LIVE! No mass grave found at Khan Yunis hospital: Israel

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Wed, 24 April 2024

No mass grave found at Khan Yunis hospital: Israel

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22:53 No mass grave found at Khan Yunis hospital: Israel

The Israel Embassy in India has rejected reports that a mass grave was discovered at Nasser Hospital in Khan Yunis.

It further said that the grave was dug by the people of Gaza a few months ago.

The Israel Embassy in India has called any attempt to blame Israel for burying civilians in mass graves 'false'.

In a post on X, the Israel Embassy in India stated, 'Misinformation is circulating regarding a mass grave that was discovered at Nasser Hospital in Khan Yunis. The grave in question was dug -- by Gazans -- a few months ago. This fact is corroborated by social media videos posted by Gazans at the time of the burial, as seen in the video below. Any attempt to blame Israel for burying civilians in mass graves is categorically false and merely an example of a disinformation campaign aimed at delegitimising Israel.'

Israel Embassy's statement comes after Gaza Civil Defence workers said that a mass grave with more than 300 bodies was discovered at a hospital in Khan Yunis following the withdrawal of Israeli forces from the area earlier this month, CNN reported.

Speaking to CNN, Colonel Yamen Abu Suleiman, Director of Civil Defence in Khan Yunis said 35 bodies were discovered at the Nasser Medical Complex on Tuesday, taking the tally to 310.

Suleiman said that some 73 bodies had been discovered on Monday.

Suleiman claimed that some of the bodies were discovered with hands and feet tied, 'and there were signs of field executions. We do not know if they were buried alive or executed. Most of the bodies are decomposed'.

On Tuesday, The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) called any 'claim that the IDF buried Palestinian bodies baseless and unfounded', CNN reported.

The IDF said, 'During the IDF's operation in the area of Nasser Hospital, in accordance to the effort to locate hostages and missing persons, corpses buried by Palestinians in the area of Nasser Hospital were examined. The examination was conducted in a careful manner and exclusively in places where intelligence indicated the possible presence of hostages.'

The IDF stated, 'The examination was carried out respectfully while maintaining the dignity of the deceased. Bodies examined, which did not belong to Israeli hostages, were returned to their place.'

Meanwhile, the United Nations has called for an 'independent, effective and transparent investigation' into the discovery of mass graves at two hospital complexes in Gaza after Israeli troops besieged and raided them earlier this year, according to CNN report.

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk stated he was 'horrified' to see the scenes reported at the Nasser and Al-Shifa complexes.

On Tuesday, Turk said, "Given the prevailing climate of impunity, this should include international investigators."

He said, "Hospitals are entitled to very special protection under international humanitarian law. And the intentional killing of civilians, detainees, and others who are hors de combat is a war crime." -- ANI

22:38 Social justice most important issue: Kharge

Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge on Wednesday said the party is committed to ensuring social justice as atrocities against SCs, STs, women and tribals have risen in the Modi government's 10 years and called this the most important issue in the Lok Sabha elections.

Addressing a Samajik Nyay Sammelan organised by the Samruddh Bharat Foundation in an online statement, he said it is necessary to remove the Bharatiya Janata Party and Prime Minister Narendra Modi from power to preserve the Constitution.

"Social justice is the most important issue in the 18th Lok Sabha elections and it concerns everyone. It has also remained the core issue of our ideology," he said.

"In the last decade, the Modi government has done great injustice to Dalits, tribals, Bahujans, minorities and women. Caste discrimination and atrocities have increased. There is a huge backlog. But, every other day, BJP leaders are threatening to end reservation and change the Constitution, which Ambedkar, Nehru, Azad and other makers of India have given us. The BJP is the biggest threat to India, especially to SCs (Scheduled Castes), STs (Scheduled Tribes), OBCs (Other Backward Classes), women and minorities," Kharge added.

The Congress chief claimed that the party's new guarantee of 'hissedari (participatory) justice' is part of the concept of social and economic equality.

"We will revive the component plan of SCs and STs and protect their rights to water, forest and land. We fulfil our promises. The history of this is evident from the schemes implemented by the UPA (United Progressive Alliance) government such as the MNREGA (Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act), RTE (Right to Education), RTI (Right to Information), Right to Food, forest rights, street vendors' rights etc. The Modi government has not done any such work in the last 10 years," Kharge said.

He claimed the Modi government's lone achievement has been to make a few 'friends' rich.

"Due to the policies of the Modi government, the inequality gap has widened. The condition of the weaker sections has gone from bad to worse in these 10 years," Kharge said.

"Prime Minister Modi has constantly promoted his caste to fool the backward communities. Since coming to power, he has done nothing for the backward (classes) and Dalits and has only used them as a vote bank. If he comes back to power, there will be another five years of injustice to SCs, STs, OBCs, women and minorities. It is necessary to remove him from power to preserve Babasaheb's Constitution," he asserted.

The Congress chief also hit out a the prime minister over his attacks at the party.

"Modi ji has some special love for the Congress. He definitely mentions the Congress in each of his speeches. Because he knows it is the Congress that is challenging his throne. Our organisation is from Kanyakumari to Kashmir," he said.

Kharge claimed that the Congress stands firm on the strength of its ideas and said the strength is the strength of social justice.

"Our struggle against those who think of an unequal society will continue till we reach our destination. And our victory is going to happen soon."

He said the vision of Mahatma Gandhi and Babasaheb Ambedkar has been at the centre of the party's thoughts.

The Congress president said right to equality has been given in the Constitution with Mahatma Gandhi's vision of ensuring justice for all.

"From equality of opportunity to the right to livelihood, everything has been given. SCs, STs, OBCs, minorities and other weaker sections should get equal opportunities. Women should get equal opportunities, the gap between villages and cities should be bridged, there should be no economic inequality, backward areas should not become like islands, we made the Constitution and plans after considering all these things. Not only this, work has been done to advance the representation of weaker sections from panchayats to Parliament under the leadership of the Congress," he said.

Noting that social justice is a broad term, Kharge said society cannot be changed overnight.

"But to change society, there must be deep thinking and a legal basis but our leaders did both."

The Congress, he said, has never deviated from this agenda. Under Rahul Gandhi's leadership, the Bharat Jodo Yatra and the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra were conducted across the country and had social justice at the centre. These yatras put the basic issues before the public and they worked to tell how the Modi government is destroying the four pillars of justice -- justice, liberty, equality, fraternity -- are in the Preamble of the Constitution.

"Can you imagine how much respect those who talk about changing the Constitution have for SCs, STs, OBCs, minorities, the poor and women? The demand for a caste census has been going on for two years but Modi ji's silence on this question is nothing but a betrayal of social justice," Kharge said.

The Congress leader claimed that the reality is that RSS-BJP has never talked about the idea of 'equality'.

"They talk about these things only in speeches. In reality, they make their billionaire friends rich and the public poor. They do not hesitate to sell the public's resources to make a few industrialists rich." -- PTI

A powerful improvised explosive device (IED) blast damaged a key bridge along the NH2 in Manipur, leaving over 150 trucks taking essential commodities to the state capital Imphal stranded in Senapati district on Wednesday.

Unidentified miscreants triggered the powerful IED explosion which damaged the bridge between Koubru Leikha and Saparmeina in Kangpokpi district at around 12.45 am, an officer said.

No casualties were reported in the blast which formed three craters in the middle portion of the bridge in the ethnic violence-affected state.

The Manipur government suspended the movement of heavy vehicles between Saparmeina and Koubru Leikha along NH 2 'with immediate effect to avoid any untoward incidents'.

According to the order issued by the Kangpokpi District Magistrate, "Light unloaded and light passenger vehicles may pass through strict regulation for the moment."

