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No discussion until Sushma steps down: Rahul Gandhi

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rahul gandhi

New Delhi: Attacking Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his “silence” on the Lalit Modi controversy, Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi on Thursday said his party was against discussion until External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj steps down.

Claiming that Modi’s credibility is on the decline, Rahul said the Prime Minister should listen to the voices of the people of the coutry who are demanding an answer from him over controversies confronting the government.

“The Prime Minister had assured the country that he will not tolerate corruption. His words should carry weight. But he speaks in air, he speaks whatever comes to his mind, his credibility is slowly declining.

“We asked the PM what he thinks about Lalit Modi. We got no answer. We got no answer on the Vyapam scam, no answer on Chhattisgarh and no answer on Sushma,” he told reporters outside Parliament.

Rahul’s comments come against the backdrop of the stalemate persisting in both the Houses of Parliament with Congress-led opposition aggressively pressing for ouster of Sushma and Chief Ministers of Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh Vasundhara Raje and Shivraj Singh Chouhan over the Lalit Modi controversy and Vyapam scam, which the government rejected.

He made it clear that there would be no discussion on the Lalit Modi controversy unless Sushma quits office.

“What we have said is that (there will be) no discussion without resignation. Sushma has done a criminal act. He (Lalit Modi) is a ‘fugitive’. You have signed it (the recommendation for grant of travel document). The High Commission does not know about it. The Indian government too in unaware of that,” he said and alleged that there were business links between the families of Lalit Modi and Sushma Swaraj.

(PTI)

Lalitgate: Cong questions PM's silence, says he too is liable

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modi

New Delhi: Congress today attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his “silence” on the Lalitgate, saying he should come out of his ‘meditation’ and answer the nation as he too is “liable”.

“It is ordinance raj. All mantris have become tantris. One minister, what he or she eats, drinks, where they go. The Prime Minister knows everything. But he is unaware when External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj was talking to UK authorities on Lalit Modi’s travel documents.

“That means, there was consent of the Prime Minister (for granting travel documents to Lalit Modi)…he is liable. Prime Minister Modi should come out of political Vipassana, and keep truth before the nation,” Congress spokesman Tom Vadakkan told reporters.

Asked about reports of scam-tainted former IPL chief Lalit Modi hosting Congress leaders Shashi Tharoor and Rajiv Shukla too, Vadakkan said they did not hold any official post unlike Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje and hence, there was no quid pro quo.

According to media reports, ex-IPL chief had hosted Tharoor, Shukla and Raje at a Mumbai hotel in 2010. Raje was Opposition Leader in Rajasthan Assembly then.

“Now it has come to fore that the then Leader of Opposition in Rajasthan, who is the Chief Minister now, her bills were paid by IPL. Those who are against us will say Tharoor was there, Shukla was there, (NCP chief Sharad) Pawar was there, but they were not Leader of Opposition. In Raje’s case, it is proved there was quid pro quo,” he claimed.

On reports claiming that Raje’s son Dushyant had business links with the former IPL chief, Vadakkan said the matter needs to be investigated.

“It is very difficult to say which Modi has what relations with whom. If the relations are with Chhota (Lalit) Modi, then in whose protection Chhota Modi is, who is giving him transit passport, these are all matters of investigation. These linkages involving Bada Modi, Chhota Modi can be established only then,” he said.

(PTI)

Lalit Modi row: Congress asks Vasundhra Raje to quit along with Sushma Swaraj

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Vasundhra Raje

New Delhi: With the latest revelations in Modigate drawing Vasundhra Raje into the controversy, Congress today demanded that Rajasthan Chief Minister also resign along with External Affair Minister Sushma Swaraj.

Swaraj should step down and Raje should also resign for “helping Lalit Modi, an economic offender and fugitive,” spokesperson Shobha Ojha told reporters.

Ojha also targeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying his silence in the matter so far showed that “there is a mute support by the PM to these leaders”.

Besides, she said the party wanted a Supreme Court monitored Special Investigation Team (SIT) to go into the Modigate.

She dismissed as laughable BJP’s charge that Congress was targeting women leaders of BJP.

“Since they want to hide their crimes, they are raising the gender issue which is condemnable and laughable,” she said.

