Gourav Chandigarh/New Delhi

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इस दौरान पंजाब भाजपा के अध्यक्ष सुनील जाखड़ भी मौजूद रहे। सुशील कुमार रिंकू ‘आप’ के एकमात्र लोकसभा सांसद हैं, ऐसे में इसे आम आदमी पार्टी के लिए यह एक बड़ा झटका माना जा रहा है। सुशील कुमार रिंकू ने ऐसे समय में बीजेपी ज्वाइन की है जब ‘आप’ ने जालंधर से उन्हें टिकट देने की घोषणा कर दी थी। सांसद रिंकू व विधायक शीतल अंगूराल दोनों ही बुधवार को दिल्ली स्थिति बीजेपी मुख्यालय पर मौजूद रहे। सुशील कुमार रिंकू पहले कांग्रेस में भी रह चुके हैं। सांसद बनने से पहले वह जालंधर पश्चिम सीट से विधानसभा चुनाव भी जीत चुके हैं।

आम आदमी पार्टी ने उन्हें 2023 में जालंधर लोकसभा सीट के उपचुनाव में अपना प्रत्याशी बनाया था। यहां से जीत दर्ज करने के बाद वह पिछले एक साल से इस सीट का प्रतिनिधित्व कर रहे हैं। गौरतलब है कि दिल्ली में समझौते के बावजूद पंजाब में आम आदमी पार्टी और कांग्रेस अलग-अलग चुनाव लड़ रहे हैं। वहीं शीतल अंगुराल ने साल 2022 विधानसभा चुनाव में सुशील कुमार रिंकू को हराया था। शीतल अंगुराल के हाथों मिली इस हार के बाद रिंकू ‘आप’ में शामिल हो गए थे। शीतल अंगुराल जालंधर पश्चिम सीट से विधानसभा चुनाव जीते हैं।

इससे पहले मंगलवार को लुधियाना से कांग्रेस सांसद रवनीत सिंह बिट्टू ने बीजेपी ज्वाइन की थी। बिट्टू का कहना था कि वह पंजाब और केंद्र के बीच के खाई को पाटना चाहते हैं इसलिए बीजेपी में आए हैं। गौरतलब है कि ‘आप’ के इन दोनों नेताओं ने ऐसे समय भाजपा में जाने का फैसला किया है जब कि आम आदमी पार्टी के राष्ट्रीय संयोजक व दिल्ली के मुख्यमंत्री अरविंद केजरीवाल को ईडी ने आबकारी नीति मामले में गिरफ्तार कर लिया है। वह फिलहाल ईडी की रिमांड पर हैं।

पंजाब में लोकसभा की कुल 13 सीटें हैं जहां आप और कांग्रेस ने अलग-अलग चुनाव लड़ने का फैसला किया है। आप ने अब तक 8 सीटों पर प्रत्याशी उतार दिए हैं जिनमें रिंकू का नाम भी शामिल था।

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Yadav has argued that a Chief Minister — currently in ED’s custody till March 28 — embroiled in a financial scandal should not be allowed to continue in office, asserting that his incarceration not only obstructs the due process of law but also undermines the constitutional machinery of the state.

Citing Articles 163 and 164 of the Constitution, the petitioner has claimed that Kejriwal’s current status as an inmate incapacitates him from fulfilling the duties and responsibilities of his position as a Chief Minister.

The plea further talks about the practicality of a jailed Chief Minister conducting governmental affairs from prison, suggesting that the scrutiny imposed by prison authorities on all materials reaching Kejriwal would violate the oath of secrecy administered to him as Chief Minister.

Additionally, Yadav has argued that allowing Kejriwal to retain his position would permit him to influence investigations in which he is implicated, contradicting principles of criminal jurisprudence. The petitioner has urged the court to issue a writ of Quo Warranto, compelling Kejriwal to justify his authority to hold the office of Chief Minister and ultimately, to remove him from the position.

