LT EXCLUSIVE ￭ A star witness against Dawood Ibrahim too LT EXCLUSIVE harish gupta new delhi, oct. 4

by Harish Gupta, National Editor, Lokmat Group

￭ A star witness against Dawood Ibrahim too

LT EXCLUSIVE Harish Gupta New Delhi, Nov. 4

"The State does nothing without a reason," this is how a top government official connected with the security and intelligence agencies" apparatus summed up the reason behind the speed with which underworld don Chhota Rajan was allowed to flee Australia and nabbed in Indonesia and being deported now to India.

It is too well known for several years that Chhota Rajan is under extreme threat from rival Chhota Shakeel, the henchman of Dawood Ibrahim Kaskar and finding it difficult to withstand the threat to his life. Rajan was unable to help the Indian agencies for against the operations of Dawood gang either. It is no secret that he has been suffering from serious kidney ailment and requires regular dialysis. It was also known to the agencies that he had been holding an Indian passport in the name of Mohan Kumar and living in Australia. So, why shall he be brought to India and the government spend hundreds of crores of rupees on giving him "super Z plus" category security and his upkeep.

Highly placed official involved in the operation of Chhota Rajan told Lokmat on the condition of anonymity that Chhota Rajan will be a star witness as and when Dawood Ibrahim is brought to India and put on trial. If there are 75 criminal cases against Chhota Rajan, the list of criminal cases against Dawood runs into hundreds. But there are no credible witnesses available either with the Mumbai Police or the CBI which can take him to the gallows.

It is a part of this strategy that not only Chhota Rajan but other key members of his gang are also being arrested and they will be put together in the Arthur Road Jail itself to provide immediate and proximate security cover to Chhota Rajan and also depose against Dawood.

Therefore, in a well-crafted strategy, the Government of India is putting together all the missing links before starting "Operation Dawood".

The Modi government doesn't want Dawood to be treated the way Abu Salem is forced to be treated. He can't be hanged and there are hardly any witnesses coming forward. The criminal justice system is finding it difficult to keep him behind bars indefinitely. 

The Modi government would like Dawood not only be brought to India but to take the trial to its logical conclusions.

The Modi government has mounted tremendous global pressure to get Dawood back and even the US has promised India to provide all assistance in this regard. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been personally taking up the Dawood issue with heads of various countries in this regard. National security adviser Ajit Doval's mission is to get him alive in India.

Sensing trouble ahead, the mafia don Dawood has stopped travelling out of Pakistan for the past several months. Dawood also appeared resigned to staying holed up in his heavily guarded house at Clifton Park in Karachi after his close shave a few years ago.

Dawood had been travelling to Central Asian Republics, certain European nations and the United Kingdom on various fake passports, say these sources and his empire runs into hundreds of crores. He has reportedly invested his wealth in real estate in India, Pakistan and Dubai, owns cotton mills in Pakistan, invested in stock markets in Karachi and Mumbai using subsidiary firms, oil wells in West Asia and Central Asian Republics and even in production of tobacco and tobacco-related products which are sold in Russia, say some published reports.

Prez anguished over Modi govt's response

by Harish Gupta, National Editor, Lokmat Group

Prez anguished over Modi govt's response

Harish Gupta

New Delhi, Nov 3 :

President Pranab Mukherjee is reported to be deeply anguished over the inadequate response of the government to restrain voices who are vitiating communal harmony and an intolerant environment.

Highly placed sources in the Rashtrapati Bhavan admit that it is unusual for the President to speak against the growing culture of intolerance in the country not once, twice but three times within a span of one month. The President is aware that all eyes are set on Bihar assembly polls for the past more than two months and this has led to vitiating the social fabric of the country. 

Still, the President expected that the government will take appropriate steps after he spoke for the first time on the issue in the first week of October. But nothing visible was seen on the ground. Rather, the government did very little except for the PM mentioning it in his public meetings in Bihar. When the President spoke for the third time, the Modi government deployed Union finance minister Arun Jaitley to assuage the "hurt feelings" and called on him.  Jaitley has extremely cordial and personal relations with Pranab Mukherjee. It was only after this meeting with Pranab Mukherjee that Jaitley put out his blog on the Facebook strongly criticising well-wishers of his party and government and asked them not to make irresponsible statements. 

But the President seems far from satisfied and expressed his views candidly because he is the protector of the Constitution of India and duty bound to articulate the view if someone attacks its basic fabric.

Unconfirmed reports suggest that the President was particularly upset with some of the ministers of the government making irresponsible statements capable of fanning communal passion in the country. Though no names were mentioned but tourism and culture minister Mahesh Sharma has been under the glare and lately keeping silent.

The President himself being a very active politician, commands tremendous respect due to his stature and statesmanship, and has a perfect rapport with the Prime Minister who often drives to Rashtrapati Bhavan for advice. These meetings are kept secret and not even a Press release is issued about such meetings. The Prime Minister, it may be mentioned, met the President thrice during October and held discussions on a large number of subjects on one occasion.

Yet, the President was compelled to caution the country and the government against the growing intolerance and need for restraint. The President is peeved that the Modi government, in its zeal, did not listen to his advice on the Land Bill. The President has also not cleared the Gujarat anti-terror law so far. l The President is aware that all eyes are set on Bihar assembly polls for the past more than two months and this has led to vitiating the social fabric of the country. 