The superintendent of police of Kangpokpi shall regulate the traffic until an alternate route is found, it said.

"Over 150 trucks were stranded because of the blast. The trucks were carrying essential items on NH-2," an official said.

The highway connects landlocked Manipur and its capital Imphal with Nagaland's Dimapur and is the major lifeline of the state. Security personnel have cordoned off the bridge, he said, adding that an investigation into the IED blast has been initiated.

The IED explosion occurred hours after gunfights broke out between village volunteers of the two warring communities in Imphal West district. Over 200 people have been killed and thousands rendered homeless in ethnic violence in Manipur between Imphal Valley-based Meiteis and adjacent hills-based Kukis since May last year. -- PTI

IMAGE: A bridge on the National Highway 2 is partially damaged due to an IED explosion, in the Kangpokpi district of Manipur on Wednesday. Photograph: ANI Photo

Radical Sikh preacher Amritpal Singh, who is currently lodged in a jail in Assam under the National Security Act, will fight the Lok Sabha polls from Punjab's Khadoor Sahib seat as an Independent candidate, his counsel claimed on Wednesday.

However, his father, Tarsem Singh, said he would comment on the matter only after meeting his son on Thursday while asserting that Amritpal Singh had earlier not shown any interest in joining politics.

Amritpal Singh's legal counsel Rajdev Singh Khalsa claimed that he met the preacher in Dibrugarh jail on Wednesday and requested him to contest the polls.

"I met bhai sahab (Amritpal Singh) in Dibrugarh central jail today and during the meeting, I requested bhai sahab that in the interests of 'Khalsa Panth', he should fight elections this time from Khadoor Sahib to become a member of parliament.

"Bhai sahab accepted my request in the Panthic interests... He will fight as an Independent candidate," claimed Khalsa.

Amritpal Singh, chief of the 'Waris Punjab De' outfit, was arrested in April last year and the stringent NSA was invoked against him.

He along with nine of his associates is currently lodged in Dibrugarh jail.

Amritpal Singh, who styled himself after slain Khalistani militant Jarnail Singh Bhindranwale, was arrested in Moga's Rode village on April 23 last year following a more than one-month-long manhunt.

The Khalistan sympathiser had escaped the police net in Jalandhar district in March last year, switching vehicles and changing appearances.

The Punjab Police had launched the crackdown after the February 23 Ajnala incident last year in which Amritpal Singh and his supporters, some of them brandishing swords and guns, broke through barricades and barged into the police station on the outskirts of Amritsar city, and clashed with police for the release of Lovepreet Singh Toofan, one of his aides.

He and his associates had been booked under several criminal cases related to spreading disharmony among classes, attempts to murder, attacks on police personnel and creating obstructions in the lawful discharge of duty by public servants. -- PTI

20:11 Now, Akhilesh Yadav to contest from Kannauj

Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav will contest the Lok Sabha elections from Kannauj, the party announced on Wednesday, two days after it had declared another candidate for the Uttar Pradesh seat.

On Monday, the SP HAD declared Tej Pratap Yadav as its candidate from the seat.

The party said Akhilesh Yadav will now file his papers on Thursday, when nominations begin. -- PTI

19:56 What Pak-Iran joint statement says on Kashmir

Pakistan and Iran have agreed that the Kashmir issue should be resolved through 'peaceful means based on the will of the people' of the region, said a joint statement issued by the two countries after Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi's maiden visit on Wednesday.

President Raisi paid an official visit to Pakistan from April 22-24 at the invitation of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

He was accompanied by a high-level delegation comprising the Foreign Minister Amir Abdollahian, as well as other members of the cabinet and senior officials.

Kashmir found its way into the joint statement issued at the conclusion of President Raisi's visit to Pakistan.

It stated that taking note of developments at regional and global levels, both sides stressed the importance of peaceful settlement of disputes through dialogue and diplomacy to find mutually acceptable solutions to common challenges.

'Both sides highlighted the need to resolve the issue of Kashmir through dialogue and peaceful means based on the will of the people of that region, and in accordance with international law,' it stated.

India has previously rejected such statements by other countries on the Kashmir issue.

'The Union Territory of Jammu & Kashmir and the Union Territory of Ladakh are and always will be integral and inalienable parts of India. No other country has locus standi to comment on the same,' the spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs has asserted repeatedly.

During a joint press conference after their talks on Monday, Prime Minister Sharif raked up the Kashmir issue and thanked Iran for its stance.

However, Iranian President Raisi refrained from mentioning Kashmir and instead talked about Iran's support for those fighting against oppression especially in Palestine, creating an impression that he had snubbed the desire of the Pakistani leader to say something on the issue. -- PTI

In a veiled attack on the Bharatiya Janata Party over Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 'mangalsutra' remark, Samajwadi Party leader Dimple Yadav on Wednesday said the party should answer 'who snatched the mangalsutra of wives of soldiers' killed in Pulwama.

The Samajwadi Party leader was referring to Modi's allegations at an election rally that if the Congress came to power, it would redistribute the wealth of people to Muslims and cited former prime minister Manmohan Singh's statement that the minority community had the first claim on the country's resources.

"They won't even spare your mangalsutra," Modi had said in Banswara, Rajasthan.

The SP and the Congress are a part of the opposition INDIA bloc and are fighting the Lok Sabha polls together in Uttar Pradesh.

"Those who talk of the Mangalsutra should also talk about the Pulwama incident. Our soldiers were martyred and the mangalsutra of their wives were snatched from them," Yadav said at a rally in support of SP candidate Annu Tandon in Unnao.

"These people should answer who was behind the Pulwama incident? What did the government do about the incident?" Dimple Yadav, who is the wife of SP chief Akhilesh Yadav, said without taking any names.

More than 40 Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel were killed after their vehicle convoy was attacked in Pulwama of Jammu and Kashmir in February 2019 ahead of the general elections.

Yadav, the sitting MP from Mainpuri, accused the Modi government of snatching jobs and employment from the youth.

"Today, the country is engaged in a fight to save democracy. All sections of society are being intimidated by the Enforcement Directorate, and none of them are being respected. The country's wealth is being distributed among a few capitalists," she said.

Yadav also participated in the nomination rally of the Unnao SP candidate and appealed to the people to ensure her victory from the seat. -- PTI

19:10 FIR filed over BJP's social media post: EC

A first information report (FIR) was registered on Wednesday over a social media post by the Bharatiya Janata Party's official handle which allegedly sought to promote hatred and enmity between different groups and classes, Election Commission (EC) officials said.

Karnataka Chief Electoral Officer stated that the FIR has been lodged by the Flying Squads Team of Malleswaram assembly constituency against the post on 'X' on April 23 titled 'Congress Manifesto or Muslim League Manifesto'.

'The FIR under sections 125 of the Representation of the People Act and 153 (Wantonly giving provocation with intent to cause riot) of the Indian Penal Code is booked on April 24 for promoting hatred and enmity between different groups and classes of citizens,' the post said.

The Lok Sabha elections will be held in two phases in Karnataka -- on April 26 and May 7. -- PTI

19:05 LS polls: VPN services suspended in Rajouri

The authorities on Wednesday ordered the immediate suspension of VPN services till the end of the Lok Sabha elections in Jammu and Kashmir's Rajouri district.

The decision to suspend virtual private networks (VPNs) was taken as a preventive measure to protect information on the Lok Sabha elections and other sensitive data from cyber attacks, Additional District Magistrate (Rajouri) Rajeev Kumar Khajuria said in an order.

"Whereas, a communication has been received from the office of the Senior Superintendent of Police (Rajouri) regarding unprecedented high usage of VPNs during the past few days in different parts of this district by scores of suspicious Internet users," the order mentioned.

