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IS 2024 Is a Repeat of 2004?

2024-04-29T08:38:46+00:00

Modi made a strategic blunder in throttling Congress bank accounts, arresting Arvind Kejriwal, and threatening the opposition.

After the end of the second phase of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, a few key takeaways emerge

1) The voter is fed up of lies, spin-doctoring and subpar propaganda. They trust no one. But after ten years in power, the trust-deficit with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is highest.

2) There is a huge fatigue factor with Narendra Modi; the standard accusations of dynasty, appeasement and corruption tag are not working at all, as people see the same in the BJP and probably worse. Strange as it may sound, he is both the BJP’s asset and a liability.

3) The anti-Muslim/minorities polarisation of Modi is not working and has further damaged his credibility. The crude, vulgar and cheap potshots have angered the sensibilities of the common Indian or at least left them extremely dismayed.

4) Modi/BJP thought that the 2024 election was done and dusted after the consecration ceremony of the Ram Temple. But barring a few pockets in northern India, the feel-good factor is having negligible impact as an electoral factor. India has moved on to bread-and-butter issues – the BJP’s Achilles heel – unemployment and inflation etc.

5) The arrogance of power led to Modi announcing a sure-shot victory of 370 seats; this has led to a counterwave in support of the underdog, the Congress/INDIA alliance. The voters don’t like to be taken for granted, especially when the incumbent has actually underdelivered, and the alternative, despite its problems, seems more sincere.

6) Modi made a strategic blunder in throttling the Congress’s bank accounts, arresting Arvind Kejriwal and threatening the opposition. That has since become the national narrative of the 2024 elections; fear and hate is being seen as Modi’s legacy, two very powerful human emotions. What started out as a funny description has now become the BJP’s political brand: It is a washing machine. Every Indian knows and castigates the politics of vendetta. The ED/CBI/Income Tax trimurti abuse is the albatross around the BJP’s neck. The electoral bonds scam drove a huge nail in the coffin.

7) The Congress manifesto has become the talking point of the 2024 elections: it is democratic, liberal, fair, inclusive and has something for everyone. It is a masterpiece, and the Congress has distributed it aggressively. By ridiculing the same with communal slurs, all repugnant lies, Modi has only accelerated its curiosity and ended up getting more to know about it. Women, youth, farmers, the poor and the socially/economically disadvantaged, middle-class, industry (no threats of tax terrorism) would all benefit from it.

8) Rahul Gandhi has got under the skin of Modi and the BJP. For long maligned and vilified through a misinformation/disinformation campaign by the BJP IT cell, his two successful Bharat Jodo/Nyay Yatras have transformed his image and confidence. Modi may still sound bombastic on a teleprompter but he comes across as a petty theatrical performer; Rahul, no matter what his critics say, is refreshingly authentic. People like him, they trust him. In 2014, every time the Congress attacked Modi, the latter gained. Now the more the BJP mocks him, the higher goes Rahul’s graph. It is a dramatic reversal.

9) Have you noticed how little the BJP talks of the first-time voters? Because Gen Z is more tuned to political realities; they are deeper into issues like governance, inclusiveness, climate change, mental health, social media regulation, jobs etc. The youth are not getting conned by the TV hype or WhatsApp University forwards. The millennials have borne the brunt of many economic crises, political upheavals, globalisation backlash, fake news and authoritarian leaders, and allowed themselves to be seduced by the PR and publicity. They misconstrued leadership to be tough and hard even at the cost of freedom of expression. Gen Z has challenged that. And that will have a huge bearing in this election.

A Comparison of Congress and BJP Manifestoes And What They Fail to Mention

2024-04-22T08:45:26+00:00

BJP should have clarified its stand on issues like restoration of complete statehood to Jammu and Kashmir and restoration of peace in Manipur. Meanwhile, the Congress should have mentioned controversial legislations like CAA and the protection of minority rights.

Comparison of the two major national parties’ manifestoes for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections reveals the similarities in their approach on major national issues and some stark differences on others. On issues like defence, national security, terrorism, foreign policy, healthcare, education and reforms concerning the economy, infrastructure, social security, judiciary and agriculture, there are more similarities than differences between the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), at least on paper. The major differences lie in their approach to religious and cultural rights, reservation and federalism.

Congress names Jammu and Kashmir, NCT of Delhi, Manipur and the Institution of Governor in their manifesto and has promised a departure from the BJP’s stand. Interestingly, Congress has also promised the distribution of legislative fields in the Seventh Schedule of the Constitution and build a consensus on transferring some fields from List III (Concurrent List) to List II (State List).

BJP ought to have clarified its stand on issues like restoration of complete statehood to Jammu and Kashmir and offered a plan for restoration of peace in Manipur. It should have also included a strategy to ensure the effective governance in the national capital territory of Delhi. It ought to have been vocal on the protection of constitutional guarantee of rights of religious and linguistic minorities. However, the silence of BJP manifesto on the controversial National Registry of Citizens (NRC) is a matter of relief for the time being.

Meanwhile, Congress should have made a special reference to controversial legislations like Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA), draconian provisions in the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) and about the legal process of appointment of Election Commissioners. Though the Congress manifesto has mentioned the misuse of investigating agencies at the hand of BJP government in the last ten years, it has not mentioned a clear roadmap for freeing the institutions from the clutches of political executive of the day. It could have also made its stand clear on its commitment for preserving the religious character of every place of worship as it existed on August 15, 1947 as mandated under the Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act. While the Congress manifesto mentions that Congress will bring a law to recognise civil unions between couples belonging to the LGBTQIA+ community, it could have guaranteed them the right to marriage.

Here is a comprehensive comparison between the manifestoes of BJP and Congress. Reference to page numbers are with respect to the manifestos of the two parties.

Similarities

	BJP	INC

Defence	Vastly expand domestic defence manufacturing and exports of Made in Bharat defence equipment (pg.43)	Rapidly expand domestic capacity to manufacture defence and security hardware and equipment. (pg.39)

National Security	Introduce technological solutions on fenced portions to make fencing smarter. (pg.38)	We will work to restore the status quo ante on our borders with China and to ensure that areas where both armies patrolled in the past are again accessible to our soldiers. We will take the necessary steps to adjust our policy towards China until this is achieved. (pg.40)

Terrorism	We have followed a zero tolerance policy on terrorism. We remain committed to keep our country and citizens safe.(pg.38)	Congress will take up the two subjects, NATGRID and National Counter-Terrorism Centre. Complete the work, and operationalize them within one year (pg.39) Congress is implacably opposed to terrorism anywhere in the world. We will work with other countries to eliminate terrorist groups, terrorist acts and cross-border terrorism. (pg.40) Engagement with Pakistan depends fundamentally on its willingness and ability to end cross-border terrorism. (pg.41)

Foreign Policy	We will further consolidate Bharat’s position as a Voice of the Global South by using the Prime Minister’s visionary 5S approach of Samman, Samvad, Sahyog, Shanti and Samriddhi. (pg.38)	Congress affirms and will uphold continuity in India’s foreign policy. (Nehruvian). There was a consensus on foreign policy since Independence. Unfortunately, in many areas, foreign policy under the BJP/NDA government has witnessed marked departures from this consensus, notably on the ongoing Gaza conflict. Congress pledges to restore India’s global reputation as a voice of peace and moderation in world affairs. Congress re-affirms its firm belief in the continued relevance of the established policy of peaceful coexistence, strategic autonomy in thought and action, and increased bilateral engagement in its relations with the countries of the world. (pg.40)

