Vadra land deal cleared, heats up poll canvassing in Haryana

October 6, 2014

Chandigarh, Oct 6: Haryana government has cleared a land deal between Robert Vadra, son-in-law of Congress chief Sonia Gandhi, and real estate giant DLF in Haryana as the issue spiced up the state assembly poll campaign with the Prime Minister and the Chief Minister crossing swords over it.Robert Vadra

In a letter to the Haryana Chief Secretary and the Financial Commissioner (Revenue) in July this year, Gurgaon Deputy Commissioner Shekhar Vidyarthi had informed the government that the land mutation stood "valid" as per the report of the Assistant Consolidation Officer (ACO) of the district.

Whistleblower IAS Officer Ashok Khemka, who was the then Director General, Consolidation, had cancelled the mutation of the land between M/s Skylight Hospitality owned by Vadra and DLF Universal Limited in 2012.

In his report, the ACO termed Khemka's orders as "illegal, void and out of jurisdiction."

According to official sources, the letter by the Gurgaon Deputy Commissioner states "a mutation no 4513 for Khasra no. 730 measuring 5 bighas and 13 biswas was sanctioned by ACO on September 20, 2012, while exercising the powers of Assistant Collector second grade. Because of the mutation’s sanction, neither of the parties have any objection till date."

"Thus, mutation no 4513 stands approved by the ACO while exercising powers of Assistant Collector second grade, because M/s Skylight Hospitality Private Limited had conveyed right measurements to M/s DLF Universal Limited. Presently, according to revenue records, M/s DLF Universal Limited stands owner of the land," states the letter.

Raising the issue at an election meeting at Hisar, Prime Minister Narendra Modi asked the Election Commission to take serious note of Haryana government clearing the land deal between Vadra and DLF, alleging it was done hastily as Congress faced "certain defeat" in October 15 assembly polls.

"They (Hooda government) know that after the elections, the son-in-law (Vadra) will not get any clearance for illegal deals. So, in between the election process, they have dared to take such a decision," Modi said.

Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda said no wrong had been done in any land deal. "I am ready to quit if any wrong doing in any land deal is proved," he said.

Hooda said those making such allegations can approach the Lokayukta to probe the matter.

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News Network
March 7,2020

Mar 7: Two Malayalam news channels, Asianet News and Media One, which were banned by the information and broadcasting ministry for their coverage of the recent violence in Delhi on Friday evening, were allowed to resume telecasting on Saturday morning.

While Asianet News appeared to have begun operations around 7am on Saturday, Media One was screening content by 9.30am.

The ministry of information and broadcasting had imposed a 48-hour ban on Asianet News and Media One for their coverage of the Delhi violence for 48 hours from 7.30pm on Friday. Both Asianet News and Media One were barred under Rule 6(1 c) and Rule 6(1e) of the Cable Television Networks Act, 1994.

The ministry of information and broadcasting alleged Asianet News and Media One were "biased" and critical of the RSS and Delhi Police.

The ban on Asianet News and Media One triggered a torrent of criticism of the move. Congress MP Shashi Tharoor asked how "Malayalam channels inflame communal passions in Delhi?" and alleged some English news channels were continuing "their brazen distortions" with impunity.

In a statement issued on Friday after the ban, Media One termed the move "unfortunate and condemnable" and called it a "blatant attack against free and fair reporting". Media One called it "an order to stop free and fair journalism".

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Agencies
July 13,2020

Jaipur, July 13: Amid deepening political crisis in Rajasthan, a crucial meeting of the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) will be held at the chief minister's residence here on Monday.  

The Congress has issued a whip to all party legislators mandating their presence during the meeting which will be convened at 10.30 am by Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot.

Deputy Chief Minister Sachin Pilot has made it clear that he is not going to attend the meeting.

In a statement issued on Sunday night, Pilot had claimed that the Ashok Gehlot government was in minority and more than 30 Congress and some independent legislators have pledged support to him.  

By doing so, he has openly displayed rebellion against the leadership of Gehlot.

However, All India Congress Committee (AICC) general secretary Avinash Pande has said that 109 MLAs have expressed confidence in the Ashok Gehlot-led Congress government in the state and have signed a letter in support.

Pande said a whip had been issued asking all the MLAs to attend the CLP meeting and that action will be taken against those who skip it.

In the 200-member Rajasthan Assembly, the Congress has 107 MLAs and the BJP 72.

The Congress has the support of 10 out of 13 independents, and other party MLAs like Rashtriya Lok Dal (1), which is its ally. The Congress also considers Bhartiya Tribal Party (2) and CPI(M) (2) MLAs as their supporters.

BJP ally Rashtriya Loktantrik Party (RLP) has three MLAs in the assembly.

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News Network
January 1,2020

New Delhi, Jan 1: Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) court in Mumbai has allowed banks that lent money to embattled liquor tycoon Vijay Mallya to utilize seized assets, news agency reported today quoting sources from the Enforcement Directorate (ED). The court also said all parties affected by the order can appeal at the Bombay High Court till January 18.

Last month, a consortium of Indian banks petitioned a London court for ex-billionaire Vijay Mallya to be declared bankrupt over ₹9,000 crore in unpaid debts. It comes as Mallya, who founded the now defunct Kingfisher Airlines Ltd, faces extradition to his home country of India.

Mallya had fled India in March 2016 and has been living in the United Kingdom since then. The 64-year-old former Kingfisher Airlines is fighting extradition to India in relation of fraud and money laundering allegations arising out of the debt acquired from the banks.

Mallya remains on bail pending the UK High Court appeal hearing in the extradition proceedings brought by India in relation to fraud and money laundering charges amounting to ₹9,000 crores. He had been arrested on an extradition warrant back in April 2017 and has been fighting his extradition in the UK courts since then.

He was granted permission to appeal against his extradition order, which is scheduled in the Royal Courts of Justice in London for February.

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