"Whereas, VPN transmits get encrypted and creates point to point tunnel, masks IP address and lets sidestep website blocks and firewall on Internet thus making data related to forthcoming Lok Sabha elections and other sensitive data vulnerable to cyber attacks," it added while announcing the suspension of all VPN services in mobile phones in the district till the end of the election process.

Rajouri is part of Anantnag-Rajouri Lok Sabha constituency, which goes to the polls on May 7. -- PTI

Seeking to strike an emotional chord with the people of his home district of Kalaburagi, Congress President M Mallikarjun Kharge on Wednesday appealed to them to at least attend his funeral if they thought he worked for them even though they do not wish to vote for the party candidate here in the coming Lok Sabha elections.

Speaking at a poll rally at Afzalpur in this district, the 81-year-old also said that if they (people) did not vote for the Congress candidate, he would think that he did not have "any place" in Kalaburagi anymore. The Congress has fielded Kharge's son-in-law Radhakrishna Doddamani from Kalaburagi, against BJP's sitting MP Umesh Jadhav.

"If you miss your vote this time (if you don't vote for the Congress candidate), I will think that I don't have any place here for me and I could not win your heart," said Kharge, who won the Lok Sabha elections here in 2009 and 2014, but lost in 2019.

"Whether you vote for us (Congress) or not, but at least come to my funeral if you think that I have done for Kalaburagi," the Congress chief said. He also said that he would continue in politics till his last breath to "defeat" the BJP and RSS ideology.

"I am born for politics. Whether or not I will contest the election, I will strive till my last breath to save the Constitution and democracy of this country. I will not retire from politics," Kharge asserted.

Explaining further, he said retirement happens from a position but one should not retire from his/her principles. "I am born to defeat the ideology of the BJP and RSS and not to surrender before them."

He also advised Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, who shared the dais with him, to follow his principles. "I tell Siddaramaiah repeatedly that you may retire as CM or MLA, but you cannot retire from politics till you defeat the ideology of the BJP and RSS." PTI

Union minister Nitin Gadkari on Wednesday fainted while speaking at an election rally in eastern Maharashtra's Yavatmal district. The BJP leader was campaigning at Pusad which comes under the Yavatmal-Washim Lok Sabha constituency.

As he suffered a fainting fit, the security personnel accompanying him carried him off-stage. The minister, however, recovered after a few minutes and completed his speech.

"Felt uneasy due to heat at a rally at Pusad, Maharashtra. But now I am completely alright and on my way to Warud to take part in the next rally," the 66-year-old leader said in a post on X. PTI

17:01 BJP wanted inheritance tax, not Cong: Ramesh

Amid the row over Congress leader Sam Pitroda's remarks, the party on Wednesday asserted that it has no plans whatsoever to introduce an inheritance tax and cited former Union minister Jayant Sinha's remarks to allege that it is the Modi government that wanted to do so.

Pitroda, the president of the Indian Overseas Congress, has talked about the inheritance tax law in the United States while answering a query on the "redistribution of wealth" issue.

Modi on Wednesday attacked the Congress over its Pitroda's "inheritance tax" remark, saying the grand old party's "dangerous intentions" of snatching away the assets and rights of people have come to the fore.

In a post on X, Congress general secretary in-charge of communications Jairam Ramesh said the Congress has no plan whatsoever to introduce an inheritance tax. "In fact, former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi had abolished Estate Duty in 1985, he said, adding that it is the Modi government that has wanted to do so."

He said, "Fact One: Jayant Sinha, then Minister of State for Finance, publicly stated that he wanted to introduce Inheritance Tax in 2014.

Fact Two: In 2017, reports emerged that the Modi Sarkar was going to re-introduce inheritance tax.

Fact Three: In 2018, the Finance Minister Arun Jaitley praised Inheritance Taxes for spurring large endowments to hospitals, universities in the West. Fact Four: News reports emerged that Modi Sarkar would introduce an Inheritance Tax in Union Budget 2019," Ramesh said in the post.

"Over to you Prime Minister Modi - what is your party's stance on this issue?" he said and shared media reports on former minister of state for finance Jayant Sinha and former finance minister Arun Jaitley's remarks "in favour" of an inheritance tax.

Ramesh also shared a 15-minute speech by Sinha at the Forbes India Philanthropy Awards 2013 to claim that he was in favour of an inheritance tax.

"The Congress has no plan whatsoever to introduce an inheritance tax. In fact, Rajiv Gandhi abolished Estate Duty in 1985. Please listen to BJP MP Jayant Sinha, once MoS Finance in the Modi Sarkar, and later Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on Finance. "He has spent 15 long minutes vehemently arguing in favour of an Inheritance Tax of 55%, like in the US," Ramesh said. The Congress distanced itself from Pitroda's "inheritance tax" remarks, saying sensationalising them are attempts at diverting attention from Prime Minister Narendra Modi's "malicious" poll campaign.

Ramesh said Pitroda has been a mentor, friend, philosopher and guide to many across the world, and has made numerous and enduring contributions to India's developments. "Mr Pitroda expresses his opinions freely on issues he feels strongly about. Surely, in a democracy an individual is at liberty to discuss, express, and debate his personal views. This does not mean that Mr Pitroda's views always reflect the position of the Indian National Congress. Many times they do not. -- PTI

Representational image

16:49 When will bullet train run? Railways says...

The Indian Railways is unable to assess the completion date of the country's first bullet train project because all work tenders have not been awarded yet.

The National High Speed Rail Corporation Limited (NHSRCL), which is constructing the 508 km long corridor, said this in response to an application under the Right to Information Act.

Madhya Pradesh-based Chandra Shekhar Gaur sought to know if the NHSRCL is in a position to give a final date for the completion of the whole project though an application under the RTI. Responding to the same, the NHSRCL said, Completion date for Mumbai-Ahmedabad High Speed Rail Project (MAHSRP) can be assessed after award of all tenders/packages.

The project was launched in 2017 and initially it was scheduled to be ready by December 2023 but land acquisition issues as well as Covid delayed its progress significantly.

The Railways Ministry has officially announced the completion of the first phase, a 50-km long stretch between Surat and Bilimora, by August 2026. It also announced in January 2024 that 100 per cent land was acquired for the project.

The NHSRCL also said in response to the RTI application that rail tracks have not been laid yet, adding, however, by April 6, 2024, a total length of 157 km viaduct has been completed.

Providing an update on the progress work of the corridor, Union Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw informed on X on March 28, 2024 that 295.5 km of pier work and 153 km of viaduct has been completed.

The RBI on Wednesday barred Kotak Mahindra Bank from onboarding new customers through its online and mobile banking channels and issuing fresh credit cards with immediate effect as the lender found deficient in its IT risk management.

These actions, the RBI said, are necessitated based on significant concerns arising out of Reserve Bank's IT examination of the bank for the years 2022 and 2023 and the continued failure on part of the bank to address these concerns in a comprehensive and timely manner.

"Serious deficiencies and non-compliances were observed in the areas of IT inventory management, patch and change management, user access management, vendor risk management, data security and data leak prevention strategy, business continuity and disaster recovery rigour and drill, etc," the RBI's statement said.

For two consecutive years, the bank was assessed to be deficient in its IT Risk and Information Security Governance, contrary to requirements under Regulatory guidelines, it added.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Wednesday said the Congress party's plan to impose inheritance tax is aimed at hitting the middle and aspirational classes as they will not be able to pass on their savings to their children. "If the Congress comes to power, 'organised loot and legalised plunder' will be seen in action,"she said in a post on X (formerly Twitter) while sharing a video clip of Prime Minister Narendra Modi speaking at a rally in Chhattisgarh.

