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Congress: Who paid for Narendra Modi’s chartered flights as Gujarat Chief Minister?

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Abhishek Singhvi

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Hitting back at BJP, the Congress on Wednesday asked it to explain who paid for more than 100 trips Narendra Modi had made by chartered planes across India and abroad between 2003 and 2007, when he was chief minister of Gujarat.

The BJP on Tuesday had alleged that arms dealer Sanjay Bhandari paid Rs 10 lakh for air tickets for Rahul Gandhi’s brother-in-law Robert Vadra. The Congress said the charges were devised to divert attention from the controversy surrounding the business practices of BJP chief Amit Shah’s son Jay Shah, as part of “beta bachao andolan” (save the son campaign).

Congress spokesperson Abhishek Singhvi, who said his claims were based on reply to an RTI query by senior Gujarat Congress leader Arjun Modhwadia, told a news conference that the estimated cost of Modi’s air trips was around Rs 16.56 crore.

The Congress released a list which it claimed were trips made by Modi in private planes and helicopters from 2003 to 2007. “They are all chartered trips, not state plane. Chartered trips, the calculation on the then charter rates (comes to) Rs 16.56 crore…. Barring a few foreign trips… who paid for these trips? Deafening silence continues till today; he has received no reply to his RTI,” said Singhvi.

“These trips are clearly trips by a constitutional functionary…. They are provided for by private persons and we do not have any account of them so far,” he said.

Singhvi also said that of the amount Rs 16.5 crore (for the 100 trips), Rs 5 crore was for four foreign charters.

“In July 2007 to Switzerland, in June 2007 to South Korea, in April 2007 to Japan and November 2006 to China. They are all by a chartered firm called Planet Aviation…. The people accompanying him are… the who’s who of industry in India, all CMD-level people…. These foreign trips and domestic trips raise the six-seven issues,” he said.

He said the people accompanying Modi on these charters included industrialists like Gautam Adani, Nikhil Meshwani of Reliance, Sudhir Mehta of Torrent, Parimal Nathwani, Pankaj Patel of Cadila, Prasad Menon of Tata, Harishankaran of ILFS, Rajeev Jyoti of Bombay Rubber,  HK Patel, BK Goenka.

He also said under the law, any constitutional position holder, cabinet Minister or Chief Minister – must declare a gift above Rs 500. “If the state government has not paid for these trips even partially, it is deemed to be a gift to that constitutional position holder,” said Singhvi.

“It is not a question of doing for Vibrant Gujarat or for Gujarat’s Industry, it is the question of receiving a benefit from beneficiaries of Gujarat’s Industrial Policy because somebody has to pay,” he added.

“There is no free lunch, somebody has to pay for this and that somebody has to be those beneficiaries of the state industrial policy travelling with a constitutional position holder,” he said.

The party also accused the BJP of trying to divert attention from allegations against BJP President Amit Shah’s son Jay Shah by raising the Vadra issue. The BJP had on Tuesday attacked the Congress over a report on Times Now that fugitive arms dealer Sanjay Bhandari had bought business-class air tickets for Rahul Gandhi’s brother-in-law Robert Vadra in 2012.

Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had held the press conference on Vadra’s alleged links with Bhandari who the CBI has linked to the Pilatus aircraft deal.

Defending Vadra, Singhvi said: “The government could not find anything in 41 months. We have not heard of any conviction and no prosecution.” On the other hand, details of Modi’s travels have been officially sought through the RTI.

Singhvi also pointed out that Sitharaman selectively did not mention that the government had earlier proudly listed as their achievement the import of Swiss-made basic trainer aircraft Pilatus, which was completed in 2015. “So from 2012-2015 and, in particular from 2014 to 2015, no black listing, no cancellation, no allegation of commission or illegality or corruption. In fact, you are listing it as a great achievement, the delivery,” he said. Bhandari’s company, Offset India Solution Private Limited, is under the scanner for alleged corruption in the Pilatus deal.

Waving a picture of Bhandari with Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju, Singhvi alleged that he was close to BJP leaders. He demanded to know how Bhandari was allowed to flee abroad in December 2016 even though his passport had reportedly been impounded by the government in June that year.

“Who helped Bhandari fly out of the country much like Vijay Mallya? It was not our government in 2016,” said Singhvi.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

2024 Lok Sabha Elections

Amit Shah accuses Congress of preserving Article 370 for 70 years

Shah was addressing a Lok Sabha election rally in Jaunpur district of Uttar Pradesh where he said the Congress and the Samajwadi Party preserved Article 370 for 70 years, due to which terrorism in the country increased.

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Amit Shah accuses Congress of preserving Article 370 for 70 years

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Sunday attacked Congress on Sunday for preserving Article 370 of the Constitution, due to which terrorism increased in the country. He further added that BJP will never let another division of the country happen. Shah was addressing a Lok Sabha election rally in Jaunpur district of Uttar Pradesh where he said the Congress and the Samajwadi Party preserved Article 370 for 70 years, due to which terrorism in the country increased.

