Mumbai: The external affairs ministry has revoked the passport of Zakir Naik, the physician turned Islamic preacher, who is accused by a section of media of promoting terrorism.

“The Mumbai Regional Passport Office has approved the NIA’s request to revoke Zakir Naik’s passport,” a spokesperson for the anti-terror agency said today.

The 51-year-old televangelist, who is currently abroad, is being probed by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) for unproven charges related to terror and money laundering.

Dr Naik had his passport renewed in January last year and it was valid for 10 years.

The NIA had on November 18, 2016, registered a case against Dr Naik at its Mumbai branch under various sections of the Indian Penal Code and Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.

His Mumbai-based NGO, Islamic Research Foundation (IRF), has already been declared an unlawful association by the Modi government.

The preacher has been accused by India’s ruling party and mainstream media of spreading hatred, delivering provocative speeches, funding terrorists and laundering several crores of rupees over the years.

Dr Naik, a medical doctor-turned preacher, during his interactions with the Indian media from his haven abroad has repeatedly denied all charges. He was served a show-cause notice by the passport authorities asking as to why his travel document should not be revoked.

The Interpol was approached against Naik after a year- long probe during which the NIA gathered evidence of his IRF and Peace TV being used to allegedly promote hatred between different religious groups.

Besides banning his NGO, the central government has taken his TV channel off air.

(Agencies)

New Delhi: The Congress on Tuesday walked out of the Rajya Sabha after Union Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said the BJP had got a mandate to rule, as BSP supremo Mayawati vociferously spoke against atrocities on Dalits and minorities in Uttar Pradesh and demanded a discussion on the issue.

Leader of Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad took objection to Naqvi’s remarks, saying the BJP had got a mandate to protect the poor, farmers, minorities and Dalits.

“When Mayawati tried to talk, she was told that we have got the mandate. We did not know the BJP has got the mandate for massacre of minorities and Dalits. We are not with this government,” an angry Azad said, and walked out of the House.

Other Congress members followed their leader.

Earlier, there was a din in the House as Mayawati spoke about “atrocities on Dalits” in Saharanpur of Uttar Pradesh.

She said “casteism and capitalism” have grown all over the country, particularly in the BJP-ruled states, after the Bharatiya Janata Party came to power at the Centre.

The Bahujan Samaj Party chief alleged that Dalits were being targeted and sought attention of the House over the issue.

Her remarks created ruckus and Mayawati threatened to resign if she was not allowed to speak.

“I will resign right away. I will come back and give my resignation,” she said and walked out of the House.

Naqvi said Mayawati has shown disrespect for the House and challenged the Chair. “She must apologize,” he said.

Amid noisy scenes, Deputy Chairman P.J. Kurien adjourned the House till noon.

(IANS)

New Delhi: An angry BSP supremo Mayawati on Tuesday said she will quit from the Rajya Sabha after the Chair asked her to restrict her impromptu speech on anti-Dalit violence in Saharanpur in Uttar Pradesh.

“I will resign from Rajya Sabha today,” a visibly anguished Mayawati shot back when Deputy Chairman P J Kurien asked her to wrap up her speech as she had exceeded the three minutes given to her to make her submission.

Mayawati, whose term in the Upper House is till April next year, argued with Kurien saying how can she be prevented from raising the issue about her ‘samaj’ (community) and the Dalits. “I have not finished. You cannot do this.”

“I have no moral right to be in the House if I am not allowed to put across my views on atrocities being committed against Dalits,” she said.

Kurien said she can only call for a discussion after giving a notice under rule 267 that seeks adjournment of proceedings to take up an issue and not make a speech to initiate a discussion.

A discussion can begin only after the Chair, on the advise of the government, accepts the notice and agrees for a discussion.

Kurien rose from his seat in an attempt to calm her down but Mayawati refused to agree saying she has no right to be in the House if she cannot protect the rights of her community.

“I am going to resign from the house,” she said and walked out of the House in a huff.

Her party colleagues led by Satish Mishra followed her but were back in the House soon to raise slogans against the alleged anti-Dalit policies of the government.

Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said Mayawati was challeging the Chair. “She should apologise. She has threatened the Chair,” he said.

BSP members immediately rushed into the Well shouting “Dalit virodhi yeh sarkar nahi chalegi, nahi chalegi” (anti-dalit government will not be tolerated).

Leader of the Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad briefly prevailed over them to allow him to make his submission. Azad said the government at an all-party meeting before the start of the Monsoon Session had agreed to discuss any issue that the opposition wants to raise in the house.

“Promise was made to us in the presence of the Prime Minister. You are going against that,” Azad said.

He said the Opposition led by Congress has given notices to discuss crisis facing farmers, anti-Dalit violence and lynching of minorities.