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शर्मा चंडीगढ़।

उन्होंने एक बयान में कहा कि केंद्र सरकार ईडी, सीबीआई, आयकर विभाग और अन्य केंद्रीय एजेंसियों को अपने हथियार के रूप में इस्तेमाल कर रही है। गौरव ने केजरीवाल की गिरफ्तारी को राजनीति से प्रेरित बताते हुए दिल्ली के मुख्यमंत्री की तत्काल रिहाई की मांग की।

उन्होंने कहा की इस बीच सीएम अरविंद केजरीवाल के समर्थन में दिल्ली, पंजाब, हरियाणा, बेंगलुरु समेत कई स्थानों पर ‘आप’ कार्यकर्ताओ ने विरोध किया। कई जगह पुलिस ने ‘आप’ के वरिष्ठ नेताओं, मंत्रियों और समर्थकों को हिरासत में लिया।

आप पार्टी पंजाब मुख्यमंत्री भगवंत मान भी अरविन्द केजरीवाल के घर पहुंचे और इस बारे में उनकी धर्मपत्नी सुनिता से बातचीत की और अन्य सभी विधायक और पार्षद भी शुक्रवार शाम को सीएम के घर पहुंचे और उनके परिजनों से मुलाकात की। सभी विधायक और पार्षद पैदल मार्च करते हुए उनके घर पहुंचे। इस दौरान दिल्ली और पंजाब विधानसभा के स्पीकर भी मौजूद रहे।

इससे पहले पार्टी के कई वरिष्ठ नेताओं ने भी घर पहुंचकर परिजनों से मुलाकात की। इस मीटिंग में आप आदमी पार्टी पंजाब नयागांव के जिला सेक्रेटरी एवं ब्लॉक प्रभारी हज़ूर सिंह बबला, गुरविंदर सिंह गोल्डी (विधान सभा कमेटी मेंबर), ऐडवोकेट गगनदीप सिंह भी शामिल थे।

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Sharma Chandigarh/New Delhi:

As per the ED, Kejriwal, along with other top leaders of his Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), allegedly received kickbacks amounting to Rs 100 crore in connection with the Delhi excise policy, and this money was transferred through a series of intermediaries and middlemen, implicating BRS MLC K. Kavitha and members of the ‘South Group’ in the process.

Kejriwal had evaded nine summonses by the ED, resulting in the filing of two cases against him under the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) in the court. The accumulation of evidence by the ED ultimately prompted the arrest. On March 16, the ED, while seeking custody of Kavitha, who was arrested from Hyderabad the previous day and is the daughter of BRS supremo and former Telangana Chief Minister, revealed her alleged involvement as a “key conspirator and beneficiary” in the alleged scam.

The probe agency, in its plea for custody, had alleged that along with other members of the ‘South Group’ – Sarath Reddy, Raghav Magunta, and Magunta Srinivasulu Reddy, Kavitha conspired with top leaders of the AAP, including CM Kejriwal and his deputy and Excise Minister Manish Sisodia, providing them kickbacks amounting to Rs 100 crore.

“In exchange for the kickbacks paid to the leaders of AAP, she had access to the policy formulation and was offered provisions to ensure a favourable position to her,” read the ED’s application before the court.

The ED also alleged that Kavitha further got stakes in the partnership of Indo Spirits, through her dummy Arun Pillai, without substantial investment in this firm and distribution business of Pernod Ricard India Pvt Ltd, which is one of the biggest manufacturers in the country and thus made Indo Spirits, the most profitable L1 in the Delhi Excise policy 2021-22 period and thus recouped proceeds of crime in guise of profits.

“Further, in the policy, the profit margin of the wholesaler was increased to 12 per cent so that out of this margin, a portion of it could be taken back as kickbacks. This was done to create a continuous stream of illegal funds for the AAP in the form of kickbacks from the wholesalers and for the South Group to recover the kickbacks paid and further generate profits from this entire conspiracy,” the application claimed.

Sarath Reddy, Raghav Magunta, and Magunta Srinivasulu Reddy had turned approvers in the case. The ED claimed that Kavitha and the others paid bribes to the top AAP leaders, as per the statement of Srinivasulu Reddy, dated July 14, 2023, recorded under Section 50 of the PMLA and his statement dated July 17, 2023, recorded under Section 164 of CrPC.

As per the statement, submitted in court, Srinivasulu Reddy said that in March 2021, he read in a Delhi newspaper that the city government was privatising the liquor trade, and as they have been in the liquor business in south India for the last 71 years, they had considered expanding to Delhi and sought to meet the CM.

