BeyondHeadlines

Tag: black money

Sonia Gandhi Out of ICU: Congress Party Spokesman Janardan Dwivedi

Tarique Anwar, BeyondHeadlines

New Delhi: Congress party chief Sonia Gandhi is out of intensive care on Saturday after undergoing successful surgery for an undisclosed ailment in the United States, a spokesman said.

Sonia Gandhi had an operation in the United States (File photo: AFP)

“Sonia Gandhi remained in the ICU (intensive care unit) for 24 hours and has thereafter been moved out,” Congress Party spokesman Janardan Dwivedi said in a statement.

The name and location of the hospital where Gandhi was being treated has not been released but Tehelka magazine said on microblogging site Twitter that Gandhi is at New York’s Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center.

A report in Deccan Herald newspaper, citing medical sources, said Gandhi, 64, had undergone surgery for cervical cancer.

Dwivedi said that the Gandhi family is grateful for all the get-well messages sent to the Congress leader, adding she is likely to return to the country in the next two to three weeks.

The Congress party broke the surprise news of Gandhi’s impending surgery on Thursday and has since blocked all queries regarding the nature of her illness.

Italian-born Gandhi is the widow of assassinated Former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi and wields enormous clout from her power-broking position as Congress party president.

In her absence, she has appointed a four-member group to handle the day-to-day running of the Congress party, including her son Rahul Gandhi, tipped as a future prime minister.

The Nehru-Gandhi dynasty has exerted huge influence in India during most of its post-independence history, with three members of the family becoming prime minister.

Sonia Gandhi holds total sway within the Congress party and is credited with crafting the strategies that gave it back-to-back general election wins in 2004 and 2009.

Her illness means she will miss a crucial session of Parliament for the scandal-plagued government, which intends to introduce draft laws on a range of key areas, including corruption, land acquisition and food security.

Gandhi, who has described herself as “a reluctant politician,” took charge of the party in 1998.

August 6, 2011
Ramdev’s Close Aid Balkrishna Appears Before CBI

BeyondHeadlines News Desk

New Delhi: Yoga Guru Ramdev’s close aid Balkrishna, accused of using fake educational degrees for procuring a passport, today appeared before the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) at Dehradun in Uttarakhand for interrogation for the second time.

Balkrishna reported to the CBI office around 11.15 hours along with Patanjali Yogpeeth officials and his lawyers, police said.

File photo of Balkrishna with Swami Ramdev

On August 3, Balkrishna was grilled by CBI for more than seven hours in connection with the case. As the questioning remained uncompleted, he was asked by the probe agency to turn up again on Thursday. But he did not turn up and sent a fax to the agency officials stating that he has to travel to Nainital to deposit his travel document with the office of registrar general on August 5 in compliance with a Uttarakhand High Court order and was busy trying to collect it.

He, however, later participated in several functions organised on the occasion of his 40th birthday at Patanjali Yogpeeth in Haridwar, 29 km from here.

While staying the arrest of Balkrishna, the High Court on July 29 had asked him to cooperate with the CBI in the probe.

The next date of hearing has been fixed on August 29.

Balkrishna was earlier summoned by the CBI for questioning on July 28 but he had sent a fax to the sleuths seeking 20 days time to appear stating that his passport is with the British High Commission.

But the agency turned down his plea and asked him to appear without passport on July 29. Balkrishna had requested the CBI to give him 10 days’ time.

Balkrishna had gone “missing” from his Divya Yoga Mandir Trust residence in Haridwar on July 25, a day after CBI filed a case against him for cheating and criminal conspiracy for procuring fake degree certificates to get a passport.

He resurfaced in Patanjali yogpeeth at Haridwar only after the High Court put a stay on his arrest.

August 5, 2011
Ramdev’s close aide Balkrishna Appears Before CBI in Dehradun

BeyondHeadlines News Desk

New Delhi: Yoga Guru Ramdev’s close aide Balkrishna, who allegedly used fake educational degrees for procuring a passport, today appeared before the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in Dehradun for questioning.

In compliance with the Uttarakhand High Court order, Balkrishna reported to the CBI office in the city, Balkrishna’s personal secretary said.

While staying the arrest of Balkrishna, the state high court had on July 29 asked Balkrishna to cooperate with the CBI in investigations and appear before it today for interrogation.

Balkrishna was earlier summoned by the CBI to appear in its office here for interrogation on July 28. However, instead of appearing before the agency, he had sent a fax to the sleuths seeking 20-days’ time to appear stating that his passport is with the British High Commission.