Taking a dig at Modi government, she said that Modigate showed “achche din” for economic offenders like Latit Modi with the entire government coming to his rescue.

Raje and Swaraj stand “exposed for helping Lalit Modi”, she alleged.

(PTI)

Sushma Swaraj reacts angrily on Twitter; Chidambaram demands release of letters to UK

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Sushma Swaraj

New Delhi: External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on Wednesday reacted angrily to a tweet suggesting she took favours to get her daughter a seat in a medical college through the northeast quota.

“My daughter is a barrister and Oxford graduate. What you say is absolutely false,” she replied to the tweet.

The twitter handle ‘Soch @pakoed’ had insinuated that “Sushma is no stranger to taking and giving favours! Her daughter studied through NorthEast quota in medical college.”

Twitterati immediately reacted, wondering at Sushma’s impulsive response to a stray tweet. The handle @pakoed was deleted, though its tweet was retweeted by others.

Sushma’s twitter supporters urged her not to be hassled by a “dog that barks” and keep up her good work.

On Monday too, Sushma appears to have lost her cool, targeting a senior journalist of a news channel that was reporting on the Lalit Modi episode. “Look who is preaching propriety – of all the persons Navika Kumar!” she posted.

Sushma’s daughter Bansuri is a lawyer, who is reported to have appeared in passport cancellation matters relating to former Indian Premier League chief Lalit Modi before the court.

The Congress has pointed this out in its accusations against the minister, citing “conflict of interest”.

The senior minister is facing flak for having helped Lalit Modi procure documents to travel to Portugal in 2014. Lalit Modi, who is wanted by the Enforcement Directorate for alleged financial impropriety in the money-spinning IPL, stays in London.

Her husband Swaraj Kaushal was governor of Mizoram from 1990 to 1993 and is an expert on the northeast.

(IANS)

PM must order probe to expose real gameplan: Shiv Sena on Sushma Swaraj row

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Saamana-News-Epaper

Mumbai: Claiming that Sushma Swaraj has been targeted under a “political game” to oust her from BJP, Shiv Sena today said it is imperative for Prime Minister Narendra Modi to step in and order an investigation to know who is so keen on “maligning” her “clean” reputation.

Sena, which has come out in support of the External Affairs Minister in the row over helping scam-tainted former IPL Commissioner Lalit Modi obtain British travel papers, said Congress was “lifeless” and its reaction did not mean much but “who is trying to give flight to its wings”.

“The Congress party is behaving as if Swaraj has helped get bail to arrested fugitive gangster Dawood Ibrahim or Kasab. This controversy is being fuelled by using a section of the media. It is vital for Prime Minister Narendra Modi to order an investigation on who is so keen on maligning her clean reputation of 35-40 years,” the Sena said in an edit in its mouthpiece ‘Saamana’.

“Covering Swaraj in a mist of controversy and questions seems to be a huge political game being played to oust her from the BJP and from national politics,” the Sena alleged.

It said that PM Modi too may get engulfed in such controversies in the future and that some of his cabinet ministers are being tactfully harassed.

The edit added that similar allegations had been levelled against Home Minister Rajnath Singh’s son in the recent past and also against Nitin Gadkari, when he took over as the President of the BJP.

“An Indian has been helped on humanitarian grounds. Why so much fuss over it? The Congress has become lifeless now and thus its flutter also does not mean much. But the question is who is trying to give flight to these fluttering wings,” the Sena said.

“If somebody is attacking the External Affairs Ministry to weaken it and thereby trying to demoralise the Modi government, the person is ultimately causing harm to the country. This a very big political game that needs to be ended by PM Modi,” it added.

(PTI)

'Sushma offered to quit but RSS sought she continued'

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Sushma Swaraj

New Delhi: External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj offered to resign almost a week before the controversy broke out over her help to former IPL commissioner Lalit Modi in getting travel documents on “humanitarian ground”, but her offer was rejected on the intervention of the RSS, informed sources said.

The sources said the news channel that on Sunday read out e-mails of a British MP concerning travel documents for Modi, had sent an e-mail to Sushma Swaraj almost a week before, seeking her response on the issue.

