Businessmen who do not do as Centre asks of them are harassed by IT, ED: Priyank Kharge
Bengaluru: Rural Development and IT-BT Minister Priyank Kharge has alleged that businesspersons who do not fall in line with the central government are being deliberately harassed through agencies such as the Income Tax Department, the Enforcement Directorate (ED), and the Goods and Services Tax (GST) authorities.
Speaking to reporters in Bengaluru on Saturday in connection with the suicide of businessman C.J. Roy, Kharge said that for the past ten years, central agencies have been used as tools to target entrepreneurs who refuse to follow the diktats of the Union government.
“There are several examples of businesspersons being subjected to harassment by the ED, IT and GST departments if they do not toe the Centre’s line. But such action is never seen against industrialists like Ambani and Adani,” Kharge alleged. He claimed that instead of scrutiny, the government changes policies to favour and expand the businesses of select corporate groups.
Referring to the death of C.J. Roy, the minister said the incident shows the extent of pressure faced by businesspersons. “If a businessman is driven to suicide, one can imagine the level of harassment involved. This is not limited to industrialists alone; even ordinary citizens are facing similar trouble,” he said.
Kharge further stated that the allegation of harassment was not being made by him alone but by the family of the deceased businessman. He demanded a thorough investigation into the matter to ascertain the role of central agencies and ensure accountability.
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Ramdev criticises US, Israel over Iran war; video viral
New Delhi: Yoga guru Baba Ramdev has sharply criticised the United States and Israel over their conflict with Iran, in a video from a television interview that has gone viral on social media.
Speaking on a show aired by ABP News, Ramdev was asked whether India should support Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu or Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, who was reported to have been killed on the first day of the war on February 28.
Responding to the question, Ramdev said, “You can kill a person, but you cannot kill his ideas, his philosophy, his mindset, his spirit, or his valour and heroism.”
He went on to express support for Iran, saying he may not know much about the country but believes its people cannot be subdued. Referring to the Shia Muslim community, he said no one could make them “bow down” or defeat them, adding that a significant section of Iran’s population strongly identifies with Khamenei’s ideology.
When asked about Netanyahu, Ramdev criticised both him and US President Donald Trump, saying they are “both cut from the same cloth.” He added, “I am not calling anyone a thief; I am simply citing a proverb it implies that they are both of the same ilk, and I consider them both to be war criminals. I consider them criminals against humanity; I consider them criminals against nature and the environment.”
He further said that the United States and Israel have “erected a Himalaya-sized mountain of political mistrust” and claimed that both countries would have to face the consequences for decades. “In this conflict, neither can America and Israel emerge victorious, nor can Iran be defeated,” he said.
Ramdev’s remarks come at a time when India’s position on the conflict has drawn attention. The government, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has maintained what it describes as “strategic autonomy” in foreign policy.
