda told reporters. Asserting that the objective of the pre-poll alliance is to win the elections, Gowda said the Congress chief will take a final call on the seat-sharing arrangement after taking inputs from Ali and Venugopal. The ruling coalition partners in Karnataka have held formal talks on seat sharing at the state level. Ali said, "Some issues which were not discussed at the meeting have been left to me and Venugopal to decide and finalise." The Congress would contest two-thirds of the seats and the JDS will get the rest, he said. "However, seat wise, we have to discuss and finalise. We are going to reach a decision shortly and will announce it by March 10," he noted.

Lok Sabha: At Rahul-Deve Gowda meeting, JDS scales down demand for seats to 10 in Karnataka

At what cost the BJP should be stopped is the question which confronts Congress Party today. Should Congress Party sacrifice itself on the altar of secularism to prevent BJP coming to power or should it fight the elections to expand itself both electorally and organisationally?&nbsp;

Ideally, this question should have been settled two years back, but the party continues to vacillate on the issue of alliance and organisation. Congress today stands split between two types of groups. One group wants to stop Prime Minister Narendra Modi at any cost, and hence, wants Congress to sacrifice and accommodate regional parties in form of a broader alliance.&nbsp;

The other group wants to contest the Lok Sabha elections with smaller partners who add strength to the Congress. This group has been resenting party’s tryst with SP-BSP in Uttar Pradesh and with AAP in Delhi. What is surprising is despite resistance from the local leadership, the idea to stich an alliance continues to flow from the top leaders in the Congress. Even in the case of Uttar Pradesh, a big section within the Congress desires to become the part of the umbrella alliance in Uttar Pradesh.

The desire exists understanding fully well that it would damage the reputation and standing of Priyanka Gandhi Vadra. With an alliance in place, the question would arise,” Why did you get Priyanka when Congress only wanted to fight on 10 odd seats.”

Where does this fear stems from? Does it stem from the fact that Congress has accepted that it cannot match vote consolidation of the BJP all across India? The answer lies somewhere else. It lies within the culture of Congress post 1970s.

Over a period of time, ideological debate on issues and individuals died in the Congress. This is not to say that great debates are taking place under Modi’s BJP, but RSS makes up for it by pursuing dialogues internally. Lack of this exercise creates an atmosphere which subsequently reduces idealism in the party. Idealism is a glue which kept Left and Right alive during lean times. Congress on the other hand either falls back on charisma of the Gandhi’s or power to stay together. With reduced charisma of Gandhis in national politics, the glue which holds the Congress together today is power hence the pressure from senior leadership to ensure Modi loses at any cost, even at the cost of the Congress Party?

This thinking needs to be seriously reversed for the health of democracy. Congress is the only national party after BJP. It is down but not out. It needs to get into a smart alliance with smaller parties and ensure that narrative remains around jobs and economy. Congress mishandled Pulwama terror attack and BJP stole the thunder right under its nose. Congress needs to reset the narrative which it had after winning three Hindi heartland states. If it fails, Congress will again be reduced to two digits in Lok Sabha.&nbsp;

Congress needs to regain the lost confidence too with the message that it will remain in business for the next 100 years. RSS was banned thrice and faced the stigma of Mahatma Gandhi’s assassination but still survived to ensure that it had its government with a simple majority in power in 2014. This tenacity to stay relevant should be a learning curve for Congress.&nbsp;

This tenacity can be reached if Congress recreates a robust ideological culture inside the party which would recreate new ideals for the Congress.&nbsp;

Side by side, it should be ensured that the organisation is not compromised for the sake of keeping Modi out of power. It never worked for the Socialists. There rabid anti-Congress attitude was devoid of ideology and ultimately led to their own demise. Their governments were short lived. Same should not happen to Congress as it cannot afford to become Rishi Dadhichi who gave up his life so that his bones could be used to make an Astra to kill a demon.&nbsp;

In today’s context, Congress as a national party is required as a bulwark against hegemonic BJP. In the interest of democracy, it should focus on its own health rather than following the single point agenda of keeping Modi out.&nbsp;

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)&nbsp;

At what cost the BJP should be stopped is the question which confronts Congress Party today. Should Congress Party sacrifice itself on the altar of secularism to prevent BJP coming to power or should it fight the elections to expand itself both electorally and organisationally?

At what cost the BJP should be stopped is the question which confronts Congress Party today. Should Congress Party sacrifice itself on the altar of secularism to prevent BJP coming to power or should it fight the elections to expand itself both electorally and organisationally? Ideally, this question should have been settled two years back, but the party continues to vacillate on the issue of alliance and organisation. Congress today stands split between two types of groups. One group wants to stop Prime Minister Narendra Modi at any cost, and hence, wants Congress to sacrifice and accommodate regional parties in form of a broader alliance. The other group wants to contest the Lok Sabha elections with smaller partners who add strength to the Congress. This group has been resenting party’s tryst with SP-BSP in Uttar Pradesh and with AAP in Delhi. What is surprising is despite resistance from the local leadership, the idea to stich an alliance continues to flow from the top leaders in the Congress. Even in the case of Uttar Pradesh, a big section within the Congress desires to become the part of the umbrella alliance in Uttar Pradesh. The desire exists understanding fully well that it would damage the reputation and standing of Priyanka Gandhi Vadra. With an alliance in place, the question would arise,” Why did you get Priyanka when Congress only wanted to fight on 10 odd seats.” Where does this fear stems from? Does it stem from the fact that Congress has accepted that it cannot match vote consolidation of the BJP all across India? The answer lies somewhere else. It lies within the culture of Congress post 1970s. Over a period of time, ideological debate on issues and individuals died in the Congress. This is not to say that great debates are taking place under Modi’s BJP, but RSS makes up for it by pursuing dialogues internally. Lack of this exercise creates an atmosphere which subsequently reduces idealism in the party. Idealism is a glue which kept Left and Right alive during lean times. Congress on the other hand either falls back on charisma of the Gandhi’s or power to stay together. With reduced charisma of Gandhis in national politics, the glue which holds the Congress together today is power hence the pressure from senior leadership to ensure Modi loses at any cost, even at the cost of the Congress Party? This thinking needs to be seriously reversed for the health of democracy. Congress is the only national party after BJP. It is down but not out. It needs to get into a smart alliance with smaller parties and ensure that narrative remains around jobs and economy. Congress mishandled Pulwama terror attack and BJP stole the thunder right under its nose. Congress needs to reset the narrative which it had after winning three Hindi heartland states. If it fails, Congress will again be reduced to two digits in Lok Sabha. Congress needs to regain the lost confidence too with the message that it will remain in business for the next 100 years. RSS was banned thrice and faced the stigma of Mahatma Gandhi’s assassination but still survived to ensure that it had its government with a simple majority in power in 2014. This tenacity to stay relevant should be a learning curve for Congress. This tenacity can be reached if Congress recreates a robust ideological culture inside the party which would recreate new ideals for the Congress. Side by side, it should be ensured that the organisation is not compromised for the sake of keeping Modi out of power. It never worked for the Socialists. There rabid anti-Congress attitude was devoid of ideology and ultimately led to their own demise. Their governments were short lived. Same should not happen to Congress as it cannot afford to become Rishi Dadhichi who gave up his life so that his bones could be used to make an Astra to kill a demon. In today’s context, Congress as a national party is required as a bulwark against hegemonic BJP. In the interest of democracy, it should focus on its own health rather than following the single point agenda of keeping Modi out. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)

Should Congress sacrifice itself to keep Narendra Modi out?

The pre-dawn air strike on the Jaish-e-Mohammed’s largest terrorist camp in Balakot, 80 km deep into Pakistani territory in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Prime Minister Imran Khan’s backyard, has transformed the 71-year-old paradigm around India’s strategy on combating Pakistan-sponsored terrorism.&nbsp;

Crossing the Line of Control (LoC) had been studiously avoided in previous conflicts with Pakistan. Even in the 1999 Kargil war, Indian air strikes had been conducted from India’s side of the LoC. Tuesday morning’s air strikes will have two broad consequences: military and electoral. &nbsp;

Though Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale has termed the strikes “non-military and pre-emptive”, they were non-military only in the sense that they did not target Pakistan’s military installations. However, since terror groups like the JeM, LeT and Hizbul Mujahideen are arms of the Pakistani military, the reported killing of hundreds of Jaish terrorists will send the strongest message the Pakistani army has received in decades.&nbsp;

The cost of terrorism has just gone up manifold. No longer can the Pakistani army’s sponsored, funded and armed terror groups attack Indian targets at will without paying a heavy price. The precise damage done to terror camps in Pakistan will soon emerge with greater clarity. But there is no doubt that the days of Pakistan-based terror groups enjoying relative immunity from strong Indian retaliation are over.&nbsp;

The second consequence is obviously electoral. With less than six weeks to go before the first phase of the 2019 Lok Sabha election, the conclusion is inescapable: this alters the chemistry and mathematics of the election. Much now depends on how Pakistan reacts to the successful Indian strikes. If it downplays their impact, it can avoid escalation of the conflict. India has been quick to brief the envoys of all major powers about the pre-emptive nature of the strikes against a legitimate new terror threat from the Jaish. Pakistan says it will approach the United Nations. That move will go nowhere since four permanent members of the UNSC — the United States, Britain, France and Russia — have firmly backed India.&nbsp;

In the coming days, as attention shifts to electoral campaigning, opposition criticism of the government’s action, currently muted, will emerge. Unity over tackling Pakistan-sponsored terrorism has always been tenuous. It is unlikely to hold for long now.&nbsp;

After the 9/11 terror attack on the United States in 2001, the country rallied behind President George W Bush. Democrats and Republicans spoke in one voice. The retaliatory “shock and awe” US air attack on terrorist hideouts in Afghanistan was supported across the American political and media spectrum.&nbsp;

Unless a nation presents a united front, terrorism will not be defeated. In the US there hasn’t been a single major terror strike on the mainland by Al-Qaeda or the morphed Islamic State (IS) since 2001. &nbsp;In India, after every terror attack by jihadi groups based, trained and funded by Pakistan, recriminations start. Opposition parties feign support but within days visceral politicking begins.&nbsp;

The air strikes come at an unexpected time for the opposition. Congress President Rahul Gandhi had acquired a spring in his step. The introduction of Priyanka Gandhi-Vadra into formal politics had created euphoria among Congress workers, especially in Uttar Pradesh. The Pulwama strike took place four hours before Priyanka was scheduled to address a press conference. Wisely, she cancelled it, speaking for just two minutes to condemn the attack, details of which were just filtering in.&nbsp;

The Congress party leadership now fears that Tuesday’s air strikes have fundamentally altered the arithmetic of the 2019 Lok Sabha election in favour of the BJP. The fear is two-fold. First, that public outrage is so strong that national security has now become a key electoral issue, overshadowing the Congress’ attack on jobs and rural distress.&nbsp;

Second, with less than 45 days to go before the first phase of a multi-phase Lok Sabha poll begins (in 2014, the first of seven phases was held on April 7), the impact of the air strikes on public sentiment will last well into the elections.&nbsp;

There was always an inevitability of the Modi government taking strong military action against terror assets inside Pakistani territory. The United States has unrivalled access to global intelligence inputs. When asked about India’s likely response to the Pulwama terror attack last Friday, President Donald Trump told reporters enigmatically that India was “looking at something very strong”.&nbsp;

Prime Minister Narendra Modi meanwhile said little specifically except underlining that it was time for action and the time for talks was over. He added that he had given the armed forces a free hand to act. It is now known that the go-ahead for action against the JeM terror camp was given by the Prime Minister just days after the Pulwama terror attack on the CRPF convoy.&nbsp;

In an interview to a newspaper eight days before the Pulwama terror attack, Rahul had displayed his new combative role with gusto: “Mr Modi’s credibility is gone. Do me a favour, when you go out of here, when you stop at a red light, look at someone who is not really rich, and say ‘chowkidar’, and see if he answers ‘chor hai.’ When I am riding around Delhi, I hear them saying, ‘chowkidar chor hai.”&nbsp;

That is an epithet unlikely to resonate well in public discourse today.

(This article was originally published on The DNA. Read the <a href="https://www.dnaindia.com/analysis/column-electoral-impact-of-air-strikes-2724785">original article)</a>

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)

The pre-dawn air strike on the Jaish-e-Mohammed’s largest terrorist camp in Balakot, 80 km deep into Pakistani territory in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Prime Minister Imran Khan’s backyard, has transformed the 71-year-old paradigm around India’s strategy on combating Pakistan-sponsored terrorism.

The pre-dawn air strike on the Jaish-e-Mohammed’s largest terrorist camp in Balakot, 80 km deep into Pakistani territory in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Prime Minister Imran Khan’s backyard, has transformed the 71-year-old paradigm around India’s strategy on combating Pakistan-sponsored terrorism. Crossing the Line of Control (LoC) had been studiously avoided in previous conflicts with Pakistan. Even in the 1999 Kargil war, Indian air strikes had been conducted from India’s side of the LoC. Tuesday morning’s air strikes will have two broad consequences: military and electoral. Though Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale has termed the strikes “non-military and pre-emptive”, they were non-military only in the sense that they did not target Pakistan’s military installations. However, since terror groups like the JeM, LeT and Hizbul Mujahideen are arms of the Pakistani military, the reported killing of hundreds of Jaish terrorists will send the strongest message the Pakistani army has received in decades. The cost of terrorism has just gone up manifold. No longer can the Pakistani army’s sponsored, funded and armed terror groups attack Indian targets at will without paying a heavy price. The precise damage done to terror camps in Pakistan will soon emerge with greater clarity. But there is no doubt that the days of Pakistan-based terror groups enjoying relative immunity from strong Indian retaliation are over. The second consequence is obviously electoral. With less than six weeks to go before the first phase of the 2019 Lok Sabha election, the conclusion is inescapable: this alters the chemistry and mathematics of the election. Much now depends on how Pakistan reacts to the successful Indian strikes. If it downplays their impact, it can avoid escalation of the conflict. India has been quick to brief the envoys of all major powers about the pre-emptive nature of the strikes against a legitimate new terror threat from the Jaish. Pakistan says it will approach the United Nations. That move will go nowhere since four permanent members of the UNSC — the United States, Britain, France and Russia — have firmly backed India. In the coming days, as attention shifts to electoral campaigning, opposition criticism of the government’s action, currently muted, will emerge. Unity over tackling Pakistan-sponsored terrorism has always been tenuous. It is unlikely to hold for long now. After the 9/11 terror attack on the United States in 2001, the country rallied behind President George W Bush. Democrats and Republicans spoke in one voice. The retaliatory “shock and awe” US air attack on terrorist hideouts in Afghanistan was supported across the American political and media spectrum. Unless a nation presents a united front, terrorism will not be defeated. In the US there hasn’t been a single major terror strike on the mainland by Al-Qaeda or the morphed Islamic State (IS) since 2001. In India, after every terror attack by jihadi groups based, trained and funded by Pakistan, recriminations start. Opposition parties feign support but within days visceral politicking begins. The air strikes come at an unexpected time for the opposition. Congress President Rahul Gandhi had acquired a spring in his step. The introduction of Priyanka Gandhi-Vadra into formal politics had created euphoria among Congress workers, especially in Uttar Pradesh. The Pulwama strike took place four hours before Priyanka was scheduled to address a press conference. Wisely, she cancelled it, speaking for just two minutes to condemn the attack, details of which were just filtering in. The Congress party leadership now fears that Tuesday’s air strikes have fundamentally altered the arithmetic of the 2019 Lok Sabha election in favour of the BJP. The fear is two-fold. First, that public outrage is so strong that national security has now become a key electoral issue, overshadowing the Congress’ attack on jobs and rural distress. Second, with less than 45 days to go before the first phase of a multi-phase Lok Sabha poll begins (in 2014, the first of seven phases was held on April 7), the impact of the air strikes on public sentiment will last well into the elections. There was always an inevitability of the Modi government taking strong military action against terror assets inside Pakistani territory. The United States has unrivalled access to global intelligence inputs. When asked about India’s likely response to the Pulwama terror attack last Friday, President Donald Trump told reporters enigmatically that India was “looking at something very strong”. Prime Minister Narendra Modi meanwhile said little specifically except underlining that it was time for action and the time for talks was over. He added that he had given the armed forces a free hand to act. It is now known that the go-ahead for action against the JeM terror camp was given by the Prime Minister just days after the Pulwama terror attack on the CRPF convoy. In an interview to a newspaper eight days before the Pulwama terror attack, Rahul had displayed his new combative role with gusto: “Mr Modi’s credibility is gone. Do me a favour, when you go out of here, when you stop at a red light, look at someone who is not really rich, and say ‘chowkidar’, and see if he answers ‘chor hai.’ When I am riding around Delhi, I hear them saying, ‘chowkidar chor hai.” That is an epithet unlikely to resonate well in public discourse today. (This article was originally published on The DNA. Read the original article) (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)

India-Pakistan tension: Unless nation presents united front, terrorism will not be defeated

As a political commentator, most discussions with people hover around General Election 2019. And, the million-dollar question which comes up is inevitably this &nbsp;— ‘kiski sarkar banegi’ (who will form the next government).