"So, the @INCIndia plan is: While livingTax. On death Tax (Inheritance). Aims to hit the middle and aspirational classes. Their savings or small holdings shall not go their children," Sitharaman said.

The post further said "Dr MMS' (referring to Manmohan Singh) Organised loot and legalised plunder will be seen in action. Congress' #TaxTerrorism".

The Congress party on Wednesday distanced itself from the "inheritance tax" issue, saying that the remarks of Indian Overseas Congress Chairman Sam Pitroda were being sensationalised and taken out of context. Without naming Pitroda, Modi in his Chhattisgarh rally said that "the Congress party's dangerous intentions have come to fore yet again. Now these people are saying they will impose inheritance tax on properties bequeathed to children by their parents".

With his remarks triggering a row, Pitroda said on X that "It is unfortunate that what I said as an individual on inheritance tax in the US is twisted by Godi media to divert attention from what lies the PM is spreading about the Congress manifesto. PM's comments on Mangal Sutra and gold snatching is simply unreal."

"I mentioned US inheritance tax in the US only as an example in my normal conversation on TV. Can I not mention facts ? I said these are the kind of issues people will have to discuss and debate. This has nothing to do with the policy of any party including Congress," he said. -- PTI

Did the Congress score a self goal on the inheritance tax statement?

15:53 If you have two houses, Cong will take one: Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday hit out at the Congress, saying the "vote bank-hungry" party wanted to implement reservation on the basis of religion.

Addressing a poll rally in Ambikapur, the headquarters of Surguja district in Chhattisgarh, he also alleged that the Congress wanted to impose inheritance tax in the country and snatch the assets and rights of people and their children.

"The Congress's eyes are not only on your reservation, but also on your earnings, your houses, shops and farms. The 'shehzada' of Congress (apparently referring to Rahul Gandhi) says they will conduct an X-ray of the property of every house and every family in the country. The Congress will snatch all these things from you and they say that they will equally distribute them," he said.

"Do you know to whom they will distribute it after looting it from you, Modi asked, to which the people replied in affirmative. "I need not tell you to whom they will distribute it to," he added. Modi further said the "dangerous intentions" of Congress are coming to the fore one by one and now it says it will impose inheritance tax.

"They (Congress) want to snatch your assets and rights of your children," Modi added. "If you have two houses, Congress govt will take one, if you have two vehicles, they will take one and give to their vote bank," PM Modi.

He said Congress' history has been to destroy the country for the sake of power.

"Terrorism and Naxalism spread in the country and who was responsible for this? As a result of Congress' misrule and negligence, the country was being ruined. Today, the BJP government has been taking stern action against Naxalism and terrorism. Some forces want a "weak" government of the Congress and "INDI" alliance to be in power in the country as they thought that if India becomes 'atmanirbhar' (self-reliant), their shops will be shut, he said.

Cong prez Kharge said there was absolutely no plans on inheritance tax

15:31 PM using old script of polarisation, fear: Cong

The Congress on Wednesday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of resorting to the "old script" of polarisation and fear, and claimed that he does not have confidence in his government to fight the Lok Sabha election on real issues.

Congress spokesperson Supriya Shrinate said Prime Minister Modi and the BJP should make it clear whether they are against or in support of the caste census.

"This question will have to be answered with 'yes' or 'no'. Why don't you want to represent the people?" she said at a press conference at the AICC headquarters in New Delhi. She also lashed at for his 'mangalsutra' remarks, saying he did not even respect the importance of 'mangalsutra'.

"When the elections came, we thought that there would be discussions on big issues, terrible unemployment and inflation would be discussed. But all the issues were left aside, the Prime Minister of this country picked up the same script which he has been reading since 2002- the script of polarisation, division, fear and suspicion," she said.

The prime minister of this country does not have enough confidence in his government and party that he can fight elections by talking on issues, Shrinate said.

"Modi ji has a big problem with the Congress manifesto. But I would like to thank you because your lies and propaganda have taken the Congress manifesto to every home," she said.

Shrinate claimed that Modi is deeply concerned by the mention of caste census in the manifesto. "So today I want to ask Narendra Modi ji... Is it wrong to talk about the poor? What is your problem with the welfare of the poor? We are talking about an X-ray. What is the objection to that," she said. Modi has created 'two Indias' in the last 10 years, there is one India - where the vegetable vendor cries due to inflation and in G-20, a curtain is drawn to hide poverty, the other India is where there is glamour, where people are crazy about Modi and worship him," she said.

"Narendra Modi ji, you have not done any good to the poor. You forced the poor to walk in the scorching sun during Covid. During Covid, the poor were made to wander from door-to-door for medicines and oxygen. The poor were shown the false dream of boarding an airplane...a monopoly was created and small enterprises shut down," Shrinate said.

With demonetisation, poor were made to stand in queues, she said, adding, "You (Modi) took away the rights of the poor". Shrinate also accused the BJP of distorting Rahul Gandhi's remarks in a video by removing SCs, STs and OBCs, and only highlighting the word minorities. PTI

Union Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday held an election rally in Alappuzha for BJP candidate Sobha Surendran.

Taking a dig at 'INDI Alliance', Amit Shah said that 'INDI Alliance' has been exposed and the fight between Communists and Congress is fake. They come together on one stage in Delhi but in Kerala, they fight against each other.

"This so-called 'INDI alliance' has been exposed. The two partners of the 'INDI Alliance' - Communists and Congress - come together on one stage in Delhi but in Kerala and Bengal they fight against each other. Their fight is fake... 'ilu-ilu' is going on between the Congress and Communist," Shah said.

"There are three pavilions in the state of Kerala one is of Communist, second is of Congress and Muslim League and third is of NDA. The Communist is finished off in the entire world and so is in the country; Congress is over in the nation, and the coming time is of BJP... Should a ban on PFI continue or not? The Congress and Communist party take the support of PFI...," the Union Minister further said.

Hitting out at Congress over its alleged involvement in the mining scam, Amit Shah said, "Congress and Communist leaders are involved in the black sand mining scam. In many scams, the involvement of CM's family members and his office has come to light. However, the Communist Party which speaks about transparency is not ready to speak a single word on its CM..."

The Home Minster further said the Lok Sabha polls this time is to make Modi the PM for a third time and to free Kerala from violence.

"This election is for making India become number 1 in agriculture, technology and manufacturing... This election is for making a violence-free Kerala. This is the time of the BJP," Shah said.

"All the surveys are showing that the entire Kerala is ready to move ahead with PM Modi. Kerala's farmers and fishermen are also ready to move ahead with PM Modi," he said.

All 20 Lok Sabha constituencies in Kerala will vote in a single phase on April 26. Counting will be held on June 4.

The ED on Wednesday said it has attached land parcels worth more than Rs 73 crore of Pravin Raut, an alleged associate of Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut, in connection with a money laundering investigation linked to purported irregularities in the redevelopment of Mumbai's Patra Chawl.

The immovable properties are located in and around Palghar, Dapoli, Raigad and Thane, it said. Both Sanjay Raut and Pravin Raut were arrested in this case by the Enforcement Directorate.

The money laundering case stems from a Mumbai Police Economic Offences Wing (EOW) FIR. A company named Guru Ashish Construction Pvt. Ltd., of which Pravin Raut was a director was given the work to redevelop the Patra chawl in the Goregaon area of Maharashtra's capital city Mumbai for the rehabilitation of 672 tenants. The ED said in a statement that there had been "significant financial misconduct" while doing this redevelopment.

Shashi Tharoor with Sachin Pilot. Pic: Archana Masih/Rediff.com in Thiruvananthapuram

14:48 Wealth redistribution NOT in manifesto: Tharoor

Congress leader Shashi Tharoor on Wednesday said that there has been no mention of the wealth redistribution in his party's manifesto adding that it is a desperate attempt by the Bharatiya Janata Party to divert the attention of people as they are aware about their defeat in the Lok Sabha polls.

