Militants abducted two more relatives of Jammu and Kashmir policemen on Friday taking the number to 11 within the last three days, an official said. Former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has termed the development “worrisome”.

Even when the security forces were working their strategy to recover the hostages safely, a statement purportedly issued by Hizbul operational commander Riyaz Naikoo, on the social media said that henceforth the militants would follow “an eye for an eye policy”.

“Police has compelled us to follow the course of an eye for an eye and an ear for an ear.

“Policemen are advised in their own interest to give up their jobs or be prepared to face the worst,” Naikoo, whose father was arrested by police two days back, said.

The abducted relatives of policemen include two brothers of police officers and nine sons.

Reacting to the development, former state Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah tweeted: “11 abductions! This is a very worrying reflection of the situation in the valley.

“What’s worse is the selective outrage — people/leaders who are so vocal about alleged security force excesses are silent about these abductions.”

The Shiv Sena on Friday again attacked the BJP for demonetizing Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 bank notes in 2016, calling it a “butchering of the Indian economy” which it said even the Reserve Bank Of India (RBI) had conceded.

The hasty and ill-advised move was not ‘patriotic’ but created “economic anarchy” in the country as subsequent developments proved, it said in editorials in the party organs ‘Saamana’ and ‘Dopahar Ka Saamana’.

While announcing demonetization, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had promised that it would spell the end for corruption, black money, fake notes and terrorism, but the effect has been opposite, especially in the past two years.

“The RBI’s latest annual report says Rs 1.47 lakh crore, or 99.30 percent, of all the spiked notes have returned. Around Rs 10,000 crore have not come back into circulation. This means, a mountain was dug and not even a mouse came out, but the country’s economy was shattered for catching this elusive rodent,” the Sena said.

The result was that the country was facing an economic mess, the small and medium enterprises have been destroyed, the service sector was in crisis, housing industry was in doldrums, small and medium farmers were suffering, and scores of lives were lost in bank and ATM queues after demonetization, said the Sena.

Added to this was the fall of the GDP and the country’s pace of development, with the Indian rupee plummeting to its lowest levels in 70 years and terrorism continuing unabated.

Moreover, the government spent over Rs 15,000 crore in printing the new currency notes and Rs 2,000 crore to distribute them, Rs 700 crore to replace the existing ATM networks.

“However, despite the huge economic losses suffered, the government still continues to harp on ‘Vikaas’ and its attitude is akin to Nero fiddling while Rome burnt. Demonetization was a sheer ‘evil’ (aghori) measure,” said the Sena.

Targeting the RBI, the editorial said it was the custodian of the country’s wealth but the Governor (Urjit Patel) did nothing when it was being looted, for which he should be hauled before the courts.

“We were shown the dream that demonetization is a revolutionary step which will eradicate black money forever. However, hundreds of crore of black money of politicians are deposited in banks. A couple of Gujarat (cooperative) banks lead in this and some newspapers there had published the news of impending demonetization months in advance,” it pointed out.

The BJP’s ally at the centre and in Maharashtra said that those who opposed demonetization were treated as “traitors” but the truth is now revealed in the RBI’s (2017-18) annual report.

“For those who labelled (former PM) Manmohan Singh a ‘fool’, the reality is out and it is clear that demonetization was a fiasco. The RBI is saying so,” the editorial said.

(IANS)

The Congress on Friday attacked the Narendra Modi government over the “skyrocketing” fuel prices and alleged that it has profited by over Rs 11 lakh crore from the taxes imposed on fuels.

“Monstrous taxes being levied by the Modi government have resulted in the skyrocketing petrol and diesel prices. Modi government has already profited by over Rs 11 lakh crore from draconian taxes on fuel,” Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala said in a statement.

He said petrol and diesel prices were at an all-time high and the common people, the middle class, the farmers, the transporters and small and medium businesses were bearing the pain.

Surjewala said that the prices of essential commodities were burning holes in the budgets of the all Indians.

