BJP to rake up Bofors issue in Parliament

April 25, 2012

bofors


New Delhi, April 25: BJP Parliamentary Party today decided to rake up the Bofors pay-offs issue in Parliament in wake of fresh allegations that the then Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi may have soft-pedalled the probe to protect Italian businessman Ottavio Quattrocchi.

Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Arun Jaitley spoke during the Parliamentary Party meeting about the allegations related to the Bofors scam made by former Swedish Police chief Sten Lindstrom in an interview.

"The entire government of India at that point in time was out to save Italian businessman Ottavio Quattrocchi, including then Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi," BJP spokesperson Ravi Shankar Prasad told reporters later.

BJP will raise this issue in the Rajya Sabha when the working of the Defence Ministry is discussed on May 2. The party also plans to raise the issue in the Lok Sabha but the "mode and manner" in which it will be brought up has not been decided yet.

Asked if Rajiv Gandhi himself was "complicit" in saving Quattrochi, Prasad said, "His government tried to save and protect Quattrocchi, and suppress the investigations. It is clear from the interview that Rajiv Gandhi's government made all efforts to stop the probe, delay proceedings and prevent any action against Quattrocchi."

Alleged anomalies worth Rs 350 crore in a helicopter deal will also be highlighted by BJP in Parliament.

The CD controversy involving Congress MP Abhishek Manu Singhvi also came up during the BJP meeting. Some members felt BJP was being "too soft" on the lawyer. "During the cash-for- query scam, Singhvi had personally been harsh on our MPs involved in the matter and worked for their expulsion. We are allowing him to get away lightly," an MP said.

Senior BJP leader L K Advani also spoke on the Singhvi controversy and about how he had to step down from the post of Chairman of Standing Committee on Law and Justice as the government was wary of the Opposition raking up the issue.

Party sources said BJP has already conveyed to Rajya Sabha Chairperson Hamid Ansari that the controversy about the CD should be referred to the Privileges Committee as if it is morphed, then it is an attempt to tarnish the image of an MP. However, if the CD is not morphed, then Singhvi should face the Ethics Committee, they said.

"We are likely to demand an explanation from Singhvi in the Rajya Sabha on the reason behind his decision to step down from the Law and Justice Committee," an MP said.

Among other issues, BJP also decided to take on the government on the plight of cotton farmers.

"Cotton export ban was lifted, yet the government has not made any efforts to bring the produce to the market. The farmers continue to bear the brunt of this and are facing hardships," Prasad said.

Issues of corruption in the UPA government will also be raised by the Opposition in this session.

In the Rajya Sabha, the discussion on working of Defence Ministry will be initiated by Jaitley on behalf of BJP. The Civil Aviation debate will be led by Rajiv Pratap Rudy, the sources said.

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Agencies
March 6,2020

Thiruvananthapuram, Mar 6: A 12-member team from Telangana on Friday visited Kerala to study how the state contained the spread of novel coronavirus.

Interacting with the team, Kerala Health Minister KK Shailaja said, "The team will be given a presentation at National Health Mission and they will visit Alappuzha district to know how the health facilities are set up by Kerala Health Department on the grassroots level."

"The team comprising doctors and senior health officials will visit the control room set up by the Health Department and also will attend daily review meetings. They will also visit an isolation ward in the hospital and interact with doctors and nurses, " the minister said.

She added, "Kerala model is being followed by other states too. All states are working together and the country as a whole is fighting the coronavirus. They are sharing our experience. All of India is standing together. Contact tracing and isolation is the most important part."

Dr Mahaboob Khan, part of the Telangana team told media persons, that the discussion with the health minister was fruitful.

"Kerala was the first state in India where a positive coronavirus case was reported. All three positive cases reported have been discharged after testing negative. So we wanted to study how Kerala was able to contain it and the health system in place here, " he said.

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News Network
June 18,2020

New Delhi, Jun 18: For the 12th consecutive day, state-run oil marketing companies (OMCs) has increased the price of fuel on Thursday.

The price of petrol is increased by 53 paise a litre while that of diesel by 64 paise a litre.

Petrol and diesel will now cost Rs 77.81/litre and Rs 76.43/litre respectively in Delhi.

Notably, oil marketing companies have been adjusting retail rates in line with costs after an 82-day break from rate revision amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. These firms on June 7 restarted revising prices in line with costs.

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News Network
January 30,2020

Mumbai, Jan 30: The Shiv Sena on Thursday endorsed Union home minister Amit Shah's view that alleged inflammatory statements made by Sharjeel Imam, an anti- Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) activist, were dangerous.

No politics should be done on the issue, and such "pest" afflicting the country should be finished off, it said.

Imam was arrested on Tuesday in connection with his speeches at Jamia Millia Islamia University in Delhi and in Aligarh during anti-CAA protests.

He has been booked for sedition, among other offences.

In an editorial published in its mouthpiece `Saamana', the Sena, a former ally of the BJP, said, "We agree with union home minister's comments that Sharjeel Imam's alleged words of separation are more dangerous than that of Kanhaiya Kumar."

Kumar, former student leader from Jawaharlal Nehru University, had been arrested over alleged separatist slogans shouted during a protest on varsity campus.

The Sena, which has formed alliance with the Congress and NCP to come to power in Maharashtra, is often seen walking a tightrope to preserve its credentials as a pro-Hindutva party.

"The union home ministry, while initiating action against Imam, should not indulge in politics and try to finish off this pest that is afflicting our country," the editorial said.

"One must find out why such language of breaking up this country into pieces is being used by the educated youth of this country more and more frequently. Who is spewing such venom into the mind of Sharjeel who did his graduation from IIT-B and now pursuing PhD from JNU?" the Sena asked.

"Even people involved in Elgar Parishad at Pune are facing sedition charges and these people have been known as intellectuals and are well-known personalities," said the party.

"A conspiracy to bring about a conflict between Hindus and Muslims and ensure continuance of anarchy and civil war as in Iraq and Afghanistan exists. The boost for such activities is coming from a 'political laboratory'," the editorial said.

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