"Nowhere does it (manifesto) talk about wealth redistribution. Nowhere does it talk about taking anybody's gold and snatching the mangalsutra of women. This is such preposterous attacks that we are seeing from the BJP. It is a measure of their desperation. They know that they are losing this election and they will fling any mud that they can," Tharoor told ANI.

Earlier, Prime Minister Modi last week alleged Congress wants to take away the gold and property of people and distribute it among "those having more children".

Referring to reports about Congress's intention to redistribute wealth if elected to power, the Prime Minister said the party would conduct a survey and they would not even let Mangalsutra remain with women and "will go to this extent."

Commenting on the remarks made by the Chairman of Indian Overseas Congress, Sam Pitroda over the concept of inheritance tax law, Tharoor said that one cannot take "anyone's personal opinion and then term it as the Congress party's intention".

"What Sam Pitoda has said is not in the manifesto. We are a democratic party, everyone has a right to their personal opinions. But once the document is approved by the Working Committee, that is all the party is standing behind. So, the party is saying - this is our document, read it.

Tharoor added, "Sam Pitroda is not in the manifesto committee. This is not part of our agenda. It is his personal opinion."

Former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda on Wednesday slammed Rahul Gandhi's "wealth redistribution promise", stating that only someone with no practical knowledge can speak like that.

The 90-year-old JD(S) supremo ridiculed the Congress manifesto claiming that only a party that is sure of never coming to power can make as many promises.

"The Congress has promised so many things in its manifesto. The only party that is very sure of never coming to power will promise so much," Gowda said at a press conference in Bengaluru.

He said the Congress wants to turn this country "upside down" and the promises made by it indicated that it wants to come to power "at any cost". "Rahul Gandhi wants to do a wealth survey and distribute the wealth. Does he think he is a mass leader," Deve Gowda said. "He is dreaming of a revolution. By talking about wealth redistribution, Rahul Gandhi has insulted and humiliated two Congress Prime Ministers who brought market reforms and increased the wealth of the nation," he added, recalling the contribution of P V Narasimha Rao and Manmohan Singh in economic liberalisation.

Accusing Gandhi of indirectly trying to say that what the two Congress Prime Ministers did was wrong, Gowda said, "He (Rahul Gandhi) has torn up their economic reforms like he had torn up an ordinance (which sought to overturn the rule that disqualifies convicted MPs and MLAs) issued by (the then) Manmohan Singh (government)".

Picking up points from the Congress manifesto Nyay Patra', Gowda said Rahul Gandhi wants to "give 30 lakh new central government jobs and run this country." "There are only 40 lakh sanctioned jobs. How can he create 30 lakh more jobs overnight? How much will he pay these people? Where will he employ them," he asked.

"Only someone with no practical knowledge can speak like this. Mr (P) Chidambaram was the manifesto committee chairman. Does he agree with Rahul Gandhi's immature economic ideas?" Gowda said.

Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra alleged on Wednesday the prices of essential commodities are rising under BJP rule, but Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the saffron party are diverting attention from real issues even during the election campaign.

Launching a scathing attack on the BJP and the Prime Minister at a corner meeting in Wayanad Lok Sabha constituency where her brother Rahul Gandhi is seeking re-election, she said the BJP government led by Modi failed to address issues like price rise and unemployment. She said the Lok Sabha election is an opportunity to "protect democracy and the Constitution of India."

Priyanka alleged the prices of petrol, diesel and other essential commodities have risen "exponentially" in the last 10 years of BJP rule. Similarly, she stated the unemployment rate has increased. However, she alleged the Prime Minister and BJP leaders will not address these problems.

"They will not speak about development; they will not speak about real issues," the Congress leader alleged and accused the Prime Minister and BJP leaders of bringing up new issues irrelevant to the lives of the people. PTI

Responding to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 'mangalsutra jibe', Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Wednesday said that former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi had donated her jewellery in the 1962 India-China war while he also questioned the whether any such sacrifices have been made by Bharatiya Janata Party and Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).

"What sacrifice has any leader of the BJP-RSS ever made for the nation? They did not even participate in the National Movement. For elections, Modiji is lying to the people that their Mangalsutra shall not be safe. Congress governed this country for 55 years. Has that even happened once? Indira Gandhi donated her jewellery in the 1962 War. Pandit Motilal Nehru and Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru donated their home to the freedom movement as Anand Bhawan in Allahabad. Our leaders have lived and sacrificed their life and blood for the nation," Kharge posted on X.

Earlier, Prime Minister Modi last week alleged Congress wants to take away the gold and property of people and distribute it among "those having more children".

He said that those who left Congress these days have pointed towards the party's manifesto and said that the party has gone into "grasp of urban Naxals."

13:06 Cong eyeing your earnings, houses, shops: PM

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday hit out at the Congress, saying the "vote bank hungry" party wanted to implement reservation on the basis of religion.

Addressing a poll rally in Ambikapur, the headquarters of Surguja district in Chhattisgarh, PM Modi also said the Congress wanted to impose inheritance tax in the country and snatch the rights of people's children.

"Some forces want a "weak" government of the Congress and "INDI" alliance in the country as they thought that if India becomes 'atmanirbhar' (self-reliant), their shops will be shut," he said.

"Today when I have come to Surguja, I want to present the Muslim League thinking of the Congress in front of the country. When their manifesto was released, on the same day I had said, and saying today also that the Congress manifesto has the imprint of Muslim League," Modi said. "When the Constitution was being drafted, it was decided under the leadership of Babasaheb Ambedkar that there would be no reservation on the basis of religion in India," he said.

"If there will be reservation then it will be for by Dalit brothers and sisters and tribal brothers and sisters," he said. "But the vote bank hungry Congress never cared about the words of the great personalities, sanctity of the Constitution and the words of Babasaheb Ambedkar. Years ago, the Congress made an attempt to implement reservation on the basis of religion in Andhra Pradesh. Then Congress has planned to implement it in the entire country," Modi said.

"They talked about implementing 15 per cent reservation on the basis of religion and said it will be done after curtailing the quota of the Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes and Other Backward Classes, he added. In its 2009 manifesto, Congress's intention was the same and in the 2014 manifesto, it clearly said it will not leave this issue," the prime minister said.

The Congress wanted to change the Constitution and hand over rights of the SCs, STs and OBCs to its vote bank, he said.

"The intention of the Congress is not good, it is not according to the Constitution, social justice and secularism. If anyone can protect your reservation, it is the BJP," Modi said.

"The Congress's eyes are not only on your reservation, but also on your earnings, your houses, shops and farms. The 'shehzada' of Congress (apparently referring to Rahul Gandhi) says they will conduct an X-ray of the property of every house and every family in the country. The Congress will snatch all these from you and they say that they will equally distribute them," he said.

"Do you know to whom they will distribute it after "looting" it from you?" Modi asked, to which the people replied in affirmative.

"I need not to tell you to whom they will distribute," he added. Modi further said the "dangerous intentions" of Congress are coming to forth one by one and now it says it will impose inheritance tax.

"The advisor of shehzada of the shahi parivar, who was also the advisor to the shehzada's father, had said that more tax should be imposed on the middle class and those who earn by toiling hard. Now the Congress says it will impose inheritance tax. It will impose tax on the assets inherited by people from their parents. Now, the panja (Congress poll symbol) will snatch the assets from your children," he said without taking any name.

