Government ready for discussion on chopper deal: Antony

February 19, 2013

indian_defence

New Delhi, Feb 19: The government has nothing to hide in the chopper controversy and is prepared for a discussion in parliament, Defence Minister A.K. Antony said Tuesday.

"Our hands are very clean and we have nothing to worry. The government has nothing to hide and we will explain everything to parliament," Antony told reporters here.

Asserting that government will punish the guilty, he said: "Our priority is to find the truth and punish the guilty through due process of law. We will proceed as per law once the CBI report is out. I don't want to jump to any conclusion."

Expressing sadness over the chopper controversy, the defence minister said: "I am sad that in spite of all precautions this has still happened and we will blacklist companies."

Denying any rift among government on the scrapping of chopper deal, Antony said: "There are no differences in government in dealing with the chopper deal issue. The whole government is acting together."

Asked about demands of his resignation by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Antony said he is getting ready for the parliament session.

A team of CBI and defence ministry officials left for Italy Monday to get more information on the alleged kickbacks in the $750mn (Rs.3,600 crore) chopper deal.

The defence ministry had last week initiated action for cancellation of the chopper contract.

It also issued a formal show-cause notice to AgustaWestland to explain within a week why the contract should not be cancelled.

The matter came to light after Italian agencies arrested Finmeccanica CEO Giuseppe Orsi for suspected corruption to seal the deal.

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Air India bidders need to absorb $3.3 bn debt to buy carrier

News Network

January 27,2020

Jan 27: Bidders for Air India Ltd. will need to absorb $3.26 billion of its debt, as Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s administration tries once again to sell the national carrier.

The entire company will be sold but effective control needs to stay with Indian nationals, according to preliminary terms published Monday. Bids are invited by March 17 with Ernst & Young LLP India as transaction adviser.

Air India, which started in 1932 as a mail carrier before winning commercial popularity, saw its fortunes fade with the emergence of cutthroat low-cost competition. The state-run airline has been unprofitable for over a decade and is saddled with more than $8 billion in debt.

Indian regulations allow a foreign airline to buy as much as 49% of a local carrier, while overseas investors other than airlines can buy an entire carrier. The government didn’t find a single bidder when it tried to sell Air India in 2018.

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PM Modi joins Ram temple bhoomi poojan rituals

Agencies

August 5,2020

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is in Ayodhya to lay the foundation of the Ram temple. He participated in the bhoomi poojan rituals at the temple site and offered prayers. He will shortly lay the foundation of the temple with a sliver brick.

From Varanasi to Tamil Nadu, many devotees have sent gifts for the ceremony, like silver bricks and coins.

Special prayers were started on Monday and will culminate with the PM laying the foundation stone for the temple. The city has been decorated with paintings depicting scenes from the Ramayana. The Uttar Pradesh government has also made elaborate security arrangement for the event.

Apart from the state police, the NSG commandos have also been kept on stand-by. The invitations for the ceremony have been kept limited due to the coronavirus pandemic. Veteran BJP leaders LK Advani and Murli Manohar Joshi will witness the event from New Delhi via video-conferencing.

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'His father dropped bombs in India,' says Digvijaya on Padmi Shri given to Adnan Sami

News Network

February 3,2020

Indore, Feb 3: Senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh on Sunday attacked the Centre for conferring the Padma Shri on Pakistan-origin singer Adnan Sami, who became an Indian citizen in 2016.

Addressing "Save the Constitution, Save the Country" rally here in Madhya Pradesh, Singh said Sami's father had "pounded India with bombs" when he was serving with the Pakistani Air Force (PAF).

"Since Sami is an artist who has come from Pakistan, I had recommended his case to the Indian government for citizenship. He has got Indian citizenship under the Modi government," the Congress leader said, adding that he never made any recommendation to the government for conferring Padma Shri on Sami.

He said Sami's father had "dropped bombs against us" while flying a Pakistan Air Force combat plane.

"In contrast, Indian Army officer Sanaullah of Assam, who had fought against the enemy, was sent to a detention camp for failing to show documents (during the Assam NRC exercise). This is the citizenship law of the Modi government," he said.

Sami, born in London to a Pakistani Air force veteran, applied for Indian citizenship in 2015 and became a citizen of the country in January 2016.

He was one of the 118 people chosen for the Padma Shri awards by the Centre last month.

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Nowadays, Modi is uttering Pakistan even in his dream, while putting the India & Indians on the fence.

BSF Officer Sanaullah was deprived of his basic rights and put in the detention center while Adnan Sami was granted citizenship and conferred with prestigious "Padma Shri" Award. Really, Modi & Amit Shah duos doesn't know what they are doing in India.....what a bizzare!!!

Nowadays, Modi is uttering Pakistan even in his dream, while putting the India & Indians on the fence.