He stated that the CM’s office had given him time on the evening of March 16, 2021, and when he met Kejriwal, “he was cordial and said that we welcome everyone in Delhi to do business”.

“Regarding the liquor business earlier, Kavitha had already approached me to do liquor business in Delhi and offered to pay Rs 100 crore to the party i.e. the AAP, and she will call you in this liquor business connection or you call her, discuss the future, since already their team is working in Delhi,” he said, as per his statement.

The ED, quoting his statement, said Kavitha called Srinivasulu Reddy on March 19, 2021, and asked him to meet her, which he did the next day, and she told him that Kejriwal had spoken to her and asked her to give Rs 100 crore and accordingly, she asked Srinivasulu Reddy to arrange Rs 50 crore for this.

“Kavitha told him that her CA Buchi Babu would visit him and his son Raghav Magunta to coordinate this. Buchi Babu visited them the next day and Raghav Magunta told him that he could arrange Rs 30 crore and finally, Rs 25 crore was paid in cash to Abhishek Boinpally and Buchi Babu on the instructions of K. Kavitha,” it said

The ED also said that Magunta, in his statement, dated July 26, 2023, recorded under Section 50 of the PMLA, and another one, dated July 27, 2023, recorded under Section 164 of CrPC, admitted he paid Rs 25 crore in cash to Boinpally and Buchi Babu as per the agreement between Kavitha, himself and his father Srinivasulu Reddy.

The agency claimed that this cash transfer took place in two parts – on March 28, 2021, Rs 10 crore was delivered by Raghav Magunta’s staffer Gopi Kumaran to an address given by Buchi Babu in Chennai and in June 2021, an amount of Rs 15 crore delivered by Gopi Kumaran to an address given by Boinpally, and that Gopi Kumaran has corroborated the statement of Raghav Magunta.

The ED further said that Sarath Reddy, in his statement, dated April 25, 2023, recorded under Section 50 of PMLA, 2002 and dated April 29, 2023, recorded under Section 164 of CrPC, said that sometime in March 2021, Arun Pillai contacted him and informed him that there was a new business opportunity in the Delhi liquor business and Kavitha was in discussion with CM Kejriwal and his deputy Sisodia regarding the upcoming policy through Vijay Nair.

“Soon after this discussion with Pillai, Reddy met Kavitha in Hyderabad. Kavitha also told him that she had discussed the matter with Magunta and informed him that her team (Pillai, Buchi Babu, and Boinpally) was already working in Delhi with Nair on this,” the ED’s application read, adding that she also told Reddy that Nair would handle all the issues on behalf of Kejriwal and Sisodia.

“The evidence, the letters of the Chief Minister evading the summonses by calling them ‘political’ and ‘illegal’ and the cases the agency filed against Kejriwal before the court emboldened the directorate and ‘prepared the ground for the sternest legal action,” a source said.

The Delhi excise policy scam case stems from a report submitted by Chief Secretary, Naresh Kumar, to Lt Governor Vinai Kumar Saxena in July 2022, hinting at potential procedural irregularities in the policy’s formulation. He accused the then Excise Minister Sisodia of making arbitrary and unilateral decisions and contended that the implementation of the new policy led to financial losses for the government, while certain leaders and ministers affiliated with the AAP allegedly received kickbacks.

Two separate cases, one initiated by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and another focusing on suspected money laundering being probed by the ED, were filed. The investigation was initially handled by the CBI, resulting in Sisodia’s arrest in February 2023. Subsequently, the ED assumed responsibility for exploring potential money laundering aspects of the policy.

Following the CBI’s identification of Sisodia and 14 others, including AAP’s communications in-charge Nair, in its FIR, the ED informed a court in March about the alleged proceeds of crime exceeding Rs 292 crore and emphasised the need to establish the modus operandi behind these purported financial irregularities.(IANS)

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Sharma Chandigarh:

After leaving Raj Bhavan senior BJP Leader Kanwar Pal Gujjar said “CM and the cabinet ministers have resigned and the Governor has accepted the resignations.” On being asked who will be the next Chief Minister Gujjar said ” The CM will continues to be the CM.” The legislative meeting of the party is likely to be held later in the day in which 41 MLAs of BJP will be present. Senior BJP leaders including Tarun Chugh, Union minister Arjun Munda and BJP’s Haryana in-charge Biplab Kumar Deb will also attend the meeting. 