Elections are difficult to predict in a country as vast and unique as India. Opinion polls are predicting a hung house with NDA as the single, largest pre-poll coalition. Under the circumstances, five factors, which put BJP in a pole position to form the next government at the Centre, need to be highlighted. The General Election in India is increasingly becoming Presidential style. Though Rahul has been catching up with Modi on the popularity ratings, the Prime Minister is still comfortably ahead with a 10 per cent to 14 per cent lead.

With just a couple of months to go for election, this lead is substantial. Even in opinion polls, which predict a hung house situation, 60 per cent respondents want to give the NDA another chance to form the government.

The second reason is that pan-India, the Mahagathbandhan has not shaped up yet. The opposition’s dream of organising one-on-one contests on the 1977 model, has not worked out. Bua and Babua (aunt Mayawati and nephew Akhilesh Yadav) have left out Congress from the UP grand alliance.

Congress has decided it will go alone in West Bengal, Andhra, and Telangana. In Kerala, the Left cannot form an alliance with Congress and neither can Biju ally with the grand old party in Odisha.

In Delhi, AAP and Congress have not been able to sink their differences, while Haryana is likely to see a multi-cornered contest like in the recent by-polls. There is no news of settlement with AIUDF in Assam and neither is PDP expected to join the National Conference-Congress combine in Jammu and Kashmir.

UPA hasn’t expanded much, the only notable inclusion being Janata Dal-Secular in Karnataka. In Bihar and Jharkhand, some small regional parties have joined the UPA, but they are not expected to significantly change the electoral dynamics. If anything, they have increased headaches over seat distribution.

On the other hand, BJP has managed to cool Shiv Sena and added AIADMK into the NDA fold in Tamil Nadu, which may prevent a DMK sweep.

Thirdly, many regional parties have no option, but to back BJP or abstain during the confidence vote, if it comes down to it.

There are several regional parties whose entire politics has been based on anti-Congressism in their home state, as that is the principal opposition party.

These include Naveen Patnaik’s Biju Janata Dal, KCR’s Telangana Rashtriya Samiti and Jagan Reddy’s YSR Congress, to name a few.

Jagan and Rahul/Sonia share an acrimonious relationship. KCR and Rahul can’t see eye to eye. Some of these parties have been helping NDA pass important legislations and register victories in the Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman elections.

These three parties are expected to bag 41, 38 and 43 seats respectively, as per three well-known TV channel surveys conducted in January 2019. This could compensate for some of the losses of BJP in the states where it peaked in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections.

Fourthly, the Congress party won just 44 seats in 2014, while UPA could muster only 59. Some opinion polls are projecting 166-167 seats for UPA. Their gains are primarily coming from Tamil Nadu, Punjab, and Jharkhand.BJP has firmed up alliances in Maharashtra (Shiv Sena) and Bihar (JDU+LJP) and is most likely to retain its 2014 tally, as per polls, with minor losses.

Four states, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, and Rajasthan, where the Congress put up a good fight or won recently in state elections, will see a direct contest between the BJP and the Grand Old Party.

These states account for 91 seats with BJP sweeping 88 out of these in 2014. Based on extrapolation of state election results, Congress could gain 30-40 seats here.

These states account for another 245 seats (45 per cent) where bulk of the gains are expected.

Still, the UPA is expected to fall 60-70 seats short of NDA. Nobody, even anti-BJP brigade at this point of time, is predicting that UPA will cross NDA.

Lastly, Congress is raising issues, but not providing solutions. It has raised the Rafale issue, but even surveys predicting a hung Parliament, show that this may not be working with the public.

Unless the Congress comes up with specific bribery allegations, this will not work. The party has raised the issue of farmer distress and unemployment but has not come up yet with specific solutions.

To sum up, while there is a lot of hoopla&nbsp;over a hung house, all latest polls show NDA ahead and within striking distance of forming the government. The narrative of “55 years versus 55 months” is likely to propel NDA and Modi back to power.

(This article was originally published on The DNA. Read the <a href="https://www.dnaindia.com/analysis/column-55-years-versus-55-months-2724414">original article</a>)

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)

 
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As a political commentator, most discussions with people hover around General Election 2019. And, the million-dollar question which comes up is inevitably this — ‘kiski sarkar banegi’ (who will form the next government).

As a political commentator, most discussions with people hover around General Election 2019. And, the million-dollar question which comes up is inevitably this — ‘kiski sarkar banegi’ (who will form the next government). Elections are difficult to predict in a country as vast and unique as India. Opinion polls are predicting a hung house with NDA as the single, largest pre-poll coalition. Under the circumstances, five factors, which put BJP in a pole position to form the next government at the Centre, need to be highlighted. The General Election in India is increasingly becoming Presidential style. Though Rahul has been catching up with Modi on the popularity ratings, the Prime Minister is still comfortably ahead with a 10 per cent to 14 per cent lead. With just a couple of months to go for election, this lead is substantial. Even in opinion polls, which predict a hung house situation, 60 per cent respondents want to give the NDA another chance to form the government. The second reason is that pan-India, the Mahagathbandhan has not shaped up yet. The opposition’s dream of organising one-on-one contests on the 1977 model, has not worked out. Bua and Babua (aunt Mayawati and nephew Akhilesh Yadav) have left out Congress from the UP grand alliance. Congress has decided it will go alone in West Bengal, Andhra, and Telangana. In Kerala, the Left cannot form an alliance with Congress and neither can Biju ally with the grand old party in Odisha. In Delhi, AAP and Congress have not been able to sink their differences, while Haryana is likely to see a multi-cornered contest like in the recent by-polls. There is no news of settlement with AIUDF in Assam and neither is PDP expected to join the National Conference-Congress combine in Jammu and Kashmir. UPA hasn’t expanded much, the only notable inclusion being Janata Dal-Secular in Karnataka. In Bihar and Jharkhand, some small regional parties have joined the UPA, but they are not expected to significantly change the electoral dynamics. If anything, they have increased headaches over seat distribution. On the other hand, BJP has managed to cool Shiv Sena and added AIADMK into the NDA fold in Tamil Nadu, which may prevent a DMK sweep. Thirdly, many regional parties have no option, but to back BJP or abstain during the confidence vote, if it comes down to it. There are several regional parties whose entire politics has been based on anti-Congressism in their home state, as that is the principal opposition party. These include Naveen Patnaik’s Biju Janata Dal, KCR’s Telangana Rashtriya Samiti and Jagan Reddy’s YSR Congress, to name a few. Jagan and Rahul/Sonia share an acrimonious relationship. KCR and Rahul can’t see eye to eye. Some of these parties have been helping NDA pass important legislations and register victories in the Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairman elections. These three parties are expected to bag 41, 38 and 43 seats respectively, as per three well-known TV channel surveys conducted in January 2019. This could compensate for some of the losses of BJP in the states where it peaked in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections. Fourthly, the Congress party won just 44 seats in 2014, while UPA could muster only 59. Some opinion polls are projecting 166-167 seats for UPA. Their gains are primarily coming from Tamil Nadu, Punjab, and Jharkhand.BJP has firmed up alliances in Maharashtra (Shiv Sena) and Bihar (JDU+LJP) and is most likely to retain its 2014 tally, as per polls, with minor losses. Four states, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, and Rajasthan, where the Congress put up a good fight or won recently in state elections, will see a direct contest between the BJP and the Grand Old Party. These states account for 91 seats with BJP sweeping 88 out of these in 2014. Based on extrapolation of state election results, Congress could gain 30-40 seats here. These states account for another 245 seats (45 per cent) where bulk of the gains are expected. Still, the UPA is expected to fall 60-70 seats short of NDA. Nobody, even anti-BJP brigade at this point of time, is predicting that UPA will cross NDA. Lastly, Congress is raising issues, but not providing solutions. It has raised the Rafale issue, but even surveys predicting a hung Parliament, show that this may not be working with the public. Unless the Congress comes up with specific bribery allegations, this will not work. The party has raised the issue of farmer distress and unemployment but has not come up yet with specific solutions. To sum up, while there is a lot of hoopla over a hung house, all latest polls show NDA ahead and within striking distance of forming the government. The narrative of “55 years versus 55 months” is likely to propel NDA and Modi back to power. (This article was originally published on The DNA. Read the original article) (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)

Lok Sabha elections 2019: Differences among opposition parties strengthen NDA's chances of coming back to power

The Congress in general — and Rahul Gandhi in particular — is trying to keep the Rafale deal as a major poll plank in the absence of a topic that can create a narrative against Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The Congress has not been able to dig up any scam. No evidence of any kickbacks has been brought in the public domain by the Congress chief, though he persistently and quite unabashedly keeps abusing the PM. The CAG, the Supreme Court, and the French government have pronounced that there was no wrongdoing and that the deal is in India’s benefit.

The deal is worth only Rs 58,000 crore. But, Rahul keeps saying that due to the PM, Anil Ambani benefitted to the tune of Rs 30,000 crore, which is absurd on the face of it. The Congress has to answer why it delayed the deal for 10 years when the Air Force was in dire need of medium combat aircraft since 2004. Modi did a great service to the nation by reducing the number of aircraft from 126 to 36 as it would have become obsolete by the time the entire 126 would be delivered. By reducing the number to just two squadrons Modi saved a large amount of foreign exchange. If the idea was to make shady deals as Rahul Gandhi had alleged, then, the government would have gone ahead with a larger order package.

For about a year, Rahul was making unsubstantiated allegations. The Rafale deal is a project of the UPA. Between 2012 and 2014, there was a 100 per cent escalation in its price. Then, in the new deal, the government has asked for technology upgradation, additional features and transfer of technology. If the Modi government wanted, it could have scrapped the deal and gone for a new global tender. Rafale was selected in January 2012 when Dr Manmohan Singh was Prime Minister. Reliance came into the picture the same year, under UPA. In February 2012, Reliance Industries and France’s Dassault Aviation signed a pact for partnering in the defence and homeland security sector in India. The accord came less than two weeks after Dassault’s Rafale warplanes emerged as the preferred bidder in a $15 billion-contest to supply India with 126 fighter jets.

The partnership provided Dassault with a substantial opportunity to fulfil its offset obligations under the contract. Dassault wanted RIL to be the main partner. Under the offset clause, a foreign supplier must award contracts worth a chunk of the deal value to Indian companies in return.

The opposition’s furore over Rafale seems to be an attempt to starve the Indian Air Force of combat aircrafts of international standards. A demand for a Joint Parliamentary Committee will put the entire procurement and ‘Make in India’ programme in cold storage for years. As for Reliance not having past experience, it was again the French company which found it useful.

If having Mukesh Ambani’s Reliance Industries on board was okay in February 2012, then how does getting Anil Ambani’s Reliance Defence in the deal become cronyism and scam in 2016? Is it only because it happened under Modi? About the price, Rahul Gandhi is quoting the price of 2008 in 2018. Can he get even a razor for the same price today as it was in 2008? In a joint venture, the partner has to invest money and Rafale will only be transferring technology. How can Reliance make money here? Rather, they have to put in money. The French government has said that choosing the Indian partner was the job of Dassault Aviation. The French company has said they chose the Indian partner. How can Rahul blame Modi for this? He is either being vicious or ill-informed or has, as usual, got only half-baked information.

Each time Rahul was providing different figures as the Reliance’s gain and the prices at which the deal was signed by the UPA and the NDA. In the first place, the UPA never signed any deal with Dassault (Aviation). It was only negotiating, and different prices were quoted. The price finally agreed by the UPA was Rs 737 crore per aircraft, and with additional fittings and capabilities the price agreed was Rs 2,000 crore per piece. The deal was, however, never signed. The deal signed by the NDA is for Rs 670 crore per aircraft, and with additional capacity it comes to Rs 1,600 crore per aircraft. The NDA has ordered for 36 aircraft whereas UPA was planning to buy 126.

The Indian Air Force in 2001 projected a desperate need for 126 Medium Multi Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA) and the process of selecting the same concluded in 2007 under the UPA. The two aircraft shortlisted were Rafale and Eurofighter, which was number two. When the Modi government came to power, Eurofighter was hopeful of getting the deal as it felt the one selected by the UPA could be replaced. They lobbied hard with support from the British government.

The UPA had selected a middleman, who was to get a 10 per cent cut. The deal finally was not signed also perhaps because of this. Although the IAF was desperate, then Defence Minister AK Antony refused to sign any paper. Then, it was said that the UPA had no money; it was decided to postpone the purchase until the next government assumed power. The NDA has entered into a government-to-government deal, so there is neither any middleman nor commission agent.

