BeyondHeadlines

Tag: black money

  • Ramdev’s ‘Crusade’ Against Black Money Begins

    Ramdev’s ‘Crusade’ Against Black Money Begins

    BeyondHeadlines Staff Reporter

    New Delhi: After about a week long high political drama, yoga guru Baba Ramdev today finally kicked off his indefinite hunger strike against corruption and black money.

    Along with thousands of his followers at the Ramlila Maidan, Ramdev began his ‘crusade’ after a two-hour yoga practice and ‘bhajan’ session, which took place early in the morning. He has been joined by radical Sangh Parivar leader Sadhvi Ritambhara and other religious leaders from Sikh, Jain and Muslim communities.

    Before launching the fast, Ramdev told his cheering supporters during the yoga session that the protest was intended to save the country from corruption and ensure that the poor get a good life.

    “Nothing is impossible, everything is possible and we are not going to be defeated,” the saffron-robed Baba seated on an elevated platform on the dais, told the gathering, referring to bringing back of black money stashed in tax havens abroad.

    Ramdev arrived at the stage at around 0450 hrs to a huge round of applause from his followers who thronged the protest venue despite sweltering heat.

    Devotional and patriotic songs reverberated across the Ramilal Grounds as Ramdev’s discourse was laced with humour and demonstration of ‘asanas’.

    Ramdev continuously addressed the gathering and was followed by Sadhvi Ridambhara who lavished praise on the Baba saying “if there were more Vallabbhai Patels, then there was no need for a sanyasi to sit on satyagraha.”


    Maulvi Rizvi complimented the Sadhvi for her speech and said “this is not Muallah Omar’s Taliban. This is Hindustan,” drawing thunderous applause.

    It was almost a one-man show by Ramdev who conducted the proceedings, interspersing yoga demonstration, discourse and music with a bit of humour to spice up the proceedings.

    Whenever religious leaders came on the dais, Ramdev would introduce, apparently to project that his movement was not sponsored by RSS or any other organisation.

    Ramdev was at his humorous best when he told his followers that the hunger strike will help them in two ways.

    “Hamara mota bhai aur moti baheno ke liye yeh satyagrah health benefits dega aur desh ke liye wealth mil jayega” (while the hunger strike will help slim obese brothers and sisters, it will also bring wealth to the country)”.

    When a follower gave him a Rs 11 lakh cheque, he quipped “this is not black money”.

    Union ministers Kapil Sibal and Subodh Kant Sahay had held a marathon meeting yesterday with Ramdev to persuade him to not go ahead with his indefinite fast. However, the talks failed to reach any breakthrough with the yoga guru insisting that all his demands be met with completely.

    In a bid to persuade Ramdev from going ahead with his protest, the government had issued a statement late last night assuring him that the maximum penalty for corrupt officials would be “substantially increased”, promising speedy trials for people accused of corruption but stayed silent on the guru’s demand that they should be hanged.

  • Breaking News: Ramdev Going to Rajghat

    Swami Ramdev Spokesperson S K Tejarawala tells BeyondHeadlines: “Swami Ji will go to Rajghat at 3.30 p.m.”  He will also pay a visit to Shaheed Bhagat Singh Park. He will latter address Media. Will go on Hunger Strike tomorrow at 5.00 a.m.

  • Govt Changes Strategy to Pursue Ramdev Not to Sit on Hunger Strike

    BeyondHeadlines News Desk

    New Delhi:  With Baba Ramdev insisting that his hunger strike against corruption will begin as scheduled on June, the government has decided to change its strategy. The new guidelines for senior ministers who are in touch with the yoga icon dictate that while talks will continue, they will be held on the government’s terms. That decision came after a meeting of the Congress core committee in Delhi this evening.

    Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pawan Bansal has said he will meet Baba Ramdev tomorrow and the talks will continue. “As politicians we have to meet people. This should not be seen as weakness. If the government is serious and Ramdev is serious, there should be no problem in resolving the issue,” he said.

    The government’s tougher stand – at least on paper – hopes to undo some of the damage done after four senior ministers, including Pranab Mukherjee greeted Ramdev at the Delhi Airport yesterday. It seemed to be an embarrassing attempt at appeasement, one that did not go down well with the Congress party.

    The ministers spent more than two hours with the yoga icon at the airport lounge, reassuring him that the government is serious about tackling corruption with a series of measures including a tough new Lokpal Bill (Citizen’s Ombudsman Bill) which is scheduled to be presented in Parliament by the end of this month.

