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Prez Murmu
New Delhi, July 26 (IANS): Soon after being detained by the Delhi Police on Tuesday, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, in an apparent reference to the BJP government in the Centre, said only truth will end this dictatorship. “Look at the dictatorship, cannot hold peaceful demonstrations, cannot discuss inflation and unemployment. By misusing the police and agencies, even by arresting us, you will never be able to silence us. Only ‘Truth’ will end this dictatorship,” Rahul tweeted. The former Congress president was detained by the Delhi Police and taken to some unknown location in a bus along with other parliamentarians. The Congress MPs had carried out a protest march from Parliament House to Rashtrapati Bhavan in wake of questioning of Congress interim-president Sonia Gandhi by the Enforcement Directorate and no discussion of important issues like price rise in Parliament. However, as they moved forward to give a memorandum to President Droupadi Murmu, the Delhi Police stopped them midway near Vijay Chowk. Subsequently, the parliamentarians, including Rahul Gandhi, sat in protest in front of Vijay Chowk. The protesting Congress leaders, holding placards, raised slogans against the probe agency and the Central government. There was heavy police deployment, including paramilitary and Rapid Action Force. Initially, the police began detaining other leaders, including women MPs, and at last Deepender Singh Hooda and Rahul Gandhi were left at the spot.
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Women MPs’ clothes torn for asking people’s questions, alleges Priyanka Gandhi
New Delhi, July 27 (IANS): Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi on Wednesday shared a video and alleged that clothes of women MPs, agitating against Central government, were torn and they were manhandled by the police during the protest. “Prime Minister, these MPs have been elected by the people and sent. Questions on the issues of inflation, unemployment are the questions of the public. Tearing the clothes of women MPs for asking questions, dragging them is cruelty to the extreme. In a democracy, you have to listen to questions on issues. Why are you so scared of questions?” she asked, tweeting a video excerpt from the agitation. Several Congress parliamentarians were detained near Parliament on Wednesday as they tried to take out a protest march from Parliament to Rashtrapati Bhavan to raise the issue of GST, inflation, and alleged misuse of investigative agencies against political rivals. The MPs had planned to submit a memorandum to President Droupadi Murmu over the Central government’s alleged vendetta politics and no discussion on important issues like price rise in the Parliament. However, as they moved forward to give a memorandum to the President, the Delhi Police stopped them midway near Vijay Chowk. “We wanted to give a memorandum to President Murmu but the Delhi Police has for the second consecutive day stopped and detained us,” party leader Manish Tewari said as he was detained by the police. Senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said, “The Modi government is not allowing us to discuss the issues like GST and price rise in Parliament.”
DROUPADI MURMU ELECTED PRESIDENT
My election shows poor can not only dream but also fulfill them in India: Prez Murmu
New Delhi, July 25 (IANS):
President Droupadi Murmu on Monday said her election to the top constitutional post shows that the poor can not only dream but also fulfil those dreams in India. She was addressing the nation after taking oath as the 15th President of India. Chief Justice of India N.V. Ramana administered the oath. She started her speech by greeting people and said, “I humbly greet all the fellow citizens from this sacred Parliament, a symbol of the hopes, aspirations and rights of all the citizens of India. Your affection, trust and support will be my greatest strength in discharging my functions and responsibilities.” President Murmu thanked all MPs and MLAs for electing her. “My election to the post of President is proof of the fact that in India, the poor can dream and also fulfil those dreams. Reaching this office is not my personal achievement but that of all the poor people in the country. It is the power of India’s democracy that a girl born in a poor tribal home could reach the topmost constitutional post,” President Murmu said. President Murmu noted that it is also a coincidence that her political career started when the country was celebrating its 50th year of Independence and today in the 75th year of independence, she got this new responsibility. She assured the countrymen,
especially the youth and the women that their interests will be paramount for her while working in this office. “I want to tell the youth of our country that you are not only building your own future but also laying the foundation of future India. As the President of the country, I will always support you fully. The President stressed on speeding up efforts to meet the expectations that the freedom fighters had from the citizens of independent India.