Responding to the barbs of the treasury benches to respect the people’s mandate, Azad said the government has got a mandate to protect the Dalits and minorities and for development.

“You didnt get a mandate to massacre minorities and Dalits,” he said adding the Congress was staging a walkout of the House in protest.

Congress members then walked out of the House. Soon thereafter, BSP members were back in the Well shouting anti-government slogans.

Sitaram Yechury (CPI-M) said the government policies were pushing farmers to suicide.

Naqvi said the government was ready for discussion on any issue and the opposition should give a notice.

Kurien said the government was agreeing to having a discussion, so the opposition members should return to their seats and start it.

“Shouting slogan is no solution. We can discuss. The Chair is ready to allow discussion on all subjects. Let us start,” he said. But the opposition members remained unrelenting, forcing him to adjourn the proceedings till 1200 hours.

Earlier, Mayawati while elaborating on the incidents in Saharanpur, said the Dalits had agreed to the district administration’s order not to take out any procession or install a statue of Bhim Rao Ambedkar on April 14. But the followers of Maharana Pratap however took out a procession on May 5, she said.

Before she could complete, Kurien asked her to sit and called the next speaker, saying “you cannot monopolise”, angering Mayawati.

(PTI)

Vijay Mallya. Photo: Reuters

Mumbai: A special court has issued an order directing attachment of accounts beleaguered businessman Vijay Mallya and his associates in the UK and Switzerland in connection with the IDBI loan default case.

The court last week also allowed the agency’s request for issuance of Letter Rogatory to the UK to assist it in the probe. The court has also directed issuance of LR to carry out investigations about those accounts.

According to the CBI, there were many commissions and omissions on the part of IDBI officials in the process of sanctioning and disbursement of loan of Rs 1,300 crore to Kingfisher Airlines (KFA).

According to the chargesheet, about Rs 260 crore was diverted by the KFA, while Rs 263 crore was used to pay salaries, tax deducted at source, income tax and loan instalments.

A part of the loan amount was also allegedly diverted by Mallya for his “personal expenses”, the agency had said. The CBI had said all the arrested IDBI officials were instrumental in sanctioning and facilitating disbursement of the loan.

The IDBI allegedly showed “undue favour” to KFA in the matter of sanction and disbursement of short-term loans of Rs 150 crore in October 2009 and Rs 200 crore in November 2009, and another corporate loan of Rs 750 crore in November 2009, the agency had said.

(PTI)

New Delhi: The Central government on Monday refused to give another opportunity to exchange demonetised currency notes of Rs 500 and 1,000 to those who couldn’t do it by the deadline of December 30, 2016, saying this would defeat the very objective of eliminating black money.

In an affidavit filed in the Supreme Court, Finance Ministry Under Secretary T. Narasimha said: “The very object of demonetisation and elimination of black money will be defeated if a window is opened for a further period as people in possession of the SBNs (specified bank notes) would have had sufficient time and opportunity to carefully plan the reasons and executed for not depositing the SBNs within the permitted period of December 30, 2016.

“Any number of ‘benami’ transactions and proxy users for the purpose of producing and depositing the old notes would then arise and the departments would have great difficulty in deciding any genuine case from the numerous bogus ones, it said, and sought dismissal of petitions seeking another chance.

The government on Monday also said that even possessing the demonetised currency notes was an offence.

The Union Finance Ministry’s stand came in response to the top court asking the Central government on July 4 to consider giving another opportunity to those who couldn’t exchange their demonetised currency notes.

Even in the earlier hearings, the government had resisted the suggestion to give another opportunity to people who could not deposit their demonitised currency notes by December 30 saying t hat it has taken a “conscious decision” not to extend the period except for NRIs, and security personnel posted in remote areas, which ended on March 31.

The government had also said it was not legally bound to come out with a fresh notification to grant grace period or window for depositing scrapped currency notes.

The top court is hearing a batch of petitions challenging the government’s decision not to allow the public at large to deposit demonetised currency notes till March 31 as promised by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and others as the window ended on December 30 last year.

The petitioner have also referred to Modi’s speech on November 8, 2016 and subsequent notification of the Reserve Bank of India, holding that people may deposit demonetised currency notes at specific RBI branches up to March 31, 2017 after complying with certain procedural requirements.

(Agencies)

New Delhi: Textiles Minister Smriti Irani was today given the additional charge of the Information and Broadcasting Ministry after M Venkaiah Naidu resigned from the Cabinet to contest the vice-presidential poll.

The portfolio of urban development, which too was with Naidu, was given to Narendra Singh Tomar, Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment, the PMO said.

The BJP had yesterday decided to field Naidu as NDA’s candidate for the post of vice president.

(Agencies)