But the agency turned down his plea and asked him to appear without passport on July 29. Balkrishna had again requested the CBI to give him 10 days’ time.

The petition for stay on Balkrishna’s arrest was placed before Justice P C Pant on July 28. However, he recused himself and referred it to Chief Justice Barin Ghosh.

The next date of hearing has been fixed on August 29.

Balkrishna had gone “missing” from his Divya Yoga Mandir Trust residence in Haridwar on July 25, a day after CBI registered a case against him for cheating and criminal conspiracy for procuring fake degree and violation of section 12 of Indian Passport Act for furnishing fake documents to get a passport.

August 3, 2011
Ramdev’s Close Aide Balkrishna’s Plea Rejected,Asked to Appear Tom Before CBI

BeyondHeadlines News Desk

New Delhi: Taking tough action, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has rejected the plea of yoga teacher Baba Ramdev’s close aide Balkrishna for 20 days time to appear before the CBI for questioning in a case under the Passport Act. The central investigating agency has ordered him to appear without the passport tomorrow for questioning, CBI sources said.

Swami Ramdev with his aide Balkrishna Mahraj

Balkrishna had sought yesterday 20 days time to appear before the CBI for questioning in a case under the Passport Act, claiming he has applied for a UK visa and his travel document is with that mission.

The CBI had asked him to present himself for questioning today but sources in the agency said Balkrishna sent a fax in the morning, saying his passport is with the British High Commission for visa purposes and a reply from there was expected after about 20 days.

In his fax, Balkrishna said he was also consulting Supreme Court lawyer Ram Jethmalani and pleaded that any other date after 20 days may be given to him.

He said he came to know about the CBI notice, which was pasted on the ashram gate, yesterday.

The CBI has rejected his plea and asked him to appear without his passport tomorrow, they said.

Meanwhile, sources said Balkrishna is likely to move to Uttarakhand High Court to seek anticipatory bail.

The CBI has earlier issued a look-out notice against Balkrishna after registering a case against him under section 420 (cheating) and 120-B (criminal conspiracy) of IPC for procuring fake degree and for violating section 12 of the Indian Passport Act (knowingly furnishing false documents for getting passport).

July 28, 2011
Anna Hazare, Team to Meet Sonia Gandhi Today

BeyondHeadlines Staff Reporter

New Delhi: Social activist Anna Hazare and other representatives of the civil society will meet Congress President Sonia Gandhi here today to seek her support on the Jan Lokpal Bill.

The civil society activists will meet the UPA chairperson at her 10, Janpath residence at around 4.30 pm. It was earlier scheduled for June 30, but was cancelled.

The meeting comes a day after Hazare and his civil society activists’ team met senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders yesterday ahead of the all-party meeting scheduled on July 3 to discuss the draft anti-graft Lokpal Bill.

The civil society members met BJP veteran Lal Krishna Advani, Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj and Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Arun Jaitley to garner support for their version of the Jan Lokpal Bill.

In an endeavour to build a consensus on the Jan Lokpal Bill drafted by the civil society activists, Hazare met Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar earlier on Thursday.

Yon Friday, the Congress said it was opposed to moves aimed at bringing the prime minister and higher judiciary under the ambit of the proposed Lokpal. The Prime Minister, the party said, could be brought under the Lokpal’s purview once he demits office.

The BJP kept its cards close to its chest though it was learnt to have indicated to Team Anna, which came calling at the BJP headquarters, that it was not in favour of including the conduct of MPs inside Parliament and the higher judiciary under the Lokpal.

After this meeting, the BJP top brass met separately to deliberate on the issues raised by Anna and his team. Sources said that while the party had not made up its mind on the key issue of including the PM under the Lokpal’s ambit, many senior leaders were of the view that the party should not deviate from its original stance of including the PM, though with some safeguards.

There is also a strong view in the BJP against attending the all-party meeting called on July 3 by the government to ascertain the views of different parties on contentious issues regarding the proposed Lokpal Bill.

The Congress today gave up its ambivalence to spell out its stance. Party spokesman Abhishek Manu Singhvi said: “Our stand is very clear, though it is not a conclusive stand and is subject to decisions taken in the Cabinet and, most importantly, to the collective will of Parliament. We are of the view that the two institutions of Prime Minister and Judiciary should not be brought under the Lokpal’s ambit.”