Raj BJP leaders watch Droupadi Murmu’s swearing-in as President with tribals on LED
Jaipur, July 25 (IANS): The Rajasthan unit of BJP headed by state president Satish Poonia on Monday watched the swearing-in of Droupadi Murmu as the first tribal President of the country, along with thousands of tribals on a LED screen in Banswara district. To mark the occasion, the party had organised “Vagad Tribal Gaurav Yatra”, a 41-km long foot march in the tribal belt of the state which started on Sunday and culminated this morning with the watching of the ceremony at a tribal leader Kanji Katara’s house in Banswara on a LED screen. The daughters of these villages are equally excited and are eager to follow the footsteps of Murmu and are dreaming to work on top positions of the country as officers and leaders, said a party leader. BJP officials said that the padyatra started from Maa Tripura Sundari temple to Beneshwar Dham at 9 a.m on Sunday where the team was joined by thousands of people of tribal society. Poonia, along with his team, walked 41 km to Beneshwar Dham to express gratitude and greetings to BJP National President J.P. Nadda. Passing through Tripura Sundari to Kohala Valley, Sagwadiya, Sundani, Bhimpur etc. areas BJP members along with villagers travelled for around 25 kms on Sunday and on Monday reached Beneshwar Dham by walking about 16 kms. Tribals accorded a warm welcome to Poonia and team during this yatra and expressed gratitude to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his team for selecting Murmu as President of India. During the march, the BJP members enumerated the schemes being run by the Centre for the tribals by PM Modi and highlighted the promises and false promises of the Congress government of the state. Poonia had breakfast at homes of tribal families in the villages where they discussed tea and had food at the district president’s house. Meanwhile, the village girls told him: “Becoming the first woman President of the country from a tribal community is a matter of self-respect and pride for the tribal society. Now we can also think that to become big officers and holding senior positions in politics.” On this occasion, people of the tribal society presented arrows to Poonia and the team, while women tied Rakhi for the victory resolution of BJP’s mission 2023 and offered lotuses to them. BJP State General Secretary Sushil Katara, State Vice-President Hemraj Meena, MLA Kailash Meena, former Minister Dhan Singh Rawat, ST Morcha State President Jitendra Meena along with local officials and public representatives were present during the occasion. New Delhi, July 26 (IANS): Congress leader Rahul Gandhi was released by the Delhi Police almost over six hours after he was detained during his party’s march from Parliament to Rashtrapati Bhawan, officials said Tuesday. “They have been released,” Deputy Commissioner of Police (New Delhi) Amrutha Gugolth said while responding to a query about the Congress party leaders’ detention. The Congress MPs carried out a protest march from the Parliament House to Rashtrapati Bhawan in wake of questioning of Congress interim president Sonia Gandhi by the Enforcement Directorate and no discussion on important issues like price rise in Parliament. However, as the parliamentarians moved forward to give a memorandum to President Droupadi Murmu, the Delhi Police stopped them midway near Vijay Chowk. Subsequently, the Congress parliamentarians, including Rahul Gandhi, sat in protest in front of the Vijay Chowk. The protesting Congress leaders, holding placards, raised slogans against the probe agency ED and the Central government. There was a heavy police deployment, including para military and Rapid Action force. Initially, the police began detaining other leaders, including women MPs, and at last Deepender Singh Hooda and Rahul Gandhi were left at the spot. The woman Congress MPs could be seen being dragged by the police personnel and bundled in a bus. “What is the problem? We want to go there to meet the President and handover the memorandum. Why are we not allowed?,” Rahul Gandhi could be heard while he was talking to a Delhi Police official. After detaining every protesting leader from near the Vijay Chowk, Rahul Gandhi was then detained and taken from there in a bus along with other MPs to new police lines, Kingsway Police camp. Apart from Vijay Chowk, hundreds of party workers were also detained from outside the Congress party headquarters at 24, Akbar Road.
