Had Lokpal been implemented, Modi would be 'number one accused' in Rafale: Congress
New Delhi : Prime Minister Narendra Modi would have been "number one accused" in the Rafale issue had the Lokpal law been implemented, the Congress on Monday claimed as the opposition targeted the government in Lok Sabha on the fighter jet deal.
If anybody has to be held guilty in Rafale deal, "it is the PM and PM alone", Congress leader Veerappa Moily said launching a scathing attack on Modi and the Union government during a discussion on the interim budget.
Trinamool Congress' (TMC) Saugata Roy claimed the Rafale issue has "exposed the chinks" in the government's armour.
It has proved the government is no longer incorruptible, he said.
Citing recent critical media reports on the fighter aircraft deal, Moily alleged that the Rafale issue has become a "household scandal" and that Modi may "escape" his responsibility today but not in the days to come.
While the defence budget saw only a paltry increase in absolute terms and the allocation to the sector as percentage of the GDP has gone down, he alleged the ruling BJP is using money to "buy" MLAs, build "palatial" offices and filling its coffers.
On the Rafale deal, in which the Congress has accused the government of corruption, Moily said, "Now it is crystal clear why Lokpal (law) is not being implemented. If it had been in place, the PM would be number one accused."
He was referring to the law on setting up anti-corruption ombudsman.
Due to this "guilty conscience", the Union government has been using investigative agencies against its rivals, he alleged.
In an apparent reference to Modi's comments about his "56 -inch chest", Moily said, "When bullet of corruption is hit, his broad shoulders cannot bear it."
Modi had earlier hit out the Congress over the Rafale issue, saying the party did not want the country's armed forces to be strengthened, and had asked if it was bidding for any private player.
During his reply to the discussion on motion of thanks on the President's address, the Prime Minister had alleged that no defence deal during the Congress rule was without kickbacks.
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'He is in a happy place now': Harish Rana's last rites conducted, family to donate his organs
Ghaziabad (UP) (PTI): Don't cry, he is in a happy place now, the parents of Harish Rana, the first person in India to be permitted passive euthanasia, said on Wednesday as they bid farewell to their son one last time.
Harish's last rites were conducted at the Green Park cremation ground in South Delhi on Wednesday morning, marking a quiet end to his 13-year ordeal.
In a final act of generosity, Harish's family consented to donate five of his organs.
The 31-year-old man passed away on Tuesday after slipping into a coma in 2013, following a fall from a fourth-floor balcony while he was a B.Tech student at Panjab University.
During the last rites, Harish's mother bid an emotional farewell to her son with folded hands and met those present, while his father Ashok Rana urged mourners not to cry, a neighbour told PTI over the phone.
Residents who attended the cremation described the atmosphere as deeply emotional. Tejas Chaturvedi, a resident of the Raj Empire Society, noted that many attendees were moved to tears during the ceremony. However, Ashok Rana continued to console others and encouraged them to remain strong in their moment of grief.
"Let no one weep. I am praying that my son may depart in peace. Wherever he is born next, may he receive God's blessings," he said.
Uttar Pradesh Congress chief Ajai Rai, who visited the cremation ground to pay his respects, told PTI that the family had confirmed donation of five of Harish's organs. "Harish might be gone, but he will continue to live on through the beneficiaries of his organ donation. The family has set an example before the entire nation," Rai told PTI over the phone.
Family members, along with representatives of the Brahma Kumaris, a spiritual movement led by women, attended the cremation to offer their prayers for Harish. Residents from the Raj Empire Society in Ghaziabad, where the Rana family lives, also came to show their support, joining a diverse group of NGOs, AIIMS staff, relatives, and friends.
Harish's body was transported to the cremation ground in an ambulance, and the platform was covered in rose petals. Many mourners paid their last respects with folded hands, and some placed saffron garlands on the body before it was laid upon the pyre. Ashish Rana, Harish's younger brother, lit the pyre, accompanied by his sister, Bhavna.
Sister Lovely of the Brahma Kumaris, who has been associated with the family and travelled to the cremation ground, said that meditative chants were performed during the last rites. "The body is leaving the mortal world, but the soul is immortal and has begun a new journey," she said.
"The family decided to donate Harish's eyes," Sister Lovely told PTI.
Additionally, Sister Lovely shared that a 'bhog' (offering) and prayer ritual will be held by the Brahma Kumaris in the coming days, where food items that Harish enjoyed will be prepared. "Harish could not eat for over a decade. Now the soul is free. In a symbolic gesture, we will offer the food that his body loved," she said.
Earlier, neighbours and well-wishers spoke of the family's unwavering commitment to caring for Harish despite the emotional and financial challenges they faced over the years. His parents, Ashok Rana and Nirmala Devi, described the decision to allow passive euthanasia as "extremely painful but necessary."
According to sources, the family is scheduled to return to their Ghaziabad residence after completing the last rites and related rituals.
Harish was shifted to the palliative care unit at AIIMS Delhi earlier this month from his Ghaziabad home following a landmark Supreme Court order permitting the withdrawal of life support for him. He passed away on Tuesday.
The apex court had clarified that passive euthanasia in his case would involve withdrawal of artificial nutrition, such as the feeding tube, while continuing palliative care to allow a natural death with dignity. Medical boards had concluded that his condition was irreversible.