Reforms	Regulatory reforms like enabling automatic approvals for standard housing designs, among others. (pg.13) Establishing Khadi as a global brand (pg.31) Regulatory reforms to promote affordable housing (pg.50) Institutional reforms to ensure that citizen-government interaction is significantly improved (pg.54)	Liberalisation and reforms coupled with social welfare policies like the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) and the National Food Security Act. (pg.3)

Judicial Reforms	We will completely overhaul the commercial and civil justice systems, on the lines of criminal justice reforms. This revamp will aim to streamline procedures, enhance the efficiency of legal processes and ensure timely justice, fostering a more business-friendly and citizen-centric legal environment (pg.55)	Establishment of National Judicial Appointment Commission in consultation with the Judiciary to ensure its Independence. Judicial Complaints Commission Sufficient infrastructure for Judiciary More representation for women, SC/ST/OBC and minorities at higher Judiciary (pg.24)

Agriculture and Minimum wage	We are providing annual financial assistance of Rs 6,000 under PM Kisan Samman Nidhi Yojana. We are committed to sustained financial support for our farmers (pg.22) Strengthening Natural Farming (pg.23) Develop Digital Public Infrastructure to remove information asymmetry in agriculture and provide farmer-centric solutions and services. (pg.24) Doubling Custom Hiring Centres, expanding PM Kisan Samriddhi Kendras, ensuring high yielding seeds etc (pg.24)	Congress will give a legal guarantee to the Minimum Support Prices (MSP) announced by the government every year, as recommended by the Swaminathan Commission (pg.17) Double the funding of R & D in Agriculture in five years (p.g18). Inland fishing and aquaculture will be recognised as ‘agriculture’. (pg.19) We will increase the wage under MGNREGA to Rs.400 per day. (pg.20) The Congress guarantees a national minimum wage at Rs.400/- per day (pg.20) Promote solar-powered engines for tapping groundwater for agriculture. (pg.33)

Higher Education	We will elevate the quality of education by expanding top educational institutions and upgrading universities to global standards. We will introduce more IITs, IIMs, AIIMS and other such institutes. We will launch internship programmes to blend academic and practical skills (pg.14)	Our policies brought about rapid Industrialisation in a predominantly agrarian economy, transformed India from a famine-struck country to one that exports food grains to countries around the world, laid the scientific and technical foundations for India’s rise as a global software powerhouse, and built world class institutions in research and higher education whose graduates are seen as at par with the world’s best. (pg.3)

Job creation	We have set the example for conducting recruitment exams in a transparent manner and recruited lakhs of youth for government jobs. We will continue to fill the government vacancies in a time bound and transparent manner. We will also extend the central government capacity to states that request support in conducting recruitment examinations (pg.17)	We will fill the nearly 30 lakh vacancies in sanctioned posts at various levels in the central government. We will stipulate that vacancies in the panchayats and municipal bodies shall be filled according to a timetable agreed with state governments. (pg.11)

Free ration	We have provided free ration to 80+ crore citizens since 2020. We will continue to provide free ration for the next five years under PM Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana. (pg.11)	The list of ration card holders will be updated in all States immediately and it will be ensured that all ration card holders, including migrant workers, get their rations regularly (pg.20)

Healthcare	We have provided quality free health treatment of up to Rs 5 lakh to poor families under Ayushman Bharat. We will continue to provide free health treatment by strengthening Ayushman Bharat and other such initiatives. (pg.15) Ensuring Women’s Health and Well-Being. We will expand the existing health services focussed on the prevention and reduction of Anaemia, Breast Cancer, Cervical Cancer and Osteoporosis, ensuring a healthy life for women. We will launch a focussed initiative to eliminate cervical cancer (pg.16) We will expand the Ayushman Bharat Yojana to cover Senior Citizens and provide them access to free and quality healthcare. (pg.20)	The central government’s contribution to pensions for senior citizens, widows and persons with disabilities under the National Social Assistance Programme remains a pitiful Rs 200 – Rs 500 per month. Congress will raise this amount to Rs 1,000 per month. (pg.9) We promise that healthcare will be universal and free in public health centres such as hospitals, clinics, primary health centres, mobile healthcare units, dispensaries and health camps. Free healthcare will include examination, diagnostics, treatment, surgery, medicines, rehabilitation and palliative care. (pg.9)

Differences

	BJP	INC

EWS Reservation	Instituted 10% reservation for Economically Weaker Sections (pg.7)	The reservation of 10 per cent in jobs and educational institutions for Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) will be implemented for all castes and communities without discrimination. (pg.6) To reduce dropout rates, we will ensure that pre-matric and higher education scholarships for disadvan taged groups including SC, ST, OBC, EWS, denotified tribes and minorities are restored, increased and fully funded. (pg.13)

Women’s Reservation	Empowered women by enacting the Nari Shakti Vandan Adhiniyam to provide reservation to women in Lok Sabha and State Legislative Assemblies (pg.6)	The Constitution (106th) Amendment Act marks the BJP’s great betrayal of women. The Amendment Act contains sinister provisions that will allow the reservation of seats in the Lok Sabha and State Assemblies to come into operation only beyond 2029. Congress will delete the sinister provisions and bring the Amendment Act into force immediately. The one-third reservation for women will be applied to State Assemblies that will be elected in the next round of Assembly elections in 2025. The one-third reservation for women will also be applied to the Lok Sabha that will be elected in 2029. (pg.16)
Scope and Ambit Of Reservation	No mention	Congress will conduct a nation-wide Socio-Economic and Caste Census to enumerate the castes and sub-castes and their socio-economic conditions. Based on the data, we will strengthen the agenda for affirmative action. (pg.6) The Congress guarantees that it will pass a constitutional amendment to raise the 50 per cent cap on reservations for SC, ST and OBC. (pg.6) We will enact a law with reference to Article 15(5) of the Constitution to provide for reservation in private educational institutions for SC, ST and OBC (pg.7)


UCC and Personal law Reforms	BJP believes that there cannot be gender equality till such time Bharat adopts a Uniform Civil Code, which protects the rights of all women, and the BJP reiterates its stand to draw a Uniform Civil Code, drawing upon the best traditions and harmonising them with the modern times. (pg.54)	Congress will ensure that, like every citizen, minorities have the freedom of choice of dress, food, language and personal laws. We will encourage reform of personal laws. Such reform must be undertaken with the participation and consent of the communities concerned. (pg.8)

Religious Rights	We have embraced our rich heritage and diverse culture. Bhavya Ram Mandir in Ayodhya has rejuvenated our society. Our cultural and religious sites are being restored across the country. Our young citizens are finding a new interest in our history and heritage (pg.3) We will undertake significant new projects to develop religious and tourist sites inspired by the Kashi Vishwanath corridor model, across the length and breadth of our country. (pg.52)	Our greatest concern was the prevailing ‘climate of fear, intimidation and hatred’. In the last five years, every section of the people has lived in fear; laws and investigating agencies have been weaponised to intimidate people; and through its words and actions the BJP and its affiliates have spread hatred among people belonging to different religious, language and caste groups. (pg.4) Linguistic and religious minorities are granted human and civic rights under the Constitution of India. Congress pledges to uphold and protect these rights. (pg.7) We will respect and uphold the fundamental right to practice one’s faith and the rights guaranteed to religious minorities under Articles 15, 16, 25, 26, 28, 29 and 30 of the Constitution. (pg.8)


