Nirbhaya parents lashes out against SP chief

Reacting strongly on Samajwadi Party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav and his party leader Abu Azmi comment over rape victims, parents of December 16 brutal gang rape victim said that these people have lost their senses and people should reject such kind of politicians.

“It is very sad to know that elected representatives are saying so. If senior politician like him (Mulayam Singh Yadav) makes such outrageous comments then it’s worrying,” said Nirbhaya’s father.

He said that he was shocked to hear Yadav’s comment that boys commit mistakes by raping girl but they should not hang for rape.  “They should not have said so and but by saying this, they are supporting people who are committing crime against women and minor girls,” he said 

He questioned him and said that ‘what kind of society he want?’. “If he do not have respect for girls, who are almost equal in numbers compare to boys in society, how can he expect women voting for such a person,” said he adding that the safety of women is at stake because of leaders like him. 

He urged people not to vote for him or his party who is supporting crime against women.  “If people with such honor speak like this, what will happen to our nation? We appeal to the people of the nation to only vote for people who have security of women on their top priority,” he added.

Yadav during a rally in Uttar Pradesh’s Moradabad spoke on issue of three men being given death sentence in Mumbai for raping a photo journalist. He had said, “Boys and girls ....later they had differences, and the girl went and gave a statement that I have been raped. And then the poor fellows, three of them have been sentenced to death. Should rape cases lead to hanging? Boys are boys, they make mistakes. Two or three have been given the death sentence in Mumbai. We will try and change such laws. We will also ensure punishment of those who report false cases.”

Similarly, Yadav’s party men Azmi, told to a media person, “Rape is punishable by hanging in Islam. But here, nothing happens to women, only to men. Even the woman is guilty. Any woman if, whether married or unmarried, goes along with a man, with or without her consent, should be hanged. Both should be hanged.”

ENDS

People from all walks of life came out to cast their vote

Around 80 lakh people came out in the national capital to cast their vote to change the system and teach a lesson to the people who are responsible for bad governance. People aged between 18 years to 104 came to their polling booth with lots of excitement and enthusiasm. A few wants women security and a few a stable government, every one has their own reasons to vote.  

Largely in Delhi it was cleaner, more orderly and more efficient election.

Sourav Mukherjee, a retired government servant of Chittaranjan Park in the New Delhi constituency said,
“Things were much more orderly in this election compared to previous polls. I was happy to see neat and orderly polling booths as well.”

There were fewer complaints of missing names in voter lists and of bad facilities or response of poll staff and police.

In a few polling stations in East Delhi constituency, the senior citizens had to walk around 200 meters from the gate to cast their ballots as parking was not allowed near the polling booth. “I had to walk a bit to reach from the entrance gate as the traffic cops did not allow our car to enter,” A K Choudary, resident of Mayur Vihar said.

People carrying phones faced problems when they were not allowed to enter the polling booths. It was various parties polling agents who helped them out by carrying their phones outside the booths.
“We have to frisk and check the voters to ensure no one carries mobile phones to the polling booth. We know people will face problems but for security reasons we have to do so,” said a police officer outside east Delhi polling booth.

But in few upscale colonies checking was lax and a few voters managed to get in with their mobile phones.
Youngsters voted to vent out their anger against the present government. Anupama Kumari, a resident of North East Delhi Lok Sabha seat and voted for first time said, “Since last ten years, current UPA government has promised several times that inflation would be controlled in next few months but nothing has changed in last ten years. Prices of all the essential household commodities have skyrocketed and government has failed to control it,” she said.

Many came out to with sheer pride to flaunt their inked finger among his friends and others. “Most of my friends are posting their picture after casting their vote on social media. Being a first time voters I also used the opportunity to flaunt my inked finger on social media among my friends,” said Vipul Rastogi, 18 years old student of Delhi University.

Among Delhi’s voters there were many from northeastern states, who had come here to work or study, who voted with women's security on their minds. “We want to choose a stable government but also want an environment that is safer for women from our states," Debanish, 29, who hails from Manipur, said.

The voters of Jamia Nagar area of east Delhi constituency, a Muslim dominated area, exercised their franchise to remove the tag of ‘terrorists den’ and for justice in Batla House encounter case. Heavy footfall was seen at the polling booths from early morning in the area. From students to ladies in Burqa, everyone was seen standing in the queues to cast their votes.

