New Delhi: The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Thursday informed that India has on Wednesday handed over the request for extradition of embattled business tycoon Vijay Mallya received from the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to the United Kingdom High Commission.

“We have today handed over the request for extradition of Vijay Mallya as received from the CBI to the UK High Commission in New Delhi,” MEA official spokesperson Vikas Swarup told the media.

Mallya left for the UK last year after facing heat for defaulting on loans worth Rs 9,000 crore.

Under the laws of extradition, a host country is expected to ship back a man wanted for a crime in his own country.

The Centre has signalled its intention to frame a law that stops loan defaulters from fleeing the country and another to seize the assets they leave behind.

Mallya — who has called his stay in the UK since last April a “forced exile” — has denied the charges against him.

The CBI last month filed charges against Mallya, his now defunct Kingfisher Airlines and nine other executives and bankers, alleging he dishonestly induced the delivery of property and illegally obtained pecuniary advantage — charges that can carry a sentence of up to seven years in prison.

In April last year, the Indian government cancelled Mallya’s passport but despite a warrant for his arrest the UK turned down a request to deport him on the grounds that he had entered Britain with a valid passport.

(Agencies)

Mumbai: The Shiv Sena today hailed the development works done by successive Congress governments at the Centre and again targeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying he is not ready to admit the “chaos” created by the note ban exercise.

About Modi’s “raincoat” remark against former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, it said being in power with the corrupt is also corruption. But for the work done by the Congress governments, Modi would be governing a backward nation in Africa, an editorial in Sena mouthpiece ‘Saamana’ said.

“Modi is not ready to accept the chaos demonetisation has caused. His personal advertisement machinery tries to hide every wrong policy of his government and leaves no stone unturned to attack the Congress. Modi should come out of this negative perception now,” it said.

“Even if one believes the Congress governed while indulging in corruption, it transformed the nation, which could not even produce a needle during Independence, to one that is at the forefront of economic and industrial development. The previous rulers have made India what it is today,” it said.

Referring to Modi’s “raincoat” remark, it said being in power with the corrupt is also corruption. Therefore, even if one wears a raincoat and bathes, the body is bound to get wet.

“Today, if you do not believe with closed eyes that the previous government only indulged in corruption, you will be termed as an anti-national and killed,” the ruling alliance partner said sarcastically.

Referring to Indira Gandhi, the Sena said the former Prime Minister taught Pakistan a lesson in the 1971 war, never displayed a hypocritical stand on anti-nationals, did not trouble the poor by demonetising currency notes and was thus nicknamed ‘Durga’ by Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

“Her strong will was the nation’s shield. She nationalised banks, made better the nation’s economy, gunned down Khalistani terrorists and gave the message that India will not bend before terrorists. She sacrificed her life for the nation,” it said.

Eulogising Rajiv Gandhi, the Sena said, “He had the will to govern by clean means. He may have got the taint of Bofors, but he has to be credited with bringing computers to India. The development of technology today is only because he laid a strong foundation.”

“Narasimha Rao and Manmohan Singh were successful in saving the nation from economic imbalance. Had all this not happened in the last 60 years, Modi would today be governing a nation like Somalia or Burundi,” it said.

(Agencies)

Chennai: Sending a strong message to her detractors, AIADMK General Secretary V K Sasikala today sacked party Presidium Chairman E Madusudanan from the primary membership, a day after he switched over to the rebel camp led by Chief Minister O Panneerselvam.

Madusudanan had been removed from all posts besides the primary membership for going against the party principles and bringing disrepute to it, she said in a statement here.

She also announced the appointment of former minister K A Sengottaiyan as the new AIADMK Presidium Chairman. Sengottaiyan was relieved as the party’s Organisation Secretary, a post to which he was appointed last week.

Sasikala urged the party workers not to have any truck with Madusudanan and said they should extend their cooperation to Sengottaiyan. Giving a major boost to the rival camp, Madusudanan yesterday extended his support to Panneerselvam, saying “he wanted to “safeguard” the party.

“To protect AIADMK, everybody should join hands with OPS (Panneerselvam),” he had said.

Sasikala had removed Panneerselvam from the Treasurer post immediately after his revolt, but he has maintained that being a temporary General Secretary, she does not have the powers to appoint or remove party functionaries.

Sasikala had appointed another senior leader Dindigul C Srinivasan as the Treasurer.

Insisting that he continued to be the Treasurer, Panneerselvam had on Feb 8 written to two banks here asking them not to allow anyone else to operate the party’s accounts.

(Agencies)

New Delhi: Congress today stuck to its demand for an apology from Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his remarks against his predecessor Manmohan Singh in the Rajya Sabha, describing his jibe as “unheard of in Indian parliamentary democracy”.

“We are very very disappointed by what the PM said yesterday. I do not think in the history of Indian parliamentary democracy, we have ever heard the PM insulting his predecessor in such a manner using bathroom analogy. This is simply not heard of (before),” Congress MP Shashi Tharoor said outside Parliament.

Seeking withdrawal of the statement, he said, “In politics, there can be differences but you will never find this kind of statement in our parliamentary debate. PM should withdraw such remarks. There are political differences in our country. In election campaign, people say rude things to each other. But in the House, certain decorum must be maintained. We feel strongly that it should not have happened.”

“We have asked for an apology because he has not withdrawn it so far. If he withdraws it, then the matter will end. But if he does not withdraw, then apology is the only way in which he can make up for the hurt he has caused unnecessarily,” the former Union minister said.

Replying to a debate on the Motion of Thanks to the President’s Address in the Rajya Sabha yesterday, Modi had attacked Congress and taken on Singh who had described demonetisation as “organised loot” and “legalised plunder”, saying “the art of bathing in a bathroom with a raincoat on” is known only to the former Prime Minister as there is “no blot on him” despite “all the scams”.

This provoked an angry reaction from Congress members who staged a walkout in the midst of the reply by the Prime Minister.

(Agencies)

Vijay Mallya. Photo: Reuters

New Delhi: The board of United Breweries on Wednesday asked Vijay Mallya to step down as its non-executive chairman following a Sebi order which barred the embattled businessman from holding directorship in any listed company.

The decision was taken at the board’s meeting today in Mumbai.

In an e-mail to Mallya, United Breweries’ Company Secretary Govind Iyengar said that in the absence of any stay or vacation of the Sebi order, the “board is compelled to request you to step down from the board” with immediate effect.

A copy of the e-mail along with extracts of the minutes of today’s board meeting has been submitted by the company to the BSE.

“The independent directors along with other directors present at the meeting held on February 6, 2017 had resolved not to send the notices and agenda relating to board meetings and/or other privileged information to Vijay Mallya till such time he obtains stay of the Sebi order,” the company added.

The board deliberated on the matter and also reviewed the legal opinions obtained in this regard.

Last month, Sebi had banned Mallya and six former officials of United Spirits Ltd (USL) from securities markets in a case related to illegal fund diversions, while probe is on into the role of auditors and change of control at the company.

Mallya and the six others were also restrained from holding directorship in any listed company.

(PTI)

Bengaluru: In a congress legislature party meeting presided by Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah, it has been decided to raise the quantity of free rice being distributed to BPL card holders to 8 kg per unit from April, this year. Also, BPL card holders can avail grains for another two months even if their ration card is not linked with Aadhar.

According to the new decisions, under Ksheera Bhagya scheme the government will distribute milk 5 days a week in schools. Meanwhile, the ration card holders can avail Kerosene oil even if they have cooking gas connection, chief minister declared in the meeting held.

(Agencies)