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BJP to celebrate DeMo anniversary as ‘Anti-Black Money Day’ on Nov 8

Published

9 years ago

on

Arun Jaitley

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]BJP’s move comes a day after a united Opposition, led by the Congress party, said that it would observe the first anniversary of demonetisation as ‘black day’

In a move aimed at countering possible political backlash triggered by a united Opposition’s plan to observe the first anniversary of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s demonetisation decision as a ‘black day’, the BJP will commemorate the event in its own way by celebrating it as ‘Anti-black money day’.

Union finance minister Arun Jaitley, on Wednesday, said that the BJP will mark the first anniversary of noteban – on November 8 – as ‘Anti-black money day’ while claiming that the Congress party had “not understood the object of demonetisation”.

Last year on November 8, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had in a surprise move demonetised old Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 currency notes. The move, for which the BJP is still struggling to give a credible explanation, had wreaked havoc on the lives of common citizens who had to queue up for hours, at times even days, outside banks to get their demonetised notes deposited in their accounts or exchanged for legal tender. Several economists, including non-Indians, have repeatedly slammed the move and claimed that it was one of the reasons for the slowing pace of India’s economy – a charge that the BJP has assiduously rejected.

BJP leaders, from Prime Minister Modi to party president Amit Shah and a host of other union ministers and office bearers, have given multiple reasons to explain why demonetisation was a good step even as former RBI governor Raghuram Rajan and other officials of the reserve bank have hinted that Modi hadn’t taken them into confidence before announcing the decision.

The BJP leadership has at different times given unrelated rationale for the move, with Modi initially claiming that it would end black money and curb terrorism while on other occasions BJP leaders, including Jaitley, have claimed that the move was triggered by the objective of reducing cash flow in the economy and switching to digital currency and transactions.

However, the BJP’s claim that demonetisation helped curb black money seems hard to digest considering that the RBI has gone on record to state that 99 per cent of the demonetised currency had made its way back into the banking system – in effect meaning that the black money in circulation in the Indian economy before November 8, 2016 had been turned legitimate by its hoarders who managed to deposit their illicit money into bank accounts.

On Wednesday, Union finance minister Jaitley offered what seemed like a laundry list of justifications for demonetisation. He said that the main objectives of the note ban were “to reduce the quantity of cash currency, increase taxpayers base, squeeze terror funding and digitise commercial transactions.” Jaitley said confiscation of money was never the object of demonetisation.

The finance minister also hit out at the Congress for calling demonetisation the single biggest money laundering scheme and the “scam of the century” by asserting that the Congress had the adequate opportunity to be in power and yet it did not take any significant action to remove black money. He said the ownership of money before demonetisation was not known to the system, but due to the noteban decision the money that came into the banking system is now accountable to the authority concerned.

On Tuesday, senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad, Trinamool Congress MP Derek O’Brien and rebel JD (U) leader Sharad Yadav had, at a press conference, declared that 18 Opposition parties, including the DMK, Left parties, SP and BSP, had agreed to observe November 8 as a ‘black day’ and that these parties would organise nation-wide agitations against demonetisation.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

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Asish Banerjee found dead in Rampurhat, Mamata Banerjee aide’s death shocks TMC

Former West Bengal deputy speaker and five-time Rampurhat MLA Asish Banerjee was found dead at a Trinamool Congress office in Birbhum.

Published

43 mins ago

on

August 16, 2026

By

Mamata Banerjee

Former West Bengal Assembly deputy speaker and Trinamool Congress leader Asish Banerjee was found dead at a party office next to his residence in Rampurhat, Birbhum district, on Sunday morning.

Police said his body was found hanging and was sent for postmortem. A large crowd gathered outside the Trinamool Congress office after news of his death spread.

Who was Asish Banerjee?

Asish Banerjee had served as the deputy speaker of the West Bengal Assembly when Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee was the state’s chief minister. He was also a five-time MLA from Rampurhat.

He had served as Bengal’s education and agriculture minister after Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress first came to power in the state.

Banerjee contested the West Bengal Assembly election earlier this year but lost the Rampurhat seat to BJP’s Dhruba Saha.

Asish Banerjee’s recent party role

Banerjee stepped down as chairman of the Trinamool Congress’s Birbhum district core committee in June. At the time, he said he would continue as a general member of the party.

He lived in the Hattalapara neighbourhood of Rampurhat, with the party office where his body was found located next to his house.