“In logon ne humare ilake ko bewajah badnaam kar rakha hai. Hum is baar ek aise leader ke liye vote karenge to Jamia Nagar ko insaaf dilaye or iske upar lage daag mita sake. (Some people have defamed this area unnecessarily. This time we are going to vote for a leader who can bring justice to Jamia Nagar),” said Asdar Ali, a resident of the area.
ENDS

Delhi gears up for polls, EC asks voters to avoid mobile phones at booths

The city electoral office claimed on Tuesday to have completed the preparations for parliamentary elections in Delhi, slated for April 10.

The chief electoral officer Vijay Dev requested the voters to practise their right of voting and told them to leave their mobile phones outside the polling booths.

Polling will be held at 11,763 polling stations in which 327 have been declared critical and 90 have been declared hyper critical. About 50,000 security personnel have been deployed for election duty. A total of 161 flying squads have been deployed, one for each police station in Delhi.

“The time of voting has been extended for two hours and it will be held from 7 AM to 6 PM on April 10,” Dev said.

For the first time in Delhi, people who do not have an Electoral Photo Identity Card can exercise their franchise if their names are registered in the electoral list.

Besides EPIC, 11 other photo identity documents including passport, driving license, service identity card issued by Central and state governments, PAN card, Aadhar card and Smart card issued by RGI under NPR can be used by the voters. Health insurance smart card issued by Ministry of Labour, MNREGA job card, pension document with photograph and authenticated photovoter slip issued by the election can also be used to establish the identity.

 “In 2009 Lok Sabha polls, the overall voting percentage stood at 52.3 per cent, which increased to 66 per cent in the 2013 Delhi assembly election,” Dev said here in a press conference.
There are total 1.27 crore registered voters in Delhi out of which 3.37 lakh are first timers.

For the government employees on election duty, the panel has issued 43,383 election duty certificates so that they can cast their votes. About 25,897 postal ballots have been issued for police personnel 3,478 have been issued to civil servants on election duty for voting.

The poll panel has set up 88 check points at the entry and exit roads in bordering areas of Delhi.
So far 21 FIRs have been registered against BJP, 18 against AAP and 17 against the Congress party for violation of model code of conduct.

“Around 93 unlicensed firearms have been seized. Some 647 licensed firearms have been submitted to the police. More than Rs 43 lakh have been seized,” said Dev adding that the police have also seized a total of 25,776 litres of Indian and foreign made liquors.
ENDS

Kejriwal slapped during road show in Delhi

Former Delhi chief minister and AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal was slapped twice by an auto-rickshaw driver while he was campaigning for Rakhi Birla in northwest Delhi’s Sultanpuri on Tuesday. The incident comes less than a week when Kejriwal was punched in south east Delhi's Dakshinpuri.

The accused approached Kejriwal with a garland and managed to slap him twice despite the AAP leader

being surrounded by Delhi Police officers in plain clothes.

Kejriwal was in an open jeep when the accused identified as 38-year-old Lali in a blue shirt reached up and first garlanded the AAP chief and then slapped him hard on his left cheek twice. The attacker was immediately pinned down to the ground by AAP supporters and after being bashed up by was handed over to police. He is undergoing treatment in the hospital.

Lali accused Kejriwal and Rakhi Birla of ‘betraying auto-drivers’. “They took Rs 10 as donation from us and they did not do any work,” Lali was shouting in police custody.

“We have registered a case of assault under respective section of Indian Penal Code against the accused for hitting the former chief minister,” said a senior police officer.

Immediately after the attack, Kejriwal said, “I forgive those who attack me. Assault me as much as you want, I won’t retaliate. I appeal to volunteers not to retaliate, otherwise there is no difference between us and them.”

Kejriwal left the venue after few minutes and went Mahatma Gandhi’s memorial Rajghat with a swollen left eye and stayed there for an hour in silence along with his around 100 of supporters. He thereafter headed for his house.

"I went to Rajghat to pray to Gandhiji and sought his blessings to follow the path of non-violence and truth. We are going through a tough time and he should give us power to bear with it," Kejriwal told reporters at his Tilak Lane residence. He said this the fifth attack on him and police has failed to do anything about it.