The BJP leaders are also expected to meet the 5 independent MLAs and Gopal Kanda of the Haryana Lokhit Party (HLP) who are in support of the BJP government in Haryana. In the 90-member Haryana Assembly, the BJP has 41 MLAs. It also enjoys the support of 5 independent MLAs and the HLP MLA Gopal Kanda. Earlier, after meeting Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar, Independent MLA Nayan Pal Rawat on Tuesday claimed that the BJP-JJP alliance was at break point but some independent MLAs who support the ML Khattar government will ensure its survival.

“I met the Chief Minister yesterday. We have already extended our support to CM Manohar Lal-led government. We also discussed the strategy for the Lok Sabha elections. I got the impression that the process of breaking the alliance with JJP has already started,” Haryana Independent MLA Nayan Rawat said on Tuesday after his meeting with the Chief Minister Nayan Pal Rawat was elected to the Haryana Legislative Assembly from Prithla in the 2019 Haryana Legislative Assembly election as a member and Independent candidate.

Another independent MLA Dharampal Gonder said that the independent MLA were already supporting the BJP led government.Haryana Lokhit Party (HLP) MLA Gopal Kanda claimed that the alliance between the BJP and the JJP was at break point but the BJP can win all 10 Lok Sabha seats from the state on its own. He also said that there would be another meeting with the Chief Minister after which future course of action will be determined.

Sirsa MLA and President-Haryana Lokhit Party, Gopal Kanda said, “…I think the alliance (BJP-JJP) has almost broken. In Lok Sabha elections, BJP will win all 10 seats. Even without JJP, the Haryana government will stay, and all independent candidates will continue to support BJP.” On March 10 trouble in the BJP Haryana unit was flagged when Brijendra Singh, the former Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP from Haryana’s Hisar joined the Congress after resigning from the ruling party.

Earlier in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, the BJP had won all 10 parliamentary seats while JJP, which had contested the elections in alliance with AAP, could not put up a fight on 7 seats it contested. The Lok Sabha polls are expected to be held sometime between April and May this year. (ANI)

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Sharma Chandigarh/New Delhi, March 6:The Enforcement Directorate has filed a fresh complaint before a Delhi court seeking prosecution of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal for skipping its summonses in a money-laundering investigation, official sources said on Wednesday. The latest complaint pertains to the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) national convenor not honouring the summonses no 4 to 8, they said. The court of ACMM Divya Malhotra has listed the matter for Thursday.

The ED had earlier moved a local court seeking Kejriwal’s prosecution for not attending the first three summonses issued to him in the money-laundering investigation linked to the Delhi excise policy. Kejriwal, 55, had called all these eight ED summonses “illegal” and informed the federal agency last time that he could be questioned via a video-conferencing link after March 12.

The ED has filed the fresh complaint under Section 174 of the IPC (non-attendance in obedience to an order from public servant) read with Section 63(4) of the PMLA that speaks about “a person who intentionally disobeys any direction” apart from some other sections of the law. 

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Addressing the media here, senior party leaders Parambans Singh Romana and Winnerjit Goldy claimed that contracts worth Rs 655 crore had been awarded to two companies owned by Kejriwal confidant R.K. Mittal without advertising the tender document in any newspaper of Punjab.

“The entire tender was tailor-made for these selected companies, one of whom – R.K. Associates supplied food in Shatabdi trains,” they said, alleging that a scam was being perpetrated at every stage of the home delivery service with the companies being awarded a delivery cost of Rs 24 crore per month to deliver wheat and flour at a cost of Rs 3 per kg within a radius of eight km only.

They said similarly Rs 3 per kg rate had been awarded to repackage wheat at a cost of Rs 14.40 crore per month and Rs 5.50 per kg to mill wheat to supply as flour at a cost of Rs 17.60 crore per month, and this entire cost, if calculated for the entire year, came to Rs 384 crore.

