'Modi hai to Mumkin Hai' BJP slogan for 2019 election: Arun Jaitley
New Delhi, Mar 14: Seeking to encash Prime Minister Narendra Modi's image of a doer, BJP has chosen the slogan of 'Modi Hai to Mumkin Hai' 'Modi makes it possible' for the upcoming general elections, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said Thursday.
Modi, he added, has demonstrated during the last five years indefatigability by literally working round-the-clock, Jaitley said in the 'Agenda 2019 Part-4' blogpost.
He further said Modi as a quick learner has demonstrated his ability to take quick decisions on complicated matters with clarity and determination.
"His image as a doer is now recognised by most Indians. Many India observers across the world have marvelled with India's pace of taking decisions and implementing them. The BJP, therefore, has chosen an effective slogan for the forthcoming elections 'Modi Hai to Mumkin Hai' 'Modi makes it possible'," said Jaitley, who is also in-charge of the publicity division of BJP for 2019 general elections.
Recalling some landmark achievements of the government, he said for the first time for five years in a row, India has remained the fastest growing major economy in the world and also a 'sweet spot' in the global economy.
"It is both the motivation and the leadership which made the vital difference. It is precisely for this reason that India will witness an election where people will get an opportunity to endorse Prime Minister Modi's leadership, decisiveness, integrity and performance. Indeed he makes it possible," the finance minister said.
Among other things, Jaitley also said during Modi's premiership, India demonstrated through surgical strike of 2016 and air-strike of 2019 against Pakistan that it was willing to adopt unconventional methods of attacking terror at the point of its origin.
The other achievements of the government, he said, were bringing down inflation from 10.4 per cent during the UPA regime to 2.5 per cent presently, running an honest government and providing 10 per cent reservation in public employment and educational institutions for economically weaker sections in unreserved category.
The government, he said, has also provided income support to poor farmers and pension scheme for the unorganised labour in the country.
Other achievements of the government were the smoothest implementation of GST, free medical treatment to the poor under Ayushman Bharat scheme and 100 per cent electrification of all households, he said.
"The above is only an illustrative list of the kinds of strides India is making. Has any government done more? It was the same governmental machinery, the same political system, the same implementation instruments that the government had at its disposal. It is both the motivation and the leadership which made the vital difference," Jaitley said.
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ED arrests Sandeepa Virk, 'cosmetologist' for alleged money laundering
New Delhi, Aug 13 (PTI): The Enforcement Directorate said on Wednesday it has arrested a woman, who claims to be an actor and a cosmetologist, under the anti-money laundering law in a case of alleged fraud and misrepresentation.
The agency said the purported links of the woman, Sandeepa Virk, with a Reliance Group executive, Angarai Natarajan Sethuraman (President, Corporate Affairs), are also under its scanner. Sethuraman, in a statement, denied any connection with Virk or any transactions related to her.
Virk was taken into custody under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) on Tuesday after searches were conducted against her and her associates in Delhi and Mumbai over the last two days.
A special court sent her to the ED's custody till August 14, the agency said. The woman claims to be the owner of a skin care products selling website named hyboocare.com, which the ED claimed was a "front" for money laundering.
She and her associates are being probed for allegedly exerting undue influence through "misrepresentation" and "defrauding" individuals by soliciting money under false pretences.
According to an Instagram ID of Virk, she is an actor and entrepreneur and the founder of the said website.
The federal agency said in a statement that the woman was also "in touch with" Sethuraman, former director of erstwhile Reliance Capital Limited.
She was communicating with him regarding "illegal liaisoning", the ED claimed, adding that the searches at Sethuraman's residence "confirmed" these allegations.
"Besides, diversion of funds for personal benefit has also been unearthed during the course of the search action," it said.
The ED alleged that public money worth about Rs 18 crore belonging to Reliance Commercial Finance Limited (RCFL) was disbursed to Sethuraman in 2018 by "flouting" prudent lending norms.
The funds were lent under terms that allowed a deferment of the principal amount as well as the interest, with multiple waivers granted and no due diligence conducted, it said.
The ED claimed that besides this, a home loan of Rs 22 crore was provided by Reliance Capital Limited by "violating" the prudential norms. "A large part of these loans are seen to have been eventually siphoned off and remained unpaid," it alleged.
Sethuraman, in a statement, dismissed the allegations as "baseless". He denied any connection with Virk or any transactions related to her.
Detailing about Virk's web portal, the agency said it purportedly sold FDA-approved beauty products. However, the ED said the products listed on the website have been found to be non-existent and the portal lacks a user registration option and is plagued by persistent payment gateway issues.
A scrutiny of the website uncovered minimal social-media engagement, an inactive WhatsApp contact number and an absence of transparent organisational details, all of which reinforce the finding of "non-genuine" commercial activity, the ED claimed.
"These factors, including limited product range, inflated pricing, false claims of FDA approval and technical inconsistencies, indicate that the website serves as a front for laundering funds," it said.
Another social media-hosted bio data of the woman said she is a certified cosmetologist.
The ED said several "incriminating" documents were seized during the searches and the statement of a man named Farrukh Ali, stated to be an associate of Virk, was recorded.
The money-laundering case stems from an FIR lodged by the Punjab Police.
Sethuraman said that the home loan he received from Reliance Capital was granted following due process and was secured by the property offered as collateral.