Addressing the people Shah said they had made Modiji the prime minister for the 2nd time and he abrogated Article 370 from Jammu and Kashmir on August 5, 2019.  He compared the situation to earlier times in the valley, when the Army had to be taken along for hoisting the tricolour, at that same Lal Chowk (Jammu and Kashmir) to the situation now when the shobhayatra of Lord Krishna is being taken out. The rally was organised to garner support for B P Saroj, the BJP candidate from the Machhlishahr Lok Sabha constituency in Jaunpur.

Shah further added that the divisive policies of the Congress want to divide the country again but BJP will never let that happen again. The Union Home Minister accused the grand old party of spreading lies that if PM Modi comes to power for a 3rd time at the centre then he will abolish reservation.

Shah Pointed out that the prime minister has been in majority for the last 10 years and he did not use it to abolish reservation. Shah said, he wanted to ask (SP chief) Akhilesh Yadav and (Congress leader) Rahul Gandhi that when their government was in power for 10 years, what did Uttar Pradesh get in that period? The UPA government gave Rs 4.9 lakh crore to Uttar Pradesh in 10 years as compared to the NDA government which gave Rs 19.11 lakh crore.

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2024 Lok Sabha Elections

Arvind Kejriwal says BJP started Operation Jhaadu to crush AAP

The Delhi chief minister alleged BJP has started Operation Jhaadu so that they do not grow big and become a challenge to them

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Arvind Kejriwal says BJP started Operation Jhaadu to crush AAP

Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday alleged BJP has started Operation Jhaadu to crush the Aam Aadmi Party since its popularity among the people is rising too fast. Kejriwal was addressing Aam Aadmi Party workers at the party office in New Delhi where he claimed the AAP’s bank accounts would be frozen after elections and they will be brought on the roads and left without an office.

The Delhi chief minister alleged BJP has started Operation Jhaadu so that they do not grow big and become a challenge to them.  He further added that through Operation Jhaadu, AAP’s big leaders will be arrested; they are being arrested, and in the coming days, Aam Aadmi Party’s bank accounts will be frozen.

Kejriwal pointed out that ED’s lawyer has already given this statement in court that soon after the election, AAP’s bank accounts will be frozen. He said that if they freeze their accounts now, then AAP will get sympathy. As a result after the election, ED will freeze AAP’s bank accounts. He said AAP’s party office will be cleared out, and the party will be brought to the streets.  Kejriwal said these are the 3 plans made by the BJP.

The Delhi chief minister claimed that no gold or money has been recovered from him, and the BJP, by creating false cases has got AAP leaders arrested. Kejriwal recalled that since the time he came to power in 2015, many allegations had been against him by the BJP. He said after the liquor policy scam has happened people are asking them if the scam happened then where is the money. He pointed out that in other places, when raids happen, notes and gold are recovered, but here nothing was found. Kejriwal asked the people that where is all the money? He said BJP had made fake cases and arrested AAP leaders.

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2024 Lok Sabha Elections

PM Modi says Congress is the mother of corruption, party was involved in coal and 2G scams

PM Modi said, Congress and JMM know nothing about development and their only job is to speak lies, loudly, again and again, and everywhere, their only objective is to do an the X-ray of poor people’s wealth and steal it.

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PM Modi says Congress is the mother of corruption, party was involved in coal and 2G scams

Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed an election rally in Jharkhand’s Jamshedpur on Sunday (May 19) amid the ongoing Lok Sabha Elections 2024.  While addressing the election rally in Jamshedpur PM Modi said, people’s excitement told him what result will come on June 4 in Jamshedpur.

He recalled the time when he used to work as a BJP party worker for many years and used to ask people at that time they would come at 10 or 11 am to attend an election rally. But today he was witnessing a huge crowd here. The prime minister thanked all of them and said Lok Sabha election decides and strengthens the future of the country.

During a public rally in Jamshedpur, PM Modi said, Congress and JMM know nothing about development and their only job is to speak lies, loudly, again and again, and everywhere, their only objective is to do an the X-ray of poor people’s wealth and steal it. He further accused the Congress and JMM of snatching the reservation of SC and ST and the party leaders of the two parties are continuously abusing Modi every day. He asked if they are not able to think beyond this? He said the whole country has realised their truth.

PM Modi said, Congress and their ally parties, wherever they have governments, he challenged those chief ministers and this is not his political statement. The prime minister said Congress’s Shehzada keeps opposing business industries, businessmen and investments.

 PM Modi asked which businessman will go and invest in those states? What will happen to the youths of those states?  He said all investors who come to him and say that they would not go to these states because of their ideology against them. He said businessmen are verbally abused there and investors are forced to think that since Shehzada has this kind of thoughts, his ally parties would have the same thoughts as well. PM Modi added Congress is the mother of corruption and party was involved in coal and 2G scams as well

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