Soon after that she met Prime Minister Narendra Modi and informed him of the matter in detail, a highly placed source told IANS.

Sources said a meeting of senior Bharatiya Janata Party leaders and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh functionaries was convened a day later by Modi to discuss the matter and to chalk out the future strategy.

They said at the meeting Sushma Swaraj clarified her stand on the issue and said she was ready to resign as she did not want the government to face any embarrassment. But RSS functionaries stopped her, saying she has done nothing wrong, the sources added.

The RSS functionaries also said that Sushma Swaraj had made it clear in her communication that any help rendered by the British authorities to Lalit Modi should be subject to their rules.

According to sources, the meeting chalked out strategy to defend Sushma Swaraj.

As part of the strategy, Bharatiya Janata Party president Amit Shah, Home Minister Rajnath Singh and RSS leader Indresh Kumar came out in support of Sushma Swaraj on Sunday.

The controversy, which first appeared in a British newspaper, went on to dominate Indian news channels from Sunday.

(IANS)

Congress protests outside Sushma Swaraj's residence; demands resignation

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Sushma Swaraj Lalit Modi

New Delhi: Scores of Congress workers today protested outside residence of External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj demanding her resignation for “extending help” to scam-tainted former IPL Commissioner Lalit Modi in procuring travel documents in the UK.

Shouting slogans and holding placards, the Congress workers demanded action against Swaraj and said she must quit or Prime Minister Narendra Modi should sack her immediately from the Union Cabinet. The protesters also burnt effigies of Swaraj.

Congress has been attacking Swaraj since yesterday after reports surfaced that she had written to British lawmaker Keith Vaz to allegedly recommend travel documents for Lalit Modi for visiting Portugal.

Swaraj has said she had written to Vaz on “humanitarian grounds” after Lalit Modi said his wife was ill.

Modi is wanted in India and has made London his home since 2010 to avoid a probe in the alleged betting and misappropriation of funds in the T20 cricket tournament.

Some of the Congress protesters also broke barricades outside Swaraj’s Safdarjung residence in posh Lutyens Bungalow Zone in central Delhi. Around 100 protesters were detained by the police and were later released.

Earlier in the day, Congress sharpened attack on Swaraj alleging there was “quid pro quo” involved in her “assistance” to Modi and demanded that the former IPL Commissioner be brought back and tried in India.

“There are circumstances which establish contact between Sushma Swaraj and Lalit Modi. As a quid pro quo, Sushma Swaraj has done favour to a tainted person who is accused of Rs 700 crore money laundering, tax evasion and several other charges,” said Congress national spokesperson P L Punia.

(PTI)

Telangana: Case registered against KCR for illegal phone-tapping

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KCR

Visakhapatnam: A case has been registered here against Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao for alleged illegal tapping of phones of his Andhra Pradesh counterpart Chandrababu Naidu in the backdrop of the cash-for-votes scam, police said Monday.

According to Inspector of III-Town Police Station, B Tirumala Rao, a Vizag-based advocate NVV Prasad lodged a complaint against KCR for violating the basic rights of Naidu and “tarnishing” his image by tapping his telephone lines.

In his complaint, the assistant Public Prosecutor accused TRS of deliberately trying to snoop on TDP members.

Based on the complaint, a case has been registered against KCR under Sections 464, 647, 471, 166, 167 and 120/B of IPC.

Meanwhile, a purported conversation in an audio tape between Chandrababu Naidu and nominated MLA Elvys Stephenson, aired in a section of local TV channels has given a new twist to the cash-for-votes controversy.

Sunday, Parakala Prabhakar Advisor (Communications) to the Andhra government strongly denied reports saying that the tapes were fabricated and the AP government will take up the issue seriously.

The reported conversation suggested that the Andhra CM was giving “assurance of all sorts” to the MLA if he votes for TDP nominee in the Telangana Legislative Council election.

Prabhakar further alleged that the Telangana government is trying to malign the image of the AP chief minister by resorting to cheap tactics.

“It is not the chief minister’s conversation. How come they are available outside. Telangana Government has to give answer to this. Telangana CM and Home minister should give answers,” Parakala had said.