“If the Prime Minister is brought under Lokpal, it would lead to inherent instability in democratic and Parliamentary governance. It is not about an individual but an institution. We have to think about the stability of the institution,” Singhvi said.

On Wednesday, Hazare said that he would try to persuade Sonia Gandhi to support the inclusion of the Prime Minister under Lokpal. “If the prime minister is saying so, what is the problem?” he had said, referring to Manmohan Singh’s remarks to newspaper editors that he would have “no hesitation” in bringing himself under the Lokpal’s purview.

Meanwhile, Congress party General Secretary Digvijaya Singh said that the Congress president’s meeting with Hazare on Saturday would be a mere “formality.”

“The Congress party has given them the space which they wanted by drafting them in the drafting committee. Now they should leave it to Parliament, which is accountable to the people of this country. I would not give it (Saturday’s meeting) a lot of significance. It is a formality. But I am happy that Hazare is coming to meet Soniaji. Some sense will prevail,” Singh said.

The final meeting between the government and civil society representatives on the Lokpal Bill ended here on June 21 with differences continuing to persist on six issues including bringing the post of the Prime Minister under the purview of Lokpal.

Two sets of drafts- one by the government and the other by the civil society representatives would now be circulated amongst political parties and then would be forwarded to the cabinet for the final drafting of the bill.

July 2, 2011
Self-Righteousness Activists Should Also Look Within

Krishnaraj Rao, BeyondHeadlines

In context to Anna Hazare’s campaign for Jan Lokpal Bill, as well as Baba Ramdev’s campaign for bringing back money stashed abroad, I have been wondering if self-righteous “civil society” activists even care to look within.

In recent years, I have been visiting several municipal offices, government offices, police stations, State Information Commissions and other departments to collect information under RTI Act, or file complaints and hold meetings.

We activists want to clean up the system — government, police, judiciary — abolish corruption; bring reforms, transparency, accountability, rule of law etc. But in our reformist zeal, we fail to see the obvious, and this earns us the contempt and ill-will of both administrators and the common man. We start out with the wrong assumptions, and therefore, we condemn our actions to failure.

Here are some obvious truths that activists (including myself) habitually overlook:

Government officials, political leaders, members in judiciary are all products of the system designed by, headed by and manned by people from amongst you and me. So why do we habitually consider them as conspirators, hypocrites and sinners?

Yes, many of them have privileged access to ‘the system’, and insider knowledge of the key decisions being taken. True, they are abusing this access and knowledge for private gains. But if placed in the same shoes, can one put hand at heart and assure that we would behave differently?

At all cost, we all must be humble and avoid being self-righteousness to stay focused on reforming the system that breeds corruption.

There are some – such as Prashant, Shanti Bhushan, Arvind Kejriwal and Justice Santosh Hegde – who have a fairly deep understanding of the system. However, there are others who have never shouldered responsibilities of governance. Ironically, they are the ones whose voices are the most shrill when they condemn political leaders and top bureaucrats, who have shouldered these responsibilities for decades!

The yardstick that applies to government also applies to us. It is true that our government and administration, at every level, are far from ideal. To a large extent, they are nor transparent and accountable. But are our decisions and actions truly transparent and democratic enough?

From my experiences as members in the managing committees of chambers of commerce, trade associations, clubs, cooperative societies, Gandhian institutions, NGOs etc, I can vouch that they generally don’t function in a democratic and open manner.

I am yet to see elections of such bodies held through secret ballot, or one general body resolution passed with a truly informed consensus, without social coercion. So let us not have unrealistic expectations from people in governance. We all are from the same breed.

I do not in remotest implying that we all should hung up our boots and leave what we like to call ‘activism’ or learn to live with the system.

I am of course against corruption and support the cause of ‘India Against corruption.’ But that does not make me enemy of the government and I do not hate those whom I voted to power.

As a free citizen of this country, I refuse to be manipulated by the cheerleaders of Anna Hazare and Baba Ramdev into taking a position that is anti-government and anti-establishment.

Krishnaraj Rao is an RTI Activist based in Mumbai, Mahrashtra and can be reached at sahasipadyatri@gmail.com

The views expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect BH’s editorial policy.

June 13, 2011
Baba Ramdev’s Fast Against Black Money, Corruption Ends

BeyondHeadlines News Desk

New Delhi: Yoga teacher Baba Ramdev’s fast against black money ended at a hospital in Dehradun where he was force-fed (administered glucose) by doctors there. Doctors who examined him said his hunger strike, that lasted for seven days, had affected his liver and caused his blood pressure to drop significantly.