Federalism	We will take further steps to facilitate fiscal autonomy and sustainability of Panchayati Raj Institutions. (pg.55)	The federal structure is under attack with the central Government appropriating most of the central revenues, passing laws on subjects that were hitherto left to the state governments, and using its financial and executive powers to reduce states to municipalities. Governors of non-BJP-governed states are encouraged to paralyse the working of elected governments. Laws and investigating agencies are used to foist false cases against non-BJP leaders to force them to submit to the BJP’s will. The media has been rewarded or intimidated to become a vehicle of propaganda of the government (pg.5) We will review the distribution of legislative fields in the Seventh Schedule of the Constitution and build a consensus on transferring some fields from List III (Concurrent List) to List II (State List). (pg.35)

J&K	Revoked Article 370 leading to a significant reduction in violence in Jammu and Kashmir (pg.8)	We will immediately restore full statehood to Jammu and Kashmir. We will amend the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution to include the tribal areas of Ladakh. (pg.36)

Manipur	No Mention	The situation in Manipur has gone from bad to worse due to the callous neglect of the BJP/NDA government. Congress will remove the present state government forthwith and heal the wounds between the communities. We will appoint a Reconciliation Commission to bring about a political and administrative settlement that will be satisfactory to all the people of the state. We will ensure appropriate compensation and redress for the victims and survivors of the conflict in Manipur. (pg.37)

NCT of Delhi	No Mention	We will amend the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi Act, 1991 and declare that the Lieutenant Governor shall act on the aid and advice of the Council of Ministers of NCT, Delhi on all matters, including Services, except on matters concerning the three reserved subjects. (pg.36)

CAA	We have taken the historic step of enacting the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and will implement it to confer citizenship to all eligible persons (pg.39)	No Mention

One Nation, One Election	We have set up a High Powered Committee to examine the issues of conducting simultaneous elections and will work towards the implementation of the recommendations of the Committee (pg.55)	We reject the ‘one nation one election’ idea and we promise that elections to the Lok Sabha and the State Assemblies will be held as and when they are due in accordance with the Constitution and the traditions of a Parliamentary democracy (pg.22)

Prashant Padmanabhan is an Advocate on Record, Supreme Court of India.

{os-gal-2}

All Eyes on Election Commission as Modi Gives His Most Communal Speech in 30 Years

2024-04-22T08:37:02+00:00

The Ram Mandir has clearly not been an effective instrument to provoke Hindus enough against Muslims, as the low turnout in the first phase of the polls reflected.

New Delhi: The more one is led to believe that the Prime Minister Narendra Modi has grown out of his divisive rhetoric over time, the more one is made to go back to his days as the chief minister of Gujarat, where he shot to fame as the brand ambassador of communal hate.

Modi supporters in the middle classes speak about his vision of development and view him as the greatest leader of India, a statesman par excellence. The BJP manifesto talks about his ambition of making India “vikshit” (developed) by 2047 and the third largest economy by 2028.

Illustration: Pariplab Chakraborty

Yet, deep within, Modi and his BJP betray a sense of lack of confidence, forcing them to invoke the only consistent political card they have had since the party’s inception – anti-Muslim hate.

Until now, the Prime Minister invoked the newly-built Ram Mandir in Ayodhya as a ploy to trigger Indian Muslims, who have – in almost exemplary fashion – remained stoic in the midst of all communal attacks by the BJP. He used the Ram Mandir also to project the opposition as an anti-Hindu and pro-Muslim, in a clear attempt to polarise the Lok Sabha polls along religious lines as the opposition across the country continue to raise issues like rising unemployment, inflation, and income inequality.

Yet, it appears that the Ram Mandir issue has failed to enthuse a large section of the Hindu electorate, contrary to what the BJP had predicted earlier. It has clearly not been an effective instrument to provoke Hindus enough against Muslims, as the low turnout in the first phase of the polls reflected. The political scientist Yogendra Yadav, while talking about how livelihood issues are gradually emerging as the biggest concerns of the electorate, showed how the dip in voting percentage was greater in seats held by the BJP-led NDA than those that were won by non-NDA parties. The trend clearly indicated a lack of enthusiasm among BJP cadres.

Living up to his image of a Hindutva icon, therefore, the Prime Minister decided to give that extra push to its cynical politics, hoping that the tired Hindu-Muslim polarisation may still give it some electoral advantage like it did in the last two Lok Sabha elections.

In Rajasthan’s Banswara, Modi directly stoked Hindu communalism by stereotyping Muslims as a community that is sex-obsessed and reproduces more than any other.

Despite the fact that the former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in one of his speeches had said that the first right to India’s resources belong to the marginalised communities like Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and the minorities, the BJP has spun the sentiment often to claim that Singh believed that the country’s resources should first be distributed to Muslims.

Modi not only repeated the same falsehood once again on April 21, 2024 in his election rally but made evident his deep-rooted prejudice against Muslims, quite contrary to his claims that his government believed in everyone’s progress.

In saying that every vote to the opposition will be used to distribute wealth earned by the Hindus to Muslims who have more children and who are infiltrators, he went on to say that the Congress may even distribute Hindu women’s “mangalsutras” to Muslims. That such a statement is unbecoming of a prime minister will only be an understatement.

Recall, Modi’s famous statement in the period following the 2002 anti-Muslim riots in Gujarat where he, as the chief minister of the state, had refused to create relief shelters for Muslims, claiming that he didn’t want these shelters to become procreation centres for a community that believes in “hum do, humare pachees (we are two, we have 25)”.

He brought out the hate that he spewed then against Muslim victims of the communal riots again in Banswara where he villainised Muslim refugees as ‘infiltrators’ – in stark contrast to his government’s own law the Citizenship Amendment Act that not only welcomes non-Muslim refugees in India but also guarantees them Indian citizenship. In what got called out as cynical, the Aam Aadmi Party had recently asked the BJP whether such an Act giving out citizenship to refugees would not crowd the already shrinking space of jobs, education, and health care in India.

Given how Modi has chosen to perpetuate even greater cynicism in the polls, instead of banking on the achievements and vision of his government, many may actually begin to repeat what the AAP had asked the BJP earlier.

The BJP has fallen back to brand the opposition forces as “anti-Hindu,” and therefore, “pro-Muslim.” The opposition has hit back, saying that the prime minister’s communally-charged speech is an admission of his government’s non-performance, even as it was allegedly a diversionary tactic to deflect attention from people’s livelihood issues.

The electoral battle between political parties aside, the attention is now on the Election Commission of India and its independence. The PM’s speech was evidently filled with wrong claims and hateful remarks. Nothing could be a more clear violation of the model code of conduct that prevents political leaders and parties to exhort religion to seek votes.

Several opposition parties have complained and more are likely to send a formal complaint to the ECI. But the question remains as to whether the ECI will take any action. Will it again choose to ignore such blatant attempts to polarise the Lok Sabha polls by none other than the Prime Minister? This is the time when the ECI can allay doubts about its independence and gain some confidence in the eyes of the people.

{os-gal-1} Kajal Agarwal

Shameless Lier king Modi always speaks hate, 'Bigot': On Social Media, Outpourings of Disgust and Fear Greet PM Modi's Hate Speech

2024-04-22T08:20:03+00:00

'I think we can stop pretending now. The propaganda of hate is loud enough.'