He said that the Telangana CM is trying to mislead the people of Andhra Pradesh by resorting to “cheap tricks”.

The anti-corruption bureau of Telangana is in the process of questioning TDP MLA Revanth Reddy and two others who have been arrested in cash-for-vote case.

On May 31, the ACB arrested Reddy for allegedly trying to bribe the nominated MLA Elvis Stephenson to vote for TDP nominee in the Telangana Legislative Council election.

Based on a complaint by Stephenson, ACB officials held Revanth, Sebastian Harry and Uday Simha after they were caught while allegedly handing over Rs 50 lakh to Stephenson.

(IANS)

Cash-for-vote scam: Andhra CM's audio tape made public

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ChandrababuNaidu

Hyderabad: The cash-for-vote scam in Telangana took a dramatic turn on Sunday with the release of an audio tape of a purported telephonic conversation between Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu and nominated Telangana legislator Elvis Stephenson.The Andhra government denied that it’s Naidu’s voice.

This is perhaps for the first time in India that a chief minister of a state has been tapped while allegedly trying to lure a legislator. Denying that it is Naidu’s voice, the Andhra Pradesh government has taken the release of audio tape seriously and vowed to fight it legally, constitutionally and politically.

The new twist may create a constitutional crisis as Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) of Telangana is planning to summon Naidu for questioning in the case. Hyderabad is the common capital of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. Both Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) and Telugu Desam Party (TDP) governments have taken up the issue with E.S.L. Narasimhan, who is the governor for both the Telugu states.

The audio tape was released three days after Telangana Home Minister N. Narasimha Reddy said the government has proof that Naidu spoke to Stephenson and some other MLAs of TRS to lure them to vote for TDP-BJP candidate in Telangana legislative council elections.

The audio tape was first played T News, a Telugu news channel owned by ruling TRS and was later picked up by others.

During the conversation, Naidu purportedly assured the nominated member that he is with him. “Our people briefed me. I am with you don’t bother. For everything I am with you. What all they spoke we will honour,” Naidu was heard as telling the legislator.

In swift developments on Sunday night, Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao met Governor Narasimhan at Raj Bhavan while Naidu called a meeting with Andhra Pradesh Director General of Police J.V. Ramudu and other officials to take stock of the latest situation.

Rao’s meeting with the governor, the second in three days, came minutes after the release of the audio tape.

Telangana TDP legislator A. Revanth Reddy was arrested by the ACB on May 31 when he was offering Rs.50 lakh to Stephenson to make him vote for TDP-BJP candidate in the elections to Telangana legislative council.

ACB, which had laid a trap on a complaint by Stephenson, also arrested Revanth Reddy’s aides Sebastian Harry and Uday Simha.

TRS leaders have been alleging that Naidu is the mastermind in the scam and he should be booked.

The audio tape came to light a few hours after ACB questioned Revanth Reddy and two others for a second day. A city court had sent them to four-day custody of ACB.

Earlier in the day, Naidu met Narasimhan, who is governor for both Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. The TDP chief reportedly complained to the governor about TRS government tapping his phone.

Meanwhile, Naidu’s media advisor Prakala Prabhakar told reporters on Sunday night that the voice in the audio tape is not the voice of Naidu.

He said the government was taking the release of the audio tape seriously and will not keep quiet. “We will fight it legally, constitutionally and politically,” he said.

He wanted to know from the TRS government as to how it got the audio tape. “If you have done telephone tapping, it is a crime and if you have recorded Mr. Chandrababu Naidu’s voice on different occasions, tampered it and presented to mislead people that it is his conversation, it is also a crime,” he said.

Naidu’s aide wondered how the audio tape could be released as evidence when the same should be produced in the court, where the case is being heard. Prakala condemned the attitude of Telangana government towards Andhra Pradesh chief minister in the common capital. He said both the governments and both the chief ministers had equal rights in the common capital.

He pointed out that under section 8 of the Andhra Pradesh Reorganisation Act, the governor is responsible for law and order, protection of lives and property of people and vital installations in Hyderabad.

He alleged that the release of audio tape was a conspiracy to tarnish Naidu’s image and disrupt the public meeting scheduled to be held in Guntur on Monday to mark TDP government’s first year.

