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Round The States
New Delhi, 26 August 2023
ED Fresh Assault
‘WEAK’ NON-BJP STATES TARGET
By Insaf
The Enforcement Directorate is having a field day. It
keeps the heat on non-BJP States and on the saffron party’s rival leaders. So,
cases in Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and the nephew of senior Congress leader and
former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath are rolling out. Expectedly, ensuing
Assembly polls in Chhattisgarh has got the ED super active with the obvious target
being Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel. On Wednesday last, it conducted searches
at the premises of his political advisor Vinod Verma and two OSDs in Raipur and
Durg districts, besides a businessman. While the nature of the cases is not exactly
known, (it is investigating alleged coal scam, liquor scam, irregularities in
District Mineral Foundation fund and an online betting application), Baghel who
turned 62 that day tweeted: “Respected Prime Minister and Mr. Amit Shah! Thank
you very much for the priceless gift you have given me on my birthday by
sending ED to my political advisor, OSD and close aides.” The Congress has
lashed out other than the normal reaction of ‘political vendetta’, it said the
‘ED action is a clear reaction to all the pre-poll surveys that have predicted
a massive rout for the BJP.’
Likewise in Jharkhand, the ED raided premises of
Finance Minister and senior Congress leader Rameshwar Oraon, among others as
part of a money laundering investigation into a reported liquor scam. Oraon’s
son, Rohit, is said to have invested money in some businesses, part of the
raids. The Congress reacted: “The ED needs to state what it has found.
Rameshwar Oraon is a man of stature, he was a former MP, he headed the SC
Commission…His son has a spotless reputation…Whenever the political landscape
seems to be sliding out of BJP’s control in Jharkhand, they do politics through
the ED. It’s an act of desperation. The public will show them their place
soon.” While time will tell, it appears the ED has thrown caution to the winds.
On Monday last the Supreme Court had observed “the ED can’t be a law unto
itself,” while restraining it and UP government from proceeding in a fresh case
registered against some of the accused in an alleged liquor syndicate racket in
Chhattisgarh.
* * * *
ED Fresh Hit In MP
With reports suggesting the going is not easy for the
ruling BJP in Madhya Pradesh in ensuing polls, the ED on Wednesday last made a
fresh arrest in an alleged Rs 354 crore bank fraud linked money laundering case
involving Ratul Puri, businessman nephew of former Chief Minister Kamal Nath
and others. A Maltese citizen and a former relationship manager of Bank of
Singapore, Nitin Bhatnagar, was taken into custody under the provisions of the PMLA,
produced before a local court which sent him to ED custody till August 31. What
is of interest is that the fresh action has taken place since the ED filed a
chargesheet against Puri in October 2019, was arrested and is on bail now.
Kamal Nath has denied any involvement, but he is aware the spotlight is on him.
Poll campaigning has begun and the case in hand will undoubtedly be flogged by
the BJP.
* * * *
Nagas In Manipur Speak Out
The ethnic crisis in Manipur takes a significant turn.
In the ongoing Meitei-Kuki-Zomi conflict, another major ethnic group, Nagas,
have chosen not to remain silent or neutral. Instead, now are vociferously
questioning Kuki’s claims and demands. On Monday last, the United Naga Council,
a powerful Naga tribal body in the State, challenged Kuki-Zomi position,
accusing it of ‘distorting Naga history’ in a bid to push for a ‘separate
administration’ or ‘Kuki state’. Warning it ‘is on false territorial foundation
and may unleash new political dynamics’, the statement objected to Chandel and
Tengnoupal districts being included among Kuki-Zomi territories as sought by
its 10 MLAs in a recent memo to Centre, Israeli PM, European Parliament, UN, etc.
It argued ‘Of the districts, the ones carved out from Senapati and Chandel are
Congress government’s appeasement policy in garb of administrative convenience
and the Nagas’ opposition remains unchanged.’ The Council also warned of
‘illegal immigration-- expansion and creation of new villages, columns of
illegal camps being built rampantly near Moreh town and surrounding areas to
facilitate settlement of intruding Kukis from Myanmar. If not stopped by
Central and State governments, the day won’t be long when the indigenous
population will be reduced to a minority.’ With the State Assembly to convene
on 29 August, the collision course gets a new entrant.