Anger, fear and fervent pleas to not forget the secular fabric of the country flooded social media a day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi delivered one of the most direct and openly vicious attacks against Indian Muslims at an election rally in Rajasthan.

Modi and leaders of the Bharatiya Janata Party are no strangers to communal dog-whistling around polls. However, no less an authority than the prime minister naming and branding Indian Muslims as ‘infiltrators’ and peddling disinformation in falsely attributing a line to his predecessor mark a new low when it comes to hate speech.

https://twitter.com/parthpunter/status/1782106355924627892

While some noted that Modi was fulfilling his foremost promise as a political leader elected on a communal plank, many others sought to deliver quick fact-checks on Modi’s false claim that former prime minister Dr Manmohan Singh had “said that Muslims have the first right on the country’s property.”

‘There are certain social groups who are relatively badly placed’

The former prime minister’s media advisor Sanjaya Baru noted on X that Modi’s claim that Singh had said that minorities have the “first claim on resources” was something that had been refuted earlier – in 2006 – as well.

The Wire, in its report on Modi’s speech, pointed to the fact that the PMO had then said that Modi had indulged in a “deliberate and mischievous misinterpretation” of Singh’s December 9 address at the meeting of the National Development Council – the text of which is archived in a government website.

What Singh had said was: “We will have to devise innovative plans to ensure that minorities, particularly the Muslim minority, are empowered to share equitably in the fruits of development. They must have the first claim on resources.”

Immediately before this, Singh had spoken of those in the Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, other backward classes, minorities and women and children.

A year after Modi’s first attempt at distorting this phrase, at the 54th NDC meeting, on December 19, 2007, Singh took on the criticism of his line and noted why the focus of the government’s plans must be on the marginalised sections of society.

“This goal of this Plan is to invest in our people to enable them to become active participants in processes of economic growth. The Plan does not attempt to divide our people on the basis of caste, creed, gender or religion,” he said.

Then, Singh said something which encapsulated why there is need for corrective action – not at the cost of other groups:

“It is, however, a reality that there are certain social groups who are relatively badly placed on all developmental indicators. The Plan does pay special attention to the needs of these marginalised groups and targets them in a precise manner. This is, after all, the true meaning of inclusiveness. Inclusiveness does mean better targeting. And it is not at at the cost of other groups. You will all agree that if we hope to have a prosperous, equitable, just India, we must cover all groups and ensure that no one is being left behind.”

Several on social media have spread news clips that attempt to drive home this very salient point. One of them features Lallantop editor Saurabh Dwivedi delving into Singh’s original speech.

https://twitter.com/AnshumanSail/status/1782041112800334226

Whither police, whither EC?

Prominent journalists, commentators and activists have called out law enforcement for its silence over what is clearly an act of hate speech.

Activist Shabnam Hashmi asked why the Rajasthan police had not filed a first information report against the prime minister as per its constitutional duty.

https://twitter.com/ShabnamHashmi/status/1782136150582493618

Hashmi was not alone. “Can a state (Tamil Nadu, for example) police file an FIR against the PM under sections 295A and 153A for his hate speech against Muslims?” asked the commentator behind the account @m_bhimraj.

Some others called on the Election Commission to act against such a brazen violation of the Model Code of Conduct. “Please justify your tax payed salary (paid by Indian citizens) and act,” wrote one. Many more made observations on the unlikelihood of such an event ever occurring.

https://twitter.com/Jayati1609/status/1782056231584100372

‘Bigot he has always been’

Participants in this conversation – prominent journalists among them – noted how hatred had become mainstream and observed that this was the fare to be expected. Some pointed to how barebones reporting that leads with a quote from Modi’s speech itself is an act of negligence.

https://twitter.com/shreyadhan13/status/1782124414504718723

https://twitter.com/Nidhi/status/1782242045068710053

https://twitter.com/anusharavi10/status/1782051181851988000

https://twitter.com/RanaAyyub/status/1782082490586509613

https://twitter.com/ghazalawahab/status/1782250167288426758

https://twitter.com/free_thinker/status/1782119377728671804

Columnist Andy Mukherjee quoted from famed economist Prabhat Patnaik’s 2021 Boston Review piece ‘Why Neoliberalism Needs Neofascists’, on how mass support fuels fascist systems.

https://twitter.com/manuvichar/status/1782062531600875989

‘Not getting the attention he wants’

More than one journalist pointed to how resorting to such talk signified desperation from a prime minister and party which had expressed confidence in sweeping 400 seats these polls.

https://twitter.com/HartoshSinghBal/status/1782070639274176995

Outpourings of disgust accompanied notes on how the country as a whole stood to suffer from such communal expression.

“At least earlier he had the decency to outsource the brazen lies,” wrote the commentator behind the account @vaniIlaessence.

https://twitter.com/AudreyTruschke/status/1782111893773025699

Some exhorted voters to act on the basis of their knowledge of such divisive talk. Some others simply apologised to Muslim citizens.

https://twitter.com/satishacharya/status/1782248363209203930

Since 2014, 25 Opposition leaders facing corruption probe crossed over to BJP, 23 of them got reprieve

2024-04-03T09:27:01+00:00

3 cases closed, 20 stalled; officials say probe is open, will act if required.BJP Washing machine washed these leaders corruption.

The law takes its own course — unless it is nudged by politics.

Since 2014, as many as 25 prominent politicians facing action from Central agencies for alleged corruption have crossed over to the BJP. They cut across party lines: 10 are from the Congress; four each from NCP and Shiv Sena; three from TMC; two from TDP; and one each from SP and YSRCP.

In 23 of these cases, their political move has translated into reprieve, an investigation by The Indian Express has found.

Three of the cases have been closed; 20 others remain stalled or in cold storage — the investigative agency’s action, after the switch, has been, in fact, inaction. Six of the politicians on this list moved to the BJP this year alone, weeks before the general elections.

This is in sharp contrast to what happens when the accused is in the Opposition — an investigation by The Indian Express in 2022 revealed how 95 per cent of prominent politicians that the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) took action against after 2014, when the NDA came to power, were from the Opposition.

The Opposition calls it the “washing machine,” the mechanism by which politicians accused of corruption don’t face legal consequences if they quit their party and join the BJP.

Not that this is new — it’s the scale that is unprecedented.

In 2009, in the Congress-led UPA years, an investigation by The Indian Express revealed file notings to show the CBI had changed course in the corruption cases against BSP’s Mayawati and SP’s Mulayam Singh Yadav when the two leaders were being courted by the ruling UPA.

The latest set of findings show that a bulk of the Central action was focused on Maharashtra through the political turbulence of 2022 and 2023 in the state.

In 2022, the Eknath Shinde faction broke away from the Shiv Sena and formed a new government with the BJP. A year later, the Ajit Pawar faction broke away from the NCP and joined the ruling NDA coalition.

Records show that cases faced by two top leaders of the NCP faction, Ajit Pawar and Praful Patel, were subsequently closed. In all, 12 prominent politicians from Maharashtra are on the list of 25, eleven of whom switched to the BJP in 2022 or later, including four each from NCP, Shiv Sena and Congress.

Some of these cases present a stark picture:

* In the case of Ajit Pawar, the Mumbai Police’s Economic Offences Wing (EOW) filed a closure report in October 2020 when he was part of the previous MVA government, sought to reopen the case once the BJP returned to power, and closed the file again in March this year after he joined the NDA. The ED’s case against Pawar, based on the EOW action, has since been rendered infructuous.