Citing threat to his life, Kejriwal said: "The attack was per-meditated and planned by a particular person." He, however, denied to accept security and said he has forgiven the attackers for his fight is not against any particular person but the system.

“My car was attacked in Gujarat, somebody threw ink on me in Varanasi, an attempt was made in Bhiwani and two recent attacks have happened in Delhi. If police wanted to take action they would have taken,” he said.

He appealed to the party workers and volunteers to remain calm as in coming days more such attacks will happen. 

In the meantime, the Delhi Congress and BJP termed the incident as a drama and accused him of trying to gain media’s attention even after the end of election campaign.

Congress spokesperson Mukesh Sharma said, “It seems like the entire incident was a drama to gain media attention even after the end of election campaign. If Kejriwal was really upset with the slapping incident, he could have sought medical assistance and demanded for an FIR against the accused. What is the point going to Raj Ghat after the incident?”

Reacting to the incident, BJP’s Sanjay Kaul said, “It is clear that Kejriwal is becoming the victim of the anarchist trend he himself started. This is the third or fourth such friendly attack on him. Either his supporters are angry for being let down or else these are orchestrated attacks designed to create a sensation.”

The Congress advised Kejriwal for taking security. “First he denied taking security cover. When the central government insisted he took accepted security from back door. Now, he must understand what the need of security is for politicians,” he added.

ENDS

Jamaat-e-Islami Hind appeals Muslim to support AAP in Delhi

The Congress party is likely to face a massive jolt in Delhi as the Jamaat-e-Islami Hind has asked the community members to support the Aam Aadmi Party in five out of seven parliamentary constituencies.

The hardliner religious Muslim organisation of India has conducted a survey with the help of its grass-root level workers in all of the constituencies to know about the probability of strong candidates who can defeat the BJP.

“So far, the survey has been completed in five out of total seven parliamentary constituencies and we have found that the AAP candidates fit in our criteria. We have asked the community members in all these areas to support AAP,” General Secretary of Jamaat-e-Islami Hind Nusrat Ali said.

The surveys have been done in West Delhi, East Delhi, North-West, North-East and Chandni Chowk constituency. The survey is still on in New Delhi and South Delhi parliamentary constituencies.

Asked about the recent statement of the Shahi Imam of Jama Masjid Ahmad Bukhari asking community members to support the Congress party, Jamaat leader maintained that everyone is free to make a choice.

“It is his stand and he is free to support anyone. This is our stand and we are not only making statements. Our workers are visiting the constituencies to convey the message to everyone. Every community voter in all these constituencies has been told to support the AAP,” he added.

The organisations claims its motive behind this move is to stop what they claim communal and fascist forces.

“We don’t want to communal and fascist force to come in to power. This is our primary motive. I want to make it clear that we are not supporting any particular party, the survey has been done constituency wise and we have focused on the strong candidates who can stop such forces from coming in to power,” he added.
Jamaat has set up two criteria for selection of candidates—who can defeat the “communal forces” and who is clean and honest.

The organisation has also conducted a survey in 75 other constituencies across the country to know about the perfect candidate to support.

It is understood that Jamaat’s move came following the crushing defeat of the Congress party in last Assembly elections and the rise of AAP. The organisation feels that only the AAP candidates can defeat BJP in coming elections.
ENDS

Rahul Gandhi slams Modi over 'snoopgate controversy'

Launching a direct attack on BJP prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi, Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi alleged him on Sunday for illegally monitoring of a young woman in his state and mocked at the saffron party over not releasing its manifesto for the Lok Sabha polls. He also carried out attack on AAP for running away from the responsibility of running government.

“I saw a poster of BJP which states now women will not face any trouble... They (BJP) claim but they don’t

realise how can be women safe when in Gujarat a woman is being spied and her phones are being taped by the state government head itself,” the Gandhi scion addressed to thousands of people in jam-packed New Delhi’s Ambedkar Nagar ground during a Lok Sabha rally .

He said that his party always wanted to pass the women reservation bill in the parliament and each time when matter came into the parliament, the opposition stalled it.  “We will pass the bill after when form the government after polls,” he promised to the people.