“People of India will not forgive and forget the Modi government for the fuel loot and give a befitting reply to the BJP in the forthcoming elections,” he said adding the Prime Minister and his government have refused to act to ameliorate the agony and anguish of the common people.

Surjewala said the diesel price at Rs 70.26 per litre was impacting farmers’ lifeline, besides a stinging effect on the runaway food inflation, while the high prices of petrol at Rs 78.57 per litre in Delhi have gravely impacted the transportation and commuting cost of common people.

In Mumbai, petrol prices were set to cross Rs 86 per litre and diesel price was at Rs 74.59 per litre owing to taxes imposed by BJP governments in the Centre and the state.

“There has been an increase of 211.7 per cent in excise on petrol prices and 433.06 per cent on diesel prices since the BJP came to power in May 2014,” he said. The central excise duty has been hiked 12 times since BJP came to power, he said.

Slamming the government for exporting the petrol and diesel at cheaper prices to 15 countries, Surjewala said, “Petrol and diesel in India are available in the range of Rs 78 – Rs 86 from and Rs 70 to Rs 75 respectively, but an RTI reply has revealed that Modi government is selling Petrol to 15 foreign countries at just Rs 34/litre and selling Diesel to 29 foreign countries at a pittance of Rs 37 only.”

“These countries include- England, Australia, America, Malaysia and Israel. This is how Modi Govt has betrayed and backstabbed the people of India.”

Surjewala said the Modi government and the BJP have refused to “listen to us” on the demand for bringing the petrol and diesel under the GST.

President Ram Nath Kovind on Thursday said that Indian Revenue Service officers should discharge their duty in a way that it could encourage honest tax payers as the department had primary responsibility of ensuring tax resources to fund different aspects of national development.

Kovind’s suggestion came while he was addressing a group of probationers of the 68th batch of the Indian Revenue Service (Customs and Central Excise) at Rashtrapati Bhavan.

“As administrators, it is the primary duty of Indian Revenue Service officers to ensure that our country has the tax resources to fund different aspects of national development – be it building infrastructure in rural and urban areas, schools and hospitals, defence and security and so on. They have to discharge their duty in a way that encourages honest tax compliance with minimum discomfort to tax payers,” the President said.

Addressing the probationers, the President said taxes have been the building block of governance since ages. “In ancient times, rulers and kingdoms were judged by the kind of tax systems they had.”

The President also said that a nation’s tax structure should be just, efficient, honest and equitable.

Kovind also praised the Indian Revenue Service for its role in the successful implementation of Goods and Services Tax (GST).

(IANS)

Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Thursday again hit back at Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley saying that the government was “scared to face people” and had refused a Joint Parliamentary Committee on the Rafale fighter jet deal.

“Dear Jaitley, I guess your boss (Prime Minister Narendra Modi) refused to hold a JPC on the great Rafale robbery? Too much to hide, too scared to face the people, I suppose…” Gandhi said in a tweet.

Gandhi’s remarks came soon after Jaitley attacked him over the deal.

“Rahul Gandhi has not read my question: The fully weaponised Rafale aircraft’s 2016 price is 20 per cent cheaper than the 2007 offer. This is what the 2015 statement of the PM and the French President refers to as ‘on terms better than the 2007 offers’,” Jaitley said in a tweet after Congress chief in a press conference slammed Modi government over the deal.

Earlier in the day, stepping up his attack, Gandhi said Jaitley was writing “lengthy” blogs, but the government was silent on the demand for a JPC probe into the issue. “Jaitley is scared to ask the PM about constituting a JPC,” he said.

The Congress chief referred to the joint statement issued after Modi announced the Rafale deal which mentioned that the aircraft would be delivered on the same configuration as had been earlier approved by the Indian Air Force.

Hitting back at Congress President Rahul Gandhi for his attack on government over demonetisation and Rafale fighter jet deal, the BJP on Thursday said that he will not succeed in launching his career by repeatedly making false allegations in his “parrot pattern press conferences.”