(This article was originally published on The DNA. Read the <a href="https://www.dnaindia.com/analysis/column-rafale-and-rahul-s-fiction-2722971">original article</a>)

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)&nbsp;

The Congress in general — and Rahul Gandhi in particular — is trying to keep the Rafale deal as a major poll plank in the absence of a topic that can create a narrative against Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The Congress in general — and Rahul Gandhi in particular — is trying to keep the Rafale deal as a major poll plank in the absence of a topic that can create a narrative against Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The Congress has not been able to dig up any scam. No evidence of any kickbacks has been brought in the public domain by the Congress chief, though he persistently and quite unabashedly keeps abusing the PM. The CAG, the Supreme Court, and the French government have pronounced that there was no wrongdoing and that the deal is in India’s benefit. The deal is worth only Rs 58,000 crore. But, Rahul keeps saying that due to the PM, Anil Ambani benefitted to the tune of Rs 30,000 crore, which is absurd on the face of it. The Congress has to answer why it delayed the deal for 10 years when the Air Force was in dire need of medium combat aircraft since 2004. Modi did a great service to the nation by reducing the number of aircraft from 126 to 36 as it would have become obsolete by the time the entire 126 would be delivered. By reducing the number to just two squadrons Modi saved a large amount of foreign exchange. If the idea was to make shady deals as Rahul Gandhi had alleged, then, the government would have gone ahead with a larger order package. For about a year, Rahul was making unsubstantiated allegations. The Rafale deal is a project of the UPA. Between 2012 and 2014, there was a 100 per cent escalation in its price. Then, in the new deal, the government has asked for technology upgradation, additional features and transfer of technology. If the Modi government wanted, it could have scrapped the deal and gone for a new global tender. Rafale was selected in January 2012 when Dr Manmohan Singh was Prime Minister. Reliance came into the picture the same year, under UPA. In February 2012, Reliance Industries and France’s Dassault Aviation signed a pact for partnering in the defence and homeland security sector in India. The accord came less than two weeks after Dassault’s Rafale warplanes emerged as the preferred bidder in a $15 billion-contest to supply India with 126 fighter jets. The partnership provided Dassault with a substantial opportunity to fulfil its offset obligations under the contract. Dassault wanted RIL to be the main partner. Under the offset clause, a foreign supplier must award contracts worth a chunk of the deal value to Indian companies in return. The opposition’s furore over Rafale seems to be an attempt to starve the Indian Air Force of combat aircrafts of international standards. A demand for a Joint Parliamentary Committee will put the entire procurement and ‘Make in India’ programme in cold storage for years. As for Reliance not having past experience, it was again the French company which found it useful. If having Mukesh Ambani’s Reliance Industries on board was okay in February 2012, then how does getting Anil Ambani’s Reliance Defence in the deal become cronyism and scam in 2016? Is it only because it happened under Modi? About the price, Rahul Gandhi is quoting the price of 2008 in 2018. Can he get even a razor for the same price today as it was in 2008? In a joint venture, the partner has to invest money and Rafale will only be transferring technology. How can Reliance make money here? Rather, they have to put in money. The French government has said that choosing the Indian partner was the job of Dassault Aviation. The French company has said they chose the Indian partner. How can Rahul blame Modi for this? He is either being vicious or ill-informed or has, as usual, got only half-baked information. Each time Rahul was providing different figures as the Reliance’s gain and the prices at which the deal was signed by the UPA and the NDA. In the first place, the UPA never signed any deal with Dassault (Aviation). It was only negotiating, and different prices were quoted. The price finally agreed by the UPA was Rs 737 crore per aircraft, and with additional fittings and capabilities the price agreed was Rs 2,000 crore per piece. The deal was, however, never signed. The deal signed by the NDA is for Rs 670 crore per aircraft, and with additional capacity it comes to Rs 1,600 crore per aircraft. The NDA has ordered for 36 aircraft whereas UPA was planning to buy 126. The Indian Air Force in 2001 projected a desperate need for 126 Medium Multi Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA) and the process of selecting the same concluded in 2007 under the UPA. The two aircraft shortlisted were Rafale and Eurofighter, which was number two. When the Modi government came to power, Eurofighter was hopeful of getting the deal as it felt the one selected by the UPA could be replaced. They lobbied hard with support from the British government. The UPA had selected a middleman, who was to get a 10 per cent cut. The deal finally was not signed also perhaps because of this. Although the IAF was desperate, then Defence Minister AK Antony refused to sign any paper. Then, it was said that the UPA had no money; it was decided to postpone the purchase until the next government assumed power. The NDA has entered into a government-to-government deal, so there is neither any middleman nor commission agent. (This article was originally published on The DNA. Read the original article) (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)

Rahul Gandhi’s fiction: Congress trying to keep Rafael a major poll plank

Robert Vadra, brother-in-law of Congress President Rahul Gandhi, Wednesday appeared before the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in a money laundering case probe, officials said.

He reached the agency's office at Jamnagar House in central Delhi at about 10:30 am along with his lawyers, they said.

This is a scheduled appearance of Vadra before the investigating officer (IO) of the case in a criminal complaint related to allegations of money laundering to purchase assets abroad.

He had skipped the summons Tuesday, citing bad health.

Vadra has been questioned by the ED in this case for 23 hours over three days of deposition earlier this month.

He has been asked by a Delhi court to cooperate in the probe being conducted by the central probe agency.

The ED case against Vadra relates to allegations of money laundering in the purchase of a London-based property located at 12, Bryanston Square worth 1.9 million GBP (British pounds), which is allegedly owned by him.

The agency had told the court that it has received information about various new properties in London which belong to Vadra. These include two houses, one worth 5 million GBP and the other valued at 4 million GBP, six other flats and more properties.

Vadra has denied the allegations of possessing illegal foreign assets and termed them a political witch hunt against him. He said he was being "hounded and harassed" to subserve political ends.

Vadra's statement is being recorded under Section 50 (powers of authorities regarding summons, production of documents and to give evidence) of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

His first appearance before the ED earlier this month acquired political overtones after his wife Priyanka Gandhi, recently appointed Congress general secretary in-charge of eastern Uttar Pradesh, accompanied him to the investigating agency's office on one day while she picked him up after questioning the next time.

Vadra had similarly deposed before the ED twice in Jaipur in an another money-laundering case related to an alleged land scam in Bikaner.

Robert Vadra, brother-in-law of Congress President Rahul Gandhi, Wednesday appeared before the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in a money laundering case probe, officials said.

Robert Vadra, brother-in-law of Congress President Rahul Gandhi, Wednesday appeared before the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in a money laundering case probe, officials said. He reached the agency's office at Jamnagar House in central Delhi at about 10:30 am along with his lawyers, they said. This is a scheduled appearance of Vadra before the investigating officer (IO) of the case in a criminal complaint related to allegations of money laundering to purchase assets abroad. He had skipped the summons Tuesday, citing bad health. Vadra has been questioned by the ED in this case for 23 hours over three days of deposition earlier this month. He has been asked by a Delhi court to cooperate in the probe being conducted by the central probe agency. The ED case against Vadra relates to allegations of money laundering in the purchase of a London-based property located at 12, Bryanston Square worth 1.9 million GBP (British pounds), which is allegedly owned by him. The agency had told the court that it has received information about various new properties in London which belong to Vadra. These include two houses, one worth 5 million GBP and the other valued at 4 million GBP, six other flats and more properties. Vadra has denied the allegations of possessing illegal foreign assets and termed them a political witch hunt against him. He said he was being "hounded and harassed" to subserve political ends. Vadra's statement is being recorded under Section 50 (powers of authorities regarding summons, production of documents and to give evidence) of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). His first appearance before the ED earlier this month acquired political overtones after his wife Priyanka Gandhi, recently appointed Congress general secretary in-charge of eastern Uttar Pradesh, accompanied him to the investigating agency's office on one day while she picked him up after questioning the next time. Vadra had similarly deposed before the ED twice in Jaipur in an another money-laundering case related to an alleged land scam in Bikaner.

Robert Vadra appears before ED in money laundering case probe

India's first semi-high-speed train, <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/countrys-fastest-rail-train-18-pelted-with-stones-during-trial-run-185532">the Vande Bharat Express</a>, began its first commercial run Sunday. The train left Delhi at 6 am and is is expected to reach Varanasi by 2 pm.&nbsp;

Railway Minister Piyush Goyal said tickets on the train were sold out for the next two weeks.&nbsp;

"Vande Bharat Express left Delhi for Varanasi today morning on its first commercial run. Tickets sold out for the next two weeks already. Get yours today!" he tweeted.&nbsp;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Vande Bharat Express left Delhi for Varanasi today morning on its first commercial run. Tickets sold out for the next two weeks already. Get yours today! <a href="https://t.co/LwokUNHRJj">pic.twitter.com/LwokUNHRJj</a>
— Piyush Goyal (@PiyushGoyal) <a href="https://twitter.com/PiyushGoyal/status/1096956013880770560?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 17, 2019</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
<a class="close-mark close-div" href="#" id="jqclosemark">×</a></div>

The Vande Bharat had broken down early Saturday on its way from Varanasi to Delhi.&nbsp;

In a detailed press release issued on Saturday night, the Railways said that during transportation back from Varanasi, the train was stopped at Chamraula station in the National Capital Region, about 18 kms after crossing Tundla station.&nbsp;

"There was an issue of communication between the last basic unit of 4 coaches and the rest of the train probably due to some external hit. Thereafter, safety features in the train applied brakes. The train was checked for faults and moved to Delhi," the Railways said.

The Vande Bharat was earlier called Train 18. It had left Varanasi for Delhi at 10:30 pm Friday, about 45 minutes after reaching the holy city on its inaugural journey.

The first breakdown occurred around 15 km from Tundla junction in Uttar Pradesh early Saturday morning.

"It was a case of skidding wheels after the train ran over cattle," Northern Railway CPRO Deepak Kumar had said in the morning.

According to sources, including several journalists on board the train, the train was stuck near Tundla for over an hour.

The sources said that before the train came to a halt, its last coaches started making a rattling sound.

"There was some smell in the last four coaches which had no power. Also some smoke was noticed. Loco pilots decreased the speed for some time. I heard the officials talking about brake malfunction," a source on the train said.

Congress president Rahul Gandhi took a potshot at Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Make in India campaign after the breakdown.&nbsp;

"Modi ji, i think Make in India needs a serious rethink. Most people feel it has failed. I assure you we in the Congress are thinking very deeply about how it will be done," Rahul tweeted.&nbsp;

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Such a shame that you choose to attack the hard work and ingenuity of Indian engineers, technicians and labourers. It is THIS mindset which needs a reset. ‘Make In India’ is a success and a part of crores of Indian lives. Your family had 6 decades to think, wasn’t that enough? <a href="https://t.co/ebto2kTzst">https://t.co/ebto2kTzst</a>
— Piyush Goyal (@PiyushGoyal) <a href="https://twitter.com/PiyushGoyal/status/1096826555714752512?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 16, 2019</a></blockquote>
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Piyush Goyal quickly tweeted back: "Such a shame that you choose to attack the hard work and ingenuity of Indian engineers, technicians and labourers. It is THIS mindset which needs a reset. ‘Make In India’ is a success and a part of crores of Indian lives. Your family had 6 decades to think, wasn’t that enough?"

(With inputs from PTI)

India's first semi-high-speed train, the Vande Bharat Express, began its first commercial run Sunday. The train left Delhi at 6 am and is is expected to reach Varanasi by 2 pm.

India's first semi-high-speed train, the Vande Bharat Express, began its first commercial run Sunday. The train left Delhi at 6 am and is is expected to reach Varanasi by 2 pm. Railway Minister Piyush Goyal said tickets on the train were sold out for the next two weeks. "Vande Bharat Express left Delhi for Varanasi today morning on its first commercial run. Tickets sold out for the next two weeks already. Get yours today!" he tweeted. Vande Bharat Express left Delhi for Varanasi today morning on its first commercial run. Tickets sold out for the next two weeks already. Get yours today! pic.twitter.com/LwokUNHRJj — Piyush Goyal (@PiyushGoyal) February 17, 2019 × The Vande Bharat had broken down early Saturday on its way from Varanasi to Delhi. In a detailed press release issued on Saturday night, the Railways said that during transportation back from Varanasi, the train was stopped at Chamraula station in the National Capital Region, about 18 kms after crossing Tundla station. "There was an issue of communication between the last basic unit of 4 coaches and the rest of the train probably due to some external hit. Thereafter, safety features in the train applied brakes. The train was checked for faults and moved to Delhi," the Railways said. The Vande Bharat was earlier called Train 18. It had left Varanasi for Delhi at 10:30 pm Friday, about 45 minutes after reaching the holy city on its inaugural journey. The first breakdown occurred around 15 km from Tundla junction in Uttar Pradesh early Saturday morning. "It was a case of skidding wheels after the train ran over cattle," Northern Railway CPRO Deepak Kumar had said in the morning. According to sources, including several journalists on board the train, the train was stuck near Tundla for over an hour. The sources said that before the train came to a halt, its last coaches started making a rattling sound. "There was some smell in the last four coaches which had no power. Also some smoke was noticed. Loco pilots decreased the speed for some time. I heard the officials talking about brake malfunction," a source on the train said. Congress president Rahul Gandhi took a potshot at Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Make in India campaign after the breakdown. "Modi ji, i think Make in India needs a serious rethink. Most people feel it has failed. I assure you we in the Congress are thinking very deeply about how it will be done," Rahul tweeted. Such a shame that you choose to attack the hard work and ingenuity of Indian engineers, technicians and labourers. It is THIS mindset which needs a reset. ‘Make In India’ is a success and a part of crores of Indian lives. Your family had 6 decades to think, wasn’t that enough? https://t.co/ebto2kTzst — Piyush Goyal (@PiyushGoyal) February 16, 2019 × Piyush Goyal quickly tweeted back: "Such a shame that you choose to attack the hard work and ingenuity of Indian engineers, technicians and labourers. It is THIS mindset which needs a reset. ‘Make In India’ is a success and a part of crores of Indian lives. Your family had 6 decades to think, wasn’t that enough?" (With inputs from PTI)

Day after breaking down, India's semi-high speed Vande Bharat train begins first commercial run

Minutes after India withdrew 'Most Favoured Nation' status accorded to Pakistan, Congress President Rahul Gandhi came out in support of the government and termed the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/pulwama-terror-attack-india-summons-pakistan-high-commission-lodges-strong-protest-197574">Pulwama terror attack</a> on the CRPF convoy as ''terrible tragedy'' and said ''no force can divide or break India''.&nbsp;

&nbsp;''This type of violence done against our soldiers is absolutely disgusting. We are all standing together with our jawans. No force can divide or break this country,'' he said.&nbsp;

Congress president also full support for the government and the security forces in the matter.&nbsp;

Gandhi said ''This is a time of mourning, sadness and respect. We are fully supporting the government of India and our security forces. We are not going to get into any other conversation apart from this''.

The former prime minister and Congress leader Manmohan Singh also expressed his condolences.&nbsp;

''Today is the day of mourning. Our country has lost close to 40 armed forces jawans and our foremost duty is to convey to their families that we are with them. We shall never compromise with the terrorist forces,'' Singh said.

A suicide bomber from the Jaish-e-Mohammed terror group had rammed an explosives-laden vehicle into a CRPF bus in Pulwama district&nbsp;on Thursday evening killing around 40 personnel and leaving many critically wounded.&nbsp;

Prime Minister Narendra Modi strongly&nbsp;condemned&nbsp;the incident today and held a meeting with top members of the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS).

PM Modi said all Indians are angry right now after the terror attack at Pulwama in Jammu and Kashmir on Thursday evening.

In the CCS meeting, India decided to&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/india-withdraws-most-favoured-nation-status-accorded-to-pakistan-after-pulwama-attack-197539">withdraw Most Favoured Nation(MFN)</a>&nbsp;status to Pakistan.

Minutes after India withdrew 'Most Favoured Nation' status accorded to Pakistan, Congress President Rahul Gandhi came out in support of the government and termed the Pulwama terror attack on the CRPF convoy as ''terrible tragedy'' and said ''no force can divide or break India''.

Minutes after India withdrew 'Most Favoured Nation' status accorded to Pakistan, Congress President Rahul Gandhi came out in support of the government and termed the Pulwama terror attack on the CRPF convoy as ''terrible tragedy'' and said ''no force can divide or break India''. ''This type of violence done against our soldiers is absolutely disgusting. We are all standing together with our jawans. No force can divide or break this country,'' he said. Congress president also full support for the government and the security forces in the matter. Gandhi said ''This is a time of mourning, sadness and respect. We are fully supporting the government of India and our security forces. We are not going to get into any other conversation apart from this''. The former prime minister and Congress leader Manmohan Singh also expressed his condolences. ''Today is the day of mourning. Our country has lost close to 40 armed forces jawans and our foremost duty is to convey to their families that we are with them. We shall never compromise with the terrorist forces,'' Singh said. A suicide bomber from the Jaish-e-Mohammed terror group had rammed an explosives-laden vehicle into a CRPF bus in Pulwama district on Thursday evening killing around 40 personnel and leaving many critically wounded. Prime Minister Narendra Modi strongly condemned the incident today and held a meeting with top members of the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS). PM Modi said all Indians are angry right now after the terror attack at Pulwama in Jammu and Kashmir on Thursday evening. In the CCS meeting, India decided to withdraw Most Favoured Nation(MFN) status to Pakistan.