* Then there are cases that remain open but just in name, with no notable progress. For instance, the CBI has been waiting since 2019 for sanction from the Lok Sabha Speaker to prosecute West Bengal Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari – he was an MP at the time of the alleged offence — in the Narada sting operation case. Adhikari switched from TMC to BJP in 2020.

* The cases against Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and former Maharashtra Chief Minister Ashok Chavan are also stuck. Biswa faced CBI questioning and raids in 2014, in the Saradha chit fund scam, but the case against him has not moved since 2015 when he joined the BJP. Chavan joined the BJP this year even as a stay by the Supreme Court is in place over proceedings by the CBI and ED in the Adarsh Housing case.

In just two of the 25 cases — of former Congress MP Jyoti Mirdha and former TDP MP YS Chowdary — there is no evidence of a let-up by the ED even after the two leaders joined the BJP. At least, not yet.

The CBI, ED and Income Tax Department did not respond to questions from The Indian Express seeking comments on the latest findings.

However, a CBI official said that all the agency’s probes are “based on evidence”. “As and when evidence is found, appropriate action is taken.” When asked about the cases where the agency seems to have changed course once the accused has changed parties, the official said: “In some cases, action is delayed for various reasons. But they are open.”

An ED official said its cases are based on FIRs by other agencies. “If other agencies close their case, it becomes difficult for ED to proceed further. Yet, we have filed chargesheets in many such cases. In cases where the probe is on, action will be taken when required,” the official said, when asked about the flip-flops.

Pawar, Patel, Adhikari, Sarma… how some cases were closed, others sent to cold storage

FROM closing the case to putting it in cold storage — this is how the Enforcement Directorate, CBI and IT Department changed course once the accused changed their party and moved over to the ruling BJP, reveals an investigation of the chronology of case records by The Indian Express.

CLOSING THE CASE

Ajit Pawar.

Ajit Pawar: Mumbai probe shut, case hits dead end

Party Shift: NCP, shifted to BJP-led NDA in 2023

The Case: The Economic Offences Wing (EOW)’s FIR against Ajit Pawar, Sharad Pawar and others, in a case of money laundering linked to alleged irregularities in Maharashtra State Cooperative Bank, was based on a Bombay High Court order of August 2019. The ED’s probe that followed also named Congress leaders Jayant Patil, Diliprao Deshmukh and the late Madan Patil; NCP’s Ishwarlal Jain and Shivaji Rao Nalawade; and Shiv Sena’s Anandrao Adsul.

Also Read | How probe pivots on political flip-flops in the case of Ajit Pawar

Chronology of Flip-Flop

August 2019: Mumbai Police’s EOW registers FIR
September 2019: ED begins probe based on FIR
October 2020: EOW files closure report, ED challenges it
April 2022: ED files chargesheet without naming Pawar
June 2022: Sena splits, Shinde faction forms NDA govt with BJP
October 2022: Mumbai EOW seeks further probe based on ED evidence
July 2023: Pawar joins NDA govt as Dy CM
January 2024: EOW files second closure report
Current Status: ED has filed intervention application in court on EOW closure

***

Praful Patel addressing a press conference.

Praful Patel: Safe landing after turbulence

Party Shift: NCP, shifted to BJP-led NDA in 2023

The Case: The former civil aviation minister is being probed by CBI and ED for alleged corruption in the purchase of 111 aircraft by Air India as well as in the AI-Indian Airlines merger. The allegations involve ceding of profitable routes to foreign airlines, opening of training institutes with foreign investment, and ties with lobbyist Deepak Talwar. The FIRs do not list Patel as an accused but mention his name.

Chronology of Flip-Flop

May 2017: CBI files FIRs in Air India-Indian Airlines merger
May 2019: ED names Patel in its chargesheet
June 2023: Patel joins NDA
March 2024: CBI files closure report
Current Status: Closure pending in court

***

Pratap Sarnaik

Pratap Sarnaik: 2 yrs after SOS letter, case closed

Party Shift: Shiv Sena, shifted to BJP-led NDA in 2022

Party Shift: Shiv Sena, joined BJP-led NDA in 2022
The Case: The ED raids were related to a 2020 money laundering case in which the Yavatmal-Washim MP and her aide are among those accused of allegedly siphoning funds from a trust where irregularities of upto Rs 17 crore were found. The ED also attached an office building in Mumbai worth Rs 3.75 crore allegedly linked to the aide Saeed Khan.

Chronology of Flip-Flop

August 2021: ED searches premises linked to her
September 2021: ED arrests her aide
November 2021: ED files chargesheet against Trust and aide
June 2022: Joins NDA with Shinde
Current Status: No supplementary chargesheet filed

***

Yamini and Yashwant Jadhav

Yamini & Yashwant Jadhav: Taxing times over as probe stalls

Party Shift: Shiv Sena, joined BJP-led NDA in 2022

The Case: MLA Yamini and her husband Yashwant, a corporator, are under investigation by multiple agencies, including ED. The ED is probing at least six companies allegedly linked to them and their family members for alleged violations of the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA). A key case relates to unsecured loans received by the Jadhavs, their family members and others known to them from one of those companies. In 2022, the tax department attached more than 40 properties allegedly linked to them.

Chronology of Flip-Flop

February 2022: I-T raids premises linked to her and husband
May 2022: ED summons husband after registering case
June 2022: Joins NDA with Shinde
Current Status: No progress in case

***

CM Ramesh

C M Ramesh: Inaction after shift

Party Shift: TDP, joined BJP in 2019
The Case: In October 2018, the I-T department raided premises associated with the company of then TDP MP, alleging irregularities of Rs 100 crore. Incidentally, following the I-T raids, he was among those against whom BJP MP GVL Narasimha Rao wrote to the Parliament’s ethics committee seeking disqualification for earning the “dubious title of ‘Andhra Mallyas’ with massive financial scandals”.

Chronology of Flip-Flop

October 2018: Faces IT raid
June 2019: Joins BJP
Current Status: No action reported since

***

Raninder Singh

Raninder Singh: Under Amarinder’s shadow

Party Shift: Congress, son of Amarinder Singh who joined BJP in 2021

The Case: Raninder Singh, the son of former Punjab CM Captain Amarinder Singh, is being probed by ED for alleged FEMA violations linked to an I-T probe. He appeared before the ED in 2016. In March 2018, the CBI questioned Gurpal Singh, Amarinder Singh’s son-in-law over an alleged loan fraud of around Rs 98 crore by Simbhaoli Sugars, where Gurpal was deputy general manager. Based on the CBI FIR, the ED registered a money laundering case and attached mill assets of Rs 110 crore in July 2019.

Chronology of Flip-Flop

November 2020: Raninder questioned by ED
November 2021: Father Amarinder quits Congress
September 2022: Amarinder joins BJP
Current Status: No progress in case

***

Sanjay Seth

Sanjay Seth: Case stalls, RS call

Party Shift: SP, joined BJP in 2019
The Case: In 2015, the I-T Department raided the offices of Shalimar Corp connected to Seth. Following UP Governor’s objection to Seth’s name for MLC polls, SP sent him to Rajya Sabha in 2016. Considered close to Mulayam Singh Yadav’s family, Seth is said to have been instrumental in forging the SP-BSP alliance in 2019. In the recent Rajya Sabha polls, Seth was BJP’s surprise pick.