New Delhi, July 25 (IANS): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday wished President Droupadi Murmu a fruitful tenure and said that her assumption of office is a watershed moment for India, especially for the poor, marginalised and downtrodden. In a series of tweets, Modi said: “The entire nation watched with pride as Smt. Droupadi Murmu Ji took oath as the President of India. Her assuming the Presidency is a watershed moment for India especially for the poor, marginalised and downtrodden. I wish her the very best for a fruitful Presidential tenure. “In her address after taking oath, President Droupadi Murmu Ji gave a message of hope and compassion. She emphasised on India’s accomplishments and presented a futuristic vision of the path ahead at a time when India is marking Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav.” Murmu took oath earlier in the day as the 15th President of India.
Congress ‘demeaning’ President Droupadi Murmu: Smriti Irani
New Delhi, July 28 (IANS): Hitting out at Congress and its leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury for referring to President Droupadi Murmu as ‘Rashtrapatni’, union minister Smriti Irani on Thursday accused the opposition party of “demeaning” her. Irani said that Chowdhary knowingly used the term as it demeans President Murmu and her office and is against India’s values. Addressing mediapersons at her official residence here, Irani demanded an apology from Congress to the President and country. “A tribal woman from a poor family who created history is being continuously demeaned by the Congress,” Irani said. Irani alleged that the Congress has been maliciously targetting President Murmu ever since the BJP-led NDA named her its Presidential candidate. “She was called a ‘puppet’ and a ‘symbol of evil’ by Congress leaders. The attacks do not seem to stop even after her election to the highest constitutional office of the country. Chowdhury’s comment is also demeaning to the rich tribal legacy she represents and to the poor who rise through hard work.” “Murmu, country’s first tribal President, had led a life of struggle and represented the country’s aspirations from panchayat to Parliament,” Irani added.
WBSSC scam: The high drama so far
Kolkata, July 26 (IANS): The high drama started on Friday (July 22) as Enforcement Directorate (ED) officials began a direct action on the probe into the multi-crore West Bengal School Service Commission (WBSSC) recruitment irregularities scam by simultaneously conducting raids in 13 places throughout the state including the residence of former West Bengal Education Minister and Trinamool Congress secretary-general, Partha Chatterjee. As the day passed on, ED sleuths got information about Chatterjee’s close aide, Arpita Mukherjee and started conducting search operations at the latter’s flat in the posh Diamond City Complex in Tollygunge in south Kolkata. There started the process of revealing the huge financial involvement behind the WBSSC recruitment scam, as the ED sleuths started recovering huge treasures and supporting documents from Arpita Mukherjee’s residence, that showed direct connections of Partha Chatterjee and the teacher’s recruitment scam. On the very next day, ED sleuths arrested both Partha Chatterjee, currently the West Bengal commerce & industries minister and Arpita Mukherjee and both of them are currently under the central agency custody facing the constant questioning of their sleuths. IANS takes a bird’s eye view of the developments so far.
* Recovery from Arpita Mukherjee’s
residence: ED sleuths have recovered cash worth Rs 21.20 crore, foreign currencies worth around Rs 60 lakhs, gold ornaments worth around Rs 90 lakhs, 20 high- end Apple iPhones, sale deeds of eight flats and documents of multiple high- end passenger vehicles. * Two mysterious diaries: From the residence of Arpita Mukherjee, ED sleuths have recovered two mysterious diaries, which include one black executive diary and one pocket diary. On the black executive diary, it was written “Department of Education- Government of West Bengal”. Both the diaries are full of coded messages, which the ED sleuths are trying to decipher with the help of experts in the related fields. ED sources confirmed that the handwriting in both the diaries neither matches that of Chatterjee or Mukherjee, which deepens the doubt of the existence of a third person in the scene.
