Pune, Feb 25: The Shiv Sena on Thursday slammed the Centre saying that on the one hand it called for a boycott of Chinese products and banned some apps of that country after the border standoff, on the other hand the neighbouring country emerged as India's top trading partner in 2020.
The party also said that while the government is once again laying a red carpet for Chinese firms, it should not forget that China is an "untrustworthy and unreliable" neighbour.
"The border tension between India and China de- escalated last week. The tension in trade ties between the two countries also looks set to reduce. There is a possibility that 45 Chinese companies will be given permission to work in India. In short, the tough stand taken by the Modi government after the COVID-19 outbreak towards the Chinese companies and their investment seems to be easing," the Sena said in an editorial in party mouthpiece 'Saamana'.
Politics and diplomatic relations with other countries keep changing as per the circumstances, it said.
"But is it a just coincidence that the Centre has softened its stand towards the Chinese trade after the de- escalation of tension on the border?" it asked.
Over the last eight months, the border conflict had turned severe. After the Chineseaggression, fierce conflict in the Galwan Valley, India and China reached an agreement on disengagement in eastern Ladakh last week. But soon after that it emerged that the trade ties between the two countries are thawing, it said.
The Uddhav Thackeray-party said that China is the most "unreliable and untrustworthy" neighbour and though it has taken a soft stand on the border for its trade, it can again start its troublesome actions on the border once its purpose is achieved.
Last year, India banned 59 Chinese apps including Tik-Tok. Some trade agreements with China were cancelled, curbs were imposed on the Chinese investment in India and 'Aatmanirbhar Bharat' and nationalism were promoted, it said.
"The Modi government blew its trumpet about how they blocked China...So what exactly happened in the last eight months that red carpet is being laid for 45 Chinese firms now?" it asked.
Citing the provisional data from the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, the Sena said it is a fact that China has returned as the top trade partner of India in 2020.
"So after the ministry's data, it is now clear that big balloons filled with nationalistic air about banning Chinese products, apps, call for Swadeshi, have now burst," the editorial said.
"In a nutshell, as soon as China pulls back from the border, our government gives it a go-ahead (to do business in India). But the Centre should not forget that China is an untrustworthy neighbour," the Sena said.
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New Delhi, Mar 28: A court here Thursday extended the Enforcement Directorate custody of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal till April 1 in the excise policy case.
The agency sought seven-day custody of the AAP chief, but the court said he has to be produced before it on April 1 at 11 am.
The ED had produced him before Rouse Avenue court Special Judge Kaveri Baweja as his current six-day custody was ending on Thursday.
The ED said in its fresh remand plea that during Kejriwal's custodial interrogation, his statements were recorded over five days but he was "giving evasive replies".
It said statements of three other persons relevant to the case have also been recorded during the remand period.
It said that during the ED custody, Kejriwal was confronted with C Arvind, the then personal secretary to deputy CM Manish Sisodia who was handed over the draft Group of Ministers (GoM) report for the 2021-22 excise policy at the residence of the chief minister.
It said the statement of one of the AAP candidates in the 2022 Goa elections was also recorded during Kejriwal's ED custody. It revealed that the candidate did not have any money and his election expenditure was "taken care of by the AAP Office Delhi only through their associates",
The plea said that during the custody, data from the mobile phone of the chief minister's wife have been extracted and were being analysed.
"However, data from other four digital devices seized during the search at Kejriwal's premises on March 21 (belonging to Kejriwal) are yet to be extracted as the arrestee (Kejriwal) has sought time in providing password and login credentials after consulting with his lawyers," it said.
The application said the movable and immovable property details, income tax returns (ITRs), and other financial details sought from Kejriwal were yet to be provided by the chief minister, or his family members.
The federal probe agency said it had sought the details regarding the appointments made with the chief minister in the online portal in his office.
It said the during the interrogation, summonses were issued to senior excise officials in Punjab who were "involved in the arm-twisting of certain (liquor) wholesalers of Delhi."
The agency said that when the demand for bribes was not fulfilled, these officials either shut down their factories or did not allow the wholesalers to despatch their goods to Punjab.
The plea said the officials concerned sought time on the summonses, citing the hooch tragedy in Sangrur.
"The arrestee needs to be interrogated further in the wake of these reasons or findings. Hence, it is imperative in the interest of investigation that seven days' further custodial remand of Arvind Kejriwal may be granted to the Directorate of Enforcement," the plea said.