The Congress' mantra is "loot of Congress zindagi ke sath bhi, zindagi ke baad bhi", he said. "They (Congress) want to snatch your assets and rights of your children," Modi added. The PM also said he had come to seek people's blessings for a developed Chhattisgarh and a developed India. PTI

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had panicked after seeing the Congress' "revolutionary" manifesto.

"So did you like the Congress manifesto? You must have seen that the Prime Minister has panicked. It is a revolutionary manifesto," Rahul Gandhi said while speaking at Social Justice conclave organised by the Congress in Delhi.

Rahul alleged that Narendra Modi government at the Centre transferred crores of rupees to the few billionaires and said that Congress manifesto talks about returning a small amount of that money to the people who are at the bottom pyramid of income and wealth distribution.

"There is mention of X-ray (caste census) and income inequality created by Modi ji. The Congress will return a small amount of money to 90% of the people of the country from the Rs 16 lakh crore given to the 22 people by Narendra Modi," he said.

His comment was in the backdrop of Prime Minister Modi's criticism that Congress manifesto smacks of appeasement and that if it came to power, it would redistribute people's wealth and also give reservations to Muslims from the quota for SC, ST, and OCB communities.

Rahul claimed that there is no one from Other Backward Classes community in the India's rich people's list.

"Prime Minister Modi has been saying for the ten years that he is an OBC but when I talked about caste census, Modi said that there is no caste. If there is no caste how are you OBC. Then he said that in India there is only two castes poor and rich. All right if you agree that there are rich and poor people in India, then bring out the lists of poor and rich in India. Then you will find OBCs and Dalits, Adivasis in poor people's list, and see no Dalits, Adivasis and backwards in the rich list," he said.

He said that ensuring social justice to the 90 percent of Indians who are at the bottom of the pyramid is his life mission and there is compromise on it.

"Caste census is not politics for me, it is my life's mission, and I will not leave it. No power can stop the caste census. As soon as the Congress government comes, we will first conduct caste census. This is my guarantee," Rahul Gandhi said.

"They say I'm not serious, I'm not interested in politics. Land Acquisition Bill, MNREGA, Niyamgiri, Bhatta Parsaul are not serious. When people talk about the larger population they call us non-serious. When you don't have the loudspeaker in hand, everything that you say is non-serious," he further added. -- ANI

12:21 Take Pitroda's tax statement seriously: Shah

Taking a jibe at the Congress, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday said that after the comments of the Chairman of Indian Overseas Congress Sam Pitroda advocating an inheritance tax like law, the party has been completely exposed.

Speaking to ANI, Amit Shah said "After Sam Pitroda's remark, Congress party is completely exposed. First of all, mention of 'survey' in their manifesto, Manmohan Singh's old statement which is Congress' legacy - that minorities have the first right over resources of the country, and now Sam Pitroda's remark citing the United States that there should be deliberations on the distribution of wealth... 55% of wealth goes to the government's property. `

"He further said, "Now when PM Modi raised this issue, Rahul Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi and the entire Congress party are on the back foot that it was never their motive. But today, Sam Pitroda's statement has made Congress' motive clear before the country. They want to survey the private property of the people of the country, put it in government property and distribute it as per decision during UPA's regime."

The Home Minister also demanded that the Congress should either withdraw or accept that distributing wealth is their intention.

He said, "Congress should either withdraw it from their manifesto or accept that it is indeed their intention...I want people to take Sam Pitroda's statement seriously. Their intention is now in the open, its cognisance should be taken by people..."

Earlier, emphasising the need for policy toward wealth redistribution, Pitroda spoke about on the concept of inheritance tax prevailing in America and said these are issued that will need to be discussed.

"In America, there is an inheritance tax. If one has 100 million USD worth of wealth and when he dies he can only transfer 45% to his children, 55% is grabbed by the government. That's an interesting law. It says you in your generation, made wealth and you are leaving now, you must leave your wealth for the public, not all of it, half of it, which to me sounds fair," Pitroda had said.

After the comments snowballed into a controversy Pitroda sought to downplay the issue saying he had only cited inheritance tax in the US as an example.

"Who said 55% will be taken away? Who said something like this should be done in India? Why is BJP and media in panic? I mentioned US inheritance tax in the US only as an example in my normal conversation on TV. Can I not mention facts? I said these are the kind of issues people will have to discuss and debate. This has nothing to do with policy of any party including congress," Pitroda said in his post on X. -- ANI

Hemant Soren

12:05 Soren moves SC, says HC not pronouncing verdict

Former Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren on Wednesday moved the Supreme Court, saying the high court is not pronouncing verdict on his plea challenging arrest by the Enforcement Directorate in a money laundering case.

A bench of Justices Sanjiv Khanna and Dipankar Datta was told by senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for Soren, that the high court had reserved its verdict on February 28 on his plea but still no decision has been delivered.

Soren was arrested on January 31 in the case after he resigned as the Jharkhand chief minister, and party loyalist and state transport minister Champai Soren was named as his successor.

He was arrested after being grilled by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) for seven hours in the case. The ED is probing the alleged "huge amounts of proceeds of crime generated by manipulation of official records by showing dummy sellers and purchasers in the guise of forged/bogus documents to acquire huge parcels of land having value in crores'. PTI

Sam Pitroda's comments on debating a possible inheritance tax law in the country have snowballed into a major controversy.

With several leaders of the BJP tearing into Pitroda, the Chairman of Indian Overseas Congress on Wednesday attempted to clarify his position saying that remarks were made in an individual capacity.

"It is unfortunate that what I said as an individual on inheritance tax in the US is twisted...to divert attention from what lies PM is spreading about Congress manifesto. PM's comments Mangal Sutra and gold snatching are simply unreal," Pitroda posted on X.

Replying to the BJP's criticism, Pitroda said, "Who said 55 per cent will be taken away? Who said something like this should be done in India? Why are the BJP and the media in panic?"

"I mentioned US inheritance tax in the US only as an example in my normal conversation on TV. Can I not mention facts? I said these are the kinds of issues people will have to discuss and debate. This has nothing to do with the policy of any party including Congress," he added.

Earlier, emphasizing the need for policy toward wealth redistribution, Pitroda spoke about on the concept of inheritance tax prevailing in America and said these are issued that will need to be discussed.

"In America, there is an inheritance tax. If one has 100 million USD worth of wealth and when he dies he can only transfer probably 45 per cent to his children, 55 per cent is grabbed by the government. That's an interesting law. It says you in your generation, made wealth and you are leaving now, you must leave your wealth for the public, not all of it, half of it, which to me sounds fair," Pitroda had said.

"In India, you don't have that. If somebody is worth 10 billion and he dies, his children get 10 billion and the public gets nothing...So these are the kinds of issues people will have to debate and discuss. When we talk about redistributing wealth, we are talking about new policies and new programs that are in the interest of the people and not in the interest of the super-rich only," he had further said. In India, the concept of levying tax on inheritance does not exist as of now. In fact, the Inheritance or Estate Tax was abolished with effect from 1985.

Meanwhile, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge sought to firefight the controversy saying the party had no intention on bringing an inheritance tax.

"There is a Constitution, we don't have any intention on doing this. Why are you putting BJP's words in our mouths? They are just saying all this for votes," the Congress President said,

11:16 Where was Modi when we needed him most?

"From April 25, 2021, Modi disappeared. He made no public appearance for 20 days.

''The prime minister of India fled the field when his people needed the government most," points out Aakar Patel.

Read the column here.

Anant Ambani

11:14 LIVE! Anant Ambani's Vantara gets another elephant

Following a recommendation by a High-Powered Committee (HPC) of Supreme Court, an elephant has been transferred from Jaipur's Amber to Vantara elephant sanctuary in Jamnagar, Gujarat due to deteriorating physical and mental health.