  • 2G Scam: Shahid Balwa to Disclose Before JPC

    2G Scam: Shahid Balwa to Disclose Before JPC

    BeyondHeadlines News Desk

    New Delhi: In a new twist to the 2G spectrum allocation controversy, Swan Telecom promoter Shahid Balwa – a co-accused in the case- has expressed his desire to depose before the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) probing the matter, reports claimed Wednesday.

    Shahid Usman Balwa is said to have written a letter to the JPC seeking permission to depose before the panel and testify in connection with the high profile case.

    “In the interest of the investigation, I should be called to depose before the JPC. I request you (JPC) to consider my request to depose before the panel at the earliest and at a time of your convenience,” Balwa was quoted as saying in the letter.

    Balwa’s testimony is likely to complicate things for the Congress-led UPA government, which is already fighting to control the damage caused due to the scam, which as per the Comptroller and Auditor General of India caused a loss of Rs 1.77 lakhs crore to the exchequer.

    As per other reports, Balwa may turn approver in the spectrum scam case , which may lead to the revealing of new names in the case.

    Shahid Balwa, director of DB Realty, had floated Swan Telecom, which was a beneficiary of 2G spectrum allocation. It is alleged that Balwa, due to his proximity to then telecom minister A Raja, managed to win 13 of the 22 2G licences across India.

    On May 24, a special CBI court rejected the bail plea of Shahid Balwa.

    Special CBI Judge O P Saini, exclusively dealing with the 2G case, also dismissed the bail pleas of Balwa’s cousin, Asif Balwa and Rajeev Aggarwal, accused of facilitating Rs 200 crore bribe to Kalaignar TV in which DMK MP Kanimozhi holds 20 percent share.

    Asif Balwa and Rajeev Agarwal are directors of Kusegaon Fruits and Vegetables Pvt Ltd in which Shahid Balwa also holds a stake.

    Shahid Balwa is currently lodged in Tihar Jail along with A Raja and other accused.

  • PM Calls For Upgradatio​n of Safety Measures at India’s Nuclear Facilities

    PM Calls For Upgradatio​n of Safety Measures at India’s Nuclear Facilities

    BeyondHeadlines News Desk

    New Delhi: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today calls for upgradation of safety measures at the India’s nuclear facilities to match the global standards as he reviewed the disaster preparedness in the wake of recent radiation scare in Japan.

    At a special meeting here, he asked the authorities concerned to look ‘beyond design basis accident’ while putting in place the safety measures at the nuclear installations.

    Singh took stock of the safety measures being undertaken by Department of Atomic Energy (DAE), Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB), Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) and Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd (NPCIL).

    He directed DAE and AERB to “upgrade the safety measures in the light of the Fukushima experience (of Japan) and look at Beyond Design Basis Accident”, the home ministry said in a statement.

    The meeting of the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) was informed about the various procedures put in place in terms of prevention, detection and response to the atomic disasters.

    The meeting is understood to have discussed installation of hi-tech gadgets to detect radiation and fast-tracking of creation of additional battalions of disaster response force.

    “Our nuclear plants are safe. There are many in-built mechanisms in the nuclear sites to avoid any disaster. The Prime Minister is fully satisfied about the safety facilities. However, we have to take more steps to strengthen our preparedness to deal with any emergency,” NDMA vice chairman M Shashidhar Reddy said at a press conference later.

  • BJP to Hold National Executive Meeting in Lucknow

    BJP to Hold National Executive Meeting in Lucknow

    BeyondHeadlines News Desk

    Lucknow: The Bhartiya Janta Party would be holding its national executive meet in the politically most crucial state of Uttar Pradesh after a five year gap. It comes just ahead of the assembly elections due in April 2012, with the party grappling with the erosion of its votebank and looking for relevance in the state polity.

    Despite numerous experiments and attempts at caste groupings, the leadership has failed to revive either the votebank or the cadres and emerge as a contendor for power in the vast state. Figuring at the top of the leaderships mind would be send a distinct message that it would no longer seek any sort of alliance with the Bahujan Samaj Party of Mayawati.

    The national executive of the party would be held from 3 to 5 May which would be attended by a galaxy of its top leaders including LK Advani, President Nitin Gadkrai, Sushma Swaraj, Arun Jaitley and all its Chief Ministers.
    The timing is especially important as the party would look to set the agenda and its strategy for the UP elections which are only a few months away.

    The state unit of the BJP under the newly appointed chief Surya Pratap Sahi has been trying to activate the cadre by extensively touring the state and attacking the Mayawati government on major issues. But with the past experience of BJP-BSP alliances the party is trying hard to dispel the image of it having enough of Mayawati.

