Archives for February 2023

Ravi Shankar Prasad

New Delhi: BJP member Ravi Shankar Prasad on Wednesday accused the Gandhi family of being involved in corruption, saying those out on bail were hurling “baseless” accusations against the Government.

Speaking in the Lok Sabha on the Motion of Thanks on the President’s address, Prasad said Rahul Gandhi’s remarks on Tuesday were “baseless, shameful and full of lies, and came from a feeling of dejection”.

On Tuesday, Gandhi had attacked the Government over the Hindenburg report, claiming that the meteoric rise in Gautam Adani’s fortunes happened after the BJP came to power in 2014 as he rose in the global rich list from the 609th to the second spot eventually.

“Those out on bail and are currently facing trial (in National Herald case) are levelling baseless allegations,” Prasad said countering Gandhi.

Gandhi has not been able to accept the fact that people had twice elected Narendra Modi as the prime minister and will again do so in 2024, he said.

He said the Adani group has also invested in states of Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and Kerala, which are ruled by non-BJP parties.

Prasad also countered the allegations made by Gandhi regarding Adani’s assets in foreign countries, saying that even during the UPA rule, the group had made overseas investments.

“Rahul Gandhi has a problem with the growth of Indian businesses. Things have changed under the Modi Government. Now businesses are growing honestly, and commissions and dealings have stopped. Hence the Congress party has a problem,” Prasad said.

The BJP leader from Bihar said the Congress rule was marred by corruption in 2G spectrum allocation, Commonwealth Games, besides coal and Adarsh Housing scams. They also want weapons for defence forces to come from abroad.

“The family which is deep in corruption is levelling allegations against Modi Government, which is focussing on development,” Prasad said, accusing Gandhi of misleading the House.

Certain remarks made by Gandhi in the House on Tuesday were expunged from the records.

Jaipur: Beneficiary farmers of PM Kisan Scheme will have to get their bank account e-KYC verified by February 10, an official said.

It has been made mandatory for the beneficiaries of the PM Kisan Scheme before February 10, 2023, for e-KYC, linking bank account with Aadhaar and direct benefit transfer to bank account for the next installment transfer, Meghraj Singh Ratnu, the state nodal officer of the scheme said.

He said that instructions have been given by the Government of India in this regard.

In a statement, Ratnu said that by January 2023, 67 per cent e-KYC and 88 per cent bank accounts have been linked to Aadhaar by the beneficiaries of this scheme in the state. In the state, about 24.45 lakh beneficiaries are yet to get e-KYC done and 1.94 akh beneficiaries are yet to link their bank accounts with Aadhaar.

He said that the beneficiaries who have not yet got e-KYC done and have not linked their bank account with Aadhaar, they must get it done before February 10. India Post Payments Bank has been authorized for the purpose.

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Wednesday ordered the removal of reference to the Sikkimese-Nepalese as “people of foreign origin” from its January 13 verdict on tax exemption in Sikkim, following a plea by the Centre and others for modification.

The remark made by the top court in its verdict had sparked protests in Sikkim, with the Sikkimese-Nepalese community taking strong objections over it.

A bench of justices MR Shah and BV Nagarathna modified its verdict while hearing the Centre’s plea along with petitions filed by Sikkim and private parties seeking modification of the remark.

The top court initially agreed to remove the part “the persons of foreign origin settled in Sikkim like the Nepalese”.

However, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Centre, urged the bench that the entire sentence be deleted.

The bench then agreed to remove the part “namely the Bhutia Lepchas and the persons of foreign origin settled in Sikkim like the Nepalese”.

It said that the error has crept in because the original writ petitioners have made more than 25 amendments to the petition but this fact was not brought to the notice of the court.

Mehta requested the court to clarify that the judgement has not touched upon the aspect of Article 371F of the Constitution which deals with special provisions with respect to Sikkim.

The bench, however, said that such a clarification is unnecessary as Article 371F was not a subject matter of the case.

