Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday slammed the Congress party over its criticism of the amended Waqf Act, accusing it of appeasing Muslim fundamentalists and ignoring true social justice. Speaking at Hisar airport inaugural event in Haryana, the Prime Minister questioned why the Congress has never appointed a Muslim party president or given significant electoral representation to Muslims if it claims to support the community.

He further challenged the Congress to reserve 50 percent of its Lok Sabha election tickets for Muslim candidates, stating, “If they win, they would put forward their views. But no, they won’t give (Muslims) anything in the Congress.”

Marking the birth anniversary of Dr B.R. Ambedkar, the Constitution’s chief architect, PM Modi said his government is inspired by Ambedkar’s vision and that every policy is shaped by the principles of equality and justice. “Babasaheb Ambedkar was repeatedly insulted by the Congress while he was alive. They made him lose elections and conspired to keep him out of power. After his death, they even tried to erase his memory,” Modi said.

He accused the Congress of turning the Constitution into a tool for political power, citing the emergency and the party’s opposition to the Uniform Civil Code in Uttarakhand as examples of its selective constitutionalism.

PM Modi defended the recent amendments to the Waqf law, stating that large tracts of land under Waqf ownership were being misused by a land mafia. “If Waqf properties had been used honestly, Muslim youths wouldn’t need to earn a livelihood from repairing bicycle punctures,” he remarked. He alleged that these lands, originally meant to serve poor Muslims and backward sections, were looted at the expense of Dalits, tribals, and widows.

He said the revised Waqf law will protect tribal lands from being acquired by Waqf Boards and ensure rights for poor and Pasmanda Muslims.

Congress responds: PM distorting Ambedkar’s legacy

In response, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge accused the BJP of only invoking Ambedkar for political gains while ignoring his ideals in practice. “They only speak against Congress, Nehru ji and all we have done until now. But I ask what have they done till now and which of Babasaheb’s principles have they adopted?” Kharge said.

Kharge also raised the issue of the Women’s Reservation Act, saying the Congress had long fought for SC, ST and OBC women to be included in the 33% quota for legislatures. He questioned the delay in implementation of the law, asserting that true empowerment must be inclusive.

By Mohammad Javed Rasheedi

The arrest of fugitive businessman Mehul Choksi in Belgium has once again turned attention to one of India’s most significant financial frauds—the Punjab National Bank (PNB) scam. The Rs 14,000 crore fraud, which came to light in 2018, involved Choksi and his nephew Nirav Modi, who colluded with bank officials to illegally obtain credit guarantees using forged documents.

Choksi, who was reportedly living in Antwerp with his wife after securing residency in Belgium in late 2023, was arrested on April 12 from a hospital. His detention follows extradition efforts by Indian authorities, including the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Enforcement Directorate (ED), who have been pursuing him for years.

What was the PNB scam?

The fraud involved fraudulent issuance of Letters of Undertaking (LoUs) at PNB’s Brady House branch in Mumbai. Choksi’s firm, Gitanjali Gems and other entities linked to Nirav Modi, used these LoUs to obtain credit from foreign banks—far exceeding regulatory norms. These guarantees, worth thousands of crores, were issued without proper sanctions, security, or entries in the bank’s core system.

Investigations revealed that Choksi and Modi used the SWIFT network to communicate with overseas banks without updating PNB’s internal banking software, thereby bypassing oversight. This led to an estimated Rs 6,344 crore loss to PNB alone, as multiple Indian banks including SBI and Axis Bank released funds based on the fraudulent LoUs.

Timeline of the scam’s discovery

The scam began unravelling in early 2018 when employees from companies like Diamonds R Us, Solar Exports and Stellar Diamonds requested LoUs and were denied due to lack of margin security. Upon further checks, PNB discovered that such requests had been routinely granted in the past without collateral.

PNB filed a complaint with the CBI on January 29, 2018, naming Nirav Modi, Mehul Choksi and other accomplices, including bank officials. The initial fraud amount stood at Rs 280.7 crore but ballooned to over Rs 14,000 crore within months.

Nirav Modi first received a fraudulent LoU in March 2011 and went on to obtain over 1,200 such guarantees. The ED found that dummy companies abroad were used to funnel money and devices used for these transactions were allegedly destroyed by Nirav’s brother, Nehal Modi.

Modi fled India before formal charges were filed, applied for bankruptcy protection in New York in 2018, and was arrested in London in March 2019. He continues to fight extradition to India.

Mehul Choksi was declared a fugitive in early 2018 and fled India citing medical issues. He acquired Antiguan citizenship in 2017 and later tried to flee to Cuba in 2021. He was intercepted in Dominica and later returned to Antigua. He then reportedly moved to Belgium for medical treatment, where he was arrested following India’s renewed extradition request.

The Enforcement Directorate has seized assets worth Rs 2,362 crore linked to Choksi, spread across Thailand, Dubai, Japan, the US, and other locations. Coordination is ongoing with international authorities to recover and repatriate more assets.

Amid escalating public anger over the ongoing conflict in Gaza, Bangladesh has reinstated the phrase except Israel on its passports, effectively barring its citizens from travelling to Israel. The move follows widespread protests across Dhaka, where nearly 100,000 demonstrators gathered to express solidarity with Palestinians and denounce Israeli military operations in Gaza.

The country’s Ministry of Home Affairs issued the directive to reintroduce the statement—“this passport is valid for all countries of the world except israel”—on April 7. The order was communicated through Deputy Secretary Nilima Afroze of the ministry’s Security Services Division.

Policy rollback after 2021 decision reversed

This inscription, which bars travel to Israel, had previously been removed in 2021 during the Awami League government led by Sheikh Hasina. At the time, officials cited a desire to align Bangladeshi passports with international norms. However, the removal of the clause was met with criticism from conservative sections and political groups who viewed it as a softening of the country’s pro-Palestinian stance.

The recent reinstatement comes in response to growing public sentiment and political pressure, especially in the context of Israel’s latest offensive in the Gaza Strip.

Protesters rally in Dhaka

On Saturday, Suhrawardy Udyan near Dhaka University became the epicenter of a massive rally where demonstrators, waving Palestinian flags, called for an end to the violence in Gaza. The protest, estimated to have drawn around 100,000 participants, featured slogans like “Free, Free Palestine” and visual displays including effigies of former US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

The rally was notably supported by the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) led by former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, along with various right-wing Islamic parties and organizations who have vocally backed the Palestinian cause.