Demonetisation will lead to bigger, cleaner GDP: BJP

January 7, 2017

New Delhi, Jan 7: BJP today termed the aftermath of demonetisation a "sacred movement" during which the masses accepted the temporary suffering with enthusiasm and asserted that black money has now been deposited in banks that will lead to high revenues and bigger and cleaner GDP.

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The economic resolution passed at second and concluding day of the party's national executive also accused the opposition of trying to defame the government by destroying the country's positive environment and termed demonetisation a "brave move aimed at the poor's welfare".

"In this sacred movement across the country, the common people were taking upon themselves the temporary suffering of standing in queues with full enthusiasm and positive energy, but the opposition had become negative with destructive energy to defame the central government and trying to destroy the positive environment of the country," it said.

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley claimed that demonetisation has resulted in black money making its way to bank accounts and the additional money will boost developmental projects. "Black money has been deposited in the Banks. It has lost its anonymity. The informal Economy will now increasingly integrate with the formal economy. This will lead to higher revenues with the States and the Centre. It will lead to the bigger and the Cleaner GDP," the resolution said.

The resolution said demonetisation was necessary for decimating the parallel economy of black money and for the smooth functioning of the GST in near future. "There is today more money with the banks to lend. Interest rates have moved downwards," it said. With BJP leaders endorsing the exercise whole-heartedly, the party's 'Kisan Morcha' chief Virendra Singh Mast claimed at the meeting that it also resulted in lack of wasteful expenditure by farmers, a community which, opposition parties claimed, has suffered most due to cash crunch.

Briefing reporters on the resolution and Jaitley's speech in the closed-door meeting, Union Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said the "bold and historic decision" underlined a firm and visionary leadership which puts the country above party and individuals. "The Rs 500 and Rs 1000 notes hidden in mattresses, something people would say symbolically, is now in bank accounts. It will help development," she said.

Jaitley also cited figures to assert that revenue of most states had not suffered and in case of some like Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh it had even increased. West Bengal could be one state where it declined, he said and took a dig by adding that states can raise revenue by running efficient governments. Citing various surveys, BJP claimed popular support for the demonetisation decision.

"This is reflected in the fact that even after 50 days, there was not a single major incident in the country. There was no loss of public property and there was no loss of people's patience anywhere in the country," it said. Rebutting criticism that demonetisation was abrupt, not a well though-out call, the resolution said it was taken with full-fledged preparations.

Listing the government's efforts to curb black money leading to demonetisation, the resolution cited constitution of a SIT, introduction of Income Declaration Scheme, Jan Dhan Scheme, Black Money Act, Bankruptcy Insolvency Law, DRT Amendment Law and Benami Property Act. The Double Taxation Avoidance Treaties with Mauritius, Cyprus and Singapore which earlier enabled the round tripping of Black Money were re-written, it said.

BJP's national executive believes that the country's 107 crore mobile phone connections, 147 crore bank accounts including 117 crore savings bank accounts and 25 crore Jan Dhan accounts, 35 crore smart phones, more than 40 crore ADHAR linked accounts and more than 75 crore debit cards make it an "enabled" society for digital transactions. The central government has also promoted cashless transactions through UPI, USSD, AEPS and Rupay Card. All these steps are towards the corruption free India, it said.

"The BJP firmly believes that digital economy will stop the leakage of taxes. This Government has ended any role of middlemen from its beneficiary schemes like MNREGA, financial assistance to poor students, subsidies to marginal sections including SC/ST/OBC through digital transactions and Direct Benefit Transfers," the resolution said.

Referring to Modi's sops for the rural poor, women and senior citizens, it said Prime Minister ensured honour to the honest people on November 8 with demonetisation announcement and on December 31 he provided a new energy and faith to the youth, women, small businessmen, senior citizen and farmer of this country.

"Prime Minister's appeal to all political parties about election expenditures is a revolutionary step as the political parties' freedom from black money and corruption is essential for the making of the India of our future," BJP said. Asking party workers to push digital economy, it said the government's measures are in like with "integral humanism", a core philosophy of BJP's ideologue Deen Dayal Upadhyay.

"These decisions are paving the way towards making of a modern India where modern technique, transparent governance and equitable society will be fulfilling the aim of 'sabka saath sabka vikas'," the resolution said.

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News Network
March 25,2024

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Congress leader Rahul Gandhi will face Kerala BJP chief K Surendran in the high-profile Wayanand constituency this Lok Sabha election.

Wayanad, a Congress stronghold, has been with the party since 2009. Mr Gandhi won it in 2019 and retained his Lok Sabha membership, having lost his Amethi seat to Union Minister Smriti Irani.

His rival this time, Mr Surendran, has the significant task of challenging the Congress-Left binary in Kerala's political landscape. Both the Congress and the Left are in a national alliance though they remain rivals in this southern state.

Surendran has contested all three Lok Sabha elections since 2009 and also four Assembly elections. In 2021, he contested from Konni and Manjeshwar seats simultaneously. 

In 2019 general elections, Mr Surendran finished third in Pathanamthitta constituency behind the Congress and the Left. He had lost the 2016 assembly polls from Manjeswaram by merely 89 votes. He also contested a bypoll in 2019, but lost it as well.

He was appointed to head the BJP Kerala unit in 2020 and became the face of the protests against the entry of young women into Sabarimala years ago.