    One of the foremost agenda of the national executive meet would be to convey once and for all that the BJP would no longer seek to have an alliance with the BSP whether pre-poll or post poll.

    The frequent alliances with the BSP had hurt the BJP cadres and a disillusioned upper caste votebank drifted away from the saffron party. With Mayawati engineering social grouping of Dalit and Brahmins in support of her party in the 2007 assembly elections, the BJP was left counting its losses.

    Ever since though the party leaders have been saying that they would never enter into an alliance with BSP ever again, it has failed to convince its cadres and votebase. The three day national executive meet would seek to bury this issue so that the party can woo back its vote base and also reach out at those leaders who are disillusioned or have left the party.

    Firebrand Uma Bharti whose return to the BJP has been talked about is also likely to figure during internal confabulations. With the Sushma Swaraj and Arun Jaitley differences cropping up again recently eyes would be on them too.

    Also the ticket distribution strategy for UP would be chalked out so that the party candidates can gear up for the polls in advance.

  • Govt Failed to Pursue Ramdev Not to Sit on Hunger Strike

    Govt Failed to Pursue Ramdev Not to Sit on Hunger Strike

    BeyondHeadlines News Desk

    New Delhi: Despite using all its persuasive might, the government on Wednesday failed to convince Baba Ramdev to call-off his planned fast on the issue of corruption.

    In an unprecedented step, senior ministers led by Pranab Mukherjee, met Ramdev at the Delhi airport, upon his arrival in the city, and discussed his demands for more than two hours but they failed to cut much ice with the yoga guru.

    Besides Pranab, HRD Minister Kapil Sibal, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal and Tourism Minister Subodh Kant Sahay were present during the meeting.

    Briefing reporters after the talks, a tight-lipped Kapil Sibal said, “We met Ramdevji today. The conversations carried on for 2 ½ hours. He raised a lot of important issues which impact future of the country. We listened to him and prima facie responded to him.”

    “We have agreed that we would be meeting each other and carry on with the dialogue in the next couple of days. “

    When specifically asked whether the government has been able to convince Ramdev against his fast-unto-death, Sibal had only this to say: “This is all I wish to say at this moment.”

    However, Ramdev was much more forthcoming about what transpired at the meeting. Most importantly he announced that the plan to sit on fast from June 4 stands unchanged and that people would participate in it from all districts of the country.

    Stressing that his fight is not against any individual or party, Ramdev said that there has been agreement with the government on certain issues but it can be of any consequence only if the government takes constructive steps.

    The yoga guru turned anti-corruption crusader has been demanding that Rs 400 lakh crore of black money stashed abroad be brought back and declared as a national asset. Ramdev who is also a strong votary of an effective Lokpal Bill argues life term and death sentence for the corrupt. In addition, he demands change in the electoral system. The yoga guru wants the PM be elected directly by the people.

    Ramdev also demanded that a new Public services guarantee Act be enacted to curb corruption. He also wants the setting up of special fast-track courts at the Centre as well as the states to ensure speedy trial in corruption cases.

    Yesterday, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had written a letter to Ramdev, appealing to not go on fast but the yoga guru rejected the request.

  • Govt Sends Minister to Welcome Baba Ramdev at Delhi Airport

    BeyondHeadlines News Desk
    New Delhi: In a bid to persuade him not to sit on hunger strike, the government today took an unprecedented step of sending three senior ministers to receive the yoga guru at the airport in Delhi .
    HRD Minister Kapil Sibal, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal and Tourism Minister Subodh Kant Sahay parked themselves at the Indira Gandhi International Airport much before the scheduled arrival of Ramdev from Madhya Pradesh.
    Cabinet Secretary KM Chandrasekar was also with the ministers.
    Ramdev was to fly here from Ujjain in Madhya Pradesh to meet Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee who has been deputed by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to persuade the yoga guru against going ahead with his fast from June 4.
    The prime minister has already gone the extra mile to persuade Ramdev not to go ahead with his hunger strike, promising him to find a “practical and pragmatic” solution to tackle the issue of corruption.
    Singh has written a letter to Ramdev “welcoming his constructive suggestions to improve governance”.
    He also assurged the yoga guru that the government was “eager to work with you and members of civil society towards building just and prosperous India”.
    Informing Ramdev that finance minister Pranab Mukherjee and his officers would continue to have discussions with him on the issues that he has raised, Singh hoped in the letter that he would now reverse his decision to go on a hunger strike unto death.