Rahul Gandhi met Nirav Modi at Delhi hotel in 2013, claims Poonawalla
New Delhi, Sep 14 : As Congress President Rahul Gandhi demanded Finance Minister Arun Jaitley's resignation over "free passage" given to the fugitive businessman Vijay Mallya, activist Shehzad Poonawalla on Thursday claimed "Gandhi met PNB fraud accused Nirav Modi at a hotel here in September 2013."
Poonawalla also challenged Gandhi to deny that he met Nirav Modi in 2013.
In a series of tweets, Poonawala said: "If P.L. Punia is proof of Arun Jaitley meeting Vijay Mallya (and accosting = meeting) I can swear on Quran and undertake lie detector @RahulGandhi attended Nirav Modi cocktail party and Bridal wear prog at Imperial Hotel Delhi in September 2013 while loans were wrongly given to Mama Bhanja".
"Open challenge to Rahul Gandhi to deny he met Nirav Modi in September 2013 cocktail party -11th Sep if my memory serves me right! Imperial Hotel- Rahul spent a long time!Same period when loans given to Mehul Choksi & Nirav Modi!! SPG may have records or let's undergo lie detector test?" he added.
Poonawalla also said: "There is a reason why Rahul Gandhi has formed a MahaGathBandhan with Vijay Mallya & relies on such fugitives' statements - ever since the @narendramodi govt brought in the Fugitive Economic Offender's Law - Bhagodas and potential bhagodas are feeling anxious."
A fresh war of words broke out between the BJP and Congress over Vijay Mallya on Thursday with Congress President Rahul Gandhi seeking Finance Minister Arun Jaitleys resignation over "free passage" given to the fugitive businessman and the BJP hitting out by alleging that UPA government gave "sweet deals" to him and that Gandhi family "partially owned the now-defunct Kingfisher Airlines through proxy".
The ruling party rejected the demand for Jailtley's resignation and instead sought to turn the tables on Congress by asking Rahul Gandhi to quit in the National Herald case.
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.
ISRO successfully conducts second integrated air drop test for Gaganyaan mission
New Delhi (PTI): Space agency ISRO has successfully conducted the second integrated air drop test (IADT-02) for the upcoming Gaganyaan mission at the space station in Andhra Pradesh's Sriharikota.
The system is essential to ensure a safe recovery of the crew module -- the capsule in which astronauts sit during a human flight -- during re-entry and landing.
Union minister Jitendra Singh congratulated the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) for successfully conducting the test.
"Congratulations #ISRO for the successful accomplishment of Second Integrated Air Drop Test (IADT-02) for #Gaganyaan, India's first Human Space flight scheduled next year. The second Integrated Air Drop Test (IADT-02) was successfully conducted at Satish Dhawan Space Station Sriharikota," Singh said in a post on X.
The IADT-02 follows the successful completion of the first IADT, which took place on August 24, 2025, at the Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota.
Air drop tests recreate the last leg of a spacecraft's return to Earth. An aircraft or helicopter drops the spacecraft from a height to test various systems under different scenarios.
These are the deployment of the parachute system in case the mission is aborted mid-flight, system performance when one parachute fails to open and the spacecraft's orientation and safety during splashdown etc.
In the IADT-02 test, a simulated crew module, weighing about 5.7 tonnes, was lifted by an Indian Air Force Chinook helicopter to an altitude of about three kilometres and released over a designated drop zone in the sea, near the Sriharikota coast.
In a statement, the ISRO said, "Ten parachutes of four types were deployed in a precise sequence during the descent of the crew module, gradually reducing the velocity for safe touchdown. Subsequently, the simulated crew module was successfully recovered in coordination with the Indian Navy."
