New Delhi, May 9 : Twenty eight years after the assassination of former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi, the Congress party has suddenly “discovered” a BJP role in his death, Union Finance Minister and senior BJP leader Arun Jaitley said on Thursday,
He called the Congress “desperate” and said that from May 1991 to 2004, the grand old party was blaming its ally DMK for Rajiv Gandhi’s assassination, and after 28 years one of its leaders had found the BJP responsible for his death.

“From December 1990 till May 1991, when Shri Rajiv Gandhi was assassinated, the Congress Party supported Chandra Shekhar government in power.

“From May 1991 till 2004, the Congress blamed its present ally the DMK for Shri Rajiv Gandhi’s assassination. It even withdrew support from the United Front government on this ground. 28 years later, today a desperate Congress has discovered a BJP role,” he tweeted.

Mr Jaitley ‘s sarcasting comment came in wake of senior Congress leader Ahmed Patel’s statement that lack of security provided by “BJP-backed government” led to Rajiv Gandhi’s assassination.
“Abusing a martyred Prime Minister is the sign of ultimate cowardice. But who is responsible for his assassination? The BJP backed V P Singh govt refused to provide him with additional security and left him with one PSO despite credible intelligence inputs and repeated requests,” Mr Patel had said in a Twitter post.
Mr Jaitley then repeated what Prime Minister Narendra Modi had said on Wednesday about the former premier using INS Viraat for personal holidays.
“The Kaamdars use India’s Naval assets to strike at terror. The Naamdars use them for personal vacations with family and in-laws,” he added.
“At the time when INS Viraat was positioned for protection of maritime boundaries, it was sent to take Rajiv Gandhi and his family to an island for their holiday. Even his in-laws were onboard INS Viraat. Was it not a compromise of national security?
”Even Navy personnel were put on service of Rajiv Gandhi and his family while they were vacationing at the island. INS Virat was also stationed at the island for 10 days during that time,” he had said.

The Supreme Court on Thursday dismissed a petition seeking direction to the Election Commission of India (ECI) to debar Congress president Rahul Gandhi from contesting the Lok Sabha polls after he had “voluntarily acquired British nationality.”

CJI Ranjan Gogoi dismissed the plea stating that “there was no merit in it”.

The petitioners – Jai Bhagwan Goyal and Chander Prakash Tyagi – had said that in a form along with the annual data of a UK-based company in 2005-06, it was allegedly mentioned that Rahul Gandhi is a British citizen.

“If some company in some form mentions his nationality as British, does he become a British citizen?” the bench also comprising Justices Deepak Gupta and Sanjiv Khanna asked the petitioners.

In April, the Ministry of Home Affairs had issued a notice to Rahul Gandhi over his citizenship after receiving a complaint from Rajya Sabha MP Subramanian Swamy.

The Ministry had also asked Gandhi to intimate the factual position in the matter within 15 days.

“I am directed to say that this ministry has received a representation from Dr Subramanian Swamy, in which it has been brought out that a company named Backops Limited was registered in the United Kingdom in the year 2003, with address 51 Southgate Street, Winchester, Hampshire SO23 9EH and that you were one of the directors and secretary of the said company,” the letter from BC Joshi, Director, Citizenship, in the home ministry read.

The letter further said the complaint mentioned that in the company’s annual returns filed on October 10, 2005, and 31 October 2006, Gandhi’s date of birth has been given as June 19, 1970, and that the Congress president had declared his nationality as British.

In the Dissolution application of the company dated 17/02/2009 too, the letter said, his nationality has been mentioned as British.

The notice came as a major setback for the Congress president who is contesting from the constituencies of Amethi in Uttar Pradesh and Wayanad in Kerala in the Lok Sabha polls.

Home Minister Rajnath Singh had played down the notice to Gandhi as a “normal process”.

