Latest news with #Gandhis
Hans India
22-05-2025
- Politics
- Hans India
Prima facie case against Sonia, Rahul made out: ED
New Delhi: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Wednesday told a court here that Congress Parliamentary Party Chairperson Sonia Gandhi and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi have enjoyed Rs. 142 crore of 'proceeds of crime' linked to alleged National Herald money laundering case. Additional Solicitor General S.V. Raju, representing the ED, said that the accused were benefiting from the proceeds of crime until the federal anti-money laundering agency attached assets related to the National Herald in November 2023. Further, ASG Raju claimed that the accused committed money laundering not only when they acquired the 'proceeds of crime" but also when they continued to hold it. As per the ED, a prima facie case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) was made out against the Gandhis, Congress Overseas Chief Sam Pitroda, Suman Dubey, and others. After hearing the opening arguments of the ED, Special Judge (PC Act) Vishal Gogne of the Rouse Avenue Courts ordered that the matter would be taken on a day-to-day basis from July 2 till July 8 for submissions on behalf of the Central agency and the proposed accused. In the meantime, the judge asked the probe agency to furnish a copy of the prosecution complaint to BJP leader Subramanian Swamy, on whose private complaint the ED launched the money laundering probe. In an earlier hearing held on May 2, the Rouse Avenue Courts asked the Gandhis and others accused to show cause as to why cognisance should not be taken against them on ED's charge sheet. The anti-money laundering agency filed a prosecution complaint against senior Congress leaders, including the Gandhis, in the National Herald case. Others named in the charge sheet include Congress Overseas Chief Pitroda, Suman Dubey, and others.
Time of India
21-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Congress-linked National Herald newspaper case: Day-to-day hearing from July 2 to 8
New Delhi: A local court on Tuesday said it will hold a day-to-day hearing in a money laundering case filed by ED against senior Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi , Rahul Gandhi and others for their alleged involvement in Congress-linked National Herald newspaper case. The court said that the day-to-day hearing will take place from July 2 to 8. Counsel representing the Gandhis on Tuesday sought more time to peruse the voluminous case records. The ED counsel argued in support of its prosecution complaint (equivalent to charge sheet) against the Gandhis and others last month. The court also posed pointed queries to the agency. Special judge Vishal Gogne sought clarity on the ownership of AJL's assets, specifically whether the company's shareholders could be considered its owners. The court asked ED's counsel: "Are assets owned by the company or shareholders? Who owns the property as of today?" by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 5 Books Warren Buffett Wants You to Read In 2025 Blinkist: Warren Buffett's Reading List Undo The court remarked: "In simple words, if the property of A is usurped by B, does it become proceeds of crime when it was clean in the hands of A." It asked: "Are wrongful acts ascribed to individuals but not parties (Congress)? Or is the party a victim?" In response, the ED counsel said "the donors of the party are victims". The counsel argued that donations and membership fees were collected from the public for party purposes, but were instead diverted as a loan to a company engaged in commercial activities. The ED counsel further argued that Young Indian was formed as a sham entity, "a cloak to convert public money to personal use" and used as a special purpose vehicle to gain control over assets of AJL worth ₹2,000 crore. The agency further alleged that the accused acted in "consortium with each other to achieve the said nefarious purpose". The agency claimed the alleged proceeds of crime included rental income worth ₹142 crore received by the accused. Live Events
The Print
19-05-2025
- Politics
- The Print
Govt-opposition bickering on Operation Sindoor is not in national interest. India deserves better
Government-Opposition bickering in Operation Sindoor aftermath is an unedifying spectacle. Opposition's vows of putting up a joint front against terrorism stand broken, with a CCS member almost labelled a Pakistan spy. Their ties have plumbed depths beyond political civility and national interest, and peace isn't in sight. India deserves better. Congress' undermining of Shashi Tharoor is cynical politics. Gandhis haven't learnt from Punjab Congress publicly undermining Shashi Tharoor is cynical politics. Party is becoming a den of petty politicians with aversion to popular, thinking leaders. Gandhis haven't learnt any lesson from Punjab where they doomed party's poll prospects to help Navjot Sidhu oust Amarinder Singh. Same playbook in Kerala won't produce different results.