Mr Surendran, who is from Kozhikode, figured in the BJP's fifth candidates' list, which also named actor Kangana Ranaut and former Calcutta High Court judge Abhijit Gangopadhyay.

Wayanad is the second Kerala seat to see a battle of titans after Thiruvananthapuram, where Union Minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar will face the three-time Congress MP Shashi Tharoor.

The BJP has also fielded former vice-chancellor of Sree Sankara Sanskrit University K S Radhakrishnan from Ernakulam and actor-turned-politician G Krishnakumar from Kollam. T N Sarasu, a former educator, will contest from Alathur in Palakkad.

The highlight of the BJP's fifth list was the electoral debut of actor Kangana Ranaut from Mandi in her homestate Himachal Pradesh. The list, which named 111 candidates in 17 states, also featured new joinees like industrialist Naveen Jindal and Mr Gangopadhyay.

Mr Gangopadhyay, who joined the BJP recently after taking voluntary retirement, is the first former judge to join electoral politics. He has been fielded from Tamluk in Bengal and will face Trinamool's Debangshu Bhattacharya, a youth leader who had penned the party's "Khela Hobe" song.

Varun Gandhi, a sitting MP from Pilibhit, has been dropped and his seat has gone to Jitin Prasada, who switched to the BJP from the Congress in run-up to the election. His mother Maneka Gandhi has been fielded from her current seat, Sultanpur.

Actor Arun Govil, who played Ram in popular TV series Ramayan, will contest from Meerut. Union ministers Ashwini Kumar Choubey and General VK Singh too were part of the list.

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News Network
March 26,2024

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Hyderabad: The K Chandrashekar Rao-led Bharat Rashtra Samithi faces big questions as shocking allegations of state police officers tapping the phones of then Opposition leaders in Telangana, including current Chief Minister Revanth Reddy, celebrities and businessmen come to the fore.

The surveillance, it is alleged, was also used to blackmail businessmen into contributing huge amounts to the BRS party fund.

The BRS is yet to respond to the allegations.

Three senior police officers have been arrested in this connection and a lookout notice issued against T Prabhakar Rao, former chief of the state intelligence bureau, who is reportedly in the US now.

Police have said two senior officers - Additional Superintendent of Police Bhujanga Rao and Additional Superintendent of Police Thirupathanna - have admitted to illegal surveillance and destruction of evidence.

According to reports, Ravi Paul, a technical consultant with the state intelligence bureau under the then BRS government, had allegedly helped import and set up phone-tapping equipment near the residence of Mr Reddy to listen in on his conversations.

The equipment, it is alleged, was imported from Israel using a software company as the front. No permission from the Centre - a must for such imports - was taken, it is learnt. With this setup, anything spoken within a range of 300 metres could be heard, reports say.

Ravi Paul, it is alleged, set up an office near Mr Reddy's residence and installed the device. Police are set to question him in this connection.

Lookout notices have also been issued for Sharvan Rao, who runs a Telugu TV channel I News, and Radha Kishan Rao, a police officer with the city task force.

The surveillance was not restricted to Opposition leaders. Top businessmen, including real estate dealers and jewellers, and celebrities were also under surveillance. In fact, the tapping of phone conversations led to the divorce of a celebrity couple, reports say.

To add to the BRS's troubles, Chief Minister Reddy has received a complaint from Sharan Chaudhary, a businessman and a BJP leader, alleging that senior police officers kidnapped him last year and forced him to sign off a plot of land to a relative of former minister and BRS leader Errabelli Dayakar Rao.

Mr Chaudhury has alleged that Radha Kishan Rao and senior police officer ACP Umamaheswara Rao kidnapped him on August 21 while he was on his way to office. He has alleged that he was illegally detained and forced to register his property in the name of Vijay, a close relative of the minister. He was also forced to pay ₹ 50 lakh before they let him go.

The businessman has said he had approached the High Court after the incident, but Uma Maheshwar Rao threatened to file false cases against him and forced him to withdraw the petition.

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News Network
March 16,2024

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Budget carrier Air India Express has launched a new fare family, offering travelers the option to save on flight tickets by traveling light, with an increased baggage allowance of up to 40kg or no check-in luggage at all.

The new fare categories, applicable to flights to and from the UAE and other international destinations, are:

•    Xpress Lite
•    Xpress Value
•    Xpress Flex
•    Xpress Biz

Xpress Lite offers cabin baggage-only fares, making it the most economical option for passengers traveling with the airline.

Xpress Value fare includes 15 kg check-in bag fares, while Xpress Flex offers unlimited changes with no change fees. Xpress Biz features business class seats, complimentary meals, and priority services.

A subsidiary of Air India and a part of Tata Group, the airline introduced Xpress Lite on February 20 for UAE passengers who prefer traveling without check-in baggage.

Xpress Biz fares are accessible on all the new Air India Express Boeing 737-8 aircraft. Travelers can benefit from increased baggage allowances of 25kg for domestic flights and 40kg for international flights when booking Xpress Biz fares. This fare offers priority check-in, baggage, and boarding services.

Air India Express is already operating aircraft with Biz seats across 70-plus routes in India.

In a previous interview with a news channel Aloke Singh, managing director of Air India Express, stated that the carrier was looking to increase capacity to the Gulf region, including the UAE, as well as to provide better connectivity to Gulf travelers.
 

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