Attacking BJP over manifesto, he said that his party members consulted and conducted several meeting for last six months so that people’s voice could be included in it.  “We have spoken to about five lakh people in its bid to find out what the country wanted and then drafted its manifesto, the BJP while indulging in big talks has failed to come out with its manifesto even when the polling of the first phase was only a day away. BJP feels that whatever one man (Modi) says is enough and there is no need of party manifesto,” he mocked.

Interestingly, he termed Modi as a security guard. He stated the saffron party claims that all the problems of would be solved when single security guard will be given command to run the country. “It is not possible. I want that the country to be run by crores of security guards (people),” he said.

He said that his party accepted the people’s mandate during assembly polls and they realized that the congress leaders had closed their door for the people. “Which will now never happen,” he admitted.  But he stated that people selected a debutant AAP and he decided to give them support to from the government and do works of development. “They ran away because they made false promises of providing free electricity and water,” he quips and questioned people whether they got free water of electricity.

As most of the people gathered in the ground were from resettlement colonies and migrants, he attacked Shiv Sena Party, part of NDA, stating that they bashed men and women of Bihar brutally in Mumbai and BJP has aligned with it. “We welcome everyone in Delhi and run government with sense of brotherhood,” he said.

He also cited that Sikhs were beaten and thrown away from Gujarat saying by they are outsiders. “We take everyone along. We do not practise politics of anger but that of mutual affection,” said Rahul appealing people to realize that BJP is playing divisive politics which will damage the country.

He also said that the Congress has planned to make freight corridor connecting all the metropolitan cities and want to make Indian as a manufacturing hub so that of employment can be generated and the country no more have to buy China made products.

ENDS

Intelligence Report gives BJP four out of seven in Delhi

After various opinion polls have predicted a BJP surge all over the country including in Delhi, the intelligence agencies seem to have followed suit.

In the customary pre-election survey exercise done by the agencies in Delhi, a saffron sweep with four of the capital’s seven seats going to the BJP is predicted. The survey has given Chandni Chowk (Harsh Vardhan), East Delhi (Maheish Girri), South Delhi (Ramesh Bidhuri) and West Delhi (Parvesh Verma) to the BJP, while the Congress, which at present holds all seven seats, could win one—New Delhi—where former Union

Minister Ajay Maken is recontesting from.

The AAP, which had a remarkable debut in the Assembly polls last December, will fare badly and win only one seat—North West Delhi, where former minister Rakhi Birla is its candidate. The seventh seat, North East Delhi, will face a tough three-way fight. BJP has fielded Bhojpuri actor Manoj Tewari, the Congress has re-nominated J P Aggarwal and AAP has fielded JNU professor Anand Kumar from here.

The survey has listed price rise, lack of infrastructure and alleged arrogance of UPA leadership as put off factors for Delhi voters, who will express their lack of trust in the party. The agencies carried out the survey with a sample size of 3,500 voters in each of the constituencies. An exclusive look at the findings:

Chandni Chowk

In Chandi Chowk areas, Delhi BJP chief Harsh Vardhan is winning by large numbers of votes. There was infighting in the BJP the day his name was announced, however, the party high command interfered and shorted out differences them. And the entire party cadre at booth level is working in favour of him.  The Congress leader Kapil Sibal is facing anti-incumbency wave. The residents are unhappy with him as he rarely visited his constituencies in last five years and tried to connect with people.

Though, Janata Dal (United)’s only MLA in the Delhi Assembly Shoaib Iqbal and Jama Masjid Imam Syed Ahmed Bukhari has declared their support to him, it will not be a deciding factor. But Syed Yahya Bukhari, the younger brother of Shahi Imam, opposed any decision to endorse Congress and appealed Muslim community to vote for AAP. Despite, the journalist-turned-politician Ashutosh has made several jan sabha and road shows, the people are not very enthusiastic about him.

East Delhi

In East Delhi, BJP candidate Maheish Girri has good edge over Mahatma Gandhi's grandson Rajmohan Gandhi. Girri has been working for last two years in those areas and has been able to connect himself with people. The people are supportive to Rajmohan Gandhi and are excited about him but not at large scale.  His old age has also kept him away from campaigning aggressively. Sandeep Dikshit lagging far behind from both the candidates as his own party members seems to be working against him after his mother and former chief minister of Delhi Shelia Dikshit left the city.  The party legislators are working and block level members are working against him as they want him also to be sidelined like her mother.