Bangalore May 8 : EaseMyTrip (EMT), one of the leading Online Travel Aggregators of India has come up with the best deals for its Karnataka users.
At present EaseMyTrip receives around 13.5 per cent users from Karnataka with Bangalore alone contributing to 12.59 per cent. With a strong presence through agent network, offices and franchises in every pin-code, the company is planning to increase this number by 25% at least, by the end of this year.
The ASI has collected a total revenue of Rs.3.89 crores – Rs. 2.22 crores from domestic and Rs.1.66 crores from foreign tourists from 2018 to 2019. Knowing the significance of tourism in Karnataka, the self-funded company will be offering a discount of flat Rs. 500 on domestic flights and Rs. 2000 on International flights, exclusively to Karnataka customers. “All they need to do is book a flight through EaseMyTrip and apply the promo code “EMTKARNATAKA” to avail attractive discount on their flight bookings.” EaseMyTrip spokeperson and Vice President Rolly Sinha Dhar said here in a press conference.
Commenting on the same, Rikant Pitti, Co-Founder & COO, EaseMyTrip has said,”We have high hopes from Karnataka. That’s why we are offering exclusive promotional offers to the customers of Karnataka and will be introducing many such offers, services in this region to increase our customer base here.”
In the last few years, the multi award-winning travel agency has seen a significant growth in its business due to its USP of charging zero convenience fees and maintaining transparency in pricing.

PM Modi while taking a jibe at Congress president Rahul Gandhi at a rally in Uttar Pradesh’s Pratapgarh had termed Rajiv Gandhi as a ‘corrupt’ leader.

A Karnataka BJP leader has emerged as one among the many to express his objection over Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “corrupt No 1” remark for late Congress leader Rajiv Gandhi.

He said although he respected Narendra Modi, he did not agree with the PM’s remarks on the former PM.

The LTTE planned and assassinated Rajiv Gandhi. He did not die due to corruption allegations. Nobody believes that, even I don’t believe it. I have a lot of respect for Modi ji, but it was not necessary for him to speak against Rajiv Gandhi,” former Union minister Srinivasa Prasad was quoted as saying by media.

Prasad, who served as a minister in the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government, had joined the Congress and was a state minister. He rejoined the BJP in 2017.

PM Modi, taking a jibe at Congress president Rahul Gandhi at a rally in Uttar Pradesh’s Pratapgarh on Saturday, had said: “Your father was termed ‘Mr. Clean’ by his courtiers but his life ended as ‘bhrashtachari’ (corrupt) number 1.”

The comment has earned condemnation from a united opposition and several leaders said the statement lowered the dignity of the PMO.

Doubling down his charges of corruption against Rajiv Gandhi, PM Modi on Monday dared the Congress to fight the elections in the name of the former prime minister.

Again on Wednesday, PM Modi fired another salvo at Rajiv Gandhi saying that he used warship INS Viraat as his “personal taxi” for a holiday when he was the PM.

New Delhi, May 9 Refuting allegations of circulating ‘derogatory’ pamphlet against Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) East-Delhi Lok Sabha candidate Atishi, cricketer-turned-politician and BJP’s nominee for the parliamentary seat Gautam Gambhir on Thursday alleged it to be a conspiracy by AAP to win elections.

Reacting on AAP’s allegation, Mr Gambhir in a series of tweets, charged AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal of ‘outraging a woman’s modesty’
“I abhor your act of outraging a woman’s modesty Arvind Kejriwal and that too your own colleague. And all this for winning elections? You are filth Mr CM and someone needs ur very own ‘Jhaadu’ (broom) to clean your dirty mind,” Gambhir tweeted.
Challenging Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Ms Atishi to prove that he has done this, Gambhir said that if it was proved he will withdraw his candidature and asked them whether they will quit politics if they were proved wrong

“My Challenge no 2 @ArvindKejriwal @AtishiAAP I declare that if its proven that I did it, I will withdraw my candidature right now. If not, will u quit politics?,” Mr Gambhir said.

Expressing dissapointment over the same, Mr Gambhir said, “I feel ashamed to have a CM like @ArvindKejriwal.”

Earlier in the day, AAP east Delhi candidate Atishi broke down during a presser here, and alleged that a ‘derogatory ‘ pamphlet against her is being circulated by rival party BJP nominee and cricketer turned politician Gautam Gambhir against her in the areas falling under the parliamentary constituency.

Addressing a joint press conference here along with senior party leader and Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, Ms Atishi broke down while reading the ‘derogatory’ pamphlet against her, and questioned Mr Gambhir what he would do for the women of east Delhi.