Time of India
08-05-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
Delhi court defers hearing in National Herald case against Sonia, Rahul Gandhi
New Delhi: A Delhi court on Thursday deferred the hearing in the National Herald money laundering case involving Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi to May 21 and 22. Special judge Vishal Gogne, after hearing the submissions of the Enforcement Directorate , noted that notices had been served upon all proposed accused persons in terms of its previous order. #Operation Sindoor Live Updates| From Sindoor to showdown? Track Indo-Pak conflict as it unfolds India hits Lahore's Air Defence Radars in proportionate response Pakistan tried to hit military targets in these 15 Indian cities, New Delhi thwarts strikes The judge, however, said, "Since the notice has purportedly been served upon an alternative email ID upon the proposed accused 4 (Sam Pitroda) only today, it is appropriate that submissions on the aspect of cognisance are heard on the next date of hearing." The judge posted the hearings on May 21 and 22. Continue to video 5 5 Next Stay Playback speed 1x Normal Back 0.25x 0.5x 1x Normal 1.5x 2x 5 5 / Skip Ads by by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Nova abordagem natural tem sido considerada por profissionais da saúde Saúde e Bem Estar Undo " Subramanian Swamy , who is the complainant in the proceedings relating to the predicate offence, has mentioned his presence and submitted that an application for being supplied with a copy of the present complaint and documents shall be moved by him in due course," the court added. On May 2, the court issued notices to the Gandhis. Live Events It also issued notice to Congress leader Pitroda and Suman Dubey, and "Young Indian", Dotex Merchandise Pvt Ltd and Sunil Bhandari. The judge said that their "right to be heard" was available at the time of cognisance of the chargesheet. "Right to be heard at any stage breathes life into fair trial," the judge had previously said. The chargesheet in the matter was filed under Sections 3 (money laundering) and 4 (punishment for money laundering) of Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). The ED, which filed its chargesheet recently, began its probe in 2021 after a magistrate court took cognisance of a private complaint filed by Swamy on June 26, 2014. The complaint, the ED said, highlighted a "criminal conspiracy" by several prominent political figures, including the first family of the Congress party led by Sonia, her MP son Rahul, late Congress leaders Motilal Vora and Oscar Fernandes aside from Dubey, Pitroda and a private company Young Indian for their alleged involvement in money laundering in relation to the fraudulent takeover of properties valued over Rs 2,000 crore belonging to the Associated Journals Limited. The Gandhis are majority shareholders of Young Indian with 38 per cent shares held by each one of them. They were questioned for hours by the ED in this case a few years ago.