Party Shift: Congress, joined BJP in 2022
The Case: The former Goa Chief Minister has been facing an ED probe in the Louis Berger scam since 2015. The ED attached properties worth close to Rs 2 crore belonging to Kamat and NCP leader Churchill Alemao. In September 2022, Kamat led a group of eight Congress MLAs to the BJP.

Party Shift: Congress, joined NCP and BJP-led NDA in 2024
The Case: In May 2017, ED conducted searches at premises associated with Mumbai Congress leader Baba Siddique in connection with a case of irregularities in a slum redevelopment project in the city. In 2018, ED also attached assets worth over Rs 450 crore of a developer involved in the case.

Chronology of Flip-Flop

May 2017: ED searches premises
February 2024: Joins Ajit Pawar’s NCP
Current Status: Probe on

***

WAITING TO BLINK

Jyoti Mirdha

Jyoti Mirdha: Kin face more action

Party Shift: Congress, joined BJP in 2023
The Case: The ED is probing Indiabulls in multiple cases including the Yes Bank case, one related to alleged artificial inflation of share prices and a complaint by Shipra group of usurping its properties. Indiabulls promoter Sameer Gehlaut is the brother of Mirdha’s husband Narendra Gehlaut.

Chronology

March 2020: ED summons kin and Indiabulls promoter Sameer Gehlot in Yes Bank case
April 2021: ED books Indiabulls in another case of alleged inflated share prices
February 2022: ED raids Indiabulls premises
September 2022: Delhi HC quashes ED’s share prices case
October 2022: ED moves SC against HC order, does not get relief
April 2023: ED books Indiabulls in fresh case
September 2023: Jyoti Mirdha joins BJP
February 2024: ED raids Indiabulls
Current Status: Probe on

***

YS ‘Sujana’ Chowdary

Sujana Chowdary: Chargesheet still in place

Party Shift: TDP, joined BJP in 2019
The Case: The former Union minister and ex-MP is being probed in three FIRs. These FIRs allege that Best and Crompton Engineering Projects Ltd (BCEPL) — which agencies claim belong to Chowdary — fraudulently obtained loans worth over Rs 360 crore from a consortium of banks and defaulted.

Chronology

April 2016: ED books firm allegedly linked to him
October 2018: ED raids Chowdary
April 2019: ED attaches Rs 315 crore worth assets
June 2019: Joins BJP, but chargesheeted
Current Status: Case committed to trial

by contribution Indian Express daring

{os-gal-1} Kajal Agarwal

Supreme Court Blasts Ramdev, Patanjali Ayurved, Pulls Up Centre: Top Quotes By SC Judges

2024-04-02T11:23:05+00:00

The Supreme Court on Tuesday blasted Patanjali Ayurved and Baba Ramdev over the contents of "unconditional apology" affidavits.

Baba Ramdev who was present in the court tendered "unconditional apology" before the Supreme Court for violating court's order for misleading advertisements of Patanjali's medicinal products and making disparaging statements about modern medicines. The top court however, expressed great displeasure at his submissions which it said was merely a lip service.

The court, after initially saying that it wants to see contempt proceedings against Ramdev to its logical conclusion, gave one last chance to Ramdev and Patanjali to file an affidavit in the case.

A bench of Justice Hima Kohli and Justice Ahsanuddin Amanullah presided over the case and made several critical remarks and observations. As the top court has granted last opportunity to Baba Ramdev and Acharya Balkrishna to file a proper response and posted the case for further hearing to April 10, here are top quotes from the judges of the Supreme Court in IMA's case against Baba Ramdev.

1) "You cannot write anything and get away. Sorry we are not so magnanimous, " Supreme Court bench told Ramdev's lawyer on the language used by Ramdev in his affidavit. "We will not accept your apology," Justice Hima Kohli said.

2) "This is all humbug!" Justice Amanullah remarked on the contents of the apology letter, "you say 'if the court feels...' We cannot look into your heart!" He censured Ramdev and Patanjali MD for the so-called "unconditional apology."

3) "Being the co-founder of the organisation, we refuse to believe that he was not aware...you holding the press conference within 24 hours shows that you were cognisant." The bench said Ramdev's lawyer said he was not informed about undertaking given in the Supreme Court when he held the press conference over which the Supreme Court issued contempt of court notice.

4) "Absolute Defiance," Justice Amanullah said on Ramdev's conduct. He said that a reference was made to the Supreme Court's order, in the press conference, "which means that you were fully aware of that."

5) Reprimanding Ramdev's counsel for the way affidavits were filed, Justice Hima Kohli said, "Not just the Supreme Court, every order passed by the courts across this country has to be respected."

6) "Sometimes, some matters have to be taken to their logical conclusion," Justice Kohli told Ramdev's lawyer and said that the court does not have Ramdev's affidavit and it is of the opinion that contempt of court proceedings have to be initiated against Ramdev and Patanjali.

At this point Ramdev's counsel Balbir Singh begged the court, "I cannot run away from this court. Can I read a few paragraphs? Can I say with folded hands that the gentleman is present in the Court and the Court may record his apology."

7) "We are not here to teach lessons," Justice Hima Kohli said that if Patanjali and Ramdev have made tall claims over research they owe a greater explanation, not just to the public but to the Court.

8) "We are wondering why the Union Of India chose to keep their eyes shut?" the bench remarked on Centre's conduct in the entire case. Justice Kohli while responding to Solicitor General Tushar Mehta appearing for Centre said that the Centre's AYUSH ministry has a lot to explain.

9) Justice Kohli remarked that a lot remains to be said on Coronil.

"We have questions for AYUSH. You issued notice to Patanjali and they filed a reply and reply is not before us and we are wondering why. COVID was in 2022 and you had yourself stated that these were at best a supplement to the main medicine. This was not publicised at all. Nothing could move without the Central go-ahead during COVID and you did nothing to make this known," she observed.

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After Gujarat MP’s ‘anti-Rajput’ barb, Haryana leader’s ‘anti-Brahmin’ remark puts BJP in tight spot

2024-04-02T07:16:24+00:00

Gurugram: After Union Minister Parshottam Rupala’s comments which have ruffled the feathers of the Kshatriyas in Gujarat, BJP’s Ranjit Singh Chautala in Haryana is now in the soup over his purported comments blaming the Brahmins for the caste system in the country.

Chautala, the BJP candidate from Hisar, has now been given a ‘deadline’ of 4 April to apologise for making such a statement or face consequences. Brahmins in Haryana comprise 5 to 6 percent of the state’s population, according to various estimates.

An Independent MLA from Rania constituency in Sirsa, Chautala is a Minister for Power and Jails in Nayab Singh Saini’s Haryana cabinet. His candidature from Hisar was announced on 25 April when he had joined the BJP.

Chautala, the brother of former Haryana chief minister Om Prakash Chautala, is now facing the flak from the District Brahmin Sabha that held a meeting Sunday.

In a video clip, Chautala purportedly says in Hindi that the caste system was unnecessarily handed over by the Brahmins to the society due to which riots and scuffle keep happening. ThePrint could not independently verify the veracity of the video.

“The BJP candidate has tried to spread the poison of the caste system through his comments. The Brahmin community has always worked towards uniting society by bringing people irrespective of their castes and creeds together. But Ranjit Chautala’s comments have enraged the community,” Raj Kumar Bhardwaj, President of the Zila Brahmin Sabha, Hisar, told The Print Sunday.

“The Brahmin community condemns his comments and unless he publicly apologises, we will keep opposing Chautala at political and social levels.”