BJP gains in Birbhum

The BJP won six of the 11 Assembly constituencies in Birbhum in the latest state election. This marked a significant change from 2021, when the Trinamool Congress had won 10 seats in the district while the BJP had secured one.

Police have sent Asish Banerjee’s body for postmortem as the circumstances surrounding his death are being investigated.

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IPS Officer Nupur Prasad gets Medal for Meritorious Service after Sushant Singh Rajput probe

IPS officer Nupur Prasad, who led the CBI investigation into Sushant Singh Rajput’s death, has been selected for the Medal for Meritorious Service this year.

Published

1 day ago

on

August 15, 2026

By

IPS officer Nupur Prasad, who led the CBI investigation into actor Sushant Singh Rajput’s death, has been recognised with the Medal for Meritorious Service (MSM) this year.

A 2007-batch AGMUT cadre officer, Ms Prasad recently returned to the Delhi Police after completing her tenure with the CBI. She is currently serving as Joint Commissioner of Police in the Economic Offences Wing (EOW), where she oversees investigations involving financial and economic crimes.

The award is part of this year’s recognition for police personnel for distinguished and meritorious service. Such honours recognise contributions in areas including investigation, crime prevention, public service, law and order and administration.

Nupur Prasad’s role in Sushant Singh Rajput case

Ms Prasad came into national focus during the CBI investigation into the death of Sushant Singh Rajput, who was found dead at his Mumbai residence on June 14, 2020.

The case was transferred to the CBI in August 2020 following a complaint by the actor’s family and a legal dispute over jurisdiction.

During her tenure with the agency, Ms Prasad supervised key aspects of the investigation, including the examination of witness statements, forensic evidence and medical records.

In 2025, the CBI filed closure reports, saying its investigation found no evidence of foul play, abetment to suicide or criminal conspiracy in the actor’s death.

Career across Delhi Police, CBI

Ms Prasad has served in several positions during her career, including assignments in the Delhi Police, CBI, Arunachal Pradesh and West Bengal.

Before joining the CBI, she held senior positions in the Delhi Police and became the first Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) of Shahdara. During her tenure, she worked on establishing the district’s policing framework following its creation.

She also led operations targeting drug networks and illegal gambling activities while focusing on crime-prevention measures.

Later, as DCP of North Delhi, she oversaw security arrangements for major events, including Independence Day celebrations at the Red Fort and Delhi University elections.

Community-focused policing initiatives

Beyond investigations, Ms Prasad has been associated with community-focused programmes involving women’s self-defence, youth development, cyber safety and drug de-addiction.

During her CBI tenure, she was also associated with several prominent investigations. Media reports have linked her to cases concerning businessman Vijay Mallya and the AgustaWestland helicopter deal.

Current role in Delhi Police

After completing her assignment with the CBI, Ms Prasad returned to the Delhi Police and took charge as Joint Commissioner of Police in the Economic Offences Wing.

The latest recognition adds to her career spanning investigations, policing and public service across several challenging assignments.

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Kharge, Rahul Gandhi skip Independence Day event for 2nd straight year

Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi skipped the 80th Independence Day celebrations at the Red Fort for the second consecutive year.

Published

1 day ago

on

August 15, 2026

By

Rahul Kharge

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi skipped the 80th Independence Day celebrations at Delhi’s Red Fort for the second consecutive year.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi led the Independence Day celebrations at the historic venue on Saturday.

The absence of the two senior Congress leaders comes amid strained relations between the ruling party and the Opposition, which further deteriorated during the Monsoon Session of Parliament that concluded on Thursday.

2024 seating controversy

Rahul Gandhi had attended the Independence Day celebrations in 2024 but his seating arrangement triggered a controversy. The Congress leader, who holds the status of a Cabinet minister as Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, was seated in the second-last row during the ceremony at the Red Fort.

The Opposition had criticised the seating arrangement, calling it an insult to the people. The Defence Ministry, which organised the event, said the arrangement had been modified to accommodate Olympians at the venue.

According to protocol, the Leader of the Opposition is seated in the front row during ceremonial events.

Opposition-ruling party tensions

Relations between the government and the Opposition remained tense during the Monsoon Session, which ended on Thursday.

The session saw repeated clashes between the two sides, with both the Opposition and the ruling party blaming each other for the low productivity of Parliament.

The session began on July 20, with students marching towards Parliament on the first day. Twelve bills were passed during the session, while detailed discussion took place on only one legislation, concerning paper leaks.

The Congress, along with the Trinamool Congress and Samajwadi Party, also boycotted the customary tea party hosted by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla after the House was adjourned sine die.

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