* Second woman under ED
scanner: In face of interrogation, Arpita Mukherjee has informed the ED officials the name of another woman as a close associate of Partha Chatterjee, the lady concerned is Monalisa Das, the head of the department of Bengali at state-run Kazi Nazrul University in Asansol in Burdwan district. Her elevation to the post of the head of the department, according to ED sources is questionable as to accommodate her for that position Das was promoted from the post of assistant professor to associate professor directly, which the agency sleuths believe was not possible without the nod of Partha Chatterjee as the-then state education minister. ED sources said that the agency has come across at least 10 flats which are registered in the name of Das and most of these flats are located in Bolpur-Santiniketan in Birbhum district and the total value of these flats is highly disproportionate to the declared income of Das.
* Three bogus companies with Arpita Mukherjee as director:
The ED sleuths have come across three bogus companies with Arpita Mukherjee as director. These companies Symbiosis Merchants Private Limited, Sentry Engineering Private Limited and Echhay Entertainment Private Limited. The second and the other director in all the three companies is Kalyan Dhar who is absconding currently. ED sleuths suspect that these companies were used as a medium to route the collections from the teachers’ recruitment scam to different channels.
* How much does Partha Chatterjee
own: ED sleuths are now trying to figure out the exactly property owned by the former state education minister as well as to category-wise segregate the properties under heads of directly owned by him, jointly held with close associates like Arpita Mukherjee and those he gifted to his aides. Initial estimates suggest that the total value of such assets will touch or even cross Rs 100 crore.
Superhigh ambitions prompted Arpita Mukherjee to abandon her widow mother: ED
Kolkata, July 24 (IANS): Arpita Mukherjee is currently in the news after the Enforcement Directorate (ED) recovered a huge amount of cash, gold and other costly items from her residence in connection with the agency’s ongoing probe on the West Bengal School Service Commission (WBSSC)’s recruitment irregularities scam. A background check of Arpita by the central agency officials has revealed that she had always been driven by super high ambitions and shortcut methods to achieve that in her journey from a small-time Odia actress to her present status as a confidant and close aide of West Bengal Commerce & Industries Minister and Trinamool Congress secretary general, Partha Chatterjee, also had also been arrested by ED in this connection. In fact, ED sources said that, this over and super high ambitions prompted Arpita to even abandon her widow mother, Minoti Mukherjee at her humble ancestral flat at Belgharia in the northern outskirts of Kolkata. Minoti Mukherjee has informed a section of the media here that since the time her daughter started residing at her flat at the posh Diamond City residential complex in South Kolkata, from where the cash and gold were seized, her connections with her daughter became highly occasional. “From the media flashes I came to know that huge cash has been recovered from her flat. I asked her several times in the past about what job she was doing. But I never got any definite answer. Had I known such things I would have surely got her married,” Minoti Mukherjee told mediapersons. Meanwhile, ED sources said that Arpita Mukherjee’s deceased father was a Central government employee, who passed away before his retirement. It is learnt that during her initial years of modelling and acting in insignificant roles in Odia films, she was in touch with her mother. However, things took a different turn around six years ago after she was introduced to Partha Chatterjee, as the-then West Bengal Education Minister by a real estate promoter whom Arpita knew for a long time. Soon after that she was spotted in several public programmes with Partha Chatterjee and even at a Durga Puja inauguration programme, where West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee was also present. Soon after that Arpita started residing at her Diamond Park Complex posh residence. On Sunday morning, ED officials escorted by central armed forces jawans, took Arpita to the central government-run ESI hospital at Joka in the southern outskirts of Kolkata for a medical check-up. There she talked to the mediapersons and said that she was innocent. “I am innocent. But I have faith in law, which will take its due course,” she said.
