Ananth Kumar challenges Rahul Gandhi for open debate on black money

Agencies
November 9, 2017

Hyderabad, Nov 9: Union minister Ananth Kumar on Wednesday challenged Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi for an open debate on the issue of black money and alleged that scams worth Rs 12 lakh crore had taken place during the UPA rule.

"The Congress is synonymous with black money, corruption and scams," the Union Chemicals and Fertilisers Minister alleged while talking to reporters on Wednesday evening.

He alleged that scams like 2G spectrum auction, coal block allocation, and the chopper deal, among others, collectively worth Rs 12 lakh crore, had taken place during the 10-year rule of the UPA government between 2004 and 2014.

"Today, Rahul baba is touring Gujarat... He is seen only in Gujarat (campaigning) and there he is speaking about demonetisation and GST. I challenge Shri Rahul Gandhi to come for an open debate and open discussion on the issue of black money, on the issue of 10 years of scams and corruption of the UPA government," Kumar said.

"I will not say the UPA government led by Manmohan Singh... but it was led by Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi because they were guiding and dictating it and indulged in scams of Rs 12 lakh crore which is all black money," the minister said.

Kumar, a BJP MP from Bengaluru, said that on 8 November last year the Modi government took a historic decision against black money in the country by way of demonetisation. "People who have lost black money are observing 'black day'," he said.

The minister said that around 1.5 lakh people deposited over Rs 4.92 lakh crore during the demonetisation, which is one-third of total cash/currency deposited. "How come such a small section amass such huge unaccounted money," he asked.

According to him, in the last one year (post-demonetisation) the stone pelting incidents in Kashmir came down to 639 from 2,683 reported during November 2015 to November 2016. Similarly, Left-wing extremism incidents decreased post-note ban and came down to 831 from 1,071 during the same period.

The Modi government has closed around 2.24 lakh shell companies in the last one year, which were having a huge number of bank accounts, he said, adding that 58,000 bank accounts belonging to 35,000 companies revealed that they deposited Rs 17,000 crore and also withdrew Rs 17,000 crore and now all of them are under the net.

"I want to ask Sonia, Rahul and P Chidambaram... why didn't he (Chidambaram) do in the 10 years of the UPA rule what Narendra bhai did in one year. Why didn't he close so many fake companies... why he did not reduce high demonetisation currency... why he did not take action against fake accounts... the questions are there. Because they wanted to hide those 12 lakh crore of scam and corruption," Kumar said.

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News Network
November 11,2024

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Mangaluru: In a deeply tragic turn of events, a 28-year-old woman named Ranjitha, who had recently given birth but tragically lost her newborn, ended her life by suicide on Monday. She reportedly leapt from the fourth-floor window of Lady Goschen Hospital’s luggage room.

Ranjitha, whose strength and resilience had carried her through a difficult pregnancy, was scheduled for discharge on Monday. Her journey to Lady Goschen Hospital began on October 24, when she was transferred from Karkala. She was a high-risk patient, battling both hypertension and diabetes. At the time of her admission, she was just 27 weeks pregnant.

Due to the complexities of her health, doctors made the difficult decision to perform an emergency C-section on October 30. She delivered a baby girl, premature and weighing only 960 grams. The newborn was immediately moved to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, where doctors did all they could. Despite these efforts, the baby passed away on November 3.

Ranjitha’s sorrow was profound. She stayed under hospital care even after her initial recovery and was preparing to go home on November 9. She had even requested a couple more days at the hospital, seeking time perhaps to cope with her unimaginable grief.

On the day of her discharge, a discharge card ready and her family eagerly waiting to take her home, Ranjitha reportedly made her way to the luggage room in the early hours. There, standing on a cot placed for patients' family members, she climbed to a window and fell from the fourth floor. Despite the attempts of another visitor to intervene, tragedy was inevitable. She was rushed to Government Wenlock Hospital, where doctors confirmed the worst—she was no more.

Dr. Durgaparasad M R, the Medical Superintendent at Lady Goschen Hospital, shared his grief and spoke of the ongoing investigation. A post-mortem is to be conducted, and the local Tahsildar will complete the necessary inquest procedures. Ranjitha’s exact reasons for taking this step are yet to be confirmed, though the weight of her recent losses paints a sorrowful picture.

If you or anyone you know is struggling emotionally, please remember that help is available. Reach out to mental health experts who can provide support and guidance. The toll-free helpline number 9152987821 is available to assist anyone in distress.

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News Network
November 12,2024

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The Palestinian Hamas resistance movement says its fighters have killed at least 20 Israeli soldiers in northern parts of the besieged Gaza Strip in just two days, in retaliation for the occupying regime’s genocidal war on the Palestinian territory.

In a statement on Monday evening, Hamas said that fighters of its military wing, al-Qassam Brigades, “killed at least five occupation soldiers” in northern parts of the coastal territory earlier in the day.

It added that Hamas fighters also killed 15 Israeli soldiers in the war-ravaged region on Sunday.

The resistance movement’s “qualitative operation … confirms once again the failure of the criminal Zionist entity to suppress and eradicate the Palestinian resistance, which continues to direct qualitative strikes against its terrorist soldiers,” Hamas further said on its Telegram channel.

Palestinians have increased their resistance operations in the face of intensified Israeli aggression in northern Gaza that has claimed the lives of more than 1,000 over the past weeks.

“Our valiant resistance is waging a war of attrition with the criminal enemy, inflicting daily losses on its soldiers and vehicles, and all of [Israeli prime minister Benjamin] Netanyahu’s bets and dreams of achieving any of his goals are failing,” the Gaza-based resistance movement added.

Hamas also vowed that Israel’s ongoing crimes and aggression against Gaza would be met with increased resistance and painful strikes, which will continue until the aggression against Palestinians ends and the regime fully withdraws from the blockaded territory.

As the war in Gaza enters its 14th month, the Health Ministry reports that Israeli attacks have killed at least 43,603 Palestinians and wounded 102,929 others.

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News Network
November 22,2024

Mangaluru: A man fell victim to an online scam, losing Rs 1.7 crore after fraudsters posed as officials from TRAI. According to a complaint filed at the CEN police station, the incident began on November 11, when the complainant received a call from an unknown number at 9:49 am.

The caller, claiming to represent TRAI, alleged that another mobile number registered under the complainant's name was involved in illegal activities in Andheri (East), Mumbai. The caller further stated that an FIR was lodged against the complainant for harassment under the guise of marketing. He was instructed to contact Andheri (East) police station immediately or risk his mobile service being deactivated within two hours.

The complainant was subsequently connected to an individual named Pradeep Sawant, who claimed the complainant was implicated in a money laundering scheme linked to the Naresh Goyal fraud case. Sawant alleged that a fraudulent bank account under the complainant's name was opened at Canara Bank, Andheri, and used to purchase a SIM card for illegal activities. He warned that the complainant could face arrest.

Later, the complainant was contacted via WhatsApp video call by individuals posing as Rahul Kumar (a police officer) and Akanksha (a CBI officer). They allegedly sent fabricated CBI documents to his WhatsApp number. The fraudsters demanded money to "resolve" the case. Fearing threats, the complainant allegedly transferred Rs 1.7 crore through RTGS in batches of Rs 53 lakh, Rs 74 lakh, and Rs 44 lakh between November 13 and 19. A case has been registered at the CEN police station and an investigation is ongoing.

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