We stand by govt and our jawans, no force can divide India: Rahul on Pulwama attack

Robert Vadra's interim bail was Saturday extended till March 2 in a money laundering case by a Delhi court which asked him to join the probe whenever asked to, after the Enforcement Directorate (ED) alleged that he was not cooperating in the matter.&nbsp;

Vadra, who appeared in court, sought an extension of the interim bail after the ED requested for more time to file a reply to his anticipatory bail plea.

Special judge Arvind Kumar granted the relief to Vadra, the brother-in-law of Congress president Rahul Gandhi, and said the interim orders of protection from arrest will continue till the next date of hearing.

The court also extended the protection from arrest granted to his close aide and co-accused in the case, Manoj Arora, till the next date of hearing i.E., March 2.

ED's Special Public Prosecutors D P Singh and Nitesh Rana told the court that it needed to question Vadra in the case and opposed his anticipatory bail plea, saying that he was not cooperating in the case.

The agency also said that Vadra has been summoned for further questioning on Tuesday.

"Vadra is not cooperating and giving evasive replies," Nitesh Rana told the court.

The businessman, represented through senior advocate KTS Tulsi, however, denied the charge and said he was ready to come for questioning as and when called.

"The counsel submitted that the applicant <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/bikaner-land-case-ed-attaches-assets-worth-rs-462-crore-of-vadras-company-197664">Robert Vadra</a> has already joined the investigation and has cooperated during the investigation. Counsel submitted that the applicant will join the investigation as and when directed by the investigating officer and is ready to cooperate. Under the facts and circumstances, the applicant is directed to join the investigation as and when called by the IO," the court said.

Singh told the court that Vadra is accompanied by a 'baraat' (wedding procession) wherever he goes, whether to the agency office or to the court.

"There are some people who always come with a 'baraat', Vadra is one of them," he said, adding that by 'baraat' he was referring to the media.

The lawyer alleged that Vadra was using social media, including Facebook, for writing about the case and highlighting the matter.&nbsp;

Vadra had filed an anticipatory bail application in the case linked to allegations of money laundering in the purchase of a London-based property at 12, Bryanston Square worth 1.9 million pounds. The property is allegedly owned by him.

The agency had earlier said it has received information about various new properties in London which allegedly belong to Vadra, including two houses of five and four million pounds, each, six other flats and more properties.

In his anticipatory bail plea, Vadra had alleged that he was being subjected to "unwarranted, unjustified and malicious criminal prosecution which on the face of it is completely politically motivated and is being carried out for reasons other than those prescribed under the law".

The plea had said Vadra's office was raided by the ED on December 7, 2018, and, therefore, he seriously apprehends that his liberty may be curtailed by the investigating agency.

"The petitioner (Vadra) is being subjected to a farce criminal prosecution which actually is beset with nothing else except political vendetta and most, unfortunately, the respondent (ED) being the law enforcement agency is a party to the unethical and illegal exercise.

"It is stated that the petitioner's (Vadra's) firm through its authorised representative Manoj Arora has already joined investigation with the ED conducting investigation into the affairs of the firm in Rajasthan with their offices at Jaipur on many occasions and has supplied all the relevant documents to the satisfaction of the officials of the ED," the plea had said.

Arora, an employee of Vadra's Skylight Hospitality LLP, was a key person in the case and he was aware of the latter's overseas undeclared assets and was instrumental in arranging funds, the ED had alleged.

Vadra had alleged that he is being "hounded and harassed" to subserve political ends.

"It is stated the petitioner has the highest regard for the due process of law and is always willing to cooperate with the investigation. In the highly charged political atmosphere and political contours of the present investigation, he seriously apprehends arrest by the investigating authorities," his plea read.

Arora had alleged before the court that the case was foisted on him by the NDA government out of "political vendetta".

However, the ED had refuted the allegations, asking that "should no authority investigate any political bigwig because that will be called a political vendetta?"

The agency had told the court that it lodged the money laundering case against Arora after his role came up during the probe of another case by the Income Tax Department under the newly enacted Black Money Act and tax law against absconding arms dealer Sanjay Bhandari.

It had alleged that the London-based property was bought by Bhandari for GBP 1.9 million and sold in 2010 for the same amount despite incurring additional expenses of approximately GBP 65,900 on its renovation.

"This gives credence to the fact that Bhandari was not the actual owner of the property but it was beneficially owned by Vadra who was incurring expenditure on the renovation of this property," the ED had told the court.

Robert Vadra's interim bail was Saturday extended till March 2 in a money laundering case by a Delhi court which asked him to join the probe whenever asked to, after the Enforcement Directorate (ED) alleged that he was not cooperating in the matter.

Robert Vadra's interim bail was Saturday extended till March 2 in a money laundering case by a Delhi court which asked him to join the probe whenever asked to, after the Enforcement Directorate (ED) alleged that he was not cooperating in the matter. Vadra, who appeared in court, sought an extension of the interim bail after the ED requested for more time to file a reply to his anticipatory bail plea. Special judge Arvind Kumar granted the relief to Vadra, the brother-in-law of Congress president Rahul Gandhi, and said the interim orders of protection from arrest will continue till the next date of hearing. The court also extended the protection from arrest granted to his close aide and co-accused in the case, Manoj Arora, till the next date of hearing i.E., March 2. ED's Special Public Prosecutors D P Singh and Nitesh Rana told the court that it needed to question Vadra in the case and opposed his anticipatory bail plea, saying that he was not cooperating in the case. The agency also said that Vadra has been summoned for further questioning on Tuesday. "Vadra is not cooperating and giving evasive replies," Nitesh Rana told the court. The businessman, represented through senior advocate KTS Tulsi, however, denied the charge and said he was ready to come for questioning as and when called. "The counsel submitted that the applicant Robert Vadra has already joined the investigation and has cooperated during the investigation. Counsel submitted that the applicant will join the investigation as and when directed by the investigating officer and is ready to cooperate. Under the facts and circumstances, the applicant is directed to join the investigation as and when called by the IO," the court said. Singh told the court that Vadra is accompanied by a 'baraat' (wedding procession) wherever he goes, whether to the agency office or to the court. "There are some people who always come with a 'baraat', Vadra is one of them," he said, adding that by 'baraat' he was referring to the media. The lawyer alleged that Vadra was using social media, including Facebook, for writing about the case and highlighting the matter. Vadra had filed an anticipatory bail application in the case linked to allegations of money laundering in the purchase of a London-based property at 12, Bryanston Square worth 1.9 million pounds. The property is allegedly owned by him. The agency had earlier said it has received information about various new properties in London which allegedly belong to Vadra, including two houses of five and four million pounds, each, six other flats and more properties. In his anticipatory bail plea, Vadra had alleged that he was being subjected to "unwarranted, unjustified and malicious criminal prosecution which on the face of it is completely politically motivated and is being carried out for reasons other than those prescribed under the law". The plea had said Vadra's office was raided by the ED on December 7, 2018, and, therefore, he seriously apprehends that his liberty may be curtailed by the investigating agency. "The petitioner (Vadra) is being subjected to a farce criminal prosecution which actually is beset with nothing else except political vendetta and most, unfortunately, the respondent (ED) being the law enforcement agency is a party to the unethical and illegal exercise. "It is stated that the petitioner's (Vadra's) firm through its authorised representative Manoj Arora has already joined investigation with the ED conducting investigation into the affairs of the firm in Rajasthan with their offices at Jaipur on many occasions and has supplied all the relevant documents to the satisfaction of the officials of the ED," the plea had said. Arora, an employee of Vadra's Skylight Hospitality LLP, was a key person in the case and he was aware of the latter's overseas undeclared assets and was instrumental in arranging funds, the ED had alleged. Vadra had alleged that he is being "hounded and harassed" to subserve political ends. "It is stated the petitioner has the highest regard for the due process of law and is always willing to cooperate with the investigation. In the highly charged political atmosphere and political contours of the present investigation, he seriously apprehends arrest by the investigating authorities," his plea read. Arora had alleged before the court that the case was foisted on him by the NDA government out of "political vendetta". However, the ED had refuted the allegations, asking that "should no authority investigate any political bigwig because that will be called a political vendetta?" The agency had told the court that it lodged the money laundering case against Arora after his role came up during the probe of another case by the Income Tax Department under the newly enacted Black Money Act and tax law against absconding arms dealer Sanjay Bhandari. It had alleged that the London-based property was bought by Bhandari for GBP 1.9 million and sold in 2010 for the same amount despite incurring additional expenses of approximately GBP 65,900 on its renovation. "This gives credence to the fact that Bhandari was not the actual owner of the property but it was beneficially owned by Vadra who was incurring expenditure on the renovation of this property," the ED had told the court.

Delhi: Court extends Robert Vadra's interim bail till March 2, directs him to join probe

Nation will not forget: PM Modi, Rahul Gandhi pay homage to Pulwama martyrs at Delhi's Palam

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) cancelled all political programmes it had planned in the wake of the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/pulwama-terror-attack-india-summons-pakistan-high-commission-lodges-strong-protest-197574">Pulwama terror attack</a> in which as many as forty Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel were killed on Thursday.

Speaking to media, BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra informed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's public meeting in Madhya Pradesh's Itarsi has been cancelled, and party president Amit Shah will not hold any rallies in Odisha and Chhattisgarh today, as scheduled. Patra assured the public that despite gruesome terror attacks, the Centre will not stop carrying out developmental work across the country.

"We will continue to work in order to develop our country. No developmental activities will be stopped because of such terror attacks. The agenda of the terrorist is to create obstructions in the path of development, but we will not let them succeed," the BJP spokesperson said.

On Thursday, Congress president Rahul Gandhi also cancelled a lunch with envoys of G-20 countries which was slated to be held today. Moreover, his sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra called off her first press conference, stating that it was not an appropriate time to talk politics and observed silence for the slain CRPF soldiers.

As many as 40 CRPF personnel were killed when their convoy was targeted on the Srinagar-Jammu National Highway on Thursday.

The convoy comprised 78 buses in which around 2500 personnel were travelling from Jammu to Srinagar.

Pakistan-based terror outfit Jaish-e-Mohammad claimed responsibility for the attack, saying it was caused by a suicide bomber, according to a local news agency.&nbsp;

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) cancelled all political programmes it had planned in the wake of the Pulwama terror attack in which as many as forty Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel were killed on Thursday.

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) cancelled all political programmes it had planned in the wake of the Pulwama terror attack in which as many as forty Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel were killed on Thursday. Speaking to media, BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra informed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's public meeting in Madhya Pradesh's Itarsi has been cancelled, and party president Amit Shah will not hold any rallies in Odisha and Chhattisgarh today, as scheduled. Patra assured the public that despite gruesome terror attacks, the Centre will not stop carrying out developmental work across the country. "We will continue to work in order to develop our country. No developmental activities will be stopped because of such terror attacks. The agenda of the terrorist is to create obstructions in the path of development, but we will not let them succeed," the BJP spokesperson said. On Thursday, Congress president Rahul Gandhi also cancelled a lunch with envoys of G-20 countries which was slated to be held today. Moreover, his sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra called off her first press conference, stating that it was not an appropriate time to talk politics and observed silence for the slain CRPF soldiers. As many as 40 CRPF personnel were killed when their convoy was targeted on the Srinagar-Jammu National Highway on Thursday. The convoy comprised 78 buses in which around 2500 personnel were travelling from Jammu to Srinagar. Pakistan-based terror outfit Jaish-e-Mohammad claimed responsibility for the attack, saying it was caused by a suicide bomber, according to a local news agency.

Pulwama terror attack: BJP cancels all political programmes

With the latest report of the Comptroller and Auditor General of India on Air Force, Performance Audit on “Capital Acquisition in Indian Air Force” tabled in Parliament, Union Minister of Finance and Corporate Affairs, Arun Jaitley has gone on the offensive and called the Congress party’s bluff. He has tweeted "CAG report has completely vindicated the stand of NDA Government. It has blasted the big lie which was being spearheaded by the Congress."

The CAG report says that the fly-away price of the Rafale jet is the same as agreed in 2007 by the UPA government for 126 aircraft deal, Compared to that deal, India could manage to save 17.08 per cent money for specific enhancements in the present 36 Rafale contract.&nbsp;

The CAG report comes close on the heels of the huge Congress rally in Lucknow on January 11 to kickstart the party's election campaign for the coming Lok Sabha election. This rally was led by Congress President Rahul Gandhi, along with the two newly appointed general secretaries of the party, Rahul’s sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and the scion of the erstwhile ruling family of Gwalior Jyotiraditya Scindia, both in-charge of Uttar Pradesh.

The Congress President used the Lucknow rally to target Prime Minister Narendra Modi by calling him a thief.&nbsp;

Armed with the 141-page CAG report, Jaitley has lashed out at the Congress President and said in a tweet: "The entire pricing argument was factually wrong. The Rs. 30,000 crore favour to a private company is non-existent. He has also reminded people how in 1989 when the Congress government headed by Rajeev Gandhi was mired in corruption, they had manufactured a Saint Kitts against VP Singh. Because Modi has a clean image they are manufacturing a crisis.... This is exactly the repetition of 1989.”&nbsp;

When the Rafale deal is in focus, one should understand that acquisition by the Air Force has been disturbed for over 15 years.&nbsp;

As a consequence of this, about a dozen Air Force squadrons had suffered depleting strength and there was an emergency-like situation. Hence for the sake of augmenting air power, there were negotiations and renegotiations for 2 squadrons on a priority basis leading to the Rafale deal.

A lot of confusion has been created among the masses by the Congress party and the Mahagathbandhan (grand alliance of opposition parties) about Rafale. People need to be told that Rs. 30,000 crore offset has not gone entirely to Reliance. In fact, Reliance, chosen directly by Dassault under the offset clause, is there only for manufacturing the cockpit assembly for Falcon jets and the Dassault Reliance Aerospace Limited (DRAL) has already completed the first cockpit front section for a Falcon 2000 at its Nagpur manufacturing facility.&nbsp;

Also, the Congress leaders have been talking a lot about HAL not being brought in through the offset route for Rafale jets. In this regard, it is important to note that negotiations for Transfer of Technology (ToT) in the case of HAL had collapsed during the previous UPA regime and if negotiations were to start again, it would have taken another 2 to 3 years to arrive at an agreement.

Priyanka Gandhi Vadra might be enthused by the huge turnout at Congress party’s Lucknow rally. But in the coming days, she will have to be ready to face a burst of salvos for standing by Robert Vadra, her husband, when he went to the Enforcement Directorate to answer queries during the investigation into the alleged acquisition of properties in London worth millions of British Pound.&nbsp;

Her action by any standard goes against probity in public life. Priyanka would have risen in public esteem if she had detached herself and taken the stand that first her husband should get exonerated just as leaders, cutting across party lines, had done when they were roped in the Hawala scandal in the early ‘90s of the last Century. 
 
By not taking this position it is clear that in the case of the first family of the Congress party the family comes before the nation.

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.) 
 
&nbsp;

With the latest report of the Comptroller and Auditor General of India on Air Force, Performance Audit on “Capital Acquisition in Indian Air Force” tabled in Parliament, Union Minister of Finance and Corporate Affairs, Arun Jaitley has gone on the offensive and called the Congress party’s bluff.

