Foreign-made weapons, Rs 5 cr cash recovered by ED during raids in Haryana mining case
Chandigarh, Jan 5: Foreign-made rifles, about 300 cartridges, Rs 5 crore in cash and more than 100 liquor bottles have been recovered during searches conducted by the Enforcement Directorate against former INLD MLA Dilbag Singh and his associates, official sources said on Friday.
The central agency had launched raids against Singh and Congress MLA from Sonipat Surender Panwar on Thursday as part of a money laundering case linked to alleged illegal mining in Haryana's Yamunanagar district and some other regions.
Singh is a former Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) MLA from Yamunanagar.
About Rs 5 crore cash, "illegal" foreign-made rifles, around 300 cartridges and bullets, more than 100 liquor bottles, 4-5 kilograms of gold biscuits and jewellery, and documents pertaining to assets in India and abroad have been recovered from the premises linked to Singh and his associates, the sources said.
The searches at some locations are continuing, they said.
Around 20 locations of the two politicians and linked entities in Yamunanagar, Sonipat, Mohali, Faridabad, Chandigarh and Karnal were covered during the raids conducted under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
The money laundering case stems from several FIRs registered by Haryana Police to probe alleged illegal mining of boulders, gravel and sand that took place in the past in Yamunanagar and nearby districts even after the lease expiry period and a ban imposed by the National Green Tribunal (NGT).
The central agency is also probing alleged fraud in the 'e-Ravana' scheme, an online portal that was introduced by the Haryana government in 2020 to simplify collection of royalties and taxes and to prevent tax evasion in mining areas.
The activities were being run by a syndicate allegedly linked to the two politicians, ED sources claimed.
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Sujit Nair raises concerns over speculation of DMK-AIADMK understanding to block TVK
Chennai: Journalist and political commentator Sujit Nair has expressed concern over speculation that the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam could explore a post-poll understanding to prevent Vijay-led Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam from forming the government in Tamil Nadu.
In a social media post, Sujit Nair said the election verdict in Tamil Nadu reflected a clear public demand for political change and argued that the mandate should be respected irrespective of political preferences.
Referring to reports and political discussions surrounding a possible understanding between the DMK and AIADMK, he said he hoped such developments remained only speculative conversations and did not turn into reality.
Nair stated that if such an alliance were to take shape, it would raise serious questions about ideological politics in the country. He said TVK had emerged through a democratic electoral process and that the legitimacy to govern in a parliamentary democracy comes from the people’s verdict.
According to him, attempts to prevent an electoral winner from forming the government through unexpected political arrangements may be constitutionally valid, but many people could view them as politically opportunistic.
He further said that such a move could particularly affect the political image of the DMK, which has historically projected itself around ideology, social justice and opposition politics. Nair said that in ideological terms, the DMK appeared closer to TVK than to the AIADMK, and joining hands with its long-time political rival only to remain in power could weaken its broader political narrative.
He added that the same questions would apply to the AIADMK as well, as the party had spent decades positioning itself against the DMK and such an arrangement could create discomfort among its cadre and supporters.
Drawing a comparison with Maharashtra politics in 2019, Nair said he had expressed similar views when the Shiv Sena formed an alliance with the Indian National Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party after the Assembly elections.
He said post-poll alliances between long-standing political rivals often create a public perception that ideology and electoral mandates become secondary when political power equations come into play.
Nair also said such developments increase public cynicism towards politics and reinforce the belief among voters that ideology is often sidelined after elections.
He maintained that the Tamil Nadu verdict was emphatic and said respecting both the spirit and substance of the mandate was important for the credibility of democratic politics.