“My only question if he (Gambhir) can circulate such pamphlet against me. What will he do for the women of East Delhi?,” Ms Atishi asked.

Elections to seven parliamentary seats in Delhi will be held on May 12.

New Delhi, Mar 9 : Senior BJP leader and Union Minister for Road Transport Nitin Gadkari on Thursday said that the saffron party would come back to power at the Centre for a second consecutive term with a bigger majority.
Mr Gadkari said this disagreeing with the comments of BJP general secretary Ram Madhav that the BJP would need support of allies to form Government after elections.

Talking to UNI in an interview at his residence, Mr Gadkari charged the opposition of dividing people on the basis of communities and castes and creating fear among minorities for electoral gains.
He made it clear that the BJP is against terrorists and not Muslims.
He also made it clear that the people of the country do not have faith in the NYAY scheme of the Congress.

Describing legislature, executive, judiciary and the media as four pillar of democracy. Mr Gadkari said all these four pillors need to work together to check the fall in the level of public discourse.

Asked about the statement by BJP general secretary that he would be happy if the BJP is able to get 271 seats on its own, Mr Gadkari said,”I do not agree with the assessment that the BJP would find it difficult to form a government. I feel that the BJP will come back to power with a full majority based on the work doen by the Narendra Modi government in the last five years. Infact, it is my belief that the BJP will form Government at the centre with a bigger majority compared to the 2014 Lok Sabha election.”

In a recent interview, BJP general secretary ram madhav had said that the BJP could fall short of majority in the coming elections and would need support of allies to form a Government at the Centre.

On political pundits projecting that in case the NDA feels short of a majority, he could emerge as a Prime Ministerial face of the BJP, Mr Gadkari said, “I am a loyal soldier of the party. I am confident that the BJP will get a full majority and that Mr Narendra Modi will be the Prime Minister. I never had any ambition of becoming Prime Minister nor do I have any such ambition now.”

He said that he would be happy if he is given the same portfolio in the BJP Government so that he can carry forward his unfinished work in the next five years. At the same time, he added that it was the prerogative of the Prime Minister to allocate a portfolio.

Mr Gadkari said that in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, the BJP had come to power riding on the negativity that had been prevailing during the UPA rule following scams like the Commonwealth games scam, the 2G scam. It was a positive vote for the BJP. In 2019 Lok Sabha elections, he said the BJP would return to power based on the tremendous work doen by the Narendra Modi Government at the Centre.

Mr Gadkari said the NDA Government had done a lot of work for the benefit of all sections of society in the last five years.

“We will come back to power based on the tremendous work done by the NDA Government in the last five years. In fact, the work that we have done in the last five years was not done in the last 50 years.”

I feel that the face of the Nation has been changed in the last five years. A lot of work has been done in the social sector. A lot of economic and administrative reform measures like the GST have been taken during the NDA rule. After teething problems witnessed in the Goods and services tax regime, the process of GST has been simplified,”Mr Gadkari said.

New Delhi, May 9 : The political temperature in the National Capital is soaring along with the mercury level ahead of the May 12 Lok Sabha elections, with AAP calling Prime Minister Narendra Modi chief of ‘fenkupanthi’ (braggart) community.
The AAP statement comes a day after the Prime Minister, while addressing a rally at Ramlila Maidan here in support of the BJP candidates in an apparent reference to AAP, said the ‘nakampanthi’ model has destroyed the people of Delhi.
Attacking Mr Modi over his ‘nakampanthi’ jibe, senior AAP leader and Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh
said that it is not a ‘nakampanthi’ government but a ‘karampanthi’ one.
“Hum nakampanthi nahi, karampanthi sarkar hein. Humare Pradhan Mantri fenkupanthi sampraday ke pramukh hein . (We are not failure but hard working government. Our PM is chief of ‘tall promises’ community). Whatever he (Modi) said yesterday there was no facts and truth, only false allegations,” Mr
Singh told reporters here.
Claiming that 2019 Lok Sabha elections is a fight between ‘fenku sampraday (braggart community) and ‘karampanthi’ ( hard working), the AAP leader said, the May 12 elections will be in favour of ‘karampanthi’ and against ‘fenkupanthi’.
Charging the BJP with cheating people of Delhi, Mr Singh said,”for years you have made statehood issue. In last elections (2014), Mr Modi himself promised to give full statehood to Delhi but in yesterday’s rally, he did not speak even a single word on this.”
He also attacked the Congress on the issue of full statehood.
Taking a dig at PM’s nakampanthi jibe, Mr Singh highlighted various works done by AAP in last four years.
“To hide your (Modi) failures, you are levelling false allegations on AAP government. Despite of your various obstacles in our work what we have done you don’t know,” he said.
Elections to seven parliamentary seats in Delhi will be held on May 12.