Amid high drama, Ramdev, who was on an indefinite fast against corruption, was shifted to a hospital in Dehradun as doctors attending on him opined that his health parametres were “worrisome.”

File photo of Ramdev

A Patanjali Yogapeeth spokesman claimed the decision to shift Ramdev to a hospital was taken by Uttarakhand Chief Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal, who gave directions to the Haridwar District Magistrate on this.

The 46-year-old yoga guru is being “taken to Himalayan Institute of Medical Sciences in Dehra Dun”, G S Martolia, SSP, Dehra Dun, told PTI.

His followers present at Patanjali Yoga Peeth, where Ramdev was sitting on hunger strike, raised slogan against the district administration on making decision to shift him to the hospital. Some protestors even clashed with police when the yoga guru, who was on a fast against corruption and black money, was being taken on a stretcher. However, it was resolved immediately with the help of ashram authorities.

“His blood pressure is 104/70 which is low and pulse rate is 58 per minute which is also low. If his pulse rate and BP continue to go down, it may put some pressure on his heart,” Chief Medical Officer Yogesh Chandra Sharma said after examining the Baba at his ashram.

In Delhi, activist Swami Agnivesh met Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee to discuss the Ramdev crisis. Spiritual guru Sri Sri Ravishankar has gone to meet Baba Ramdev at the hospital. He earlier confirmed that he is mediating between the government and Baba Ramdev, who had been at war since Saturday night, when Ramdev was evicted from his camp in Delhi where he had combined a sit-in protest with yoga classes and the launch of his hunger strike.

The yoga icon whose followers run into lakhs started his fast in Delhi at the Ramlila Maidan. 65,000 people were in attendance on Saturday night when the police broke up the camp with teargassing and a lathicharge. The Baba was evicted and flown back to Uttarakhand.

The action at Ramlila Maidan ended days of negotiation between the government and the Baba over his suggestions for how to tackle the problem of crores of untaxed money that have been shipped abroad. The late-night violence united Opposition parties who accused the government of violating citizens’ right to peacefully protest. Civil activists who have declared Gandhian Anna Hazare their leader pounded the government too, with public criticism and a one-day fast at Rajghat on Wednesday.

The government has disclosed that various tax inquiries are being conducted against the Baba’s business empire whose reported turnover is more than a thousand crores. Yesterday, the Baba retaliated by declaring online the balance sheets of the four trusts that he runs for charitable purposes. However, he did not share the financial records of the 34 companies that are linked to him and are run by his close aide, Acharya Balakrishna.

The Baba has also been forced to defend a controversial remark he made earlier this week – that he would recruit 11,000 young men and women who would reciprocate if attacked. Yesterday, he said his remark had been distorted and misreported. “The words should be used in the right context… I said I will make a force who will not beat anyone but they will not get beaten either,” the yoga teacher said, adding, “what is the harm or wrong if I speak about shaurya (valour)”

The Baba’s remark – seen as incendiary by his critics – had also provoked criticism from other social activists and a warning of legal action from the government.

June 10, 2011
Ramdev Rushed to Hospital, Forcefully Administered Glucose to End Fast

BeyondHeadlines Special Correspondent

Haridwar (Uttrakhand): Baba Ramdev has been rushed hospital after his health deteriorated rapidly as his fast-unto-death against black money entered the seventh day on June 10 at the Patanjali Yogpeeth in Haridwar. The Haridwar district administration decided to shift Ramdev to the Himalayan Hospital in Dehradun due to better medical facilities there. He was also administered glucose by the doctors that ended his fast.

doctor checks the blood pressure of Indian yoga guru Baba Ramdev at Ramdev's ashram in Haridwar, India, Friday, June 10, 2011. (AP Photo/Gurinder Osan)

Talking to BeyondHeadlines, Haridwar District Magistrate R Meenakshi Sundaram said: “Baba Ramdev gave consent to take him to the hospital. Baba has been shifted to Himalayan Hospital in Dehradun in an ambulance. The ambulance has incentive care unit (ICU) facilities. The chief medical officer (CMO) is accompanying him. Glucose has been administered to him. We shifted Baba Ramdev to hospital only after his consent. We went by the advice of the doctors attending him.”

Doctors had earlier told Ramdev to break his fast as he had been losing weight and his blood pressure was also dropping.

