National
BJP, Congress trade blame over multi-crore Nirav banking fraud (Roundup)
New Delhi, Feb 17 (IANS) The ruling BJP on Saturday blamed the Congress for the “original sin” that led to the alleged Rs 11,500 crore banking fraud by jeweller Nirav Modi and his partner Mehul Choksi. The opposition party returned the attack calling it “cheap sense of politics that has reached ludicrous and ridiculous proportions”.
Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, fielded by the BJP to respond to allegations that the Modi government failed in preventing the alleged scam and stopping the accused kingpins from fleeing the country, said Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi’s family had stocks in one of the companies of the billionaire fugitivies.
“The Congress indulges in such scandalous affairs, misuses important positions in government, then quietly covers up everything they do. Instead of explaining how it happened during their period, they are casting allegations. Original sin in this episode of Nirav Modi was committed in 2011,” Sitharaman told reporters.
She said Congress President Rahul Gandhi and party spokesperson Singhvi had links with the businessmen who are on the run even as their passports have been impounded.
The Punjab National Bank disclosed the massive fraud on Wednesday detailing that the luxurious diamond merchants leveraged the loopholes in the banking system and sought letters of undertaking (LoU) and raised credit from foreign banks to pay its merchants. The CBI, the main probing agency, has said in its FIR that a majority of the LoUs in the scam were either issued or were renewed in the bank in 2017-18.
The Defence Minister was armed with a pile of documents which she alleged pointed at how Gandhi promoted the businessmen and benefited from the scam.
“Gitanjali Gems was suspended for six months from doing business on NSE in 2013. On 13 September 2013, Rahul Gandhi attends a promotion event of this jewellery group.
“On 15 September 2013, a proposal of restructuring and giving additional loans to the tune of Rs 1,500 crore to the same jewellery group is mooted in Allahabad Bank board meeting. Join the dots,” she said.
The BJP leader alleged that Singhvi’s wife Anita had shares in Nirav Modi’s firm. “Firestone Diamond International is one of the companies that Nirav Modi runs. They have taken on lease property which belongs to Adwait Holding in Trade Point Building in Lower Parel. From 2002, Anita Singhvi is one of the shareholders. You know whose wife she is.
“You promote Geetanjali Gems, give them building on lease, your wife is a Director and accuse us of wrong-doing. Despite the clear link with them, the Congress has the audacity to point fingers at the BJP,” Sitharaman said.
The allegations sparked an aggressive retort from Singhvi who threatened legal action against the Minister.
“Nirmala Sitharaman and her colleagues are liable to civil and criminal defamation for making ignorant and patently false allegations. I reserve my rights to take all such appropriate legal action against the latter and all parts of media which carry such allegations,” Singhvi said.
“The BJP-NDA cheap sense of politics has reached ludicrous and ridiculous proportions. Neither my wife, sons nor me have anything whatsoever to do with Gitanjali or Nirav Modi companies.”
He said Nirav Modi’s company was a tenant of a Kamla Mills Property owned by Adwait Holdings in which his wife and sons were directors.
Adwait Holdings, he said, owned a commercial property at Parel which was rented by Firestone many years ago. “Neither Adwait nor my family has any interest with Modi or Firestone. Last August Firestone gave notice to quit tenancy and vacated Parel Kamla Mills premises in December 2017.”
He said the BJP can deny its wrongdoing but “don’t do this kind of propaganda”.
–IANS
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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.
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