At a meeting Sunday in Hisar, the Sabha has decided that community leaders from across the state will assemble in Hisar on 4 April to take a “big” decision against the BJP candidate if he does not apologise for his comments.

Contacted by ThePrint, Chautala explained that it was a casual conversation on what is described in the history of the caste system in the country and added that he had no intention of hurting anyone’s sentiments.

He said he had already clarified that if his comments hurt the sentiments of any community, he would take back his words.

“I have deep respect for the Brahmin community. No new project, whether social, political, or at the family level is complete in my family unless we call a Brahmin for the usual rituals,” Chautala added.Earlier, Union Minister Parshottam Rupala had stirred a controversy with his comments on the Rajput community. Rupala, the BJP ticket from Rajkot in Gujarat, had on 22 March said that Kshatriya rulers from princely states had yielded to foreign rulers.Rupala has since apologised for his comments, but the members of Rajput community are demanding that he be replaced by the BJP.

{os-gal-1} Kajal Agarwal

'Electoral Bond Issue Biggest Scam In World': Sitharaman's Husband Says BJP Govt Will Be 'Severely Punished'

2024-03-28T10:58:16+00:00

New Delhi: Parakala Prabhakar, a distinguished economist and the husband of Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, expressed his views on the controversial issue of electoral bonds, suggesting that it will have significant repercussions for the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.

Prabhakar, in an interview with Reporter TV, said that the electoral bond matter would escalate further in importance beyond its current state and stated that the public is increasingly realising that it is not only India's but also the world's most significant “scam”. Prabhakar predicted that as a consequence of this issue, the government will face severe electoral consequences.

Speaking to Reporter TV, he said, “The electoral bond issue will gain much more momentum than what it is today. It will become a major issue. Everybody is now understanding that it is not only the biggest scam in India but is the biggest scam in the world. Now the fight is not between two alliances but between the BJP and the people of India. It has already spun out of the control of the BJP and the BJP government. Because of this issue, this government will be severely punished by the electorate.”

https://twitter.com/INCKerala/status/1772893515598741979

Following directives from the Supreme Court, the Election Commission of India (ECI) published data on electoral bonds on its official website. According to this data, BJP led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi emerged as the primary beneficiary of electoral bonds, receiving Rs 6,986.5 crore between April 12, 2019, and February 15, 2024. Trinamool Congress, the ruling party in West Bengal, followed with Rs 1,397 crore, while the Congress received Rs 1,334 crore, and the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) received Rs 1,322 crore.

In February, the Supreme Court invalidated the Electoral Bond Scheme initiated by the Central Government, which allowed anonymous funding to political parties. The court's ruling mandated the State Bank of India (SBI) to cease the issuance of Electoral Bonds immediately.

Meanwhile, the Opposition has consistently accused the BJP of benefiting disproportionately from the electoral bonds, with allegations of the ruling party reciprocating through quid pro quo arrangements with corporates.

{os-gal-1} Kajal Agarwal

What Is Telangana Phone Tapping Case? Key Points To Know

2024-03-27T07:56:50+00:00

The allegations of phone tapping during the previous BRS government in Telangana on Tuesday ignited a fierce debate, prompting calls for a thorough investigation by the Congress government and assertions from the BJP regarding phone tapping during the 2019 LS elections.

Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) leader and former minister E. Dayakar Rao on Tuesday denied allegations that he along with a police official involved in the case illegally detained a businessman and extorted Rs 50 lakh. He also denied any involvement in the phone tapping case, in which three police officials have been arrested.

What Is Phone Tapping Case?

The controversy centers around accusations of widespread phone tapping of political leaders, notably Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy, during the tenure of the previous Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) administration under K Chandrashekar Rao. The scandal surfaced following the arrest of the suspended DSP of Special Intelligence Bureau (SIB) Praneeth Rao on March 13, allegedly for his involvement in unauthorized profiling of individuals, illegal phone tapping, and destruction of computer systems and official data. Subsequently, the Telangana government suspended him from duty.

Accusations Unveiled

Praneeth Rao's arrest ensued after a complaint filed by an additional superintendent of police of the SIB, resulting in a case registered against Rao and accomplices at Panjagutta police station. The charges encompass criminal breach of trust, destruction of evidence, and criminal conspiracy. Additionally, it is alleged that the intelligence team extorted money from businessmen and eradicated all traces of their illicit activities, including digital and physical evidence.

Targets of Surveillance

Reports indicate that over 1,00,000 phone calls were unlawfully intercepted. Beyond Chief Minister Reddy, investigators suspect that members of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Congress, and even BRS leadership may have been under surveillance. The accused allegedly collected intelligence on political fundraising activities. Furthermore, individuals implicated in the scandal reportedly monitored various Telugu actors and businessmen, utilizing obtained information for purposes of blackmail.

Who Is Saran Chowdary?

Saran Chowdary is BJP State Executive Member who filed a complaint against Ex DCP Radhakrishna and TS Umamaheswara Rao. BRS leader Dayakar Rao also claimed that he does not know who Saran Chowdary is. He claimed that Saran Chowdary was suspended from BJP following allegations of land grabbing against him and allegedly cheated NRIs. The former BRS minister said Saran Chowdary has several cases against him as he was allegedly involved in encroachments by creating fake documents.

Dayakar Rao said that he was into politics for 40 years but never faced any allegation. He also denied any links with Praneeth Rao, the suspended DSP of Special Intelligence Bureau (SIB) arrested in a phone tapping case.

Political Slugfest

Reacting to the row, Union Minister and BJP Telangana President G Kishan Reddy demanded a judicial inquiry into the allegations of phone tapping. Alleging that phones of not only politicians but also officials and businessmen were tapped by some police officers who acted "like a mafia", he urged police officials to act comprehensively in the matter. KT Rama Rao, working president of the BRS party, accused Chief Minister Revanth Reddy of distracting the public from issues by selectively leaking information that phone tapping was done during the previous BRS government to certain media channels. The Telangana Congress cited some news reports asked them to see that the entire administration is “clean and a strict warning be given to officers of all the departments to restrain themselves from malpractices and corruption.

{os-gal-1} Kajal Agarwal

BJP Got 93% of Bonds Before 2019 Lok Sabha Polls, Congress 3.2%, MK Jalan Top Donor to Parties

2024-03-25T11:01:05+00:00

About this time, exactly five years ago, what did bond funding to parties readying to spend on elections look like? Between April 12 and May 10, 2019, 13 political parties received a total of Rs 2,902.87 crore in electoral bonds, of which the BJP alone received Rs 2,719.32 crore.

Kolkata-based industrialist Mahendra Kumar Jalan’s firms and Hyderabad-based Megha Engineering and Infrastructure Limited were the top donors to political parties ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.
Real estate conglomerate DLF group (DLF Commercial Developers Limited and DLF Luxury Homes Limited) gave Rs 25 crore to the BJP before the elections. They had been under a cloud for a deal with former Congress president Sonia Gandhi’s son-in-law Robert Vadra’s company.
Piramal Group, in which Reliance’s Mukesh Ambani’s son-in-law Anand Piramal is a director, donated to both Congress and the BJP.
Welspun Enterprises-firm linked to Adani donated to Congress before the 2019 elections.
Hyderabad-based firms, including Dr Reddy’s, were top donors to Bharat Rashtra Samithi.
Kolkata- and Maharashtra-based firms were top donors to the Aam Aadmi Party, Nationalist Congress Party, and Rashtriya Janata Dal.

