Country's watchman is indulging in theft: Rahul
Satna (Madhya Pradesh), Sep 27: Congress President Rahul Gandhi on Thursday once again targeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the Rafale deal, saying the country's "chowkidar" (watchman) has committed "chori" (theft).
Addressing a public meeting in Chitrakoot in Satna district of Madhya Pradesh, Gandhi said: "Irregularities have taken place in the purchase of Rafale fighter jets from France. Modi took away Dassault contract for its India partner from Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) to favour his friend Anil Ambani's company to make it the offset partner."
"While the cost of each fighter jet was fixed at Rs 526 crore in the deal between India and France during the Congress regime, now the same aircraft is being acquired for a whopping Rs 1,600 crore," said the Congress President.
On a two-day visit to Madhya Pradesh, Gandhi on Thursday arrived in Chitrakoot where he offered prayers at the famous Kamta Nath temple in this religious town associated with Lord Ram. He was accompanied by state Congress chief Kamal Nath and head of the campaign committee Jyotiraditya Scindia, among others.
The Congress leader said: "The 'chowkidar' of the country is committing theft, that's why he is not able to have an eye-to-eye contact with the youth of the nation. While the government is not ready to disclose the price of Rafale jets citing a confidentiality clause in the deal, France says there's no harm in disclosing the price."
Gandhi also raised questions over the issue of rising unemployment in the country.
"At a time when the government is harping on 'Make in India' programme, the unemployment scenario is going from bad to worse. Today the situation is such that even the statue of Sardar Patel is coming from China. Chinese are making the statues of Patel while the youth of India is unemployed."
He went on to add that if his party is voted to power in Madhya Pradesh, waiver of farmers' loans will be the first priority.
"We will try to create employment opportunities for the youth and will replace 'Made in China' with 'Made in India' and 'Made in Chitrakoot'," he added.
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Man held for attempting to encroach on 532 acres of forest, govt land near Bengaluru
Belagavi (Karnataka) (PTI): Karnataka Forest Minister Eshwar Khandre on Tuesday said that police have arrested a man for allegedly attempting to encroach upon 532 acres of forest and government land at B M Kaval near Bengaluru by submitting forged documents and obtaining court orders fraudulently.
He said the accused, M B Manmatha alias M B Nemannagowda, had earlier also attempted to claim ownership over 512 acres and 26 guntas of forest and government land in Chikkamagaluru's Mudigere by producing fake records.
In connection with the case, an Assistant Conservator of Forests had lodged a complaint at the Mudigere Circle police station on November 28, following which the Tahsildar also lodged a separate complaint, the minister said in a statement issued by his office.
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Based on these complaints, police registered an FIR and have now taken Manmatha into custody. "The investigation will reveal who were all involved in this conspiracy to encroach upon forest and government land," he said.
The FIR was registered against the accused at Mudigere police station in Chikkamagaluru district on December 13 under Sections 465 (forgery), 468 (forgery for purpose of cheating), 469 (forgery for purpose of harming reputation), 471 (using as genuine a forged document) of the Indian Penal Code and relevant section of the Karnataka Land Revenue Act.
Khandre further claimed that it had come to his notice that some officials and government advocates were directly or indirectly assisting those attempting to encroach upon government and forest land worth thousands of crores of rupees.
The minister said he has written to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah seeking a CID or Special Investigation Team (SIT) probe into the matter.
Warning of strict action, the minister said no one attempting to grab forest land using forged documents would be spared and termed the development a "wake-up call".