Winter session to be short, likely by November 26

by Harish Gupta, National Editor, Lokmat Group

Winter session to be short, likely by November 26

GST future hangs in the balance

Harish Gupta

New Delhi, Nov. 2

Modi government’s plans to convene Parliament’s Winter session Government early seem to have run into a rough weather. If reports emanating from the South Block are correct, the Winter session will begin from November 26 instead of November 19 as planned earlier.

The government reportedly conceded the suggestion of the Congress Party not to convene the session on November 19 being the birthday of late Prime Minister Indira Gandhi. No useful purpose would have been served had the session being called on November 20 as the Prime Minister is traveling abroad during the next three days. The session could not have been held from November 16 i.e. Monday as Bihar and parts of UP and other states will be celebrating the Chhat pooja on November 17. Therefore, the government is now reconciled to holding the session from November 26. This simply means that the session will have 22 effective working days as it has to end due to Christmas and New Year celebrations.

The proceedings, no doubt, will be greatly influenced by the outcome of the ongoing elections to the Bihar assembly; the results will be declared on 8 November.

The cabinet committee on parliamentary affairs (CCPA) met on October 26 took stock of the 53 pending bills in the Rajya Sabha. Irrespective of the outcome of the Bihar polls, the session will be stormy as opposition parties are planning to bring a censure motion against the NDA government for recent spurt in communal violence, including the lynching of a 50-year-old man in Dadri, beef ban and related issues. Even the issues raised by the Sahitya Akademi award winners who are returning their honours is set to dominate the proceedings during the first week.

The Prime Minister Narendra Modi and some of his senior most ministers including Arun Jaitley and Home Minister Rajnath Singh have strongly come out against those vitiating the atmosphere. This is aimed at bringing the political temperatures down. They also reined some of their own well wishers as well.

The government may be keen to push its own economic reform agenda in this session. But it is highly unlikely that a consensus is built on the passage of a constitutional amendment bill to pave way for the passage of the GST Act. The crucial bill was expected to be passed in the monsoon session of Parliament, but the government failed to build consensus on it.

The falling share market for the past one week and political analysts predicting majority by Maha-Gathbandhan in Bihar are a clear indication that going may not be smooth for the BJP during the Winter session. Rajnath Singh’s declaration today that whatever may be the outcome of the Bihar Assembly polls, Amit Shah will continue as BJP president is also an indication of the way the wind is blowing.

Ends  

Why are the educated up in arms?

by Harish Gupta, National Editor, Lokmat Group

It is a rebellion without a clarity of cause. And that makes it even more curious, as it is not a rebellion of the aam aadmi. On the contrary, it is revolt by the "Rich Like Us", and by "us" I mean "they", as it is indeed the title of Nayantara Sahgal's novel that won her the Sahitya Akademi Award in 1986. The 88-year-old niece of Jawaharlal Nehru attracted her cousin Indira Gandhi's ire for being critical of the 1975 Emergency. And now, after returning the Akademi award, she has done a time walk, saying that the Modi government is waiting for the numbers in the Rajya Sabha to "alter the Constitution", as Indira did after her "massive mandate".

Modi worst victim of intolerance since 2002, says Jaitley

by Harish Gupta, National Editor, Lokmat Group

Modi worst victim of intolerance since 2002, says Jaitley

Blasts Congress- Left thinks again

Harish Gupta

New Delhi, Nov. 1

Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley launched a blistering attack on the Congress and Left thinkers saying the Prime Minister, Narendra Modi himself has been the worst victim of ideological intolerance since 2002.  These forces are practising "ideological intolerance" towards the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

In a hard-hitting Facebook post today, Jaitley said these forces are trying to project India as an intolerant society through structured and organised propaganda. As part of their twin strategy, they obstruct parliament to derail the reform agenda and do not permit reforms which will bring credit to Modi Government. Secondly, create, by structured and organised propaganda, an environment that there is a social strife in India. They wish to project India as an intolerant society."

The truth is otherwise, Mr Jaitley said, adding the perpetrators of this propaganda had never allowed alternative viewpoints to grow in either universities, academic institutions or cultural bodies which they controlled. "Their intolerance extends to not accepting an alternative ideological pole."

Jaitley listed major achievements of the Modi government during the last 18 months like the World Bank has upped India’s ranking in the Ease of Doing Business by twelve positions and the World Economic Forum similarly upgrading India.  “It marks the reversal of an adverse trend.  Quicker decision making, faster policy changes, eliminating corruption at the top and smoother clearances have played a significant role.  The FIPB clearances and the environmental approvals are being routinely granted.  Investors no longer queue up before the Mantralayas in Delhi lobbying for policy changes or approvals.” 

Jaitley also reminded the role played by Narendra Modi during his days in Gujrat as Chief Minister saying that “The Gujarat model of Global Investors Meet has been replicated in Tamil Nadu, Madhya Pradesh, West Bengal and in Punjab.  Rajasthan, this month, would be wooing global investors.  Telangana and Andhra Pradesh have been reaching out to investors globally.  Three States with a significant tribal population – Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and Odisha, figure in the top six States in the World Bank Ease of Doing Business rankings.  The work culture is changing in most States.” 

Mr Jaitley also appealed to "every well-wisher of India and the present government" not to make statements that could vitiate the atmosphere and obstruct growth.

"While the government led by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi is trying to accelerate India's growth, there are many who have never intellectually accepted the idea of the BJP being in power.”This was Jaitley’s third blog on the issue in the recent past and gives the clear indication that the BJP and the Modi government would not yield to such pressures. Its also an indication of hardening of positions.