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Category: Politics

  • BJP MLAs stage protest in Bengal Assembly on CAG report, allege “misappropriation” of MGNREGA funds

    Kolkata: The BJP MLAs on Tuesday tried to move an adjournment and demanded discussion on CAG report in the West Bengal assembly, which was turned down by the Speaker Biman Bandopadhyay on Tuesday. Following the refusal, BJP MLAs staged a protest on the CAG report and alleged “misappropriation” of MGNREGA funds.

    “We were not even allowed to read our adjournment motion. We were not allowed to even discuss the CAG report in the assembly. The CAG report is not about advance adjustment as said by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee but also finds mention of multiple fraud accounts which have been discovered,” Leader of Opposition (LoP) Suvendu Adhikari told mediapersons.

    Meanwhile, West Bengal unit of BJP has decided to meet Governor CV Ananda Bose on CAG report issue on March 9 and urge him to send recommendations to CAG for filing FIR against state government on the issue.Trinamool Supremo Mamata Banerjee has written a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently on the CAG report issue and nonsubmission of utilization letter, which was raised by BJP state President Sukanta Majumdar. The BJP on January 31 cited a CAG report to allege that “mother of all scams” to the tune of about Rs 2 lakh crore had taken place in the Trinamool Congressruled West Bengal.

    The Speaker turned down the demand stating that the issue has no justification to discuss in the House, following which BJP MLAs protested inside the House.

    Antigovernment slogans were shouted by the BJP MLAs Leader of the Opposition Suvendu Adhikari, Chief Whip Manoj Tigga and Siligurij legislator Shankar Ghosh among others. They were carrying placards and protested outside the South gate of the assembly.“CAG reports has brought out details of many fake accounts, fund diversion issues, central government guidelines violation, misappropriation of funds. It shows corruption and theft of Trinamool Congress government,” Adhikari said. State Finance Minister (MoS) Chandrima Bhattacharya said, “There is no scope of discussion on CAG in the assembly. The report is from 2003 to 2021. The central government did not receive Utilization Certificates (UC) but have released funds. How were the funds released? How come the Center announced that Bengal was the topmost performer in MGNREGA? And now the funds have been blocked.”

    After hearing that Mamata Banerjee will pay 21 lakh workers under MGNREGA, BJP has lost their minds and made all these allegations,” Bhattacharya said.

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  • Mamata Banerjee to skip meeting on simultaneous polls in Delhi

    West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee Monday said she would skip the meeting of the ‘one nation one election’ committee in New Delhi on Tuesday, citing engagements related to the upcoming state budget. The TMC supremo said she has communicated to the committee chief, former President Ramnath Kovind, about her inability to attend the meeting. “I have canceled my New Delhi trip… The state budget will be presented in the assembly on February 8, and there are only two days to go. In this situation, I had to call off the visit,” Banerjee told reporters at the state secretariat. “I have already spoken to Kovind ji about this,” she said. The chief minister said TMC MPs Sudip Bandyopadhyay and Kalyan Banerjee will be present at the meeting in the national capital.

    The committee is mandated to examine and make recommendations for holding simultaneous elections to the Lok Sabha, state assemblies, municipalities and panchayats keeping in view the existing constitutional framework.

    Banerjee had last month written to the panel members, expressing her disagreement with the concept of simultaneous polls, contending that it would be against the basic structure of “constitutional arrangements”.

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  • Delhi Minister Atishi criticizes crime branch’s “interesting” notice, says it is “neither an FIR nor summons”

    Delhi minister and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Atishi expressed skepticism regarding the nature of the notice served by the crime branch in connection with the poaching claim case on Sunday, highlighting that it lacked clarity.Atishi stated, “This morning around six officials from the Crime Branch came to my house, waited for 23 hours, and repeatedly went in and out. They had come to give a crime branch notice and wanted to hand it to me directly.””This notice is very interesting. It is neither an FIR nor summons. It does not have sections of IPC, CrPC, PMLA, or the Prevention of Corruption Act,” Atishi added. She mocked that the Delhi Police gave her and Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal a “letter”.

    “Overall, after almost 48 hours of drama, CM Arvind Kejriwal and I were given letters, and that’s all,” she said.