With the latest report of the Comptroller and Auditor General of India on Air Force, Performance Audit on “Capital Acquisition in Indian Air Force” tabled in Parliament, Union Minister of Finance and Corporate Affairs, Arun Jaitley has gone on the offensive and called the Congress party’s bluff. He has tweeted "CAG report has completely vindicated the stand of NDA Government. It has blasted the big lie which was being spearheaded by the Congress." The CAG report says that the fly-away price of the Rafale jet is the same as agreed in 2007 by the UPA government for 126 aircraft deal, Compared to that deal, India could manage to save 17.08 per cent money for specific enhancements in the present 36 Rafale contract. The CAG report comes close on the heels of the huge Congress rally in Lucknow on January 11 to kickstart the party's election campaign for the coming Lok Sabha election. This rally was led by Congress President Rahul Gandhi, along with the two newly appointed general secretaries of the party, Rahul’s sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and the scion of the erstwhile ruling family of Gwalior Jyotiraditya Scindia, both in-charge of Uttar Pradesh. The Congress President used the Lucknow rally to target Prime Minister Narendra Modi by calling him a thief. Armed with the 141-page CAG report, Jaitley has lashed out at the Congress President and said in a tweet: "The entire pricing argument was factually wrong. The Rs. 30,000 crore favour to a private company is non-existent. He has also reminded people how in 1989 when the Congress government headed by Rajeev Gandhi was mired in corruption, they had manufactured a Saint Kitts against VP Singh. Because Modi has a clean image they are manufacturing a crisis.... This is exactly the repetition of 1989.” When the Rafale deal is in focus, one should understand that acquisition by the Air Force has been disturbed for over 15 years. As a consequence of this, about a dozen Air Force squadrons had suffered depleting strength and there was an emergency-like situation. Hence for the sake of augmenting air power, there were negotiations and renegotiations for 2 squadrons on a priority basis leading to the Rafale deal. A lot of confusion has been created among the masses by the Congress party and the Mahagathbandhan (grand alliance of opposition parties) about Rafale. People need to be told that Rs. 30,000 crore offset has not gone entirely to Reliance. In fact, Reliance, chosen directly by Dassault under the offset clause, is there only for manufacturing the cockpit assembly for Falcon jets and the Dassault Reliance Aerospace Limited (DRAL) has already completed the first cockpit front section for a Falcon 2000 at its Nagpur manufacturing facility. Also, the Congress leaders have been talking a lot about HAL not being brought in through the offset route for Rafale jets. In this regard, it is important to note that negotiations for Transfer of Technology (ToT) in the case of HAL had collapsed during the previous UPA regime and if negotiations were to start again, it would have taken another 2 to 3 years to arrive at an agreement. Priyanka Gandhi Vadra might be enthused by the huge turnout at Congress party’s Lucknow rally. But in the coming days, she will have to be ready to face a burst of salvos for standing by Robert Vadra, her husband, when he went to the Enforcement Directorate to answer queries during the investigation into the alleged acquisition of properties in London worth millions of British Pound. Her action by any standard goes against probity in public life. Priyanka would have risen in public esteem if she had detached herself and taken the stand that first her husband should get exonerated just as leaders, cutting across party lines, had done when they were roped in the Hawala scandal in the early ‘90s of the last Century. By not taking this position it is clear that in the case of the first family of the Congress party the family comes before the nation. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)

Congress must come clean on corruption charges against Robert Vadra first and then talk about Rafale deal

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has said the opposition will form a pre-poll alliance before the Lok Sabha elections.&nbsp;

"We'll work together at the national level. We'll have a common minimum agenda. We'll have a pre-poll alliance," Mamata said Wednesday night.&nbsp;

Mamata made her statement after meeting with the NCP's Sharad Pawar, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naid, former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Farooq Abdullah, Delhi Chief Minsister Arvind Kejriwal, and Congress chief Rahul Gandhi.&nbsp;

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West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee after a meeting with Sharad Pawar, Chandrababu Naidu, Farooq Abdullah, Rahul Gandhi, Arvind Kejriwal: We'll work together at the national level. We'll have a common minimum agenda. We'll have a pre-poll alliance <a href="https://t.co/da9lCV5hIE">pic.twitter.com/da9lCV5hIE</a>
— ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1095724544361345025?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 13, 2019</a></blockquote>
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"We had a very constructive meeting. We agreed that the principal target for all of us is to fight against the assault on institutes," Congress President Rahul Gandhi said.&nbsp;

"We agreed to start a conversation about a common minimum programme and we have a comittment that we're all going to work together," Rahul added. &nbsp;

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Congress Pres Rahul Gandhi after a meeting with Sharad Pawar, Chandrababu Naidu, Farooq Abdullah, Mamata Banerjee, Arvind Kejriwal: We had a very constructive meeting. We agreed that principal target for all of us is to fight against assault on institutes being carried out by BJP <a href="https://t.co/XIuWB52LUg">pic.twitter.com/XIuWB52LUg</a>
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Mamata had already provided an inkling about&nbsp;<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/we-will-fight-the-lok-sabha-elections-together-mamata-banerjee-197206">an opposition alliance</a> Wednesday evening at Delhi's Jantar Mantar.&nbsp;

"We will fight together in the coming days," Mamata had said at Delhi's Jantar Mantar.&nbsp;

She added then that her fight against the Congress and the CPM would remain confined to the state — but that at the national level they would fight together.&nbsp;

Mamata had been joined at Jantar Mantar by Naidu and Kejriwal.&nbsp;

"We are in danger, we have to protect this nation, democracy is under threat. If all of us are not united, this is the last election for all of us, tomorrow there won't be any election," Naidu had said on Wednesday evening.&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has said the opposition will form a pre-poll alliance before the Lok Sabha elections. "We'll work together at the national level.

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has said the opposition will form a pre-poll alliance before the Lok Sabha elections. "We'll work together at the national level. We'll have a common minimum agenda. We'll have a pre-poll alliance," Mamata said Wednesday night. Mamata made her statement after meeting with the NCP's Sharad Pawar, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naid, former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Farooq Abdullah, Delhi Chief Minsister Arvind Kejriwal, and Congress chief Rahul Gandhi. West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee after a meeting with Sharad Pawar, Chandrababu Naidu, Farooq Abdullah, Rahul Gandhi, Arvind Kejriwal: We'll work together at the national level. We'll have a common minimum agenda. We'll have a pre-poll alliance pic.twitter.com/da9lCV5hIE — ANI (@ANI) February 13, 2019 × "We had a very constructive meeting. We agreed that the principal target for all of us is to fight against the assault on institutes," Congress President Rahul Gandhi said. "We agreed to start a conversation about a common minimum programme and we have a comittment that we're all going to work together," Rahul added. Congress Pres Rahul Gandhi after a meeting with Sharad Pawar, Chandrababu Naidu, Farooq Abdullah, Mamata Banerjee, Arvind Kejriwal: We had a very constructive meeting. We agreed that principal target for all of us is to fight against assault on institutes being carried out by BJP pic.twitter.com/XIuWB52LUg — ANI (@ANI) February 13, 2019 × Mamata had already provided an inkling about an opposition alliance Wednesday evening at Delhi's Jantar Mantar. "We will fight together in the coming days," Mamata had said at Delhi's Jantar Mantar. She added then that her fight against the Congress and the CPM would remain confined to the state — but that at the national level they would fight together. Mamata had been joined at Jantar Mantar by Naidu and Kejriwal. "We are in danger, we have to protect this nation, democracy is under threat. If all of us are not united, this is the last election for all of us, tomorrow there won't be any election," Naidu had said on Wednesday evening.

Lok Sabha elections: Opposition will form pre-poll alliance, says Mamata Banerjee

Congress president Rahul Gandhi addresses media on Rafale deal

Rahul Gandhi slams CAG report as 'worthless'

Speaking in the Lok Sabha on the last day of parliament before the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that the country's confidence is at an all-time high.&nbsp;

"I think this is a very good sign because such confidence gives a&nbsp;boost to development," Modi said on Wednesday.&nbsp;

He went on to tell his fellow parliamentarians that we "will be proud of this sixteenth Lok Sabha, as it saw the highest number of women members (44) elected to the house."&nbsp;

Modi added that this Lok Sabha also "passed laws to fight the menace of black money and corruption" and the GST bill.

On the other hand, he said, this Lok Sabha "has also put an end to over 1,400 laws, it had become a jungle-like situation with too many laws. This is a good beginning but more work needs to be done... <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/i-want-you-to-become-pm-again-mulayam-singh-yadav-to-narendra-modi-197166">for which Mulayam Singh Yadav has given me his blessing</a>".&nbsp;

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PM Narendra Modi in Lok Sabha: 3 dashak ke baad ek purn bahumat wali sarkaar bani aur azaadi ke baad pehli baar Congress gotra ki nahi hai aisi sarkaar bani hai. Congress gotra nahi aisi milijuli pehli sarkaar Atal ji ki thi aur aisi purn bahumat wali sarkaar 2014 mein bani <a href="https://t.co/Nh0Ss62fZY">pic.twitter.com/Nh0Ss62fZY</a>
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On the last day of parliament, Modi referred back to when he had first entered the house, saying he had learnt so much in parliament. "Pehli baar mujhe pata chala ki gale milne aur gale padne mein kya antar hai (For the first time I understood that there is a difference between hugging someone and going for his throat.")

And he once again lashed out at his favourite target of attack — Congress president Rahul Gandhi.&nbsp;

He harked back to when Rahul had said he would make such a big announcement that there would be an earthquake. None came, Modi said on Wednesday.&nbsp;

He also referred to when Congress MPs had flown paper planes in parliament to protest against the Rafale deal. The dignity of democracy is so high, Modi said Wednesday, that no plane could touch it.&nbsp;

And of course he brought up Rahul's wink in parliament.

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PM Modi: Mein pehli baar yahan aya, bahut si cheezein jaanne ko mili. Pehli baar mujhe pata chala ki gale milne aur gale padne mein kya antar hai. Pehli baar dekh raha hun ki sadan mein aankhon se gustakhiyaan hoti hain. <a href="https://t.co/tuSHdq5bHn">pic.twitter.com/tuSHdq5bHn</a>
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"Pehli baar dekh raha hun ki sadan mein aankhon se gustakhiyaan hoti hain," Modi said.&nbsp;

Speaking in the Lok Sabha on the last day of parliament before the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that the country's confidence is at an all-time high.

Speaking in the Lok Sabha on the last day of parliament before the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that the country's confidence is at an all-time high. "I think this is a very good sign because such confidence gives a boost to development," Modi said on Wednesday. He went on to tell his fellow parliamentarians that we "will be proud of this sixteenth Lok Sabha, as it saw the highest number of women members (44) elected to the house." Modi added that this Lok Sabha also "passed laws to fight the menace of black money and corruption" and the GST bill. On the other hand, he said, this Lok Sabha "has also put an end to over 1,400 laws, it had become a jungle-like situation with too many laws. This is a good beginning but more work needs to be done... for which Mulayam Singh Yadav has given me his blessing". PM Narendra Modi in Lok Sabha: 3 dashak ke baad ek purn bahumat wali sarkaar bani aur azaadi ke baad pehli baar Congress gotra ki nahi hai aisi sarkaar bani hai. Congress gotra nahi aisi milijuli pehli sarkaar Atal ji ki thi aur aisi purn bahumat wali sarkaar 2014 mein bani pic.twitter.com/Nh0Ss62fZY — ANI (@ANI) February 13, 2019 × On the last day of parliament, Modi referred back to when he had first entered the house, saying he had learnt so much in parliament. "Pehli baar mujhe pata chala ki gale milne aur gale padne mein kya antar hai (For the first time I understood that there is a difference between hugging someone and going for his throat.") And he once again lashed out at his favourite target of attack — Congress president Rahul Gandhi. He harked back to when Rahul had said he would make such a big announcement that there would be an earthquake. None came, Modi said on Wednesday. He also referred to when Congress MPs had flown paper planes in parliament to protest against the Rafale deal. The dignity of democracy is so high, Modi said Wednesday, that no plane could touch it. And of course he brought up Rahul's wink in parliament. PM Modi: Mein pehli baar yahan aya, bahut si cheezein jaanne ko mili. Pehli baar mujhe pata chala ki gale milne aur gale padne mein kya antar hai. Pehli baar dekh raha hun ki sadan mein aankhon se gustakhiyaan hoti hain. pic.twitter.com/tuSHdq5bHn — ANI (@ANI) February 13, 2019 × "Pehli baar dekh raha hun ki sadan mein aankhon se gustakhiyaan hoti hain," Modi said.

Country's confidence at all-time high, Modi says on last day of parliament before elections

Union Minister <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/lies-of-mahajhootbandhan-stand-exposed-by-cag-report-on-rafale-says-jaitley-197100">Arun Jaitley </a>on Wednesday took a dig at the Congress over its constant attack on the Rafale deal.

Claiming that the party has ''vested interests'' in delaying the aircraft deal, Jaitley blamed the UPA government for compromising with the national security of the country.

He further hit out at the Congress and said that Rahul Gandhi had lied about the Rafale deal.

Jaitley said that the maintenance process of the aircraft&nbsp;is cheaper under the NDA government and&nbsp;the price was increased due to the addition of sophisticated equipment.

Citing the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/nda-rafale-deal-286-per-cent-cheaper-than-the-one-negotiated-upa-cag-197103">CAG report</a>, he said, "The report has completely vindicated stand of NDA government. It has blasted the big lie which was being spearheaded by the Congress."

He further said that the deal had received a satisfactory response from the Supreme Court and the CAG and that the&nbsp;matter does not end here.

"The matter doesn’t finish here, the people have to punish those who misled the country. This is exactly the repetition of 1989. In 1989 when the Congress government headed by Shri Rajeev Gandhi was mired in corruption, they manufactured a Saint Kitts against Mr VP Singh. Because Mr Modi has a clean image let us manufacture a crisis," he said.

Dismissing the reports of the government intervention in the deal he said, "In a consultation process, people are bound to express different views (MoD dissent note), that is how decisions take place, but ultimately the Government is one and final decision is taken. "

On reports of Congress' charge against CAG Mehrishi he said, "Congress stands for the destruction of institutions, they destroyed institutions during the emergency. No file or decision relating to any defence purchase, or Rafale in particular ever went to Rajiv Mehrishi(CAG) when he was Secy Economic Affairs for eleven months".

The Union Minister also assured that the delivery of the planes would be done faster. 
&nbsp;

Union Minister Arun Jaitley on Wednesday took a dig at the Congress over its constant attack on the Rafale deal. Claiming that the party has ''vested interests'' in delaying the aircraft deal, Jaitley blamed the UPA government for compromising with the national security of the country.

Union Minister Arun Jaitley on Wednesday took a dig at the Congress over its constant attack on the Rafale deal. Claiming that the party has ''vested interests'' in delaying the aircraft deal, Jaitley blamed the UPA government for compromising with the national security of the country. He further hit out at the Congress and said that Rahul Gandhi had lied about the Rafale deal. Jaitley said that the maintenance process of the aircraft is cheaper under the NDA government and the price was increased due to the addition of sophisticated equipment. Citing the CAG report, he said, "The report has completely vindicated stand of NDA government. It has blasted the big lie which was being spearheaded by the Congress." He further said that the deal had received a satisfactory response from the Supreme Court and the CAG and that the matter does not end here. "The matter doesn’t finish here, the people have to punish those who misled the country. This is exactly the repetition of 1989. In 1989 when the Congress government headed by Shri Rajeev Gandhi was mired in corruption, they manufactured a Saint Kitts against Mr VP Singh. Because Mr Modi has a clean image let us manufacture a crisis," he said. Dismissing the reports of the government intervention in the deal he said, "In a consultation process, people are bound to express different views (MoD dissent note), that is how decisions take place, but ultimately the Government is one and final decision is taken. " On reports of Congress' charge against CAG Mehrishi he said, "Congress stands for the destruction of institutions, they destroyed institutions during the emergency. No file or decision relating to any defence purchase, or Rafale in particular ever went to Rajiv Mehrishi(CAG) when he was Secy Economic Affairs for eleven months". The Union Minister also assured that the delivery of the planes would be done faster.