While granting damages, the court said that “reputation is the most valuable asset of a person.”

A Bengaluru court has found news media giant Asianet News Network and its Kannada news channel Suvarna News liable for defaming actor-politician Divya Spandana by wrongfully telecasting news stories linking her to the IPL spot-fixing scam in 2013. The court has ordered the news channel to pay damages worth Rs 50 lakh to the actor.

In the order dated April 26, the VIII Additional City Civil Court and Sessions Judge Patil Nagalingegouda also restrained Asianet and Suvarna News from telecasting any programs linking her to the match-fixing and spot-fixing scandals without any proof.

“On perusal of the records, it is clear that plaintiff has a blemishless record and known as a good actress in the Kannada film industry and she has also worked as a Member of Parliament,” the court observed.

Divya Spandana had filed a defamation case against Asianet News Network Pvt Ltd and Suvarna News 24×7 in 2013 after the Kannada news channel telecast a news segment alleging her involvement in the 2013 IPL spot-fixing scandal. Suvarna News had run news segments containing visuals of Divya Spandana at various IPL matches and had alleged that she was involved in the spot-fixing scandal. Divya Spandana was the brand ambassador of Royal Challengers Bangalore team for the first five IPL seasons.

During the trial, Divya Spandana’s legal counsel Pramod Nair had contended that she was not involved in IPL in 2013 in any manner, as she was then campaigning for Karnataka assembly elections that year.

Asianet and Suvarna News contended that news channels were entitled to broadcast news relating to public events and public figures and that they had not made any direct reference to Divya Spandana. The channel’s representative also argued that the broadcast had not caused her any damage. They also stated that the inquiry by police in the case had revealed the involvement of two Kannada film stars in the scam.

The 2013 Indian Premier League spot-fixing and betting case came to light when the Delhi Police arrested three cricketers, S Sreesanth, Ajit Chandila and Ankeet Chavan, on the charges of spot-fixing. All three of them were a part of the IPL team Rajasthan Royals. Suvarna News in its news segments alleged that one of the cricketers had revealed to the police that two Sandalwood women actors were also involved in the scam.

However, the court noted that Divya Spandana was not associated with the IPL in 2013 and that the persons nabbed by Delhi and Mumbai police in relation to the scam had not named her as the actor involved in spot-fixing. The court observed that the channel had telecast the news with Divya Spandana’s pictures at IPL events.

“There are no records produced on behalf of the defendant to show plaintiff being a brand ambassador of Royal Challengers Bangalore Team was involved in betting and spot-fixing scandal as transmitted in the questioned program by the defendants. Hence, this Court is of the opinion that act of defendants is in complete violation of the journalistic ethics and deliberately to destroy the popularity of the plaintiff and act of defendant is mala fide with an intention to defame her dignity,” he further observed.

The court also stated that the “reputation is the most valuable asset of a person” and is “much more valuable than any amount of money.”

“When the above said questioned program/still images do have the tendency to destroy such reputation, the injury complained of by the plaintiff would be irreparable,” the court said.

Agencies

The TN govt has claimed that the KC Valley project was in violation of SC order on Cauvery dispute in February, 2018.

In the latest episode of the Cauvery water dispute Tamil Nadu has objected to Karnataka’s controversial Koramangala-Challaghatta (KC) Valley treated water project. The Tamil Nadu government on Tuesday filed a petition with the Supreme Court alleging that the project violates the Supreme Court order. Tamil Nadu claimed that the apex court had ordered Karnataka to discharge all treated water into the river. 

