Jaitley, Surjewala spar on Twitter over state of economy
New Delhi, June 14: Union Minister Arun Jaitley's remark that India is among the world's fastest growing economies was severely criticised by the Congress on Thursday, with party's chief spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala saying that growth under Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government is at a four-year low.
Jaitley and Surjewala exchanged heated arguments on Twitter a day after the Minister's Facebook post where he said that the Congress was becoming more and more "ideology-less" and "anti-Modism was becoming its only ideology".
Surjewala has countered it asking if Jaitley's party (BJP) was becoming "agenda-less" and "achievement-less".
On Thursday morning, Jaitley tweeted: "@rssurjewala (Surjewala)- this is a political discourse. Abuse is not the answer. Please respond to the facts."
Responding to his tweet, Surjewala said: "@arunjaitley (Arun Jaitley) ji, when you abuse and berate the Congress leadership, even Supreme Court and many others by distorting facts, it is 'political discourse' for you, but when you are shown the 'mirror of truth' with hard facts, you get 'unnerved' and call it 'abuse'? Politics of Convenience?"
"Surjewala, surely the journey from India being part of the 'fragile five' and 'policy paralysis' to the world's fastest growing economy could not be result of economic mismanagement - another case of ignorance," Jaitley said responding to the Congress leader's tweet.
Surejewala replied: "Growth under Modi Government is at four-year low, exports are in free fall, promise of two crore jobs is a 'Jumla', NPAs are soaring to 10 lakh crore, investment is down, banks are paralysed and 'loot scams' a norm, GST flawed, schemes failing! Isn't this Economic Mismanagement?"
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Nashik court sends ‘godman’ Kharat to seven-day judicial custody in third rape case
_vb_49.jpeg)
Nashik (PTI): A court in Maharashtra's Nashik on Monday remanded self-styled godman Ashok Kharat to judicial custody till April 20 in a third case of rape against him for allegedly sexually exploiting a pregnant woman.
The special investigation team (SIT) produced Kharat for a virtual hearing in the court of Chief Judicial Magistrate B N Ichpurani as his police custody in the case ended on Monday.
The SIT presented the remand report and sought judicial custody for Kharat, a former merchant navy officer. The court then remanded him to a seven-day judicial custody till April 20.
In the third case, Kharat, who was first arrested in mid-March, is accused of sexually exploiting a seven-month pregnant woman, the wife of his office staffer.
According to the complaint lodged by the victim's husband, the accused sexually assaulted the survivor on multiple occasions, including in his office in Nashik, between November 2023 and December 2025.
Kharat also conducted a ritual with the pregnant woman at a temple in Mirgaon village of Sinnar taluka of the district, it said.
Although the victim informed her husband about her plight, he did not believe her. But when he heard about complaints of Kharat's misbehaviour with other women, he planted a spy camera in the astrologer's office to find out the truth and recorded his acts.
The employee later handed over to the police a pen drive containing objectionable videos of the 'godman'.
Kharat faces nearly a dozen cases, eight of them related to sexual assaults.
The SIT, meanwhile, has filed an application in the court demanding Kharat's custody in another case. As the court granted them the necessary permission, the team will take the accused's custody from the Nashik Road Central Jail.
Kharat will be produced in court again in the fourth case on Tuesday.
_vb_90.jpeg)
_vb_90.jpeg)