Government stand vindicated, says Arun Jaitley on Rafale deal

Robert Vadra, Congress president Rahul Gandhi's brother-in-law, <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/bikaner-land-scam-robert-vadra-mother-maureen-vadra-appear-before-ed-in-jaipur-196846">appeared before the ED</a> at its zonal office here for the second consecutive day on Wednesday for questioning into an alleged land scam in the Rajasthan's Bikaner district.

On Tuesday, <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/bikaner-land-case-robert-vadra-appears-before-ed-in-jaipur-priyanka-gandhi-accompanies-him-196917">Vadra and his mother Maureen </a>had appeared before the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in Jaipur. Congress general secretary and his wife Priyanka Gandhi had accompanied them to the probe agency's office.

Vadra arrived at the ED office on Bhawani Singh road at 10.26 am in a vehicle amid tight security.

Maureen, who had appeared before the ED on Tuesday, was allowed to go after some time, while her son was grilled for nearly nine hours.

The Rajasthan High Court had asked Vadra and his mother to cooperate with the agency after they approached it seeking directions that no coercive action is taken against them by the agency, following which the duo appeared before the ED in Jaipur.

In the Bikaner case, the agency had summoned Vadra thrice but he failed to appear and later approached the court.

The ED had registered a criminal case in connection with the deal in 2015, taking cognisance of a clutch of FIRs and charge sheets filed by Rajasthan police after the tehsildar of Bikaner complained about alleged forgery in the allotment of land in the area, considered sensitive due to its proximity to the India-Pakistan border.

It is understood that the agency wants to question Vadra about the operations of a firm &nbsp;Ms Skylight Hospitality Private Limited allegedly linked to him, which had purchased land in the area. It also wants to confront Vadra with the statements of those said to be linked to him.&nbsp;

Robert Vadra, Congress president Rahul Gandhi's brother-in-law, appeared before the ED at its zonal office here for the second consecutive day on Wednesday for questioning into an alleged land scam in the Rajasthan's Bikaner district.

Robert Vadra, Congress president Rahul Gandhi's brother-in-law, appeared before the ED at its zonal office here for the second consecutive day on Wednesday for questioning into an alleged land scam in the Rajasthan's Bikaner district. On Tuesday, Vadra and his mother Maureen had appeared before the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in Jaipur. Congress general secretary and his wife Priyanka Gandhi had accompanied them to the probe agency's office. Vadra arrived at the ED office on Bhawani Singh road at 10.26 am in a vehicle amid tight security. Maureen, who had appeared before the ED on Tuesday, was allowed to go after some time, while her son was grilled for nearly nine hours. The Rajasthan High Court had asked Vadra and his mother to cooperate with the agency after they approached it seeking directions that no coercive action is taken against them by the agency, following which the duo appeared before the ED in Jaipur. In the Bikaner case, the agency had summoned Vadra thrice but he failed to appear and later approached the court. The ED had registered a criminal case in connection with the deal in 2015, taking cognisance of a clutch of FIRs and charge sheets filed by Rajasthan police after the tehsildar of Bikaner complained about alleged forgery in the allotment of land in the area, considered sensitive due to its proximity to the India-Pakistan border. It is understood that the agency wants to question Vadra about the operations of a firm Ms Skylight Hospitality Private Limited allegedly linked to him, which had purchased land in the area. It also wants to confront Vadra with the statements of those said to be linked to him.

Robert Vadra appears before ED in Jaipur for second consecutive day

The Congress launched Priyanka Gandhi Vadra's political career on Monday <a href="Priyanka's political career was launched with great fanfare on Monday in Lucknow but by no means is UP 2019 going to be a cakewalk for the Congress party. ">with great fanfare in Lucknow</a>. The 15-km roadshow in the Uttar Pradesh capital was organised to create the right buzz around her induction and send the right signals to a disheartened organisation.&nbsp;

All of that happened.&nbsp;

Congress president Rahul Gandhi accompanied his sister Priyanka through the day. Jyotiraditya Scindia and other Congress leaders were also accommodated on the open-top bus which took the Congress team around town.&nbsp;

When the show came to an end, only Rahul Gandhi spoke. Priyanka did not, disappointing the audience. It looked odd, keeping in mind the publicity her induction and roadshow had generated.&nbsp;

People expect politicians to speak. They should not speak only when it suits them.&nbsp;

They should speak when it is required of them since modern politics has become so much more democratic and participative. Priyanka Gandhi will need to speak more, even if it comes at the cost of the evergreen comparison between her and Rahul Gandhi.&nbsp;

By no means is UP 2019 going to be a cakewalk for the Congress party.&nbsp;

Jind is an example. Even if you are a high-profile candidate, that does not mean you will win the election. And in UP, the Congress should be happy if it is able to find even 20 candidates who put up a good fight.&nbsp;

There were other disconcerting indicators on Monday. The turnout for Priyanka's roadshow was not as large as it should have been, and it was poorly organised.&nbsp;

The elephant in the room remains the problem of stray cattle in UP. This problem affects large parts of northern India — a direct result of the fundamentalist cow politics practised by the BJP, and which has killed the cow-related economy.&nbsp;

Ultimately, in the absence of culling, cattle end up grazing on farmlands, creating havoc in rural areas. The cost of fencing continues to remain high and after a hard day's work, farmers have been forced to keep watch over their fields at night.&nbsp;

The gaushala programmes are a failure.&nbsp;

The BJP used the cattle issue to construct a "Hindu" sentiment. Modi, during the 2014 elections, even referred to the issue as a "pink" revolution.&nbsp;

After coming to power, violence by the gau rakshaks has replaced riots as low-level violence against the minority community.&nbsp;

There was no constructive criticism from the Congress.&nbsp;

Instead of standing its ground, it indulged in competitive communalism, the end result being the Congress government recently arresting three people under the dreaded National Security Act in Madhya Pradesh.&nbsp;

So the issue remains alive on the ground but political parties, apart from the BJP, are yet to take a clear stand on it. The issue will have a decisive impact in UP and the Congress has yet to forge its stand on it.

In Uttar Pradesh, the Congress neither enjoys a caste equation nor fresh faces for the Lok Sabha polls. It does not even have a state-level political slogan. In 2014, the Congress polled seven per cent of the votes in UP in the Lok Sabha elections, which was further pared down to six per cent in the assembly elections which were swept by Uttar Pradesh.&nbsp;

The decision to go with the SP was taken when Priyanka was informally handling Uttar Pradesh for Rahul Gandhi. The mystery remains but the "27 saal, UP behaal" campaign was abruptly dumped for the "UP ke ladke" campaign which bombed.&nbsp;

Priyanka will have to balance the role of Priyanka as campaigner with Priyanka as organizer. Very few politicians are able to combine both traits. As a general secretary of the Congress, she will have to behave like an organiser but as a Gandhi, she will also have to bear the burden of campaigning and trying to dominate the news space against a very aggressive BJP.&nbsp;

She will have to fish for candidates for the Lok Sabha elections and tackle both Akhilesh Yadav and Mayawati with wit, aggression and politeness.

&nbsp;The BJP, despite its problem, enjoys substantial support in UP from non-Jatav backwards and non-Yadav OBCs.&nbsp;

Mayawati on the other hand still controls the non-Jatav backwards. Akhilesh Yadav too retains the support of Yadavs and Muslims in the state. Both of them have also accommodated Ajit Singh’s RLD which in a few constituencies in western Uttar Pradesh will damage the BJP.&nbsp;

In this equation, the Congress stands nowhere. No state leader has undertaken a pan-state programme in the last six months. On top of it, <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/robert-vadra-questioned-by-ed-in-money-laundering-probe-wife-priyanka-says-i-support-my-family-195658">Robert Vadra is being </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/robert-vadra-questioned-by-ed-in-money-laundering-probe-wife-priyanka-says-i-support-my-family-195658">grilled</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/robert-vadra-questioned-by-ed-in-money-laundering-probe-wife-priyanka-says-i-support-my-family-195658"> daily</a>. Though she has taken a position and backed her husband, the issue of corruption will dog Priyanka.&nbsp;

Priyanka Gandhi will get the publicity and Twitter traction. She will also be adored by Congress workers but the question is whether she will be able to salvage the party in the upcoming Lok Sabha election? Will she be able to resurrect the Congress as a pan-UP party which can stake claim to the position of CM?&nbsp;

These are the challenges for Priyanka, and I’m sure she must have gone over them a thousand times.&nbsp;

And lastly, in our dynastic politics, her ultimate challenge will remain her formidable grandmother Indira Gandhi. The comparison between them remains eternal. Will she be remembered as her grandmother, or as her granddaughter?&nbsp;

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)

The Congress launched Priyanka Gandhi Vadra's political career on Monday with great fanfare in Lucknow. The 15-km roadshow in the Uttar Pradesh capital was organised to create the right buzz around her induction and send the right signals to a disheartened organisation.

The Congress launched Priyanka Gandhi Vadra's political career on Monday with great fanfare in Lucknow. The 15-km roadshow in the Uttar Pradesh capital was organised to create the right buzz around her induction and send the right signals to a disheartened organisation. All of that happened. Congress president Rahul Gandhi accompanied his sister Priyanka through the day. Jyotiraditya Scindia and other Congress leaders were also accommodated on the open-top bus which took the Congress team around town. When the show came to an end, only Rahul Gandhi spoke. Priyanka did not, disappointing the audience. It looked odd, keeping in mind the publicity her induction and roadshow had generated. People expect politicians to speak. They should not speak only when it suits them. They should speak when it is required of them since modern politics has become so much more democratic and participative. Priyanka Gandhi will need to speak more, even if it comes at the cost of the evergreen comparison between her and Rahul Gandhi. By no means is UP 2019 going to be a cakewalk for the Congress party. Jind is an example. Even if you are a high-profile candidate, that does not mean you will win the election. And in UP, the Congress should be happy if it is able to find even 20 candidates who put up a good fight. There were other disconcerting indicators on Monday. The turnout for Priyanka's roadshow was not as large as it should have been, and it was poorly organised. The elephant in the room remains the problem of stray cattle in UP. This problem affects large parts of northern India — a direct result of the fundamentalist cow politics practised by the BJP, and which has killed the cow-related economy. Ultimately, in the absence of culling, cattle end up grazing on farmlands, creating havoc in rural areas. The cost of fencing continues to remain high and after a hard day's work, farmers have been forced to keep watch over their fields at night. The gaushala programmes are a failure. The BJP used the cattle issue to construct a "Hindu" sentiment. Modi, during the 2014 elections, even referred to the issue as a "pink" revolution. After coming to power, violence by the gau rakshaks has replaced riots as low-level violence against the minority community. There was no constructive criticism from the Congress. Instead of standing its ground, it indulged in competitive communalism, the end result being the Congress government recently arresting three people under the dreaded National Security Act in Madhya Pradesh. So the issue remains alive on the ground but political parties, apart from the BJP, are yet to take a clear stand on it. The issue will have a decisive impact in UP and the Congress has yet to forge its stand on it. In Uttar Pradesh, the Congress neither enjoys a caste equation nor fresh faces for the Lok Sabha polls. It does not even have a state-level political slogan. In 2014, the Congress polled seven per cent of the votes in UP in the Lok Sabha elections, which was further pared down to six per cent in the assembly elections which were swept by Uttar Pradesh. The decision to go with the SP was taken when Priyanka was informally handling Uttar Pradesh for Rahul Gandhi. The mystery remains but the "27 saal, UP behaal" campaign was abruptly dumped for the "UP ke ladke" campaign which bombed. Priyanka will have to balance the role of Priyanka as campaigner with Priyanka as organizer. Very few politicians are able to combine both traits. As a general secretary of the Congress, she will have to behave like an organiser but as a Gandhi, she will also have to bear the burden of campaigning and trying to dominate the news space against a very aggressive BJP. She will have to fish for candidates for the Lok Sabha elections and tackle both Akhilesh Yadav and Mayawati with wit, aggression and politeness. The BJP, despite its problem, enjoys substantial support in UP from non-Jatav backwards and non-Yadav OBCs. Mayawati on the other hand still controls the non-Jatav backwards. Akhilesh Yadav too retains the support of Yadavs and Muslims in the state. Both of them have also accommodated Ajit Singh’s RLD which in a few constituencies in western Uttar Pradesh will damage the BJP. In this equation, the Congress stands nowhere. No state leader has undertaken a pan-state programme in the last six months. On top of it, Robert Vadra is being grilled daily. Though she has taken a position and backed her husband, the issue of corruption will dog Priyanka. Priyanka Gandhi will get the publicity and Twitter traction. She will also be adored by Congress workers but the question is whether she will be able to salvage the party in the upcoming Lok Sabha election? Will she be able to resurrect the Congress as a pan-UP party which can stake claim to the position of CM? These are the challenges for Priyanka, and I’m sure she must have gone over them a thousand times. And lastly, in our dynastic politics, her ultimate challenge will remain her formidable grandmother Indira Gandhi. The comparison between them remains eternal. Will she be remembered as her grandmother, or as her granddaughter? (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)

With Congress in a shambles in UP, a long and hard road ahead for Priyanka Gandhi Vadra

The BJP Tuesday accused Rahul Gandhi of working as a "lobbyist" for foreign firms and asserted that the e-mail he cited to attack Prime Minister Narendra Modi referred to some chopper deal and not the purchase of <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/government-to-table-cag-report-on-rafale-deal-in-parliament-tuesday-196795">Rafale fighter jet</a> as the Congress president claimed.

After Gandhi accused Modi of "treason" claiming that businessman Anil Ambani was aware in advance of the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/rafale-deal-modi-government-followed-upas-policy-on-inter-governmental-agreements-196598">Rafale deal India </a>and France had signed in 2015, senior BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad dismissed his charges as "height of shamelessness and irresponsibility" and dubbed him a "lying machine".

The Union minister also put Airbus, whose internal e-mail was cited by the Congress president, in a dock, saying the European aircraft manufacturer is under a needle of suspicion in deals finalised during the previous Congress-led government.

The firm is also linked to a corporate lobbyist, who was recently deported from the UAE and is being probed on money laundering charges, he alleged.

"Let Rahul Gandhi explain where did he get an internal e-mail of Airbus.&nbsp;

Who is supplying him? ...There cannot be a bigger thing than this that he is working as a lobbyist for foreign firms," Prasad said.

He also took strong exception to the Congress leader charging Modi with "treason", saying his party had serious differences with former prime ministers coming from the Gandhi family over several "murky" defence deals signed during their term but it never accused them of treason.

"He (Rahul Gandhi) has thrown muck at his own face by abusing our honest prime minister... We will expose his lies before the public," he said. 
Gandhi has repeatedly levelled allegations against the government over baseless claims, he said.

Earlier Tuesday, Gandhi accused Modi of acting as a "middleman" of Anil Ambani in the Rafale jet deal, as he cited the e-mail to claim the businessman was aware of the MoU before India and France signed it. 
In a scathing counter-attack targeting the Gandhi family, the BJP leader alleged that its members "looted" the country and that both Sonia and Rahul Gandhi are on bail in a case of "land grab", a reference to the National Herald case.

