Rahul Gandhi targets Assam CM amid legal row over Pawan Khera bail

Posted on by Vividh Bharathi

New Delhi, April 13 (IANS) Senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Monday launched a sharp attack on Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, alleging corruption and misuse of state machinery, even as the legal battle over Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera intensified.

In a post on X, Gandhi alleged that the Assam Chief Minister was “the most corrupt in the country” and asserted that he “will not escape the law.” He further accused the state government of abusing power to harass political opponents and critics, calling such actions “against the Constitution.”

“The questions that are being raised have to be probed. Transparency, accountability of power and rule of law are the basis of our Constitutional values,” Gandhi said, adding that the Congress party stands firmly with Khera and “will not be intimidated.”

The remarks come amid escalating tensions following the Assam government’s move to challenge the anticipatory bail granted to Khera.

The state government has approached the Supreme Court against the relief granted by the Telangana High Court in connection with a case linked to allegations made by the Congress leader against the Chief Minister’s wife, Riniki Bhuyan Sarma.

Khera had earlier alleged that Riniki Bhuyan Sarma was linked to a US-based firm in Wyoming and claimed large-scale financial irregularities involving the Chief Minister and his family.

The allegations include claims about substantial funds and multiple passports, which have been strongly denied by the Assam Chief Minister.

The Telangana High Court, while granting transit anticipatory bail to Khera on April 10, observed that his apprehension of arrest appeared reasonable. However, the court imposed conditions, including cooperation with the investigation, restriction on foreign travel without permission, and restraint from making statements that could prejudice the probe.

Following this, the Assam government moved the apex court seeking cancellation of the relief, with the matter likely to be taken up for hearing later this week.

The political slugfest has further intensified ahead of key political developments, with both the Congress and the BJP trading sharp accusations, signalling a deepening confrontation between the opposition and the Assam government.

–IANS

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Build a ‘Viksit Gaon’ to achieve a ‘Viksit Bharat’: MoS Pemmasani Chandrasekhar

New Delhi, July 14 (IANS) Union Minister of State for Rural Development Pemmasani Chandrasekhar on Tuesday called for building a ‘Viksit Gaon’ to achieve a ‘Viksit Bharat’ by 2047.

Addressing the first meeting of Performance Review Committee of the Rural Development Ministry in New Delhi, the MoS said, “A ‘Viksit Gaon’ where every family has a pucca house with basic amenities, the village is connected by quality roads, every rural youth has employment opportunities, and every woman is empowered and financially independent is not a distant dream but an achievable reality.”

“It requires us to work with renewed energy, innovative thinking, and deep commitment,” he said.

Emphasising the role of the Rural Development Ministry in achieving this goal, MoS Chandrasekhar said we are not just implementing the schemes, but writing the next chapter of India’s growth story.

“Under the visionary leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Cabinet Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, we have made remarkable progress in rural development,” the MoS said.

Describing the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) as a weapon against distress migration, especially during agricultural lean seasons, he said, “With Rs 90,000 to Rs 1,00,000 crore annual investment, it has resulted in creation of durable and productive assets”

Over 250 crore person-days have been generated annually, and more than 36 crore job cards have been issued, and over 15 crore workers are benefiting from the scheme, he said.

The MoS suggested shifting from wage payment to meaningful asset creation, adopting diversified work and its convergence with other development schemes and community participation in work selection.

Referring to the Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana – Gramin (PMAY-G), MoS Chandrasekhar said that since its launch, more than 3.22 crore pucca houses have been built for rural families.

A target of constructing 2 crore additional houses by 2029 has been set to meet the rising demand due to family growth and rural population expansion, he said.

The Minister suggested the use of eco-friendly and region-specific construction technologies and cost-effective housing designs for building rural homes.

–IANS

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Karnataka BJP hails Union Budget, says it brought joy to people

Bengaluru, Feb 1 (IANS) Hailing the Union Budget 2025-26, presented by Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, the Karnataka BJP on Saturday said that it brought joy to the countrymen.

Addressing the media at the party headquarters in Bengaluru, the Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Council, Chalavadi Narayanaswamy, highlighted that Rs 20,000 crore has been allocated for Scheduled Caste industrialists who want to set up industries and startups.

He also pointed out that about 6,000 additional seats have been added in elite education institutions for students. Additionally, 10,000 medical seats have been increased, with significant attention given to this

“Anganwadi workers are protesting every day. For these women, providing nutritious food has been given prominence. About 6,000 additional seats have been added in elite education institutions for students. Additionally, 10,000 medical seats have been increased, with significant attention given to this,” Narayanaswamy stated.