The recommendation was based on an independent veterinary expert assessment commissioned by the HPC as a result of a complaint filed by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) India citing the elephant's deteriorating physical and mental health.

The elephant, Malti, was recently shifted to the wildlife sanctuary in Jamnagar. The decision to transfer Malti was supported by an opinion signed by 120 veterinarians confirming reports that the elephant exhibited behaviour such as repetitively swaying and bobbing her head, a statement by PETA said.

Malti was used for tourist rides at Amer Fort despite having a history of running amok and fighting with other elephants, PETA said.

In 2017, the elephant was violently beaten by eight men at Amber Fort and in 2019, it was verbally abused and hit with sticks, PETA said. PETA India had also called for her to be rescued at the local magistrate's court.

"At Amber Fort, elephants like Malti are controlled with weapons, chained when not being used for rides, and psychologically scarred from being forced to carry tourists," Khushboo Gupta, Director of Advocacy Projects, PETA India said.

"Frustrated elephants often lash out, and just recently, Gouri, another elephant there, broke a tourist's leg," she said, while expressing gratitude to the Government of Rajasthan for sending Malti to a sanctuary.

She also called for replacing elephants used for rides at Amber Fort with electric cars. "Malti was used for rides, putting tourists at risk, even though the Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI) recorded her as 'anxious'. In 2018, an AWBI report further noted that her ownership certificate was invalid and that her welfare was compromised," she claimed. PTI

Congress General Secretary in-charge Communications, Jairam Ramesh tweets on Sam Pitroda's income redistribution spiel.

"Sam Pitroda has been a mentor, friend, philosopher, and guide to many across the world, including me... Mr Pitroda expresses his opinions freely on issues he feels strongly about. Surely, in a democracy an individual is at liberty to discuss, express, and debate his personal views. This does not mean that Mr. Pitroda's views always reflect the position of the Indian National Congress. Many times they do not.

"Sensationalising his comments now and tearing them out of context are deliberate and desperate attempts at diverting attention away from Mr. Narenda Modi's malicious and mischievous election campaign; that is anchored ONLY in lies and more lies."

This is what Sam Pitroda said on wealth redistribution: "This is a policy issue. Congress party would frame a policy through which the wealth distribution would be better. We don't have a minimum wage (in India). If we come up with a minimum wage in the country saying you must pay so much money to the poor, that's the distribution of wealth. Today, rich people don't pay their peons, servants, and home help enough but they spend that money on vacation in Dubai and London...When you talk about the distribution of wealth, it is not that you sit on a chair and say I have this much money and I'll be distributing it to everybody," Pitroda said.

BJP IT Cell chief Amit Malviya on Wednesday came down heavily on the Congress party after Chairman of Indian Overseas Congress Sam Pitroda backed the party's stand on redistribution of wealth, saying "Congress has decided to destroy India."

In a post on X, Amit Malviya said, "Congress has decided to destroy India. Now, Sam Pitroda advocates a 50 percent inheritance tax for wealth redistribution. This means 50 percent of whatever we build, with all our hard work and enterprise, will be taken away. 50 percent, besides all the tax we pay, which too will go up, if Congress prevails."

Earlier in the day, emphasizing the need for policy toward wealth redistribution, Pitroda elaborated on the concept of inheritance tax prevailing in America.

"In America, there is an inheritance tax. If one has 100 million USD worth of wealth and when he dies he can only transfer probably 45 percent to his children, 55 percent is grabbed by the government. That's an interesting law. It says you in your generation, made wealth and you are leaving now, you must leave your wealth for the public, not all of it, half of it, which to me sounds fair," Pitroda said.

Pitroda also said that the subject of wealth distribution is strictly a 'policy issue' and he feels concerned about Prime Minister Modi after his remarks on Congress manifesto.

"This is a policy issue. Congress party would frame a policy through which the wealth distribution would be better. We don't have a minimum wage (in India). If we come up with a minimum wage in the country saying you must pay so much money to the poor, that's the distribution of wealth. Today, rich people don't pay their peons, servants, and home help enough but they spend that money on vacation in Dubai and London...When you talk about the distribution of wealth, it is not that you sit on a chair and say I have this much money and I'll be distributing it to everybody," Pitroda said. -- ANI

Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde hit back at Shiv Sena UBT chief Uddhav Thackeray for his alleged 'neech' remarks, saying "they can't digest if a common labourer becomes the CM".

"Yesterday he (Uddhav Thackeray) said that Eknath Shinde is "neech". You abuse me by calling me "neech". If a farmer's son, a common labourer becomes the chief minister then you don't like it, you are unable to digest it," CM Eknath Shinde at an election rally in Buldhana.

"If you look at it, this is not an insult to me, it is an insult to all the farmers' sons, it is an insult to the mothers and sisters of the poor and it is an insult to the society from which I come," he added. "I have faith that the people will respond to it through the ballot box on April 26," he asserted while appealing to people to vote for his party in the Lok Sabha elections 2024. On April 21, Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, addressing the Vijay Sankalp Sabha in Nanded, Maharashtra, said that the people of the country are eager to make Modi ji the Prime Minister again.

"Vote for one candidate means vote for Modi ji. The people of the country are eager to make Modi ji the Prime Minister. PM Modi's leadership is shining in the nation as the sun shines upon this earth. This is a matter of great pride for us. Modi ji has tried to bring not only Ram Temple but Ram Rajya in this country. INDIA bloc is asking the country that we have Rahul, Sonia, Stalin, Kejriwal, what do you have? On this, the people of the country reply that we have a "Modi guarantee". The synonym of trust is 'Modi Guarantee'," he said.

Taking a dig at the Congress party, Shinde said that while PM Modi is working for the betterment of the country, Congress, on the other hand, is busy solving its internal issues.

The polls for the five parliamentary seats in Maharashtra were held in the first phase of polling on April 19. The state, with its 48 Lok Sabha seats, is the second-largest contributor to the lower house of Parliament after Uttar Pradesh.

Delhi minister Saurabh Bharadwaj will meet Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in Tihar Jail on Wednesday afternoon, officials said.

The Delhi chief minister who was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate in a money laundering case on March 21 has not stepped down and the Aam Aadmi Party has asserted that he will continue to run the government from jail.

Earlier, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and AAP's national general secretary (organisation) Sandeep Pathak met Kejriwal in Tihar Jail on April 15.

After the meeting, Pathak told reporters that Kejriwal will meet two ministers each week and review the progress of work under their respective departments.

After his arrest, Kejriwal had sent messages to his ministers to address issues such as water supply and availability of medicines in government hospitals. He also asked party MLAs to visit their constituencies and offer help to the people there. -- PTI

09:19 US warns Pak over trade deal with Iran

Anyone considering a business deal with Iran needs to be aware of the potential risk of sanctions from the United States, an official said on Tuesday.

"Just let me say broadly, we advise anyone considering business deals with Iran to be aware of the potential risk of sanctions. But ultimately, the government of Pakistan can speak to their own foreign policy pursuits," Vedant Patel, Deputy Spokesperson of the US State Department, said while responding to a question on a recent visit of the Iranian president to Pakistan.

During the visit, Pakistan and Iran signed eight MoUs (memoranda of understanding) and also agreed to push bilateral trade to USD 10 billion.

Early this week, the US imposed sanctions on suppliers to Pakistan's ballistic missile programme, including three companies from China.

"The sanctions were made because these were entities that were proliferators of weapons of mass destruction and the means of their delivery. These were entities based in the PRC (People's Republic of China), in Belarus, and that we have witnessed to have supplied equipment and other applicable items to Pakistan's ballistic missile programme," Patel said.

