National
Modi government’s alertness brought PNB fraud to light: BJP
New Delhi, Feb 16 (IANS) The BJP on Friday hit back at the Congress, saying the $1.8-billion fraud in the Punjab National Bank (PNB) is another scam of the UPA which came into the open due to the “alertness” of the NDA government.
“It’s the BJP government’s alertness that brought this scam to light. It originated during UPA. This is another of UPA scams. The alertness and the system we put in place have brought this fraud to light,” Union HRD Minister Prakash Javadekar told a press conference at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) headquarters here.
He said that the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government under Prime Minister Narendra Modi took extra-ordinary steps to cleanse the whole banking system which was destroyed by the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) regime. “We inherited NPAs from them who gave bad loans,” he said.
Javadekar also sought to know from the Congress about links between Gitanjali Gems and Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi.
“Rahul Gandhi attended an exhibition of Gitanjali Gems in Delhi on September 13, 2013 and a day after, on September 14, Allahabad Bank took up the matter and cleared a loan of Rs 1,550 crore on September 17 after holding another meeting,” he said.
Gitanjali Gems is a luxury jewellery brand promoted by main accused in PNB fraud case Nirav Modi’s maternal uncle and business partner Mehul Choksi.
Javadekar said that in 2013, despite a note of dissent given by Dinesh Dubey, a whistleblower Independent Director of Allahabad Bank, the loan to Gitanjali Gems was cleared.
According to Javadekar, Dubey then complained about it to the Reserve Bank of India and the then Finance Secretary, but no action was taken.
“Instead, the Finance Secretary asked Dubey to resign on health grounds. We want to know, who pressurised the Finance Secretary to pressurise Dubey,” he asked.
Rejecting the word “scam” to describe the whole issue, he said it was a bank fraud and not a government scam.
“It has nothing to do with government. It can’t be compared with 2G, CWG and coal scams which were all government scams. There was another (Congress) party scam related to National Herald. Congress President Rahul Gandhi is out on bail in that case,” he said.
The Minister said that the NDA was taking action into the PNB case. “Raids are being conducted and properties are being seized. All the government agencies are working and no one is stopping them.”
On Thursday, Enforcement Directorate (ED) teams carried out simultaneous raids on Nirav Modi’s offices, showrooms and diamond workshops in Mumbai, Surat (Gujarat) and New Delhi.
Earlier, the Congress continued its belligerent attack on the Prime Minister and claimed that the PNB fraud of over Rs 11,000 crore was India’s biggest “bank loot scam” and had got bigger to touch Rs 21,306 crore.
The party asked why the government was silent on the issue and how did it and the agencies permit billionaire diamond merchant Nirav Modi, his uncle Mehul Choksi and others to leave India.
–IANS
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National
Foodman Vishal Singh Honored for Hunger Free World Mission in Bangkok
Lucknow: Vishal Singh, a renowned social worker from Lucknow, also known as Foodman, has once again made India proud. He was honored by the Happy Hands Gloves Cooperative Limited Company in Korathai, Thailand, for his work with the Hunger Free World Mission.
The Hunger Free World Mission’s meeting was held in Korathai, Thailand, under Vishal Singh’s leadership. Representatives from several countries, including Mr. Raja Dwivedi (Managing Director of Happy Hands Gloves Limited), Thailand Coordinator Mr. Raja Mishra, and member Mr. Varun Singh, attended the event.
Under Vishal Singh’s leadership, the attendees took a pledge to work together toward creating a hunger-free world.
Speaking on the occasion, Vishal Singh explained that the main goal of the Hunger Free World Mission is social participation. He said the mission is not just about feeding people but also about meeting other basic needs of those who are struggling. The mission focuses on helping families of terminally ill patients in hospitals by providing food and shelter. It also works to fulfill essential needs like education, jobs, and care for the elderly.
For the last 16 years, the Vijay Sri Foundation has been providing free services, benefiting thousands of people. Vishal Singh highlighted that the mission aims to gain global recognition like other organizations such as WHO, WWF, and Red Cross, which work for social causes.
During this meeting, Vishal Singh was appointed as the Chairman of the Hunger Free World Mission by representatives from various countries. They also discussed holding regular meetings in different countries to push the mission forward.
Business tycoon Dr. Abhishek Verma has also supported this humanitarian mission, vowing to promote the idea of “Seva Parmo Dharma” (Service is the highest duty) worldwide. Vishal Singh praised him, stating that people like Dr .Abhishek Verma inspire others to work for the betterment of society.
Recently, Romania’s Ambassador, Mr . Daniela Sezonov Ţane, invited Vishal Singh to the Romanian Embassy in Delhi, where they discussed the mission in detail. Impressed by his humanitarian work, she honored Vishal Singh and invited him to Romania to take the mission forward .
Food man Vishal Singh has been serving the people of India for the past 16 years. Through the Vijay Sri Foundation, he provides free meals to cancer patients & their families ,shelter, and education for women & children along with running free old-age homes in Lucknow.
In addition to his humanitarian work, Vishal Singh also addresses issues like crime and corruption through his role as Chairman of Seva Path Media and Managing Director of Vijay Sri Foundation.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Vishal Singh and his team worked tirelessly to provide food and help to the needy, including starving children, elderly citizens, and pregnant women. Despite contracting the virus himself, he continued to assist others after his recovery. He even created a life-saving oxygen regulator using household items, which was praised by doctors both in India and abroad.
In his address at the meeting, Vishal Singh spoke about his mission to create a hunger-free world. He pointed out that India’s large population, along with issues like unemployment and poverty, has caused the country to fall on the Hunger Index. He urged people to contribute just one handful of grains daily to help create a hunger-free world.
He concluded by saying that through social participation, we can empower the people around us, meet their basic needs, and work together to build a stronger, more prosperous, and developed society.