When they were in power, they made money by "brokering" deals and have now become a lobbyist for foreign firms for making money, Prasad added.

Rahul Gandhi's brother-in-law Robert Vadra is facing probe and he has the temerity to question our honest prime minister, he said.

"This is the height of shamelessness and irresponsibility. He called the prime minister traitor. What else we can expect from this lying machine," he said.

To Gandhi's dismissal of the CAG report on the Rafale deal as "Chowkidar auditor general" report, the BJP leader said the Congress has a tendency to target institutions when their stand does not suit them. 
&nbsp;

The BJP Tuesday accused Rahul Gandhi of working as a "lobbyist" for foreign firms and asserted that the e-mail he cited to attack Prime Minister Narendra Modi referred to some chopper deal and not the purchase of Rafale fighter jet as the Congress president claimed.

The BJP Tuesday accused Rahul Gandhi of working as a "lobbyist" for foreign firms and asserted that the e-mail he cited to attack Prime Minister Narendra Modi referred to some chopper deal and not the purchase of Rafale fighter jet as the Congress president claimed. After Gandhi accused Modi of "treason" claiming that businessman Anil Ambani was aware in advance of the Rafale deal India and France had signed in 2015, senior BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad dismissed his charges as "height of shamelessness and irresponsibility" and dubbed him a "lying machine". The Union minister also put Airbus, whose internal e-mail was cited by the Congress president, in a dock, saying the European aircraft manufacturer is under a needle of suspicion in deals finalised during the previous Congress-led government. The firm is also linked to a corporate lobbyist, who was recently deported from the UAE and is being probed on money laundering charges, he alleged. "Let Rahul Gandhi explain where did he get an internal e-mail of Airbus. Who is supplying him? ...There cannot be a bigger thing than this that he is working as a lobbyist for foreign firms," Prasad said. He also took strong exception to the Congress leader charging Modi with "treason", saying his party had serious differences with former prime ministers coming from the Gandhi family over several "murky" defence deals signed during their term but it never accused them of treason. "He (Rahul Gandhi) has thrown muck at his own face by abusing our honest prime minister... We will expose his lies before the public," he said. Gandhi has repeatedly levelled allegations against the government over baseless claims, he said. Earlier Tuesday, Gandhi accused Modi of acting as a "middleman" of Anil Ambani in the Rafale jet deal, as he cited the e-mail to claim the businessman was aware of the MoU before India and France signed it. In a scathing counter-attack targeting the Gandhi family, the BJP leader alleged that its members "looted" the country and that both Sonia and Rahul Gandhi are on bail in a case of "land grab", a reference to the National Herald case. When they were in power, they made money by "brokering" deals and have now become a lobbyist for foreign firms for making money, Prasad added. Rahul Gandhi's brother-in-law Robert Vadra is facing probe and he has the temerity to question our honest prime minister, he said. "This is the height of shamelessness and irresponsibility. He called the prime minister traitor. What else we can expect from this lying machine," he said. To Gandhi's dismissal of the CAG report on the Rafale deal as "Chowkidar auditor general" report, the BJP leader said the Congress has a tendency to target institutions when their stand does not suit them.

BJP accuses Rahul Gandhi of acting as a defence lobbyist

Rahul Gandhi attacks govt over Rafale deal

Priyanka Gandhi Vadra took Lucknow by storm Monday afternoon.&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/opinions/priyanka-gandhi-enters-active-politics-congress-plays-its-last-trump-card-192277">The recently-appointed Congress general secretary of eastern Uttar Pradesh</a>, accompanied by her brother and Congress chief Rahul Gandhi, and Congress leaders Jyotiraditya Scindia and Raj Babbar, held a 20-kilometre roadshow in the Uttar Pradesh capital on Monday.&nbsp;

UP is the country's most important state politically — sending 80 members to the Lok Sabha.&nbsp;

On Monday, Priyanka and the other Congress leaders rode out of the Lucknow airport on an open-top bus.&nbsp;

"It's like Indira Gandhi has come back," Reuters reported Fuzail Ahmed Khan, 45, a Congress supporter as saying. "The state's farmers want Rahul Gandhi to be prime minister, Priyanka to be chief minister."

As Priyanka's cavalcade rolled through the streets of Lucknow, Congress workers showered rose petals and threw marigold garlands at her.&nbsp;

Some posters showed Priyanka Gandhi as Goddess Durga on a lion.

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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Visuals?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Visuals</a> from Congress' roadshow in Lucknow. General Secretary for Uttar Pradesh East Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, General Secretary for Uttar Pradesh West Jyotiraditya Scindia and party President Rahul Gandhi are crossing Transport Nagar <a href="https://t.co/MbKZc4fNnF">pic.twitter.com/MbKZc4fNnF</a>
— ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANINewsUP/status/1094882545831985152?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 11, 2019</a></blockquote>
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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WATCH?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WATCH</a>: Congress President Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi and Jyotiraditya Scindia sit down to avoid overhanging electrical wires during their roadshow in Lucknow. <a href="https://t.co/1lVmDMOyrV">pic.twitter.com/1lVmDMOyrV</a>
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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Visuals?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Visuals</a> from the roadshow of Congress President Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi and Jyotiraditya Scindia in Lucknow <a href="https://t.co/J7aZUJc5Dw">pic.twitter.com/J7aZUJc5Dw</a>
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"Maa Durga ka roop behen Priyankaji (Sister Priyanka is Maa Durga's incarnation)," read a poster. Another highlighted her resemblance with her grandmother Indira Gandhi.&nbsp;

"I hope that we can together start a new kind of politics," Priyanka said in an audio message shared by Congress.

Priyanka has helped manage elections for her brother Rahul and her mother, former Congress chief Sonia Gandhi, but has never held an official party post up until now.&nbsp;

"We'll play on front foot. Scindia ji, Priyanka ji and I won't rest until a government of Congress' ideology is formed here," Rahul said addressing the crowd.&nbsp;

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Lucknow: Congress General Secretary for Uttar Pradesh East Priyanka Gandhi Vadra &amp; Congress President Rahul Gandhi pay floral tribute to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel <a href="https://t.co/limlEr4kMF">pic.twitter.com/limlEr4kMF</a>
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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Visuals?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Visuals</a>: Congress General Secretary for Uttar Pradesh East Priyanka Gandhi Vadra interacts with a child during the roadshow in Lucknow. The girl says, "I gave her a garland &amp; she gave me a chocolate. Later, she returned the garland to me &amp; said, 'Stay happy'. <a href="https://t.co/0h9PPYCiCm">pic.twitter.com/0h9PPYCiCm</a>
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The siblings later paid tribute to former Congressman and independent India's first home minister Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Priyanka did not speak.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies) 
&nbsp;

Priyanka Gandhi Vadra took Lucknow by storm Monday afternoon. The recently-appointed Congress general secretary of eastern Uttar Pradesh, accompanied by her brother and Congress chief Rahul Gandhi, and Congress leaders Jyotiraditya Scindia and Raj Babbar, held a 20-kilometre roadshow in the Uttar Pradesh capital on Monday.

Priyanka Gandhi Vadra took Lucknow by storm Monday afternoon. The recently-appointed Congress general secretary of eastern Uttar Pradesh, accompanied by her brother and Congress chief Rahul Gandhi, and Congress leaders Jyotiraditya Scindia and Raj Babbar, held a 20-kilometre roadshow in the Uttar Pradesh capital on Monday. UP is the country's most important state politically — sending 80 members to the Lok Sabha. On Monday, Priyanka and the other Congress leaders rode out of the Lucknow airport on an open-top bus. "It's like Indira Gandhi has come back," Reuters reported Fuzail Ahmed Khan, 45, a Congress supporter as saying. "The state's farmers want Rahul Gandhi to be prime minister, Priyanka to be chief minister." As Priyanka's cavalcade rolled through the streets of Lucknow, Congress workers showered rose petals and threw marigold garlands at her. Some posters showed Priyanka Gandhi as Goddess Durga on a lion. #Visuals from Congress' roadshow in Lucknow. General Secretary for Uttar Pradesh East Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, General Secretary for Uttar Pradesh West Jyotiraditya Scindia and party President Rahul Gandhi are crossing Transport Nagar pic.twitter.com/MbKZc4fNnF — ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) February 11, 2019 × #WATCH: Congress President Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi and Jyotiraditya Scindia sit down to avoid overhanging electrical wires during their roadshow in Lucknow. pic.twitter.com/1lVmDMOyrV — ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) February 11, 2019 × #Visuals from the roadshow of Congress President Rahul Gandhi, Priyanka Gandhi and Jyotiraditya Scindia in Lucknow pic.twitter.com/J7aZUJc5Dw — ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) February 11, 2019 × "Maa Durga ka roop behen Priyankaji (Sister Priyanka is Maa Durga's incarnation)," read a poster. Another highlighted her resemblance with her grandmother Indira Gandhi. "I hope that we can together start a new kind of politics," Priyanka said in an audio message shared by Congress. Priyanka has helped manage elections for her brother Rahul and her mother, former Congress chief Sonia Gandhi, but has never held an official party post up until now. "We'll play on front foot. Scindia ji, Priyanka ji and I won't rest until a government of Congress' ideology is formed here," Rahul said addressing the crowd. Lucknow: Congress General Secretary for Uttar Pradesh East Priyanka Gandhi Vadra & Congress President Rahul Gandhi pay floral tribute to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel pic.twitter.com/limlEr4kMF — ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) February 11, 2019 × #Visuals: Congress General Secretary for Uttar Pradesh East Priyanka Gandhi Vadra interacts with a child during the roadshow in Lucknow. The girl says, "I gave her a garland & she gave me a chocolate. Later, she returned the garland to me & said, 'Stay happy'. pic.twitter.com/0h9PPYCiCm — ANI UP (@ANINewsUP) February 11, 2019 × The siblings later paid tribute to former Congressman and independent India's first home minister Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel. Priyanka did not speak. (With inputs from agencies)

'I hope we can together start a new kind of politics,' Priyanka Gandhi says on Lucknow roadshow

Preparations are underway in the Congress office in Lucknow to welcome their newly-appointed General Secretary for Eastern Uttar Pradesh Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and General Secretary for Uttar Pradesh West Jyotiraditya Scindia on Monday.

&nbsp;Congress President Rahul Gandhi is slated to accompany Priyanka and Scindia.

Ahead of her first visit after being appointed as General Secretary for Eastern Uttar Pradesh, Priyanka said, "I am coming to Lucknow tomorrow and I wish that together we will begin a new politics and you be a part of it. Youth, women and marginalised, everyone's voices will be heard. Let's establish a new future and politics."

UP Congress Committee (UPCC) president Raj Babbar said, "From February 18 onwards, Priyanka and Scindia will start public interactions in their respective areas."

Priyanka and Scindia would stay till February 14, while Rahul is expected to return on the same day.

Since the announcement of SP-BSP alliance for the coming Lok Sabha polls in the state where two parties will contest on 38 seats each, the Congress leadership has been leaving nothing unturned to retain the party’s lost ground in the state, where they won only two seats—Rae Bareli and Amethi—in the last Lok Sabha polls.&nbsp;

Preparations are underway in the Congress office in Lucknow to welcome their newly-appointed General Secretary for Eastern Uttar Pradesh Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and General Secretary for Uttar Pradesh West Jyotiraditya Scindia on Monday.

Preparations are underway in the Congress office in Lucknow to welcome their newly-appointed General Secretary for Eastern Uttar Pradesh Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and General Secretary for Uttar Pradesh West Jyotiraditya Scindia on Monday. Congress President Rahul Gandhi is slated to accompany Priyanka and Scindia. Ahead of her first visit after being appointed as General Secretary for Eastern Uttar Pradesh, Priyanka said, "I am coming to Lucknow tomorrow and I wish that together we will begin a new politics and you be a part of it. Youth, women and marginalised, everyone's voices will be heard. Let's establish a new future and politics." UP Congress Committee (UPCC) president Raj Babbar said, "From February 18 onwards, Priyanka and Scindia will start public interactions in their respective areas." Priyanka and Scindia would stay till February 14, while Rahul is expected to return on the same day. Since the announcement of SP-BSP alliance for the coming Lok Sabha polls in the state where two parties will contest on 38 seats each, the Congress leadership has been leaving nothing unturned to retain the party’s lost ground in the state, where they won only two seats—Rae Bareli and Amethi—in the last Lok Sabha polls.

Lucknow: Stage set to welcome Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, Jyotiraditya Scindia

Decked-up Lucknow welcomes Priyanka Gandhi as she makes political debut

One wonders why Jyotiraditya Scindia has been made the Congress party’s general secretary in-charge for western Uttar Pradesh for the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. He doesn’t bring any special understanding of the region to the table, nor is he a charismatic figure there.

Also, although technically on a footing equal with Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, who too has been appointed general secretary but in charge of eastern Uttar Pradesh, Scindia cannot hope to match her profile or stature within the party even with the new assignment. One can, therefore, only speculate on the reasons.&nbsp;

Here’s speculation number one. The appointment is Congress president Rahul Gandhi’s way of keeping him away from the politics of Madhya Pradesh, where Kamal Nath is ensconced as chief minister. Scindia had been a formidable candidate to take over the reins of the government after the Congress displaced a Bharatiya Janata Party regime in the state recently.&nbsp;

He was both popular and close to Rahul Gandhi. When the Congress high command decided in Kamal Nath’s favour, it reportedly offered Scindia the deputy chief minister’s post, which was declined. Since then, the party felt it is prudent to avoid situations of direct conflict between Scindia and Kamal Nath, and thus, shifted the young leader out.&nbsp;

Speculation number two: The appointment is a way to cut Scindia down to size. His refusal to accept the deputy’s position was seen as a snub to the high command and to the Kamal Nath-Digvijaya Singh lobby. He was, thus, given charge of a region where the Congress stands little chance of doing well and can be made a scapegoat after the Congress fails in the region. Only days prior to his appointment, Scindia&nbsp;had a long meeting with senior BJP leader and former chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan with whom he is said to share a good rapport. That may have rankled the high command too.&nbsp; 
 
And speculation number three is that Scindia will be used a foil in the post-result scenario for comparison with Priyanka’s performance in eastern Uttar Pradesh, where the Congress has a fighting chance to win a fistful of seats — at least two to four. This may be nothing to talk about, but it’s still better than zero, which is what many analysts believe the Congress will get in the western parts of the state.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Admittedly, all this is speculation. What is not speculation but a fact is that the Congress is weak and anaemic in western Uttar Pradesh. It could not do well even in the 2017 Assembly elections when most analysts had predicted trouble for the BJP there for a variety of factors. The Jats, comprising some 17 per cent of the population, are a dominant factor. 
 
They were supposedly angry with the BJP for having made a non-Jat the chief minister of neighbouring Haryana. Besides, they were said to have been a spanner in the works of the BJP’s larger Hindu consolidation drive. The Muslims, another important segment in the region, were upset with the BJP too. Ajit Singh’s party, the Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD), was tipped to spoil the BJP’s party and thus help others such as the Congress to gain a foothold in the region. And yet, nothing of these happened. The Congress failed miserably and the BJP romped home.&nbsp;

The situation is perhaps worse for the Congress this coming Lok Sabha polls. Not only is it pitted against the BJP but it has to also counter the combined might of the Samajwadi Party-Bahujan Samaj Party- RLD. If the Jats are indeed so upset with the BJP that they have decided to vote against it, they will in probability go with the new alliance. The Muslims will not waste their votes on the Congress if they sense that the party is on a weak footing. Which voter segment is the Congress banking on?&nbsp;

Western Uttar Pradesh is also communally sensitive. The Muzaffarnagar riots during the Samajwadi party rule had led to a Hindu-Muslim polarisation of sorts, which benefitted the BJP in the last Assembly polls and brought no gains to the Congress which was unsure of its stand. The new grand alliance has the Dalit-Muslim plan up its sleeve this time to neutralise a possible Hindu re-consolidation. 
 