"They are following our October 23 designation of three PRC entities who have worked to supply Pakistan's missile programme. We are going to continue to disrupt and take actions against proliferation networks and concerning weapons of mass destruction procurement activities, wherever they may occur," he added.

At a separate news conference, Pentagon Press Secretary Patt Ryder said the US maintains good relations with Pakistan. "They are an important security partner in the region," he said. -- PTI

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a heatwave alert for Maharashtra's Thane, Raigad districts and parts of Mumbai from April 27 to 29.

IMD scientist Sushma Nair on Wednesday said there is an anti-cyclonic circulation over Thane, Raigad and parts of Mumbai which will lead to a rise in temperature.

The temperatures are likely to peak on April 27 and 28.

This is the second heatwave alert issued for Mumbai and neighbouring region this month.

On April 15 and 16, Mumbai and its neighbouring areas had witnessed severe hot weather and temperatures in parts of Navi Mumbai reached 41 degrees Celsius.

The IMD had advised people to avoid prolonged heat exposure, drink sufficient water and stay hydrated, wear light coloured, loose and cotton clothes, cover head or use wet cloth or hat or umbrella while going out during afternoon hours, and schedule strenuous jobs during cooler times of the day. -- PTI

If the United States stepped off the world stage, who would lead the world, US President Joe Biden asked his fellow countrymen as he slammed his November challenger for making such an argument.

"Think of it this way -- if the United States stepped off the world stage, like Trump wants us to do, who would lead the world? Who would lead the world?" Biden asked the gathering at a campaign event in Tampa, Florida.

Biden is facing his predecessor, Donald Trump, in the November presidential election, which is a rematch of the 2020 polls.

"One of the things that is happening now is that ... every international meeting I attend with other heads of state -- whether it is the G7, the G20, all these international meetings -- before I leave, literally, almost every one will walk up to me and wait to get me in a corner alone and grab my arm and say, 'You have got to win'. Not because of me, but because of the alternative. And they say, 'Because my democracy depends upon it', meaning their democracy," Biden said.

"So the whole world is looking, and they are looking to see how we handle ourselves in this election -- not just on whether we win or not, but how we handle ourselves. One of the things that for me, I got involved when I was a kid in electoral politics out of the Civil Rights Movement. It all got down to one person at a time organising," the president said.

Biden told his supporters that his campaign is doing great and has raised nearly half a billion USD so far.

"I am really excited. We have raised almost a half a billion dollars so far. But here is what excites me -- so far, we have 1.6 million (16 lakh) contributors, 550,000 more than we had last time at this stage of the game. But here is the deal -- of those 1.6 million contributors, 97 per cent contributed less than USD 200. Think of all the numbers that means," he said.

The incumbent also said he is ahead of Trump in recent polls. "In the last 23 national polls, I have been ahead in 10 of them, Trump has been ahead in eight and we have been tied in five. More importantly, the momentum is clearly in our favour. For example, we moved eight points in the latest Marquette poll and seven points in the Echelon poll. And the Marist poll now has us up by three nationwide," he said.

"The point I am making is, people are beginning to listen. This is a time people begin to focus and listen. They have generic impressions up to now, but now they are listening," he said.

At the beginning of his remarks, Biden saw kids in the crowd and approached two elementary school-aged boys who were standing to his right. He lowered the microphone, got close and whispered to them. After that he looked around to his staff and said, "You know what to do, right?"

Then he crossed the room over to two similarly-aged girls and whispered to them too. The president apparently whispered to the children about making sure that their parents get them ice cream. At the end of his remarks, he again told the kids to remember what he promised.

Biden said Florida is in play nationally. "This election is a basic, old-fashioned election," he said. -- PTI

File image

01:08 High-level meeting between Indian Coast Guard, Omani counterpart held in Delhi

A high-level meeting of senior officials of the Indian Coast Guard and its Omani counterpart was held here on Tuesday, marking a "significant milestone" in the collaborative efforts to combat transnational illegal activities at sea and promote regional cooperation, an official statement said.

The discussions were led by Director General, ICG, Rakesh Pal.

The Royal Oman Police Coast Guard delegation was headed by assistant officer commanding Colonel Abdul Aziz Mohammed Ali Al Jabri, the statement issued by the ministry of defence said.

The meeting marked a "significant milestone in the collaborative efforts to combat transnational illegal activities at sea and promote regional cooperation", it said.

It focused on bolstering bilateral engagements through a capacity-building programme, cross ships' visit, implementation of the 'Sea Rider' programme, establishing professional linkages between pollution reporting centres and other collaborative arrangements.

"Both sides expressed their commitment to enhancing mutual cooperation in addressing maritime challenges, thereby strengthening the maritime safety and security framework in the region," the ministry said. -- PTI

File image/ANI on Twitter

00:43 J-K ADGP reviews security in J-K following killing of soldier's brother by terrorists

Jammu and Kashmir additional director general of police Anand Jain on Tuesday reviewed the security situation in the Union Territory's Rajouri district following the killing of a government employee by the terrorists.

He stressed the need to maintain surveillance in the area in view of the ongoing Lok Sabha elections to prevent any disturbance by anti-national elements.

Jain impressed upon the urgent need to leverage technology for the identification of terror networks and to emphasise on the use of data analytics to enhance functional efficiency.

A search operation has been intensified in Rajouri to track down the terrorists involved in the killing of a man belonging to the Gujjar community.

The incident occurred on Monday night when the victim, Mohammad Razaq (40), came out of a mosque in his village Kunda Top under the Thanamandi police station area.

Razaq's brother, Mohammad Tahir Choudhary, is a soldier in the Territorial Army. While Razaq succumbed to his injuries, Choudhary escaped unhurt, according to the police. -- PTI

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00:25 NIA arrests key accused in 2022 Attari border narcotics haul case

In a major breakthrough, the National Investigation Agency has arrested the key accused in the 2022 Attari border narcotics haul case, an official statement issued on Tuesday said.

The key accused, Tahseem alias Mota son of Nafees Ahmad, a resident of Uttar Pradesh's Shamli, is the seventh person to be arrested in the case, the statement issued by the NIA said.

Around 103 kg of heroin, valued at approximately Rs 700 crore, was seized by the Customs department in April 2022 after it was smuggled into India from Afghanistan through the Integrated Check Post, Attari, Amritsar.

The drugs were concealed in a consignment of liquorice roots (mulethi), according to the NIA.

"In a major breakthrough in the Attari border narcotics smuggling and seizure case, the NIA has arrested another key accused, involved in receiving the proceeds of drugs and channelising the same to the foreign-based absconding masterminds," the statement said.

Tahseem, a habitual offender, has been found to have received multiple cash deposits in his account from Punjab, it said. -- PTI

Ravi Nagar alias Ravi Kaana, a fugitive gangster of western Uttar Pradesh wanted in multiple cases by the Noida police, has been arrested in Thailand, official sources in Noida said on Tuesday.

Along with him, his girlfriend Kajal Jha has also been taken into custody by the authorities in Thailand, they said.

Nagar, who is allegedly involved in scrap trade, has been booked under the stringent Uttar Pradesh Gangsters and Anti-Social Activities (Prevention) Act after an FIR was lodged against him at the Beta 2 police station in Greater Noida on January 2 this year.

The 42-year-old gangster is also an accused in a gang-rape case lodged at the Noida Sector 39 police station on December 28, 2023, according to officials.

"The Gautam Buddh Nagar police have been in touch with the Interpol and local authorities abroad. A look out circular and red corner notice were also issued against him in January this year over suspicion that he could flee the country," a senior police officer said, confirming that Nagar and Jha have been apprehended in Thailand.

The accused would be brought back to Greater Noida after due legal proceedings for trial in the cases underway against them here, the officer said, but shared no further details. -- PTI

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