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Conspiracy by political enemies, scam-tainted TN Min claims after CBI raids

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CBI raids TN Minister, DGP in gutkha scam (Roundup)


Hours after the CBI conducted raids at his home and properties across the state, Tamil Nadu Health Minister Vijayabaskar has hit out at ‘political enemies’ for orchestrating a scandal.

In a statement to the media, the Minister said, “Amma’s government banned gutkha and paan masala on May 23, 2013. Since then the government has been trying to implement the ban in the most stringent ways. I have not met Madhav Rao, related to gutkha and paan masala directly or indirectly. People are trying to defame me and trying to get me out of politics due to enmity by filing false cases against me.”

Denying the accusations levelled against him, the Minister said, “Even now I am telling, I am not guilty and hence I am not scared. I humbly assure you all that I will face this accusation legally and politically and will overcome it.”

Stating that he was cooperating with the authorities, he added, “In the above case based on a complaint filed by DMK, the Madras HC transferred it to CBI. As a law abiding citizen, I am ready to cooperate to lead the case to its natural conclusion.”

“As a testimony to the Tamil saying ‘only the fruit bearing trees get hit by stones’, it is very common for a person like me, who has worked for the betterment of our state by making the state Health Dept one of the best in the country, to be accused of such things by political enemies. Just because one is accused, he does not become a criminal. Whenever similar setbacks happened in my political life, I have always overcome those and continued to thrive in politics and serve the people,” he said.

On Wednesday, the CBI also conducted raids at the properties of TN Director General of Police TK Rajendran, ex-DGP S George, and former Milk and Dairy Development Minister BV Ramanaa, among others.

Background

In April last year, Vijayabaskar’s residence in Chennai and several other properties belonging to him and his relatives across Tamil Nadu were raided by the Income Tax Department. With the raids coming ahead of the RK Nagar bye-elections, which were originally scheduled for April last year, the ruling AIADMK had called it political vendetta.

In July 8, 2017, raids were conducted at the godown, offices and residences of a pan masala and gutkha manufacturer in Tamil Nadu, who was facing charges of evading tax to the tune of Rs 250 crore. The manufacture, storage and sale of the carcinogenic chewable forms of tobacco, including gutkha and pan masala had been banned by the state government in 2013.

However, IT officials later told TNM that the raids on Vijayabaskar were in connection with the gutkha scam and his alleged links with mining baron Sekhar Reddy.

A source in the IT Department had told TNM that the Health Minister’s name figures in a diary seized by sleuths during raids on a gutkha manufacturer.

“Since he was the Health Minister, they had to keep him in good books. While the exact amount he received on a yearly basis is not certain, it can be said with confidence that he was being paid for his cooperation for this unlawful activity,” the IT official had told TNM last year.

CM Mamata Banerjee ordered audit, PWD cleared Kolkata Majherhat bridge that collapsed

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Two months before a portion of the Majherhat bridge in Kolkata collapsed, leaving two persons dead and 25 others injured, a West Bengal Public Works Department audit of bridges and flyovers — ordered by the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) — failed to identify weaknesses or faults in the 54-year-old bridge.

A month after the directive was issued, the PWD issued instructions to carry out beautification and patchwork for the Majherhat bridge. Sources in the state secretariat said the PWD had even given the bridge a fitness certificate after conducting a routine check.

A day after the collapse, efforts to rescue three missing construction workers at the adjacent Metro site, are still on even as the state government Wednesday said a high-level probe has been ordered.

“We have held a meeting with all officers and have sought health reports of all flyovers and bridges immediately. Regarding Majherhat, a police investigation is on and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has already stated that the chief secretary will probe the matter,” said state Minister for Urban Development and Municipal Affairs Firhad Hakim.

Kolkata Majherhat bridge collpase brings back horrors of Vivekananda flyover tragedy Search and rescue operation at Majherhat bridge collapse site in Kolkata on Tuesday night. Partha Paul
On July 5, the CMO had ordered: “With the onset of monsoon it would be appropriate to undertake a quick review of condition of all bridges, flyovers, embankments, irrigation dams etc throughout the state. Such an exercise was made two years back. All the departments concerned must carry out necessary audit of condition of all these structures. So that the structures remain stable and no untoward incident takes place.”

In a subsequent letter, accessed by The Indian Express, PWD Secretary Arnab Roy had directed all zonal chief engineers to inspect and report on the condition of bridges and flyovers by July 13 with a final report to be prepared by July 16. In this report, the PWD failed to identify the deteriorating condition of the Majherhat bridge, which connects Kolkata with its southern fringe.