South Delhi

In South Delhi, there is strong presence of and strong presence Jat and Gujjar community and they have declared their support for the BJP candidate Ramesh Bidhuri. His winning as Gujjar leader Ramveer Singh Bidhuri, who had joined BJP last year and was against Ramesh Bidhuri for quite long time, has now been working for him. Congress Sajjan Kumar's brother Ramesh Kumar has been considered as weak candidate this time after Sajjan Kumar has been sidelined by the Gandhi family. The vote of Jat community behind Sajjan Kumar has been divided between Congress and BJP.  The AAP colonel Devendar Sehrawat has limited popularity and only Delhi Cantonment voters are excited about him.

West

In west Delhi, the BJP candidate Parvesh Verma, former Chief Minister of Delhi Sahib Singh Verma, has caught imagination of rural people. He has support of all the local villagers most of Jat community. In Sikh dominated area, Punjab Chief Minister Prakash Singh Badal will be campaigning in next few days to garner support for him and to divide the votes of the AAP candidate Jarnail Singh. Congress MP and three-time MLA Mahabal Mishra is having a tough time as people there are unhappy with him. The purvanchal voters have been divided this time.

New Delhi

Congress Ajay Maken is ahead of all the candidates in New Delhi area, though BJP Meenakshi Lekhi is working out very hard day and night to connect herself with the voters. Ajay Maken is favorite among voters due his clean image and proximity with Gandhi family. Seeing the hard work of Lekhi, the BJP high command has organised Narendra Modi rally at Ram Lila Ground on three days ahead of polling to galvanize the voters of New Delhi areas.  The journalist-turned-politician and Aam Aadmi Party candidate from the New Delhi Lok Sabha constituency Ashish Khetan is an unknown face for the people.

North East

At one side, the Bhojpuri actor and singer Manoj Tiwari has been successful in making the people believe that he is not outsider but a local resident but on the other side Congress J P Agarwal is also become an obvious choice for the people. ‘He has worked in his constituency and people are supporting him. There is tough fight between both of them and the winning margin would be very less, the report stated. For AAP candidate Anand Kumar, JNU students are working through day and night but they not have been able to make a mark in the constituency.  Interestingly, he has been working all alone with the support of AAP activist.

North West
 
AAP Rakhi Birla is winning from North West Delhi as BJP supporters are working against its own candidate Udit Raj. Rakhi Birla will win for sure but now with large margin, the report says. There is strong discontent among the party worker inside BJP over Udit Raj which has given clear verdict of AAP candidate who is local and have support base there.  The old horses -- Yogendra Chandoliya and Anita Arya from Northwest Delhi – are playing cards against Udit Raj. Congress leader Krishna Tirath is facing anti-incumbency factor. She was and no more a popular face there. She is losing by large numbers of votes, says reports.

Shahi Imam of Jama Masjid urgers to vote for Congress

Ahead of the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, Shahi Imam of Jama Masjid mosque announced his support to the Congress and Trinamool Congress parties on Friday stating that it will strengthen secularism in the country.

After meeting Congress chief Sonia Gandhi a few days ago, Syed Ahmed Bukhari during a press conference on Friday said the Congress has done a lot for the Muslims. “I met Sonia Gandhi and discussed a lot of issues related with Muslims with her,” Bukhari said.

Endorsing Congress, he appealed Muslim Community to vote for the party. “We announce support for the Congress. I support Congress on the condition that they will fulfill promises made to the Muslim community,” he said.

He also announced support to Mamata Banerjee's Trinamool Congress in West Bengal and Lalu Prasad’s Rashtriya Janata Dal, a Congress ally, in Bihar.

He, however, stated that it was not a fatwa and he just made an appeal to Muslim community to vote so that communalism considered to be a bigger threat than corruption should not be promoted. “We have to fight against communal forces. It's is not a fatwa that we have issued; it's an appeal. This is just a support and opinion that I have expressed, it is not an order,” he said.

Bukhari had supported the Samajwadi Party in the 2009 Lok Sabha polls. On this, h said that Mulayam Singh Yadav's party had betrayed Muslims. “Voting for the SP and the Bahujan Samaj Party will be a waste. SP had even played a role in last year's Muzaffarnagar riots,” Bukhari stated.