    The minister further reiterated her ‘MLA poaching’ remark and claimed that Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde and 11 other MLAs are the ‘same people’ who break away AAP MLAs.”The people who came to take break Eknath Shinde and 11 other MLAs are the same people who came to break away AAP MLAs,” Atishi said.”I want to tell the heads of the Crime Branch that you already know the people who have been trying to break the Opposition governments (in states) for the past 78 years These are the same people contacting AAP MLAs,” Atishi asserted.

    Earlier in the day, a Crime Branch team arrived at the door of AAP leader Atishi to serve a notice in connection with her claim that the BJP was trying to prize away the party’s MLAs through cash inducements and topple the government as part of ‘Operation Lotus. 2.0’.

    The Crime Branch served a notice on AAP leader and minister Atishi in the poaching claim case, asking her to respond within three days.

    Meanwhile, Delhi Police Crime Branch served a fresh notice on Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, asking him to respond to his charges of poaching attempts by the BJP with evidence by Monday.

    “An inquiry is being conducted by the Crime Branch of Delhi police, on a complaint received in respect of the allegations made by you that the BJP has offered Rs 25 crore each to the sitting MLAs of AAP for leaving the party and joining the BJP. These allegations were posted by you on

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  • Delhi Liquor Policy Case: ED moves court after Arvind Kejriwal skips 5th summons, hearing on Feb 7

    Enforcement Directorate has moved to Rouse Avenue Court and filed a complaint against Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal for not complying with the summons issued by the agency in the Delhi liquor policy money laundering case. Court heard some submissions today and put up for February 7, for the remaining submissions and consideration.

  • MLA poaching claims: Delhi Police serves notice to Arvind Kejriwal over MLA poaching claims: Sources

    Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has recently found himself entangled in a political storm, as the Delhi Police Crime Branch delivered a notice to his residence following his claims of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) attempting to sway seven Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLAs. This development comes in the wake of Kejriwal’s accusation that the BJP had offered a substantial ₹25 crore each to lure the AAP legislators, a claim that prompted the BJP to file a police complaint in response.Arvind Kejriwal made headlines when he publicly stated that the BJP was engaged in a dubious endeavor to “buy” seven AAP MLAs with an offer of ₹25 crore each. The BJP promptly responded by filing an official police complaint, setting the stage for a legal faceoff. The accusations have created a political stir, putting the focus on the alleged attempts to destabilize the Kejriwalled government. In a post on warned that he could be arrested soon. The MLAs were allegedly promised Rs 25 crore and a BJP ticket each to contest the elections after the toppling of the Delhi government, the AAP leader charged. Kejriwal added that all the seven AAP MLAs refused to quit the party.

    In a significant development, according to sources, a team from the Delhi Police Crime Branch visited the residence of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal to deliver a notice related to the AAP’s claims against the BJP. The police officials have explicitly requested the Chief Minister to provide evidence substantiating the serious allegations made by the Aam Aadmi Party.

    The situation intensifies as the Delhi Police, responsible for maintaining law and order in the capital, operates under the jurisdiction of the Union Home Ministry.

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  • Nitin Gadkari on Union Interim Budget, says ‘It aims to strengthen India’s economic sector’

    Praising Union Interim Budget 2024, Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari on February 01 said that this budget aimed to strengthen India’s economic sector and to speed up the country’s development and increase employment. “Finance Minister’s Budget is aimed to strengthen India’s economic sector, in line with PM Modi’s resolve to make India the third largest economy of the world…This is a budget to speed up country’s development and increase employment…,” said Nitin. Gadkari.