Haridwar district officials, including Sundaram, negotiated with Ramdev’s associates at the Patanjali Yogpeeth where Ramdev has been fasting to admit him to a hospital.

Doctors fear that Ramdev’s health could deteriorate further if his blood pressure and pulse rate continue to slide. Reports say that the yoga guru’s blood pressure has fallen to 104/70, and his pulse rate is 58 per minute.

“As Baba Ramdev’s health is deteriorating, he should stop his hunger strike immediately. We have requested him to stop his strike,” said Dr Yogesh Chandra Sharma, the Chief Medical Officer of Haridwar, on Friday.

Dr Sharma said, “We want to admit him to the ICU so that we can do a heart checkup and other checkups on him.” If Ramdev refuses to take glucose on Friday, the doctors will forcibly give it to him, Dr Sharma added.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh could also step in and appeal to Ramdev to end the fast. Union Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee is likely to speak to Singh after a meeting with Swami Agnivesh.

Meanwhile, spiritual leader Sri Sri Ravi Shankar will be going to Haridwar to meet the yoga guru. Sri Sri Ravi Shankar is going to try and persuade Ramdev to end his fast.

Baba Ramdev has been continuing his fast against corruption and black money at Patanjali Peeth in Haridwar after he was externed from Delhi last week, following crackdown by the Delhi Police at his fast venue Ramlila Grounds.

June 10, 2011
Ramdev Agrees to Take Lemonade, Honey on 6th Day of Continuing Fast

BeyondHeadlines Special Correspondent

Haridwar (Uttarakhand): Indian yoga teacher Baba Ramdev, who is on an indefinite hunger strike here against black money, yesterday agreed to take lemonade and honey after being persuaded by district administration officials.

“He has accepted our request and has decided to take lemon water and honey so that his body gets glucose,” Haridwar District Magistrate R Meenakshi Sundaram told reporters after meeting Ramdev here.

“There is our team, which is regularly monitoring Ramdev’s health. I have told them to do checkups every three hours. We have seen formation of ketone particles in his body.

“Formation of ketone particles is dangerous as it may affect vital organs like kidney and liver. We have asked baba to break his fast and have something, especially glucose,” he added.

Asked whether Ramdev will be forcibly fed, the DM said “we will do whatever is necessary to save baba’s life.”

According to Patanjali Yogpeeth, only two people — Ramdev and his close aide Balakrishna are on fast, he said.

“We have asked for a list of people who are on fast to ascertain the correct number of such people. Accordingly, we will be able to take any measures or actions to save their lives,” the DM said.

June 10, 2011
Ramdev’s Business Empire Values at Rs 11,000 Million

BeyondHeadlines Special Correspondent

Haridwar (Uttrakhand): Yoga guru Ramdev, who is on an indefinite hunger strike against black money and corruption, yesterday declared his assets worth more than Rs 11,000 million, claiming everything was in order.

Ramdev, whose fast has entered 7th day today, made the details of his business empire public in a press conference here during which his close aide Balkrishna said that the capital involving the four trusts run by him totalled Rs 4,261.9 million while the expenditure incurred on them amounted to Rs 7,510.20 million.

File photo of Baba Ramdev with Balkrishna

“We believe in transparency in work and in financial matters. There is proper audit of all our firms and companies,” Balkrishna, who allegedly posses fake passport and is involved illegal possession of fire arms.

As per rules, government renews our trusts after every two years only when our audits are clean. What has come and what has gone, who has given it and how was it spent, is all maintained,” Balakrishna said.

The move to make public assets followed questions raised by Digvijay Singh and other leaders of the Congress party who wanted a thorough probe into the source of the wealth acquired by Ramdev in the last five years.

Balakrishna, however, did not give details of the companies associated with Ramdev, saying it can be obtained from Registrar of Companies under the RTI Act.

“We pay tax as per government norms. TDS is deducted. We follow all rules. Details of all out associate companies can be taken from Registrar of Companies and from the government under the RTI Act. Tax details and balance sheets of trusts have been put on the web site,” he said.

While Divya Yoga Mandir trust has a capital of Rs 2,496.30 million, Patanjali Yoga Peeth Trust has Rs 1648 million, Bharat Swabhiman Trust has Rs 99.7 million and Acharyakul Shiksha Sansthan has Rs 17.9 million — all totalling Rs 4,261.9 million. The expenditure outlined for these trusts since their inception came to Rs 7,510.2 million.

June 10, 2011