On BSP he clarified that the party has showed it could align with anyone to be in power.  “We can not support it,” he said.

Slightly hinting on AAP he said that the Muslim community should ensure that secular votes are not divided.
When question where raised over being a community religious head, he should not have been political.  Bukhari said, “Under the Indian Constitution there is no rule that a religious head can't have an opinion and express it.”

The Shahi Imam ruled out endorsing the Samajwadi Party and the BSP, saying the former had even played a role in last year's Muzaffarnagar riots.

Reacting to Imam Bukhari's declaration, the BJP said the Congress is desperate to get Muslim votes. “They have become is desperate; they tried to communalize the election. The Election Commission must take cognizance of this communal appeal,” said BJP's Ravi Shankar Prasad.
END

Manoj Tiwari’s mom does not believe that he is contesting polls

The mother of Manoj Tiwari, the Bhojpuri star-turned-politician contesting on a BJP ticket from North East Delhi constituency, still feels that his son is campaigning for BJP's prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi and his has not got any party ticket .

“My mother staying in Uttar Pradesh’s Varanasi believes that I am campaigning for Modi jee and I am not Jooth maat bol itna bada aadmi nahi hai tu’,” Tiwari said.

contesting election and I am telling lies to her. Whenever, I call her she replies over phone ‘
Interestingly, Tiwari during his campaigning faces unexpected questions from the people but wherever he goes he encounters a single question most of the time.  Being a film industry guy will he stay and look after the constituency or ran away?   “Tum bhagoge tho nahi. This is what I keep hearing from the people. I assure them that unlike my predecessors (people from film industry) I am not going run away and to stay for live long in this constituency,” he said.

He feels sorry for the people from where Bollywood actors contested as after winning they never returned to see their condition.  “All the people from film industry who earlier were elected will face problems in their constituencies. Being a celebrity will not make you win election this time. There is no option as you have to work for people,” he said.

He also had to explain the people about five year development for the constituency.  “I ask me what I will in next five years,” he said.

This man is busy and is working out around 17 hours to make connect with the people. He starts his day at 7: 30 and thereafter carries out pad yatras in his constituency till 12 noon.  Between 12 to 1 am he meets his party workers and interacts with them and tries to know the problems in the areas.  From 1 to 2 he keep time for himself for lunch and to rest. “Most of the time, I miss my lunch as some assignments some up in between,” he said. 

From 2: 30, he starts meeting people in jan sabhas at various places scheduled beforehand by the party workers and by 10 pm he return to his party office where he does his dinner and again meet the party workers.  “After that most of the days, I go for some special interaction with people organsied by them,” said Tiwari adding that h returns home by 2 am in early morning.

“I have to build confidence among the people and win their heart,” he added.
ENDS

Fight intensifies: AAP Sehrawat accuses Bidhuri of hiding criminal cases

Fight intensifies in South Delhi. Aam Aadmi Party’s South Delhi parliamentary candidate Devinder Sehrawat alleged that his Bharatiya Janata Party rival on the seat, Ramesh Bidhuri has not given full information about criminal cases pending against him in the election affidavit.

“In his electoral affidavit, Ramesh Bidhuri had mentioned only three FIRs, while six FIRs are registered

against him in different police stations.

“On March 9 last year, Bidhuri allegedly misbehaved with a woman employee of Delhi Secretariat. Later, the woman had registered case against him,” Sehrawat said while addressing a press conference.

He also alleged that other cases, which involve him in land grabbing and criminal intimidation, are also registered against him in different police stations.

“Between 2004 and February 2014, several cases have been registered against Bidhuri. We are searching more cases registered against him in different police stations,” he said.

Ramesh Bidhuri counter attacked AamAadmi Party and said the newly formed party indulges in sensational accusations to defame him.

The AamAadmi Party’s hopes of winning in the South Delhi constituency were dealt a severe blow as enthusiastic supporters pooled in and donated Ramesh Bidhuri from BJP Rs 5 lakh towards his campaign.

It  would have hurt all the more as the supporters were essentially from Mahipalpur, the home turf of Aam Aadmi Party’s South Delhi candidate  Devinder Sehrawat.

Staring at a resounding defeat,  Sehrawat has hit back with malicious allegations regarding Bidhuri’s pending cases.