“Especially for the middle class and salaried classes, earlier there was no tax for annual incomes up to Rs 7 lakh. No one expected the announcement that there would be no tax for annual incomes up to Rs 12 lakh. This includes journalists and middle-class individuals who earn Rs 1 lakh per month, and they have received significant relief,” he said.

“For those who earn Rs 18 lakh annually, a tax concession of Rs 70,000 has been provided. For those earning Rs 20 lakh, a concession of Rs 1.20 lakh is offered. Those earning above Rs 25 lakh per annum will be subject to a 30 per cent tax rate. This means the Backward Classes, middle class, and Scheduled Castes have been well-balanced, and a foundation has been laid for Atmanirbhar Bharat,” he added.

“This will help the country become the fourth-largest economy and eventually a developed nation. The government, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has put in significant efforts toward this goal. Union Minister Sitharaman has presented a Budget that is agreeable to all,” he said.

When asked about allocations to the state of Karnataka, he said that he had not yet received the full details, but once he had all the information, he would address the media.

“In all districts, cancer centres will be opened and operate as day-care centres. Until now, such facilities do not exist. This will be of great help to people and families affected by cancer. This is not final; we can raise the demand even after the Budget is presented,” he said.

BJP State Mahila Morcha President Manjula said, “Prime Minister Narendra Modi Ji announced that the upcoming Budget will bring ‘Mahalaxmi Krupa’ to the middle class and poor sections. It is a matter of pride that Union Minister Sitharaman, being a woman, has presented the Budget eight times. Prime Minister Modi has given her this opportunity. The tax exemption up to Rs 12 lakh will greatly benefit working women, and we thank her for it.”

–IANS

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India has become leader in telecom services, product: Jyotiraditya M. Scindia

New Delhi, Oct 17 (IANS) India is no longer a follower in telecom and has now become a leader in the sector, both in terms of services and also in terms of products, Union Minister for Communications and Development of North Eastern Region, Jyotiraditya M. Scindia, said on Friday.

The number of customers across the country and the optical fibre cable network has expanded multiple times, the minister added.

Addressing a press conference on achievements across the Ministry of Communications encompassing the Department of Telecommunications (DoT) and Department of Posts (DoP), Scindia said that internet connections had seen remarkable growth, and broadband connections had also increased significantly over the years.

“When we talk about scale, there is no rival to India in terms of exponential scale. If you were to purely classify India as a digital nation, India would be the third-largest digital nation in the world. So the Prime Minister’s foresight 11 years ago of creating an invisible digital highway and on that digital highway, creating the capability of multiple applications to reside and write, today has become a reality,” he said.

The minister termed BSNL’s financial revival as one of the “most remarkable achievements” of the Telecom Department.

After 18 years, BSNL turned profitable at the operational level, recording Rs 262 crore in Q3 and Rs 280 crore in Q4 of FY2024-25.

“BSNL’s EBITDA has jumped threefold to Rs 5,395 crore, and its losses have been reduced from Rs 5,400 crore to Rs 2,400 crore,” Scindia said.

This profound national transformation is also spearheaded by the successful deployment of the fully indigenous 4G stack—a massive technological breakthrough that places India among an elite group of nations capable of developing its own end-to-end telecom technology.

Under the government’s “100 per cent telecom saturation” mission, India has achieved 75 per cent of its target within a year. Out of 17,000 towers planned under the 4G Saturation Project, almost 13,000 have already been installed.

The aspirational district scheme has reached 81 per cent saturation, while Left-Wing Extremism (LWE) affected regions have achieved from zero per cent to 57 per cent in Phase I, and from 74 per cent to 87 per cent in Phase II. For island territories, execution has improved from 38 per cent to 84 per cent.

To accelerate pending projects, the ministry created a real-time dashboard to monitor and resolve land, forest, and security-related issues.

The Union Minister also underscored DoT’s advances in telecom security. AI-based tools like ASTR have disconnected more than 82 lakh fraudulent mobile connections, while the Financial Fraud Risk Indicator system has prevented scams worth nearly Rs 200 crore.

“Google has now joined this effort, which is a huge fillip,” he noted. A unified digital intelligence platform (DIP) now enables data sharing among over 750 government and private entities, including all state governments, banks, and law enforcement agencies.

Telecom regulator TRAI has introduced monthly reporting for service quality, replacing the earlier quarterly cycle. Telecom operators are now required to map towers publicly and ensure benchmarks such as less than 2 per cent drop in call rates and latency below 50 milliseconds by April 2026.

The ministry has also established a single-window clearance portal to reduce right-of-way approval timelines, cutting average clearance time from 448 days in 2019 to just 33 days in 2025.

Scindia emphasised the ministry’s shift towards accountability and collaboration. “Every Chief General Manager at BSNL is now a CEO of their circle, setting quarterly targets and reviewing them regularly,” he said.

–IANS

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