  • Hemant Soren resigns as Jharkhand CM; senior leader Champai Soren’s name proposed as new CM

    Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren has submitted his resignation to the governor on Wednesday amid ongoing investigations by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) into an alleged “huge racket of illegal change of land ownership by the mafia” in the state. Following Hemant Soren’s resignation, Champai Soren is speculated to be the next Chief Minister of Jharkhand according to ANI. Champai Soren serves as a member of the Jharkhand Legislative Assembly. Affiliated with the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha, he represents the Seraikella constituency in Jharkhand.As per JMM MP Mahua Maji, “The CM is in ED custody. The CM has gone to the Governor with the ED team to submit his resignation… Champai Soren will be the new Chief Minister… We have enough numbers…” Jharkhand Congress president Rajesh Thakur said, “CM Hemant Soren has decided to resign. Champai Soren has been chosen as the new leader of the Legislative party… All the MLAs are with us”. The conspiracy by the Modi government that was going on since 2019 to destabilize an elected government, they have insulted the mandate of 3.5 crore people. Without any fault, a popular CM (Hemant Soren) has been arrested. We will give a befitting reply,” says Jharkhand minister Mithilesh Kumar Thakur to ANI. Hemant Soren’s Legal ChallengesThe current Chief Minister, Hemant Soren, has been grappling with legal issues, including the filing of an FIR against ED officials and ongoing questioning in connection with a money laundering case linked to an alleged land scam. The uncertainty surrounding his political future has led to discussions about who might assume the leadership mantle.

    An ED team visited Chief Minister Hemant Soren’s residence in Delhi on Monday to question him regarding an ongoing case. Despite the chief minister’s absence, the ED team spent nearly 13 hours conducting searches, leading to the discovery of Rs 36 lakh in cash and incriminating documents. Additionally, a luxury SUV was seized from Soren’s residence during the operation. Security was also tightened and Section 144 imposed around the now former CM’s residence.

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  • MP suspension: RS chairman revokes suspension of 11 opposition MPs held guilty of breach of privilege: Sources

    New Delhi, The Rajya Sabha Privileges Committee on Tuesday held 11 suspended opposition MPs guilty of breach of privilege and contempt of the Council of States, but Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar revoked their suspension allowing them to attend the Budget session, sources said. In its report to the Rajya Sabha chairman a day before the session starts on Wednesday, the committee also recommended that the period of suspension already suffered by the members be treated as “sufficient punishment” for the transgression. The MPs held “guilty of breach of privilege and contempt of the Council” of States are Jebi Mather Hisham, L Hanumanthaiah, Neeraj Dangi, Rajmani Patel, Kumar Ketkar, GC Chandrashekhar, Binoy Viswam, Sandosh Kumar P, M Mohamed Abdulla, John Brittas and AA Rahim. The committee presented the report to Dhankhar, taking note of the situation that the suspended members would not be able to attend the special address of President Droupadi Murmu to both Houses of Parliament, the first address in the new building of Parliament, on Wednesday.

    The committee usually submits its recommendations to the House.

    The sources said the chairman invoked the authority vested in him under the rules of procedure to revoke their suspension enabling the members to attend the special address by the president. The matter of 11 MPs suspended by the chairman during the Winter session of Parliament were referred to the Privileges Committee.

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  • hemant soren ED Case: In mail to ED, Hemant Soren says its insistence on questioning him again before Jan 31 reeks of malice

    Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren has charged the Enforcement Directorate of being “motivated by political agenda” to disrupt the state government’s functioning and claimed that its insistence to record his statement again on or before January 31 reeked of malice. In an email to the federal agency, the 48yearold JMM executive president alleged that the issuance of summons to him was “wholly vexatious and in colourable exercise of powers given by the statute.”

    “Preserve video recording of sevenhour questioning (of January 20) to make available to the Court of Law,” Soren said in the email sent on Sunday, while agreeing to record his statement on January 31 at 1 pm at his residence.

    The federal agency had questioned Soren at his official residence in Ranchi on January 20 in the alleged land fraud case and had issued a fresh summons to him asking him to confirm his availability for questioning on either January 29 or January 31, the sources said. The chief minister left for the national capital on January 27 night while his scheduled government events in the state on Monday were canceled without any explanation.

    An Enforcement Directorate team on Monday visited his Delhi residence in connection with a money laundering investigation.

  • Bihar Politics Updates: CM Nitish Kumar likely to resign by Sunday morning, says a source close to CM

    Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, who heads the ‘Mahagathbandhan’ government, is likely to tender his resignation by Sunday morning, a source close to the CM said on Saturday. Talking to PTI, the source, who requested anonymity, said though the possibility of resignation by late Saturday evening could not be ruled out, “it would definitely take place by Sunday morning”.