National
Irani accuses Sibal of being involved in land scam
New Delhi, March 29 (IANS) The BJP on Thursday accused former Law Minister and Congress leader Kapil Sibal of being involved in a “land scam” claiming that he bought a piece of land in Delhi worth crores for a “very small price” from an accused in a money laundering case.
Referring to a report by a website alleging that Sibal acquired the land by paying just Rs 1 lakh, Information and Broadcasting Minister Smriti Irani said Sibal and his wife got the ownership of a company, Grande Castello, from a Piyoosh Goyal, a businessman.
She said some details about Sibal’s acquisition of the company and his dealings with Goyal were first published in January by some investigative journalists based in South Africa. Irani also said the UPA government had ordered a probe against Goyal then.
Quoting the newsreport, Irani said, “Grande Castello, with no business in Financial Year 2013-14, commenced purchase of a piece of land, which eventually cost Rs 45.21 crores. To fund, this, the company raised interest-free loans and book overdrafts.
“Once the land was registered in the company’s name in 2014-15, the company decided to revalue the aforesaid land based on the ‘Market Value’ as per valuation report obtained from the Government Registered valuer, thus raising the value of the land by Rs 43.79 crores to Rs 89 crore, almost doubling the value,” she said.
Firing salvos at Congress President Rahul Gandhi, Irani said, “If Sibal wants do to a business deal with a man accused of money laundering is his choice… But is it acceptable to Rahul Gandhi?”
Reacting to her statement, Sibal rejected the charges saying the Minister, who does not know the definition of money laundering, was making an allegation.
“I bought a company, paid for it, paid from my income… I earn well. My Income Tax return is upto date, I have also filed corporate tax returns. You do not want to see records and allege money laundering,” he said.
Sibal also slammed Irani for dragging Rahul Gandhi into the issue.
“It is sad that in this country economics and maths exam papers are leaked which never happened in the past. I have also been the HRD minister. If you talk about Election Commission, election dates are leaked. If you look at Aadhaar, data is leaked. But when they have to protect their own degrees, the information never leaks. So the government knows how to protect information, what they don’t want leaked is not leaked.
“I am surprised she did a press conference and did not ask why the Prime Minister has close relations with Nirav Modi. BJP leaders should tell us about their relations with Lalit Modi,” he said.
Asked if he would file a defamation case, Sibal said yes.
–IANS
aks/ao/vsc/mr
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.