Romana and Goldy said the companies would use 16 lakh Markfed bags to distribute both wheat and flour and that the same would be retained with the companies which would result in a pilferage of Rs 108 crore. The bag with Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann’s picture which would be delivered to the beneficiaries along with wheat and flour would entail a further cost of Rs 125 crore.

Besides, Rs 65,000 per month was being paid for management of wheat and flour at 800 company shops which would be manned by two persons.

Asserting that the state would be burdened to the tune of Rs 655 crore by this scheme whose sole purpose was to woo the electorate in other states prior to the Lok Sabha elections, the SAD leaders said the same was being done by ration depot holders at a cost of 47 paisa per kg and involved a total cost of only Rs 45 crore per annum.

“This is a massive scam as the entire home delivery can be done at a fraction of the cost,” the leaders asserted. They also disclosed that a further Rs 300 to Rs 400 crore were likely to be spent on advertising the scheme in Punjab and in other states entailing a total cost of Rs 1,000 crore to the state exchequer.

“It is clear that at least Rs 500 crore is being pilfered to finance AAP at the cost of Punjab and this deserves a CBI probe,” the Akali Dal leaders added.

Punjab Depot Dealers Federation President Sukhwinder Kanjla said besides taking away the livelihood of 18,000 depot holders as well as others associated with them, the scheme would also inconvenience the beneficiaries. He said the depot holders were giving wheat to the beneficiaries for a period of three months in one go and were available round the clock while now beneficiaries would get wheat and flour every month at specific times during the day which would not be convenient for daily wagers.

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Gourav Chandigarh, Mar 4:

For the Deputy Mayor’s post, Rajinder Sharma emerged the winner by securing 19 votes, while the Congress” Nirmala Devi got 17 votes. The results were announced by the INDIA bloc’s Mayor Kuldeep Kumar Dhalor, who was the presiding authority for the poll. He was declared elected on the directive of the Supreme Court.

In a 35-member municipal House, the BJP has 17 councillors. The BJP’s strength increased from 14 to 17 after three AAP councillors switched loyalties. The AAP has 10 members while the Congress has seven. The Shiromani Akali Dal has one councillor. Chandigarh MP Kirron Kher, who is a BJP member, also has voting rights as an ex-officio member of the corporation. (ians)

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गौरव चंडीगढ़/नई दिल्ली: दिल्ली सरकार के नेताओं की मुश्किलें बढ़ती जा रही हैं। आज दिल्ली के उपराज्यपाल विनय कुमार सक्सेना ने सत्येंद्र जैन के खिलाफ सीबीआई जांच का आदेश दे दिया है। दरअसल तिहाड़ में बंद ठग सुकेश चंद्रशेखर की कथित उगाही के बाद उपराज्यपाल ने आप नेता सत्येंद्र के और तिहाड़ जेल के पूर्व डीजी संदीप गोयल और जेल सुपरिटेंडेंट राज कुमार के खिलाफ सीबीआई जांच के आदेश दिया है।

सुकेश चंद्रशेखर ने क्या लगाया है आरोप

तिहाड़ जेल में बंद सुकेश ने पिछले साल 13 अक्टूबर को दिल्ली एलजी को एक पत्र लिखा था। जिसमें उसने आप के पूर्व मंत्री सत्येंद्र जैन पर गंभीर आरोप लगाया था। सुकेश ने पत्र में बताया कि सत्येंद्र जैन जेल में अपनी सरकार चला रहे हैं। इसमें आप नेता के साथ तिहाड़ के पूर्व डीजी संदीप गोयल भी शामिल हैं। वो लोग मिलकर दिल्ली की कई जेलों में बंद हाई प्रोफाइल कैदियों से प्रोटेक्शन मनी मांगते हैं। सुकेश ने अपने बारे में बताया कि मैंने जेल अधिकारियों को एक रुपया भी नहीं दिया है। मेरा पूरा लेन देन केवल सत्येंद्र जैन और संदीप गोयल के साथ था। उन्होंने मेरे स्टॉफ से जरिए मुझसे प्रोटेक्शन मनी ली है। सुकेश ने अपने पत्र में पैसों का जिक्र करते हुए कहा कि बतौर प्रोटेक्शन मनी आप नेता सत्येंद्र जैन ने उससे 10 करोड़ रुपये लिए थे।

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