On July 16, the Alipore division of the PWD invited bids after for surface repairing of a 1.2-km stretch between Taratolla flyover, Majherhat bridge and DH Road. The work included patch repair and bituminous surfacing work at an estimated cost of Rs 16 lakh. The work was scheduled to start in August, and the Majerhat bridge collapsed before it could start.

Almost a month later, on August 10, the PWD issued a memorandum ordering the beautification and painting of bridges and flyovers. The memorandum stated “…it has been observed that the appearance of bridges and culverts are not up to the mark. Therefore it is decided that all bridges and culverts under the control of public works department, the government of West Bengal are to be painted after cleaning the same and repairing it if necessary.”

“It is also true that six months back, the PWD gave a health certificate for Majherhat during a routine meeting. After the 2016 Vivekananda flyover collapse, it was decided that every six months, the health of flyovers and bridges will be reviewed. We have asked for reports from Indevar Pandey (who was PWD secretary six months ago) and present secretary Roy,” said a Secretariat official.

Kolkata Majherhat bridge collpase brings back horrors of Vivekananda flyover tragedy Rescue operations at the site of the Majherhat bridge collapse.
PWD Minister Arup Biswas could not be reached for comment.

Incidentally, after the collapse of a portion of the under-construction Vivekanda flyover in Ganesh Talkies which killed 27 people and injured 80 on March 31 2016, the state government had called in Rail India Technical and Economic Service (RiTES) for a safety audit of bridges and flyovers.

RITES, however, was asked to audit of only five bridges and flyovers – Sealdah flyover, Baghajatin flyover, Amdebkar bridge, Bankim bridge in Howrah and Chingrighata flyover (a portion of which fell on March 4, 2013), according to sources.

Based on the report, the state government conducted repairs on the Baghajatin, Ambedkar, Chingrighata and Dhakuria bridges.

Gayatri Pariwar gives Rs 1.25 crore for Kerala flood relief

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The All World Gayatri Pariwar, a spiritual group based here, on Thursday handed a Rs 1.25 crore cheque to the Prime Minister’s Relief Fund to be used in flood relief in Kerala.

Pranav Pandya and Shail Bala Pandya of the group made the donation when they met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi.

They also briefed the Prime Minister about the work undertaken by the spiritual group in the relief and rehabilitation of the flood disaster.

(IANS)

Dabang Delhi to launch kabaddi championship

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Dabang Delhi Kabaddi Club is all set to launch north India’s biggest inter-zonal private kabaddi tournament, called ‘Red Bull Tashan’, on September 8.

The tournament will witness 90 teams competing for the title, all hailing from three of the Delhi NCR zones — Gurugram (September 8-9), Delhi (September 11-12) and Noida (September 15-16).

The finals of Red Bull Tashan will be held at Ambience Mall, Gurugram on September 22. The winning team will also have the opportunity to train with the Dabang Delhi KC team, before the sixth season of the Pro Kabaddi League kicks off in October.

“While the Pro Kabaddi League has brought the sport of Kabaddi into the limelight, we feel there is a lot of opportunity to build the sport at the grassroot level. We firmly believe that Red Bull Tashan is a high-rewarding platform, for young talent to showcase their talent and potential,” Radha Kapoor Khanna, founder and executive director of DO IT Sports Management who own Dabang Delhi, said.

“Dabang Delhi KC and Red Bull are united in furthering the development of Kabaddi. Dabang Delhi KC will also use this tournament as a scouting exercise to give young players the opportunity to be professional players in the coming seasons. We are confident that this association will enable the sport of Kabaddi to scale newer heights in Delhi NCR,” Khanna said in a statement.

Delhi HC seeks response to plea against illegal labs

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The Delhi High Court on Thursday asked the AAP government to respond to a plea for action against illegal pathology labs and diagnostic centres here.

A bench of Chief Justice Rajendra Menon and Justice V. Kameswar Rao listed the matter for September 17.

Bijon Kumar Misra, who filed the public interest litigation, pleaded for appropriate steps by the government to ensure that the labs and diagnostic centres maintained quality as the patients’ line of treatment depended solely on their reports.

The petitioner sought the urgent implementation of the Clinical Establishments (Registration and Regulation) Act of 2010 in the National Capital Territory of Delhi.