In its January 13 verdict, the top court had said, “Therefore, there was no difference made out between the original inhabitants of Sikkim, namely the Bhutia-Lepchas and the person of foreign origin settled in Sikkim like the Nepalese or persons of Indian origin who had settled down in Sikkim generations back”.

Justice Nagarathna, who had penned down the January 13 verdict on behalf of the bench, dictated the modification order, “It is to be noted that in the said writ petition there was an amended writ petition filed pursuant to an application filed. Unfortunately, counsel for the writ petitioners did not bring to the notice of this court the substantial amendments brought”.

The bench further said, “It was their (counsel) duty to bring to the notice of the court about the fact. Now miscellaneous applications have been filed seeking corrections as if an error has occurred on the part of the court. However, after having heard the counsel for respective parties, we think it is just and proper to correct words in certain paragraphs of the judgement”.

On January 13, the top court had ruled that the exclusion of a Sikkimese woman from exemption allowed under the Income Tax Act merely because she has married a non-Sikkimese man after April 1, 2008 is “discriminatory and unconstitutional”.

Asserting that a woman is not a chattel and has an identity of her own, a bench of Justices M R Shah and B V Nagarathna had said that no justification has been shown to exclude a Sikkimese woman from such exemption.

“Apart from the above, the same is clearly hit by Articles 14, 15 and 21 of the Constitution of India. The discrimination is based on gender, which is wholly violative of Articles 14, 15 and 21 of the Constitution of India.

“It is to be noted that there is no disqualification for a Sikkim man, who marries a non-Sikkimese after April 1, 2008. As rightly submitted, a woman is not a chattel and has an identity of her own, and the mere factum of being married ought not to take away that identity”, the bench had said.

Article 14 relates to equality before law, while Article 15 forbids discrimination on grounds of religion, race, caste, sex or place of birth, and Article 21 provides for the right to life and personal liberty.

The top court had said to deny the benefit of exemption under Section 10(26AAA) of the Income Tax Act to a Sikkimese woman, who marries a non-Sikkimese after 2008, “is arbitrary, discriminatory and violative of Article 14 of the Constitution of India”.

Under Section 10(26AAA) of the IT Act, the income of a Sikkimese individual arising either in the state of Sikkim or by way of dividend or interest on securities is not to be included in total income for tax calculation.

The top court’s verdict had come on an appeal filed by the Association of Old Settlers of Sikkim and others seeking the striking down of Section 10(26AAA) of the Income Tax Act, 1961, more particularly, the definition of “Sikkimese” in Section 10 (26AAA) to the extent it excludes Indians who have settled in Sikkim prior to the merger of Sikkim with India on April 26, 1975.

Mangaluru: A middle-aged couple from Kerala allegedly died by suicide inside their lodge room at Falnir in the city on Wednesday, police sources said.

The deceased are identified as Ravindra (55) and Sudha (50) from Taliparamba, Kannur district, Kerala.

The two had checked into the hotel on February 6 and were last seen by the hotel staff on Tuesday night. As they did not come out of the room since then, the hotel staff informed the police.

The police who opened the door found the couple hanging. It is learnt that Ravindra was a textile businessman. The reason for the couple taking the extreme step is not yet known, the sources said.

New Delhi: The Animal Welfare Board of India has issued a notice appealing to people to celebrate “Cow Hug Day” on February 14 to spread “positive energy” and encourage “collective happiness”, officials said on Wednesday.

Valentine’s Day is celebrated on February 14 every year.

“All cow lovers may celebrate February 14 as Cow Hug Day keeping in mind the importance of mother cow and make life happy and full of positive energy,” read the notice issued by the board under the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying.

The notice further said hugging cows will bring “emotional richness” and increase “individual and collective happiness”.

It also mentioned that Vedic traditions are almost on the “verge of extinction” due to the “progress of West culture” and that the “dazzle of western civilisation has made our physical culture and heritage almost forgotten”.

The notice has been issued with approval of the competent authority, the officials said