The media advisor said the government would go ahead with the meeting and fight the conspiracy.

Andhra Pradesh’s Finance Minister and senior TDP leader Y. Ramakrishnudu said the audio tape was a proof that the TRS government was violating law by tapping phones.

(IANS)

HSBC’s private Swiss bank served everyone from alleged arms dealers to pop stars

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The doors were open. (Reuters/Denis Balibouse)

The doors were open. (Reuters/Denis Balibouse)

by Heather Timmons, QZ

An investigation into 100,000 individuals who held accounts with HSBC’s Private Bank turned up a roster of royals, arms dealers, sanctioned Russian businessmen, and on-the-lam politicians—along with music icons Tina Turner, Phil Collins, and David Bowie. The leaks of the bank’s sometimes-unsavory clientele—who collectively held more than $100 billion in assets, often structured specifically to evade taxes—forced HSBC to acknowledge that its standards “were significantly lower than they are today.”

The investigation by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ), involves 60,000 files leaked by a former HSBC employee that detail the private bank’s accounts held in Switzerland in 2006 and 2007. In part through the use of the same leaks, European andUS authorities have been cracking down on banks—and HSBC in particular—that help clients stash assets overseas to evade taxes.

Only a few dozen of the account holders were made public by ICIJ. But they represent an interesting cross-section of the world’s wealthy and paint an intriguing picture of how to store offshore assets—a practice that some economists say contributes to rising global wealth inequality, by stripping local governments of tax revenue to spend on goods and services for the less-rich. Here are a few of the wealthy tribes that emerge from the leaks:

The Swiss pop stars

Some 14% of the wealthy individuals in the leaked database have Swiss passports, including many who weren’t born in Switzerland, like pop idols Phil Collins, Tina Turner and David Bowie. Swiss nationals are not subject to the same scrutiny of their accounts as citizens of the US and other EU countries. Clients “linked” to Switzerland had by far the largest amount of assets, at $31.2 billion.

Alleged arms traffickers, fraudsters, and corrupt officials:

Burundian Aziza Kulsum Gulamali, known as the “Coltan Queen” for her trade in that rare metal, has been criticized by the United Nations for providing arms to rebels during Burundi’s civil war. She was linked to accounts containing over $3 million.

Central African Republic diamond magnate Abdul-Karim Dan Azoumiis accused by the United Nations of financing the country’s rebel Seleka group that has waged civil war killing thousands. He held less than $500,000 in one account.

Rachid Mohamed Rachid, the former Egyptian trade minister, is linked to a $31 million account. He fled Cairo in 2011 but was convicted in absentia of profiteering.

Former Portsmouth FC owner Vladimir Antonov is accused of a $500 million bank fraud in Lithuania. He is linked to an account worth $65 million.

Entertainers:

Actor John Malkovich said through a representative that he knew nothing about the account in his name, and suggested that it might be related to Ponzi schemer Bernie Madoff, “who handled some of his finances.”

Actor Christian Slater was linked to an account named “‘Captain Kirk,’ after the Star Trek character,” which was open between 1996 and 1997.

Elle MacPherson, the Australian model, had four client accounts that led to 25 separate bank accounts holding over $12 million.

Actress and author Joan Collins was linked to two Swiss HSBC accounts that have since been closed. Her accountant said they were opened without her consent.

Industrialists and businessmen

Rajan Raheja, an Indian construction magnate, was linked to accounts that held $262 million.

Oil trader Jonathan Kolleck was linked to 19 active accounts that held $72 million.

Mexican businessman Carlos Hank Rohn was linked to HSBC accounts with nearly $180 million. He and his relatives have been investigated for alleged money laundering and links to drug cartels, but all charges have been dropped.

Housewives

More than 7,300 people in the leaked accounts are described as “housewives.” The report supplies few names of these woman, but it does describe how one Danish housewife visited the private bank in Zurich and left with the equivalent of $16,000 in cash. The ICIJ report notes the term housewife “may be used to describe a wealthy married woman, but it’s also applied in some cases to women who include industry pioneers, architects, journalists, teachers, princesses and heiresses.”

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