The petitioner claimed that only 10 per cent of the labs and diagnostic centres operating in Delhi were accredited by the National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories, an autonomous body of the Quality Council of India.

(IANS)

Bharat Bandh over SC/ST Act effective in UP, MP

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Many places in Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh on Thursday were affected by the Bharat Bandh called to protest against the changes made in the Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.

Not just rail and road traffic, markets and schools were closed. Even rural hinterland and smaller towns joined the protest called by upper caste communities, including the Akhil Bhartiya Vaishya Samaj and dozens of other groups.

The agitators blocked trains and put up road blocks on national and state highways. Schools declared a holiday to ensure the safety of students.

In Mathura and Vrindavan, the bandh was total as protesters took out marches and blocked main roads. In Firozabad, even Muslim shopkeepers joined the shutdown.

A protestor said: “Our anger is directed towards the recent changes in the Act which empowers the police to arrest anyone without investigations. We are not opposed to persons belonging to the SC/ST.”

The bandh has placed political parties in a dilemma. Officially the Congress, Samajwadi Party, the Bahujan Samaj Party have remained neutral, but their members are openly supporting the shutdown.

The massive turnout for a series of marches, to protest the amendment to the Act, in many districts and tehsils over the last few days have sent panic signals to the ruling Bhartiya Janata Party.

Organisations representing the ‘so-called’ upper castes supported by several fronts of OBCs, have openly challenged the BJP leadership and demanded immediate withdrawal of the amendment or face the music during the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.

Sumant Gupta, national chief of the Vaishya Ekta Parishad, an umbrella front of various trading communities, said the protesters would march to Delhi on October 2, to demand scrapping of the amendment.

Clashes and violence have been reported from various parts of Uttar Pradesh. There was a scuffle in the Agra market where supporters of the SC/ST Act protested against efforts to shut down shops.

Police chased the mob and used tear gas shells to quell the warring groups as they pelted stones at each other and vandalised property.

Protestors stopped the Agra-Etawah passenger train by squatting on the rail tracks in Pinahat. They threw stones on the vehicle of a sub-divisional magistrate (SDM) on the Yamuna Expressway.

Prohibitory orders have been issued in many districts of the state.

Major protests have been reported from Varanasi, the parliamentary constituency of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The agitators set ablaze some kiosks and stalled traffic at the Hyderabad Gate of the Banaras Hindu University (BHU).

Two trains were stopped in Mainpuri district. Protests were also reported from Dibiyapur in Aurraiya, Aligarh, Hathras, Etah, Kasganj.

Lawyers have also extended their support to the Bharat Bandh. There was, however, not much disturbances in Lucknow and Kanpur.

In the Madhya Pradesh capital, petrol pumps were closed as security was heightened in 35 areas there, police said.

The administration imposed Section 144 of the CrPC (Code of Criminal Procedure) in Chhatarpur, Shivpuri, Bhind, Ashoknagar, Guna, Gwalior and Katni, the police said.

There were huge protests in Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan’s home district Sehore. In Vidisha, people wore black T-shirts saying “Hum hai Mai ka Lal” in response to Chouhan who had said no one can end reservation.

Indore, Jabalpur, Ujjain, Gwalior and Sagar, too witnessed huge protests.

Organisations that have joined the protest include Akhil Bhartiya Kshtriya Mahasabha, Rashtriya Brahmin Mahasabha, Garib Sena, Karn Rajpoot Samaj, Rajputana Youth Brigade, Anarakshit Samaj Party, and dozens of other groups.

Government has no space in bedrooms

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Congress Lok Sabha member Shashi Tharoor on Thursday described the Supreme Court decision decriminalising homosexuality as a “dawn of freedom” as the “government has no space in bedrooms”.

Reacting to the apex court ruling in favour of the LGBTIQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender/transsexual, intersex and queer/questioning) community in India, Tharoor said he was very pleased with the historic judgement.

“We allowed the government to interfere in our private lives but the apex court has stood up to uphold dignity of the people. This is not sex, this is freedom as government has no space in bedrooms as this is a private act between consenting adults. This is a dawn of freedom,” said Tharoor.

He went on to add that when he tried to move a private members bill in the Lok Sabha on two occasions, he was shouted down by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) members.

“I then said it’s only the judiciary that can do anything and through this judgement, it shames those BJP members who opposed this,” said Tharoor.