Indian Express
01-05-2025
- Politics
- Indian Express
Caste census: Stalled Mandal report to still-born SECC, BJP readies its case against Congress
Having blindsided the Opposition, particularly the Congress, with the announcement of caste enumeration in the Census, the BJP is working on a multi-pronged strategy to counter any projection of this as a vindication of the Opposition's stand. Making the announcement Wednesday, Union minister Ashwini Vaishnaw stressed that while the BJP government had taken the call to count castes in the Census, the Congress at the Centre had dodged this in the past and used it merely as 'a political tool'. BJP sources said that the party's campaign on the caste census move will be centred around this, using different examples to underline its point. 'The exercise will be the first ever caste census post-Independence and, the fact is, it will be under a BJP leadership, despite the Congress and the Gandhis being at the helm of the affairs for decades,' a source said, adding that a Congress-led government's one attempt at this had also come a cropper. 'The UPA government spent around Rs 5,000 crore to conduct a survey (Socio Economic and Caste Census), but could not release the data.' On Thursday, the BJP circulated a letter written by then Leader of the Opposition Sushma Swaraj to UPA Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee in 2010, saying her party supported a caste census. 'The party reiterates that caste can be canvassed in the on-going Census/NPR exercise (due in 2011). We agree that caste should be canvassed in such a manner and at such a stage that it does not affect the integrity of the head count (Census),' Swaraj wrote. The UPA government led by Manmohan Singh had chosen to go in for an SECC, delinked from the Census. The BJP will point out that the Modi government's announcement of a caste census was another example of the party's government taking significant reforms to their logical conclusion, the source said, 'be it the GST, direct bank transfers through Aadhaar, the women's reservation Bill or constitutional status for the OBC commission'. BJP leaders also point to the Congress government at the Centre sitting on the Mandal Commission report for a long time, and which, once unveiled under the National Front government led by V P Singh, changed the contours of politics by bringing backward classes to the fore. 'The Congress initiatives in this regard were knee-jerk reactions that lacked determination and conviction,' the source said, adding that now nobody associates these moves with the Congress. 'This time, it will be no different.' The BJP believes the Opposition may clamour to take credit for the caste census decision, but that it doesn't have the firepower to sustain this in the face of the BJP's admittedly larger and stronger publicity network. A BJP leader said: 'The focus of our campaign will be that the Congress lacks the political will and niyat (intention) to go ahead with the reforms it initiated. Basically, the party always deceives people in the name of reforms, but shows no sincerity to bring them about.' On the timing of the announcement – even some BJP leaders admitted to being taken by surprise – the party says it is hardly trying to dodge the Pahalgam attack fallout as alleged by some quarters, but rather conveying a powerful message of 'business as usual'. 'The Modi government has shown to the world that it is going ahead with its business and reform initiatives,' said a senior leader, adding that this is even while pursuing different options to corner Pakistan over the Pahalgam killings. In the immediate future, the BJP believes Prime Minister Narendra Modi has virtually 'checkmated' the Congress and RJD in context of the Bihar Assembly elections later this year, where caste always dominates the conversation. The source said the BJP could now steer the narrative towards governance and development – issues on which both the Modi government and the JD(U)-led government it is a part of in Bihar hold a position of advantage. Some BJP leaders have in the recent past come out publicly against a caste based census. In July 2021, Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai said in a written reply in Parliament that it was a policy decision by the government not to enumerate caste-wise population other than SCs and STs. Senior minister Nitin Gadkari has said in the past that he was totally against a caste census. 'A person is not known by their caste, sect, religion, language or sex, but only by their qualities. I told 50,000 people, 'Jo karega jaat ki baat, uske kass ke maarunga laat (Those who talk about caste, will get a tight slap),' he has been quoted as saying. In the Monsoon Session of the current Parliament in July, former Union minister Anurag Thakur caused an uproar when he dismissed Rahul Gandhi 's demand for a caste census, saying: 'Jiski jaat ka pata nahin, woh ganana ki baat karta hai (The person whose caste is not known is talking about a census).' However, leaders are now expected to fall in line, with many pointing to the fact that the government's caste census announcement came a day after RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat met Modi at the Prime Minister's residence. There are some in the BJP who believe the caste census move also pushes the Congress on the defensive over the 'Muslim quota' issue – Congress-ruled Karnataka has a provision for the same, but it goes back years and was in place even during the BJP's years in power in the state. As per these leaders, Gandhi must clarify now whether he stands for caste-based quota or religion-based reservation. 'The BJP has always maintained that it is for a caste census, but will not do it for political gains. However, the pertinent question today is whether the Congress will push for Muslim reservation?' a senior BJP leader said. In its manifesto for the 2009 Lok Sabha polls, when it was seeking re-election to power, the Congress had promised nationwide reservation for Muslims in jobs and education. PM Modi has attacked the Congress over this, saying during the 2024 Lok Sabha campaign that as long as he was alive, 'I will not allow the Indian Constitution-mandated reservations for SC/STs and BCs to be distributed to Muslims at any cost'.