Partha Chatterjee removed from all three ministerial posts
Kolkata, July 28 (IANS): The Mamata Banerjee government on Thursday removed Partha Chatterjee, who has been arrested in connection with the multi-crore West Bengal School Service Commission (WBSSC), from all three of his ministerial posts. The decision was taken at a meeting of the state cabinet at the state Secretariat, Nabanna that lasted for little less than 15 minutes. Soon after the meeting, Chief Secretary, H.K. Dwivedi issued a notification on the removal of Chatterjee, who held the portfolios of Commerce and Industries, Parliamentary Affairs, and Information Technology and Electronics. The Chief Minister said that for the time being, she will be in charge of the three departments held by Chatterjee. “I might not be able to do anything now. But till the time a fresh arrangement is reached, the present status will continue,” she said. A crucial meeting of the disciplinary committee of Trinamool Congress will be held on Thursday evening to decide on whether Chatterjee will be stripped of his party posts or not. “The decision was inevitable since whatever is transpiring for the last few days is not just maligning Chatterjee’s personal image but also the image of the party and the state government in general. Almost all the members of the cabinet present at the meeting voiced for his removal from the ministerial chairs,” said a member of the state cabinet who did not wish to be named. Indications on Chatterjee’s removal became clear since the last couple of days after the Assembly Secretariat withdrew the vehicle allotted to him as a minister. The state government also removed his security personnel on Wednesday. The party’s organ in Bengali Jago Bangla (Wake up Bengal) also stopped referring him as party Secretary General or minister. Pressure was also mounting from within the party to strip off Chatterjee of his ministerial and party portfolios. The opposition parties, while welcoming the decision, said that it is unfortunate that Banerjee had to wait for the second round of treasure recovery from Arpita Mukherjee’s Belgharia residence on Wednesday night. The opposition leaders also said that by just taking action against Chatterjee, the Trinamool or its government would not be able to wipe out the curse, since the beneficiaries of the scam were not just the minister and his close aide.
Rs 27.90 crore, 6 kg gold recovered from Arpita’s house
Kolkata, July 28 (IANS): The Enforcement Directorate has recovered Rs 27.90 crore and six kg gold from another house of Arpita Mukherjee, a close aide of arrested West Bengal Commerce & Industries Minister Partha Chatterjee. A truck of RBI left Arpita’s residence ferrying recovered cash and gold in ten steel trunks on Thursday morning. Soon after the ED sleuths on Wednesday evening witnessed the bundles of cash in Rs 500 and Rs 2,0000 denominations in the cupboard of the bedroom in Arpita’s Belgharia flat on the northern outskirts of Kolkata, they guessed that that the cash stacked here might be much higher than what was recovered from her Diamond City residence. “So, we did not take the risk and requested jumbo currency counting machines which can count more notes at one go. Our request was adhered to and soon officials from State Bank of India reached with four such jumbo currency counting machines which can count 1,000 notes at one go and in a minute. Still, it took till early Thursday morning to complete the counting process as well as loading them in the steel trunks,” the official said. “In addition to that, we have also recovered around six kg of gold, in the form of bars and ornaments, valuing more than Rs 4 crore. So total cash recovery from the two flats of Arpita Mukherjee amounts to Rs 49.10 crore,” the official said. Several silver coins have also been recovered from the Belgharia residence, the market value of which is yet to be ascertained. The officials said that the total cash recovery from the Belgharia residence of Arpita Mukherjee has been recorded at Rs 27.90 crore, as against Rs 21.20 crore recovered from her Diamond Park residence. On the huge cash and gold recovery, Trinamool Congress’ state general secretary and party spokesman Kunal Ghosh said that whatever is happening is a matter of grave concern and really very shameful. “However, I am sure that the party leadership is keeping a close watch on the entire development and will take the appropriate decision at the right time,” Ghosh said. Leader of the opposition in the state assembly Suvendu Adhikari said that even after this huge cash recovery if Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee does not remove Partha Chatterjee from the Cabinet, it will be evident that the share of the illegal cash is not just restricted to Partha Chatterjee. Partha Chatterjee was arrested in connection with the alleged irregularities in the recruitment of teachers and non-teaching staff in government schools when he was the state education minister.