In what can be seen as an irresponsible attitude towards the public, the party seems to have done incomplete research as it has based its allegations solely on “press reports” and no concrete evidence.

Commenting on the baseless allegations, AshishSood, Vice President, BJP Delhi and Convenor of the elections of South Delhi Parliamentary Constituency, said, “It comes as little surprise as this is not the first time something like this has been done by the AAP. They have a reputation of spreading false rumours and making baseless accusations.  Bidhuri has maintained absolute transparency and we would request the public not to be misled by such unverified claims.”

He said that Sehrawat did not come forward with legitimate proofs of his allegations when the nomination was filed or, prior to the final list being declared.

In the interest of the public, the AAP candidate should have shared substantial evidence during scrutiny by the Election Commission which would have resulted in suspension of Bidhuri’s nomination.

The information shared by Sehrawat in his press release is full of errors. He has pointed out to a case in 2006, whereas Bidhuri has actually been acquitted in the case.

Sehrawat has referred to ‘media reports’ which is a frivolous source of evidence. There is no legitimate proof shared with the people

“Bidhuri has been a dedicated worker of the party in the constituency for over the past twenty years and has already been elected MLA from Tughlakabad thrice.  Highlighting half baked cases against Bidhuri is a poor attempt at undermining his sincere work,’ said Sood.

ENDS

War begins: Harsh Vardhan accuses Sibal favouring Anil Ambani

Realpolitiks begins. BJP parliamentary candidate from Chandni Chowk Harsh Vardhan attacked Congress MP and Minister for Telecommunications and IT Kapil Sibal alleging that he ‘gifted Rs 650 crore as fine waiver to Anil Ambani’ and demanded ‘judicial enquiry’.

“He deprived the country of Rs 650 crore in penalty fees payable by Anil Ambani’s Reliance Communication Ltd in 2011,” said Harsh Vardhan during a press conference.

He said that in February 2011, Sibal overruled his ministry the senior officers and violated the telecom policy enunciated by the NDA government.

“Reliance had deliberately switched off services to 13 circles. It was liable to pay Rs 50 crore per circle as penalty for violating terms of the Universal Access Service Licenses held by it.  But Sibal waived the penalty with no valid explanation,” he alleged.

He said that the company officials tried to justify this saying it was not finding the circles viable. But it conveniently suppressed the fact that it was receiving subsidy from the government under the Universal Services Obligation Fund established under the telecom policy.

In normal circumstances, disputes between private companies and the government are referred to Telecom Disputes Settlement and Arbitration Tribunal. Sibal himself had gained the notoriety of forcing private players to first pay up their penalties by telling them to take their objection to TDSAT.  In this way, many private players had been wrongly punished.

In the Reliance case, a show cause notice was issued by the Department on December 21, 2010 asking why Reliance should not be made to pay the penalty of Rs. 50 crore per circle for clear violation of the UAS Agreement.

It was surprising because Sibal appeared to don his lawyer’s garb to argue for Anil Ambani’s lapses. The country had the misfortune of seeing a cabinet minister act as a lawyer for a corporate house which was violating rules and laughing its way to the bank.

“The company did not reply to the show cause notice. On January 5, 2011 the company wrote to the Universal Access Obligation Fund Administrator in the ministry asking for six weeks’ time to reply without mentioning whether it intended restoring the services,” he said.

When the government refused, Reliance addressed the question of restoration, the company kept writing letters reiterating its demand for six more weeks. On February 9, 2011 the telecom secretary approved the levy of Rs 650 crore and file reached to Sibal on the same day

“Instead of approving the Secretary’s note for levying penalty, Sibal waited for a whole week until a letter arrived from Reliance which claimed that it had ‘restored’ services.  It can easily be inferred that the minister, instead of acting for the interests of the government, was responding to the orders of Anil Ambani,” he added.

Two days later, Sibal overruled the Secretary saying Reliance had merely “interrupted” services and therefore should not be asked to pay a penalty.

This was not an “interruption”. Reliance had deliberately switched off the 13 circles. This was done in spite of taking advantage of the National Telecom Policy, 1999 which provides for subsidy to private sector operators in low-revenue areas through the USFO (Universal Services Obligation Fund).
ENDS