New Delhi: Between April 12 and May 10, 2019, 13 political parties received a total of Rs 2,902.87 crore in electoral bonds, of which the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) alone received Rs 2,719.32 crore or 93% of the total donations.

Other parties who received bonds included the Congress that received just 3.2% or a total of Rs 95.29 crore.

Kolkata-based industrialist Mahendra Kumar Jalan’s firms and Hyderabad-based Megha Engineering and Infrastructure Limited (MEIL) were the top donors to political parties ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, data released by the Election Commission of India on March 21 has revealed.

The All India Trinamool Congress (TMC) received Rs 36.2 crore, the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) received Rs 13.6 crore, the Samajwadi Party received Rs 10 crore, and the Shiv Sena received Rs 8.45 crore.

In addition, the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) received Rs 6.76 crore. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), and Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) received Rs 2 crore each. The Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) got Rs 1.5 crore, and the Janata Dal (United) received Rs 1 crore. Jammu and Kashmir’s National Conference received Rs 50 lakh.

Jalan’s firms, MEIL, DLF group top BJP donors before 2019 polls

While the BJP received a total of Rs 2,719.32 crores before the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, its top donor during this period was Mahendra Jalan’s firms.

Jalan’s Madanlal Limited gave Rs 175.5 crore, while Keventer Food Park Infra Limited gave Rs 144.5 crore and MKJ Enterprises Limited gave Rs 14.42 crore.

The second highest donor to the BJP is MEIL, owned by P.V. Krishna Reddy and P.P. Reddy. It alone donated Rs 125 crore to the BJP between April and May 2019.

The Wire earlier reported that the income tax department conducted “inspection” at its offices in October 2019. Subsequently, the company donated Rs 980 crore as electoral bonds and also received key government projects.

Other top donors to the BJP in this period include Vedanta Limited that donated Rs 52.65 crore to the party, Essel Mining and Industries Limited that donated Rs 50 crores, and Bajaj Group and PHL Fininvest Private Limited that donated Rs 40 crore each. Industrialist Laxmi Niwas Mittal gave Rs 35 crore while Sun Pharma Laboratories Limited gave Rs 31.5 crore.

Notably, real estate conglomerate DLF group (DLF Commercial Developers Limited and DLF Luxury Homes Limited) paid Rs 25 crore to the BJP in this period. They only paid the BJP.

Scroll.in reports that in January 2019, DLF offices were searched by the Central Bureau of Investigation for alleged irregularities in a land allocation case. The payment of Rs 25 crore took place between April and May 2019. The group had been under a cloud after a Haryana officer called off a land deal it had struck with former Congress president Sonia Gandhi’s son-in-law Robert Vadra’s Sky Light for 3.5 acres on September 18, 2012, triggering a public outcry. The BJP’s state government in Haryana also initiated action. In April last year, the high court was told that no law was violated.

Meanwhile, the Piramal Group, in which Reliance’s Mukesh Ambani’s son-in-law Anand Piramal is a director, gave Rs 20 crore to the BJP through Piramal Capital and Housing Finance Limited and Piramal Enterprises Limited.

Congress got the most bonds from Jalan, firms linked to Adani

Ahead of the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the Congress received a paltry 3.2% of the total bonds received, i.e., Rs 95.29 crore. Of this, the highest amount of Rs 20 crore came from Jalan’s Keventer Food Park Infra Limited and Rs 10 crore came from Madanlal Limited.

Former Congress president Rahul Gandhi has accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of favouring the business interests of billionaire Gautam Adani. Data shows that the party encashed Rs 8 crore from firms linked to Adani.

The party received a total of Rs 8 crore before the 2019 elections from Welspun Corp Limited and Welspun Enterprises Limited. A press release on Adani Enterprises’ website, dated April 2021, talks about gas exploration in the Mumbai offshore block by Adani Welspun Exploration Limited – a joint venture between the Adani group and Welspun Enterprises Ltd with 65:35 holdings.

Congress also received Rs 5 crore from Piramal Group’s PRL Developers Private Limited. Other top donors to the Congress include Bharati Airtel that donated Rs 8 crore, MEIL that gave Rs 5 crore, and Mumbai-based Modern Road Makers Private Limited that gave Rs 6 crore.

Cement manufacturing giant from the North-East, Star Cement Meghalaya Limited also gave Rs 4.5 crore to the Congress.

At the time of receiving these bonds, the party held governments in Punjab, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, Manipur, and Chhattisgarh.

Jalan’s Keventer and ITC among top TMC donors

The TMC, which has received the second highest electoral bonds in the last five years, and saw its fortunes rising after the 2021 assembly elections, also benefited from Jalan’s firms before the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.

Jalan’s Keventer Food Park Infra Limited was the top donor to the party before the 2019 Lok Sabha elections and gave a total of Rs 20 crore of the total Rs 36.20 crore that the party received during this period.

Other top donors to the TMC include the largest carbon manufacturer in the country – Philips Carbon Black Limited. It gave Rs 5 crore to the party. Kolkata based-ITC Limited gave Rs 4.95 crore to the party during this period.

Jalan’s firms also donated to Samajwadi Party and Shiromani Akali Dal

While the Samajwadi Party only encashed bonds worth Rs 10 crore, all of them came from Jalan’s Keventer Food Park Infra Limited.

Shiv Sena, which encashed bonds worth Rs 8.45 crore, received the most from Piramal Group’s PRL Developers Private Limited at Rs 5 crore.

Shiromani Akali Dal, which received a total of Rs 6.76 crore, got Rs 50 lakh from Jalan’s Keventer Food Park Infra Limited.

The party also received Rs 5 crore from Chandigarh-based Fastway Transmissions Private Limited and Rs 1 crore from Bharti Airtel subsidiary Bharti Infratel Limited, which has also given Rs 1 crore to the Janata Dal (United) during this period.

Hyderabad-based firms, including Dr Reddy’s, top donors to BRS

The Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS), then the Telangana Rashtra Samithi, received Rs 13.6 crore before the 2019 polls, of which, Rs 7 crore came from Hyderabad-based Dr Reddy’s Laboratories Limited.

Other top donors to the party include Hyderabad-based energy holding company Mytrah Energy (India) Private Limited (Rs 5 crore) that was acquired by JSW Energy last year. An additional Rs 1.6 crore was received from ITC Limited.

Kolkata- and Maharashtra-based firms were top donors to AAP, NCP, RJD

AAP received Rs 2 crore during this period, including Rs 1 crore from Maharashtra-based BG Shirke Construction Technology. This real estate giant is also the 13th highest donor to all political parties over the past five years.

AAP also received Rs 1 crore from Torrent Pharmaceuticals Limited – which is the tenth highest donor to all political parties and donated a total of Rs 184 crore during the last five years.

The News Minute reported that Torrent group’s chairman emeritus Sudhir Mehta is considered close to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The NCP received a total of Rs 2 crore before the 2019 elections from Kolkata-based Ambuja Housing and Urban Infrastructure Limited.

National Conference received Rs 50 lakhs from Bharti Airtel.

The DMK received Rs 2 crore from Mumbai-based Modern Road Makers Private Limited during this period.

The RJD received Rs 1.5 crore before the last Lok Sabha elections from top donors like Kolkata-based Quality Maintenance Venture Limited (Rs 50 lakh), along with NCR-based Richa and Co (Rs 50 lakh) and Sarita Handa Exports Private Limited (Rs 30 lakh).

{os-gal-4}