My flats used as storehouses of illegal cash: Arpita Mukherjee confesses to ED
Kolkata, July 28 (IANS): In the wake of the two consecutive recoveries of massive amounts of cash and gold from two of her residences in Kolkata’s Tollygunge and Belgharia, Arpita Mukherjee on Thursday confessed to the Enforcement Directorate (ED) that she was forced by West Bengal Minister Partha Chatterjee to allow her houses to be used to store the illegal cash. According to ED sources, Mukherjee also admitted that the cash recovered from her residences was parked there by Chatterjee with the help of one of his close associates unknown to her. “She has confessed that Chatterjee used to come to both her Tollygunge and Belgharia residences once or even twice a week, and during his visits, he was accompanied by a person unknown to her. Mukherjee has also confessed that she did not even have access to the keys of the cupboards from where the cash recoveries were made. There were strict instructions from Chatterjee not to fiddle with the cupboards and also avoid frequenting the rooms where these cupboards were,” an ED official confirmed. It is learnt that whenever Chatterjee visited Mukherjee’s residences, the Minister had closed-door meetings with the unknown person which she was not allowed to participate in. “While making these confessions, Mukherjee into tears a number of times and was constantly claiming that she was exploited. Now we have to get access to that unknown person referred by her. It is only Partha Chatterjee who can answer this,” said an ED official. Meanwhile, the Trinamool Congress leadership is under immense pressure from within the party to relieve Partha Chatterjee of his ministerial and party posts with immediate effect. “Partha Chatterjee should be removed from ministry and all-party posts immediately. He should be expelled. If this statement considered wrong, party has every right to remove me from all posts. I shall continue as a soldier of AITCofficial,” Trinamool Congress state general secretary and party spokesman, Kunal Ghosh said in a tweet. Without naming the Minister, youth Trinamool Congress leader Debangshu Bhattacharya said in a social media post that “it is better to puncture that boil to give the body a relief”.
ED arrests Partha Chatterjee’s aide Arpita Mukherjee
Kolkata, July 23 (IANS): The Enforcement Directorate (ED) probing the multi-crore financial scam related to recruitment irregularities in the West Bengal School Service Commission (WBSSC) on Saturday arrested Arpita Mukherjee, a close aide of former West Bengal Education Minister and Trinamool Congress Secretary General Partha Chatterjee. The ED move came hours after Chatterjee, who is currently the state Commerce and Industries Minister, was arrested by the financial probe agency in the same case on Saturday morning. Mukherjee’s arrest from her residence in South Kolkata was officially announced by the ED at 5.14 p.m. on Saturday, about seven hours after the probe agency nabbed Chatterjee. The ED sleuths said that since it will not be possible to present her at any court on Saturday and Sunday, for these two days she will be lodged at the ED’s office in the CGO complex in Salt Lake. Incidentally, Chatterjee, following an order passed by a lower court, will also be lodged at the same ED office before being produced at a special PMLA court on Monday. ED officials said that in the interim period, agency sleuths will integrate the duo by placing them face to face. While the ED sleuths were taking away Mukherjee from her residence, she kept saying “I am innocent. I am being unnecessarily framed by the BJP”. It is learnt that the ED has recovered cash and other items worth over Rs 40 crore from Mukherjee’s residence, including cash in Indian and foreign currencies, gold ornaments, sales deeds of eight flats and two high-end Apple iPhones, among others. According to ED sources, Mukherjee was a small-time actress in Odia movies. However, her fortunes changed after she was introduced to Chatterjee six years back following which the two were frequently spotted together at different public programmes. She was even spotted at the inauguration of a Durga Puja where Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee was also present. Mukherjee reportedly told the ED sleuths that she was introduced to Chatterjee by a real estate promoter. As per information available with the ED, she event went to a foreign tour with Chatterjee, when the latter was the state Education Minister. Mukherjee’s late father was a Central government officer. After his sudden demise, a job offer was also made to Mukherjee on compassionate grounds. However, she refused to accept the offer and claimed that she intended to make a career in the silver screen.