“In the guise of utilising sewage water, the scheme provides for pumping surplus water of Varthur tank to a series of tanks in Kolar district for increasing the utilisation and thus preventing the surplus of Varathur tank flowing to Pennaiyar river. It is another devise for increasing the irrigation and other new uses,” the TN government told the apex court.

“It is stated that transferring the sewage of Bangalore city which is generated from Cauvery water supply is in violation of the Judgment dated 16.2.2018 passed by this Hon’ble Court,” the petition added.

The KC Valley Project transports treated (primary and secondary) water from Sewage Treatment Plants in Bellandur and Varthur lakes in Bengaluru to 126 minor irrigation tanks in the perennially arid district of Kolar. The decision was made in a bid to solve the water woes of the district. It was thought the water, which would be fit only for agricultural use would also improve the groundwater table.

The project had turned controversial when activists based in Kolar opposed the move over fears of receiving polluted water. They demanded that the water be treated in a tertiary treatment plant and adhere to the guidelines prescribed by the Central Pollution Control Board. Their stand was vindicated when a study conducted by the Indian Institute of Science found that the water being released into the lakes contained higher than permissible amounts of E.coli bacteria, heavy metals and dissolved oxygen.

Since their demands fell on deaf ears, they had moved the Karnataka High Court against the state government and had obtained an interim stay. Recently, the Supreme Court had lifted a stay on the project asking the High Court to decide on the matter comprehensively in a speedy manner.

However, activists in Kolar are not pleased with the stand of the TN government. Anjaneya Reddy, the petitioner in both the HC and Supreme Court and an activist with Shashwatha Neeravari Horata Samiti, said, “There is no merit in the Tamil Nadu government case, as earlier in a case in the SC against Karnataka government of contaminating the Cauvery water flowing into Tamil Nadu from the KC Valley and Hebbal-Nagwara catchments. Then the Karnataka government had replied in court stating that this water will be treated and supplied to the drought-prone districts. To this, the TN government had not objected. This was three years ago. The fresh objection is only for political reasons.”

Agencies

Rahul Gandhi, while welcoming the SC decision to review the Rafale deal on 10 April, claimed a moral victory and said that the court has made it clear that PM Modi ‘committed theft’.

Congress President Rahul Gandhi in an affidavit on Wednesday tendered “unconditional apology” to the Supreme Court for “incorrectly attributing” a remark on the Rafale order to it.

Rahul Gandhi has filed a three-page affidavit stating his unconditional apology to the apex court.

In the affidavit, Gandhi stated that he had “unintentionally and inadvertently” linked its Rafale case order to his “Chowkidar chor hai” phrase against Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

“(Rahul Gandhi) unconditionally apologises for the wrongful attributions to this Hon’ble Court. The Deponent further states that any such attributions were entirely unintentional, non-willful and inadvertent,” the new affidavit said according to a report in meida.

Gandhi further said that “he holds the court in the highest esteem and respect” and “never sought or intended to, directly or indirectly, commit any act that interferes with the process of administration of justice.”

He also requested the top court to close the contempt proceedings against him. The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear the matter on Friday.

On April 30, Abhishek Manu Singhvi, counsel for Rahul Gandhi had said that the Congress president will file a fresh affidavit with an apology after BJP MP Meenakshi Lekhi on Tuesday told the Supreme Court that Gandhi has only expressed regret even as he “deliberately” put words in the mouth of the court.

In an earlier affidavit, Gandhi had said that he had no intention of dragging the court into politics and alleged that it was the petitioner, BJP MP Meenakshi Lekhi, who is playing politics.

Rahul Gandhi, while welcoming the Supreme Court’s decision to examine fresh revelations on the Rafale deal on 10 April, claimed a moral victory and said that the court has made it clear that Prime Minister Narendra Modi “committed theft”.

“The Supreme Court has made it clear that ‘chowkidarji’ (watchman) has committed a theft,” Gandhi told reporters during a rally in Amethi.

Lekhi file a criminal contempt petition against Gandhi, following which, the court said the remark was “incorrectly attributed” to it.R