* * * *
Bihar CM-Gov Row
The Chief Minister-Governor fight bug has bitten Bihar
too. Whether it stretches out like in other non-BJP states is anybody’s guess,
but evidently its universities which end up getting infected. On the heels of Governor
(Chancellor) Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar’s secretariat issuing an advertisement
inviting applications for VCs posts for seven universities, the Nitish
Kumar-led government’s education department has sought the same before the
deadline for five of the seven only. Besides, while the chancellor’s
secretariat circular seeks applications between August 24 and 27, the last date
by education department is September 13. Not only does it lead to confusion but
puts a question mark on the fate of the two left out universities, B N Mandal
Univ (Madhepura) and Aryabhatta Knowledge Univ (Patna). The row apparently was
triggered earlier this month after the government froze bank accounts of
Babasaheb Bhimrao Ambedkar Bihar University, (Muzaffarpur) VC and pro-VC for
their alleged failure in inspecting the institutions under their jurisdiction
and being absent during a review meeting convened by the department. The latter
has refused to comply with Raj Bhavan directing it to withdraw this order. On
Thursday last, Nitish is said to have called on Governor for ‘Samadhan-purn’(solution-filled)
discussion, nagging uncertainty lingers.
* * * *
Damage Control On Onions
Politically hot Maharashtra forces the Centre to swing
into damage control. With farmers in the largest producing onion State (42%) protesting
the decision to impose a 40% duty on its export, Union Food Minister Piyush
Goyal hastily announced on Tuesday last that two cooperative bodies NAFED and
NCCF will procure 2 lakh additional tonnes of onions at a ‘historic’ rate of Rs
2,410 per quintal (instead of Rs 1,470-1,713 per quintal), and if need be, buy even
more. This after Nashik Onion Traders’ Association had announced an indefinite
shutdown of onions’ auction at all APMCs and many other farmers’ organisations had
taken to the streets following the export duty announcement. Importantly, the
Shinde-Fadnavis government sent an SOS to Centre saying annoying the farmers
would prove detrimental. With that front taken care of, Goyal also announced
the cooperatives will sell onions at a subsidized rate of Rs 25 per kg—reaching
out to another chunk of voters, the common man, hit by onion prices (up from Rs
30-35 per kg to Rs 45-60 per kg)after having gone through high tomato prices. The
move hopefully should silence the opposition which grabbed the opportunity to hit
out saying ‘BJP has always overlooked farmers’ issues. For them, winning
elections is the only criterion. The export duty decision has been taken ahead
of Assembly elections in several States.”
* * * *
No
Miscarriage of Justice
Seeking to ‘prevent miscarriage of justice’, Madras
High Court may have ruling-DMK seeing red. On Wednesday last, taking suo moto
notice of a lower court’s acquittal of two senior ministers Thangam Thennarasu
and KKSSR Ramachandran and their wives in a disproportionate assets’ case
(2006-2011), Justice Anand Venkatesh, holding portfolio for MP/MLA cases,
exercised revisional powers ‘smelling a rat’. Quoting Shakespeare’s Hamlet, he
said ‘something is very rotten’ in special court for MP/MLA cases at Srivilluputhur.
Quantified as: both orders reveal ‘well-orchestrated pattern’; special court
took cognisance of final reports in 2013/14; discharge applications filed;
cases adjourned for months/years on end till 2021, when ‘political fortunes
smiled at main accused’; they were back as ministers; months later state
prosecution ‘very magnanimously’ offered to conduct further probe; end product
a ‘closure report tailored’ to support grounds for discharge; special court was
presented with a ‘perfect fait accompli’ as prosecution whitewashed its earlier
final report and presented ‘a picture of complete innocence”! The cases
discharged. Given the list of “illegalities”, the revision promises high drama
and suspense.---INFA
(Copyright, India News & Feature Alliance)
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