'If honest, Modi should not fear CBI probe in Rafale Deal, Says Arvind Kejriwal

Agencies
October 28, 2018

Jaipur, Oct 28: Aam Aadmi Party national convenor Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday targeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi over alleged corruption in the multi-crore Rafale jet deal with France, saying he should not fear a CBI probe if he is honest.

Referring to the Union government's mid-night decision to send CBI chief Alok Verma on indefinite leave last week, Kejriwal claimed Verma was "suspended" as Modi feared he was to register an FIR in connection with the deal and launch an investigation.

"It is Rs 36,000-crore fighter aircraft scam. An honest CBI chief was removed at 3 am as he wanted to lodge FIR against the prime minister the next morning. The prime minister should not be afraid of a CBI probe if he is honest," Kejriwal said at a public meeting in Jaipur in poll-bound Rajasthan.

His supporters chanted that Modi is a "thief".

Verma was sent on leave after a feud erupted between him and his deputy, Special Director Rakesh Asthana, with the government saying the decision was taken to protect institutional integrity of the agency.

The government has also repeatedly denied allegations of corruption in the Rafale deal.

Referring to himself, Kejriwal said the people of New Delhi can proudly say that their chief minister is honest. Can they say the prime minister is "honest", he asked the crowd?

"The CBI conducted a raid at my residence. I cooperated with the sleuths, offered them tea and sweets. All they found were four mufflers. People of the New Delhi can proudly say their chief minister is honest," he said.

Kejriwal asked the people whether they have got a quality education, better healthcare, free water and cheaper electricity under the rule of the BJP or the Congress, whom they have voted to power in Rajasthan alternately in recent elections.

Making a case for his AAP, he suggested to the people that they should vote for the party, like the people of Delhi have done, and dislodge both BJP and Congress from governance in Rajasthan.

"We do not vote to make any party win but to defeat the other. BJP and Congress had done a setting in New Delhi to loot people but the people threw both the national parties out of power and it can happen in Rajasthan as well," Kejriwal said.

He claimed the AAP government in Delhi has done what the two national parties could not do in 70 years.

The success rate of Delhi government-run schools was 10 per cent better than private schools, people get free medicines, treatment, water under government schemes and cheaper electricity, he said.

Talking about farm distress, he criticised Centre's crop loan insurance scheme, saying it was meant to benefit insurance firms and not farmers.

"Crop insurance scheme is a scheme to loot farmers. Premium amount is directly deducted from their bank accounts, and when it comes to raising claims farmers have to run from pillar to post," he alleged, seeking an end to the central government scheme.

The party, which will be contesting the assembly election, scheduled on December 7, for the first time in the state, on Sunday also released its draft manifesto and sought suggestions from people.

Kejriwal said people decide the fate of democracy and AAP would work for the betterment of all sections of society.

Comments

jamal
 - 
Monday, 29 Oct 2018

But, blind people will vote for BJP, SDPI, JDS etc...

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News Network
July 24,2020

New Delhi, Jul 24: India reported the highest single-day spike of 49,310 coronavirus cases on Friday, according to the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

The total COVID-19 positive cases stand at 12,87,945 including 4,40,135 active cases, 8,17,209 cured/discharged/migrated.
With 740 deaths in the last 24 hours, the cumulative toll reached 30,601.

Maharashtra has reported 3,47,502 coronavirus cases, the highest among states and Union Territories in the country. A total of 1,92,964 cases have been reported from Tamil Nadu till now, while Delhi has recorded 1,27,364 coronavirus cases.

According to the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), 3,52,801 samples were tested for coronavirus on Thursday and overall 1,54,28,170 samples have been tested so far. 

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News Network
June 29,2020

New Delhi, Jun 29: India recorded 19,459 new coronavirus cases and 380 deaths in the last 24 hours.

According to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on Monday, the total coronavirus cases in the country stands at 5,48,318 including 2,10,120 active cases, 3,21,723 cured/discharged/migrated and 16,475 deaths.

Maharashtra's COVID-19 count touched 1,64,626 and cases in Delhi have reached 83,077.

The total number of samples tested up to 28 June is 83,98,362 of which 1,70,560 samples were tested yesterday, as per the data provided by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR). 

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News Network
February 21,2020

Washington, Feb 21: Days ahead of his India visit, US President Donald Trump on Thursday said the two countries could make a "tremendous" trade deal.

"We're going to India, and we may make a tremendous deal there," Trump said in his commencement address at the Hope for Prisoners Graduation Ceremony in Las Vegas.

Trump, accompanied by First Lady Melania Trump, is scheduled to travel to Ahmedabad, Agra and New Delhi on February 24 and 25.

Ahead of the visit, there have been talks about India and the United States agreeing on a trade package as a precursor to a major trade deal.

During his commencement address, Trump indicated that the talks on this might slowdown if he did not get a good deal.

"Maybe we'll slow down. We'll do it after the election. I think that could happen too. So, we'll see what happens," he said.

"But we're only making deals if they're good deals because we're putting America first. Whether people like it or not, we're putting America first," Trump said.

Bilateral India-US trade in goods and services is about three per cent of the US' world trade.

In a recent report, the Congressional Research Service (CRS) said the trading relationship is more consequential for India -- in 2018 the United States was its second largest goods export market (16.0 per cent share) after the European Union (EU, 17.8 per cent), and third largest goods import supplier (6.3 per cent) after China (14.6 per cent) and the EU 28 (10.2 per cent).

"The Trump Administration takes issue with the US trade deficit with India, and has criticised India for a range of 'unfair' trading practices," the CRS said.

"Indian Prime Minister Modi's first term fell short of many observers' expectations, as India did not move forward with anticipated market opening reforms, and instead increased tariffs and trade restrictions," it said.

"Modi's strong electoral mandate may embolden the Indian government to press ahead with its reform agenda with greater vigour. Slowing economic growth in India raises concerns about its business environment," CRS said.

As per a fact sheet issued by the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR), trade in goods and services between the two countries from 1999 to 2018 surged from $16 billion to $142 billion.

India is now the United States' eighth-largest trading partner in goods and services and is among the world's largest economies.

India's trade with the United States now resembles, in terms of volume, the US' trade with South Korea ($167 billion in 2018) or France ($129 billion), said Alyssa Ayres from CFR.

"The United States for two years now has set out in stone pretty clearly the things that they wanted to see to try to get an agreement, and it's basically then on India's doorstep on whether they want to take those steps," Rick Rossow, Wadhwani Chair in US-India Policy Studies at the Center for Strategic and International Studies think-tank told reporters during a conference call.

"The list of US asks has been pretty static all throughout. Not to say that any of these things are easy for India to do, but the United States to my knowledge didn't change the goalposts just because we now consider India to be a middle-income country. The things that we wanted to see happen to get this trade agreement have been pretty static all throughout, no matter how difficult they are," he said in response to a question.

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