“For the last two years, you have been targeting the government, sometimes by calling GST, Gabbar Singh Tax and sometimes alleging corruption in Rafale deal. You have also been pointing fingers at the government over demonetisation saying it benefitted some 15 industrialists,” BJP Spokesperson Sambit Patra told a press conference.

He said the people have repeatedly rejected not only the Congress but also the versions presented by Rahul Gandhi.

“He (Rahul Gandhi) appeared today as a very non-serious political player. There was nothing new to offer and only repetition of what he already has said,” the spokesperson said.

Gandhi, who addressed a hurriedly called press conference earlier in the day, termed demonetization a scam intended to benefit “15-20 crony capitalist friends” of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and accused him of lying in the Rafale deal.

“Whatever allegations he has made over demonetisation, people have already answered in 2016 and 2017. During Uttar Pradesh Assembly polls, the same allegations were leveled by Gandhi. But when the results came out, the BJP got 325 seats while the Congress got only seven. The best judge in democracy is the people,” Patra said.

Attacking the Congress President, he cited various scams that allegedly emerged during the Congress regime.

“For Rahul Gandhi, reform is deform. What is reform for the country is akin to deform for Rahul Gandhi,” he said.

Countering Gandhi over his claims that Modi government has favoured 15 industrialists, he asked: “Can you tell a single name among them?”.

On the charge that the Modi government has destroyed the Indian economy, Patra said many international organisations have pointed out that because of the reforms, India has become an engine of global economy.

About the accusation that the Prime Minister was lying in the Rafale deal, the BJP leader called Gandhi an immature leader who plays with the security of the country and portrays himself as the PM aspirant.

“For 10-11 long years, despite the fact that squadron strength of the Indian Air Force has been drastically come down, your party and your government could do nothing to restore this strength. That amounted to compromising with security of this country,” he said.

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu today met his Karnataka counterpart and JD(S) leader H D Kumaraswamy in Vijayawada and discussed political issues, essentially the need for regional parties coming together.

A communique from the state Information and Public Relations Department said the two chief ministers discussed the need for regional parties coming together, more so in south India.

Naidu and Kumaraswamy expressed the opinion that all regional parties in the south should come on to a single platform. They also discussed the need for an alternative force at the Centre, the communique said.

“These issues were discussed only for a brief time. There is need for elaborate deliberations on this,” the communique quoted Naidu as saying at the end of the 40-minute meeting.

The Karnataka chief minister arrived in Vijayawada this morning to worship Goddess Kanaka Durga, the presiding deity of the historic city, atop Indrakeeladri.

Life across the Kashmir Valley was adversely affected on Friday by a separatist-called protest shutdown to voice support for Article 35A.

Joint Resistance Leadership (JRL), a conglomerate of separatists headed by Syed Ali Shah Geelani, Mirwaiz Umer Farooq and Yasin Malik called a complete shutdown on Friday to highlight support for the article.

All shops, public transport, other businesses and educational institutions remained closed in Srinagar and other places in the valley.

Attendance in government offices, banks and post offices was badly affected because of non-availability of public transport in the city and other districts of the valley.

Post-graduate entrance exams have already been rescheduled because of the shutdown. Rail services between Baramulla and Bannihal towns were also suspended for the second consecutive day.

Authorities imposed restrictions in several areas — Khanyar, Rainawari, Nowhatta, M.R.Gunj, Safa Kadal, Kralkhud and Maisuma to maintain law and order, police said.

Heavy deployments of police and paramilitary forces have been made in areas placed under restrictions and other law and order sensitive places in the Valley.

Article 35A of the Constitution empowers the Jammu and Kashmir legislature to define the states ‘permanent residents’ and their special rights.

It has been challenged in the Supreme Court through a bunch of petitions being heard by a three-judge bench on Friday.