R. Renju, an LGBTIQ activist, expressed happiness and applauded the apex court for this huge game-changing verdict.

“I always felt proud to be an Indian, and now as we become the 27th country which legalises homosexuality I feel even more proud to be an Indian.

“If anyone who has followed the LGBTIQ community, this judgement has been made after studying the community’s needs in detail. If I love or like someone, it comes from the heart.

“Now I am extremely proud to be an LGBTIQ activist. It’s at this time that I remember how much my predecessors have suffered, especially at the hands of the police,” said Renju.

Former Communist Party of India-Marxist backed legislator and Lok Sabha member Sebastian Paul said with the country progressing so much in 157 years, a lot had changed between now and then when this law was framed. So this new directive was welcome.

(IANS)

Gutkha scam: CBI arrests four

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The CBI on Thursday said it has arrested four persons including the promoters and directors of Jayem Industries and officers of the Food Safety and Drug Administration and Excise Department in connection with the multi-crore gutkha scam in Tamil Nadu.

A Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) source told IANS said the agency had arrested Jayem Industries promoters and directors A.V. Madhav Rao and Uma Shankar Gupta.

The source said it had also arrested a designated officer of the Food Safety and Drug Administration department, P Senthil Murugan, and a Superintendent of the Central Excise Department, N.K. Pandian.

The arrests come a day after the CBI searched over 35 places in Bengaluru, Mumbai, Puducherry, Chennai, Tiruvallur and Thoothukudi in Tamil Nadu and Guntur in Andhra Pradesh.

It raided the premises of Tamil Nadu Health Minister C. Vijayabasker and Director General of Police T.K. Rajendran, prompting calls for their resignation.

The CBI on May 29 registered a case against unknown officials of Central Excise, Tamil Nadu government, Food Safety Department, public servants and private persons on charges of criminal conspiracy and for corruption following a direction of the Madras High Court on April 26.

Its probe relates to the illegal manufacture, import, supply, distribution and sale of gutkha and other forms of chewable tobacco which are banned in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry.

Dilip Kumar hospitalised due to chest infection

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Veteran actor Dilip Kumar, 95, was on Wednesday admitted to a hospital here due to chest infection, but he is recuperating, said a family friend.

The actor is at the Lilavati Hospital and Research Centre, Bandra.

Faisal Farooqui, who tweets on behalf of the thespian, gave a health update on the ailing actor via Twitter.

“Saab has been admitted to Mumbai’s Lilavati Hospital as he was bit uneasy due to a chest infection. He is recuperating. Requesting your duas and prayers,” Farooqui tweeted.

Dilip Kumar, one of India’s most iconic actors, has appeared in some classics like “Kohinoor”, “Mughal-e-Azam”, “Shakti”, “Naya Daur” and “Ram Aur Shyam”.

He was last seen on the silver screen in 1998 in “Qila”. He is married to actress Saira Banu.

(IANS)

Mattis to remain Pentagon chief: Trump

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US President Donald Trump has said that Defence Secretary James Mattis will remain in office, dismissing reports that he is looking for possible replacements for the Pentagon chief.

“He’ll stay right there. We’re very happy with him. We’re having a lot of victories,” Trump said on Wednesday when asked by reporters at the White House whether he was considering replacing Mattis.

The remarks came as The Washington Post columnist Josh Rogin wrote in an article that the administration has been considering possible replacements for Mattis for weeks.

Rogin added that no decisions were made yet, though White House officials expected that Mattis will leave his position in the coming months.

The Trump-Mattis relationship was put under limelight a day earlier after excerpts from an explosive book mentioned that the Defence Secretary had made disparaging remarks about the President.

According to the book, “Fear: Trump in the White House”, authored by veteran investigative reporter Bob Woodward, Mattis was quoted as having told associates that Trump acted like “a fifth- or sixth-grader”.

Mattis denied earlier that he ever said or heard the quotes attributed to him in the book.

“While I generally enjoy reading fiction, this is a uniquely Washington brand of literature, and his anonymous sources do not lend credibility,” Mattis said in a statement.

Trump called Woodward’s book “a total piece of fiction”, while praising Mattis’ statement as “beautiful”.

In a statement to The Washington Post, Woodward said, “I stand by my reporting”. According to the author, the book was based on hundreds of hours of conversations with direct players.

Woodward has been a reporter at The Washington Post since 1971 and remains an associate editor. He is most famous for breaking the story of the Watergate scandal, which prompted the resignation of Richard Nixon from the presidency in 1974.

(IANS)

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