In the 2017 polls, the RLD had tied up with the Congress but gained little out of that alliance. Many believed that the Congress had pulled down Ajit Singh’s party, which is why the RLD has dumped the Congress for the 2019 elections.

Look at it any which way, Scindia’s official foray into western Uttar Pradesh’s politics is fraught with danger.&nbsp; 
 
(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.) 
&nbsp;

One wonders why Jyotiraditya Scindia has been made the Congress party’s general secretary in-charge for western Uttar Pradesh for the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. He doesn’t bring any special understanding of the region to the table, nor is he a charismatic figure there.

One wonders why Jyotiraditya Scindia has been made the Congress party’s general secretary in-charge for western Uttar Pradesh for the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. He doesn’t bring any special understanding of the region to the table, nor is he a charismatic figure there. Also, although technically on a footing equal with Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, who too has been appointed general secretary but in charge of eastern Uttar Pradesh, Scindia cannot hope to match her profile or stature within the party even with the new assignment. One can, therefore, only speculate on the reasons. Here’s speculation number one. The appointment is Congress president Rahul Gandhi’s way of keeping him away from the politics of Madhya Pradesh, where Kamal Nath is ensconced as chief minister. Scindia had been a formidable candidate to take over the reins of the government after the Congress displaced a Bharatiya Janata Party regime in the state recently. He was both popular and close to Rahul Gandhi. When the Congress high command decided in Kamal Nath’s favour, it reportedly offered Scindia the deputy chief minister’s post, which was declined. Since then, the party felt it is prudent to avoid situations of direct conflict between Scindia and Kamal Nath, and thus, shifted the young leader out. Speculation number two: The appointment is a way to cut Scindia down to size. His refusal to accept the deputy’s position was seen as a snub to the high command and to the Kamal Nath-Digvijaya Singh lobby. He was, thus, given charge of a region where the Congress stands little chance of doing well and can be made a scapegoat after the Congress fails in the region. Only days prior to his appointment, Scindia had a long meeting with senior BJP leader and former chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan with whom he is said to share a good rapport. That may have rankled the high command too. And speculation number three is that Scindia will be used a foil in the post-result scenario for comparison with Priyanka’s performance in eastern Uttar Pradesh, where the Congress has a fighting chance to win a fistful of seats — at least two to four. This may be nothing to talk about, but it’s still better than zero, which is what many analysts believe the Congress will get in the western parts of the state. Admittedly, all this is speculation. What is not speculation but a fact is that the Congress is weak and anaemic in western Uttar Pradesh. It could not do well even in the 2017 Assembly elections when most analysts had predicted trouble for the BJP there for a variety of factors. The Jats, comprising some 17 per cent of the population, are a dominant factor. They were supposedly angry with the BJP for having made a non-Jat the chief minister of neighbouring Haryana. Besides, they were said to have been a spanner in the works of the BJP’s larger Hindu consolidation drive. The Muslims, another important segment in the region, were upset with the BJP too. Ajit Singh’s party, the Rashtriya Lok Dal (RLD), was tipped to spoil the BJP’s party and thus help others such as the Congress to gain a foothold in the region. And yet, nothing of these happened. The Congress failed miserably and the BJP romped home. The situation is perhaps worse for the Congress this coming Lok Sabha polls. Not only is it pitted against the BJP but it has to also counter the combined might of the Samajwadi Party-Bahujan Samaj Party- RLD. If the Jats are indeed so upset with the BJP that they have decided to vote against it, they will in probability go with the new alliance. The Muslims will not waste their votes on the Congress if they sense that the party is on a weak footing. Which voter segment is the Congress banking on? Western Uttar Pradesh is also communally sensitive. The Muzaffarnagar riots during the Samajwadi party rule had led to a Hindu-Muslim polarisation of sorts, which benefitted the BJP in the last Assembly polls and brought no gains to the Congress which was unsure of its stand. The new grand alliance has the Dalit-Muslim plan up its sleeve this time to neutralise a possible Hindu re-consolidation. In the 2017 polls, the RLD had tied up with the Congress but gained little out of that alliance. Many believed that the Congress had pulled down Ajit Singh’s party, which is why the RLD has dumped the Congress for the 2019 elections. Look at it any which way, Scindia’s official foray into western Uttar Pradesh’s politics is fraught with danger. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)

Is Congress trying to keep Jyotiraditya Scindia away from MP?

Expressing support for Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu's daylong fast, Congress chief Rahul Gandhi on Monday alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had stolen from the people of the state and given the money to industrialist Anil Ambani.

The TDP president is on a fast in Delhi demanding that the Centre fulfil all promises made during Andhra Pradesh's bifurcation in 2014 and alleging that the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/modi-did-not-follow-raj-dharma-in-andhra-pradeshs-case-chandrababu-naidu-196539">prime minister was not following 'raj dharma'</a> by denying the state special status.

"The prime minister has stolen from the people from Andhra Pradesh and he has given that money to Anil Ambani. That is the fact of the matter," Gandhi said at the venue of the hunger strike in Andhra Bhavan.

The government and Ambani have rejected Gandhi's allegations of corruption in the Rafale fighter jet deal with France.

"Mr Narendra Modi, wherever he goes, he goes to Andhra Pradesh, he lies about special status. He goes to the North-East, he tells another lie over there. He goes to Maharashtra and he tells another lie over there. He has absolutely got no credibility left," Gandhi said.&nbsp;

Expressing support for Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu's daylong fast, Congress chief Rahul Gandhi on Monday alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had stolen from the people of the state and given the money to industrialist Anil Ambani.

Expressing support for Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu's daylong fast, Congress chief Rahul Gandhi on Monday alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had stolen from the people of the state and given the money to industrialist Anil Ambani. The TDP president is on a fast in Delhi demanding that the Centre fulfil all promises made during Andhra Pradesh's bifurcation in 2014 and alleging that the prime minister was not following 'raj dharma' by denying the state special status. "The prime minister has stolen from the people from Andhra Pradesh and he has given that money to Anil Ambani. That is the fact of the matter," Gandhi said at the venue of the hunger strike in Andhra Bhavan. The government and Ambani have rejected Gandhi's allegations of corruption in the Rafale fighter jet deal with France. "Mr Narendra Modi, wherever he goes, he goes to Andhra Pradesh, he lies about special status. He goes to the North-East, he tells another lie over there. He goes to Maharashtra and he tells another lie over there. He has absolutely got no credibility left," Gandhi said.

PM Modi stole from Andhra Pradesh and gave it to Anil Ambani: Rahul Gandhi

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/robert-vadra-questioned-for-8-hours-on-third-day-of-appearance-before-ed-196278">Robert Vadra</a>, who was questioned by the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/robert-vadra-questioned-by-ed-in-money-laundering-probe-wife-priyanka-says-i-support-my-family-195658">Enforcement Directorate (ED) </a>for three consecutive days last week in connection with a probe into allegations of money laundering to purchase assets abroad, said on Sunday that truth will always prevail.

"Morning, Just want to say thank you to all my friends and acquaintances who have reached out in support from all over the nation, at this time," Vadra said in a Facebook post.

Vadra, the brother-in-law of Congress president Rahul Gandhi and husband of AICC general secretary Priyanka Gandhi, was questioned for about eight hours by the ED on Saturday as he appeared before the agency for the third consecutive day.

"I'm fine, good and disciplined to deal with anything, I'm put through. 'Truth will always prevail'. Wishing you all a happy Sunday and a healthy week," he said.

He also faced two sessions of questioning on February 6 and 7.

While Vadra was quizzed for about five-and-a-half hours on Thursday, he was grilled for about 9 hours the next day.

Vadra has denied the allegations against him.&nbsp;

The ED case against Vadra relates to allegations of money laundering in the purchase of a London-based property located at 12, Bryanston Square worth 1.9 million GBP (British pounds), which is allegedly owned by him.

The agency has told a Delhi court that it has received information about various new properties in London which belong to Vadra.&nbsp;

These include two houses, one worth 5 million GBP and the other valued at 4 million GBP, six other flats and more properties.

Vadra has denied the allegations of possessing illegal foreign assets and termed them a political witch hunt against him.

He said he was being "hounded and harassed" to subserve political ends.

He is also expected to depose before the ED on February 12 in Jaipur in an another<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/robert-vadra-appears-before-ed-for-third-time-in-money-laundering-case-probe-196168"> money-laundering case </a>related to an alleged land scam in Bikaner.

The Rajasthan High Court has directed him to cooperate with the agency in the case.

Robert Vadra, who was questioned by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) for three consecutive days last week in connection with a probe into allegations of money laundering to purchase assets abroad, said on Sunday that truth will always prevail.

Robert Vadra, who was questioned by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) for three consecutive days last week in connection with a probe into allegations of money laundering to purchase assets abroad, said on Sunday that truth will always prevail. "Morning, Just want to say thank you to all my friends and acquaintances who have reached out in support from all over the nation, at this time," Vadra said in a Facebook post. Vadra, the brother-in-law of Congress president Rahul Gandhi and husband of AICC general secretary Priyanka Gandhi, was questioned for about eight hours by the ED on Saturday as he appeared before the agency for the third consecutive day. "I'm fine, good and disciplined to deal with anything, I'm put through. 'Truth will always prevail'. Wishing you all a happy Sunday and a healthy week," he said. He also faced two sessions of questioning on February 6 and 7. While Vadra was quizzed for about five-and-a-half hours on Thursday, he was grilled for about 9 hours the next day. Vadra has denied the allegations against him. The ED case against Vadra relates to allegations of money laundering in the purchase of a London-based property located at 12, Bryanston Square worth 1.9 million GBP (British pounds), which is allegedly owned by him. The agency has told a Delhi court that it has received information about various new properties in London which belong to Vadra. These include two houses, one worth 5 million GBP and the other valued at 4 million GBP, six other flats and more properties. Vadra has denied the allegations of possessing illegal foreign assets and termed them a political witch hunt against him. He said he was being "hounded and harassed" to subserve political ends. He is also expected to depose before the ED on February 12 in Jaipur in an another money-laundering case related to an alleged land scam in Bikaner. The Rajasthan High Court has directed him to cooperate with the agency in the case.

Truth will always prevail, says Robert Vadra

Congress general secretary <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/priyanka-gandhi-assumes-charge-as-aicc-general-secretary-195665">Priyanka Gandhi Vadra</a> on Sunday released an audio message requesting people to join her in creating a new culture of politics in the country.&nbsp;

In the audio message, she said that she would be visiting Lucknow on Monday and would appreciate if people could join her in this process. A similar 30-second-long audio recording was released for Jyotiraditya Scindia in Western Uttar Pradesh.&nbsp;

The audio clip for both the leaders targeted around 60 lakh voters in Uttar Pradesh. The outreach was divided into 30 lakh messages in Western and Eastern Uttar Pradesh respectively.

Praveen Chakravarthy, an economist by profession,&nbsp;who heads Congress' data department said, "Congress has done multiple surveys in Uttar Pradesh and found joblessness as a major issue in the context of elections and quota for the economically weaker sections amongst the upper castes. BJP is facing double anti-incumbency in Uttar Pradesh”.&nbsp;

Chakravarthy also said that both Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra have come on top of the anger index in the context of expectation from the government. He also confirmed that the Congress has already done a survey across Uttar Pradesh on who deserves to get a ticket from the party in the state.

Priyanka Gandhi would kickstart her day on Monday with a massive roadshow which would take her from the Lucknow airport to areas like Hazratganj, Alam Bagh, Lal Bagh, ultimately concluding at Nehru Bhawan.&nbsp;

Officially, the roadshow is expected to last 6 hours in the city but can extend due to the presence of workers who have poured into the state capital from all across. It is expected that Priyanka Gandhi would give a maiden speech at Lal Bagh.

Such is the enthusiasm for the preparations for Priyanka Gandhi's Lucknow show, it has already generated a lot of excitement in the party local unit as well.

What Priyanka Gandhi intends to do in the next four days is also very unique in the context of the finalization of the tickets for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.&nbsp;

Priyanka Gandhi has decided to conduct closed-door meetings for three days with former MPS, MLAs, city presidents, party office bearers, district heads and panchayat chairmen. Interestingly, she has divided all her meetings as per the Lok Sabha seats in Uttar Pradesh. The closed-door meetings will allow no coverage. Priyanka would take feedback on the right candidate&nbsp;for the Lok Sabha constituency.

Sources in the party said that Priyanka Gandhi would select Lok Sabha candidates across Uttar Pradesh on the basis of the feedback received from the meetings. Priyanka Gandhi is expected to launch a district-wise exercise any day after February 18.

Priyanka Gandhi Vadra will be accompanied by Congress president Rahul Gandhi and party general secretary in-charge of Western UP, Jyotiraditya Scindia. Rahul Gandhi will leave for Delhi on February 11 while Priyanka Gandhi would stay put till February 14.

Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Sunday released an audio message requesting people to join her in creating a new culture of politics in the country.

Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Sunday released an audio message requesting people to join her in creating a new culture of politics in the country. In the audio message, she said that she would be visiting Lucknow on Monday and would appreciate if people could join her in this process. A similar 30-second-long audio recording was released for Jyotiraditya Scindia in Western Uttar Pradesh. The audio clip for both the leaders targeted around 60 lakh voters in Uttar Pradesh. The outreach was divided into 30 lakh messages in Western and Eastern Uttar Pradesh respectively. Praveen Chakravarthy, an economist by profession, who heads Congress' data department said, "Congress has done multiple surveys in Uttar Pradesh and found joblessness as a major issue in the context of elections and quota for the economically weaker sections amongst the upper castes. BJP is facing double anti-incumbency in Uttar Pradesh”. Chakravarthy also said that both Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra have come on top of the anger index in the context of expectation from the government. He also confirmed that the Congress has already done a survey across Uttar Pradesh on who deserves to get a ticket from the party in the state. Priyanka Gandhi would kickstart her day on Monday with a massive roadshow which would take her from the Lucknow airport to areas like Hazratganj, Alam Bagh, Lal Bagh, ultimately concluding at Nehru Bhawan. Officially, the roadshow is expected to last 6 hours in the city but can extend due to the presence of workers who have poured into the state capital from all across. It is expected that Priyanka Gandhi would give a maiden speech at Lal Bagh. Such is the enthusiasm for the preparations for Priyanka Gandhi's Lucknow show, it has already generated a lot of excitement in the party local unit as well. What Priyanka Gandhi intends to do in the next four days is also very unique in the context of the finalization of the tickets for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. Priyanka Gandhi has decided to conduct closed-door meetings for three days with former MPS, MLAs, city presidents, party office bearers, district heads and panchayat chairmen. Interestingly, she has divided all her meetings as per the Lok Sabha seats in Uttar Pradesh. The closed-door meetings will allow no coverage. Priyanka would take feedback on the right candidate for the Lok Sabha constituency. Sources in the party said that Priyanka Gandhi would select Lok Sabha candidates across Uttar Pradesh on the basis of the feedback received from the meetings. Priyanka Gandhi is expected to launch a district-wise exercise any day after February 18. Priyanka Gandhi Vadra will be accompanied by Congress president Rahul Gandhi and party general secretary in-charge of Western UP, Jyotiraditya Scindia. Rahul Gandhi will leave for Delhi on February 11 while Priyanka Gandhi would stay put till February 14.

Priyanka Gandhi appeals via audio message, Congress reaches out to 60 lakh voters

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