Subramanian Swamy withdraws from SC his 2013 plea against Jet-Etihad Airways deal
New Delhi (PTI): BJP leader Subramanian Swamy on Friday withdrew from the Supreme Court his 2013 plea seeking quashing of an alliance between Jet Airways and the Abu Dhabi-based Etihad Airways.
"I wish to withdraw this, it is the Jet-Etihad matter. Now there is no Jet, no Etihad," Swamy told a bench of Justices M R Shah and C T Ravikumar.
The bench then remarked in a lighter vein, "We do not know who is responsible for that."
Taking note of his submissions, the top court allowed Swamy to withdraw his plea.
"The petitioner seeks permission to withdraw in view of subsequent developments.
The petitioner stands dismissed as withdrawn," the bench said while granting him liberty to file a fresh application, if there is any new cause of action.
The apex court had issued notices to the Centre, Ministry of Commerce, the Ministry of External Affairs, Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB), Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion, Directorate General of Civil Aviation and others in the case.
Swamy had submitted that the deal was against public interest as there has been squandering of natural resource i.e. the sky and air space.
He claimed that the deal was cleared against the advice of the Parliament Select Committee and other advisory bodies.
Swamy had also submitted that even the CAG has found that there has been reckless allocation of air space to foreign airlines.
Jet Airways had on April 24, 2013 announced plans to sell 24 per cent equity to Etihad Airways for about Rs 2,058 crore as part of a strategic alliance that would lead to a major expansion in their global network.
Swamy had in his PIL sought "a direction to set aside and revoke any action or decision or grant of any further approvals/permissions/permits, etc. by the respondent(govt) authorities, based upon, relying upon or in furtherance of the impugned bilateral dated April 24."
"The petitioner challenges such arbitrary, irrational and malafide act of grant of largesse in the form of bilateral/MoU dated April 24 and by way of the present petition seeks an investigation under the supervision of this Court into the matters of national and public interest," he had said in his petition.
He had also sought a CBI probe against government officials who had cleared the deal.
Swamy had questioned the Centre's decision to execute the agreement in favour of Abu Dhabi under the existing air service agreement between the governments of India and United Arab Emirates.
"The actions of authorities from execution of the bilateral to the unprecedented haste in order to assist the realisation of wrongful gains by the facilitator are writ large with acts of collusion and abuse of position," the petition had contended.
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Cong files police complaint over statements of NDA leaders targeting Rahul
New Delhi (PTI): The Congress on Wednesday filed a police complaint over the recent statements of leaders belonging to the ruling NDA targeting Rahul Gandhi.
The party alleged that the statements were aimed at jeopardising the safety and security of the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha and to disturb peace throughout the country, especially in view of the polls in Jammu and Kashmir, and Haryana.
In the complaint submitted to the SHO of the Tughlaq Road police station by AICC treasurer and general secretary Ajay Maken, the Congress cited the recent remarks by BJP leaders Tarvinder Singh Marwah, Ravneet Singh Bittu and Raghuraj Singh, as well as that of Shiv Sena MLA Sanjay Gaikwad.
Maken sought registration of FIRs against the leaders.
Speaking with the media after filing the complaint, Maken said, “We all know that late Indira Gandhi ji and late Rajiv ji have sacrificed their lives for the country. Even after that, they are giving such threats.”
Politics in India cannot stoop to a lower level than this, he said.
“Not just one BJP leader, but many leaders have said such things, but BJP did not take any action,” he said.
“Rahul Gandhi talks about SC, ST, OBC, tribal and minority people. That is why BJP people do not like his words. This is the reason why they are threatening him,” he said
“But let me tell you -- This is the Congress party and we are not going to be scared or cowed down,” Maken said.
In the police complaint, Maken said, "On September 11, Marwah in a BJP event openly issued assassination threat against Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, wherein he said that 'Rahul Gandhi baaz aaja, nahi toh aane wale time mein tera bhi wohi haal hoga jo teri dadi ka haal hua (you better behave, or you will meet the same fate as your grandmother)'".
It also cited Sena MLA Gaikwad's announcement of a bounty of Rs 11 lakh for anyone who will cut the tongue of the Leader of Opposition. The complaint cited Minister of State for Railways Ravneet Bittu's remarks, calling the Leader of Opposition the "number one terrorist of the country".
"Bittu deliberately made the statement to provoke public hatred and outrage against Mr Gandhi, with the aim to incite violence and breach of peace. The said statement was widely publicised on TV channels and social media," the complaint said.
It cited Uttar Pradesh government minister Raghuraj Singh's remarks that Gandhi was the "number one terrorist of India".
"The above statements/ threats issued by various BJP Leaders and its allies, calling for assassination and/or bodily injury onto Rahul Gandhi and also calling the Leader of Opposition of the country a terrorist, exhibits personal hatred by the BJP/NDA alliance partners against Gandhi, and such utterances are made only with the aim to cause unrest among the general masses to provoke rioting, breach of peace etc. through the hate-filled remarks," the Congress said in its complaint.
Gandhi has been continuously raising issues pertaining to deprived sections of the society such as women, youth, Dalits and other marginalised sections and the failure of the BJP to address such public-centric issues, the Congress said.
However, the same has not gone down well with the BJP and its allies, therefore the above-named people have been deputed to make such hate-filled comments on the Leader of Opposition of India, the Congress alleged.
"Further, through the said events, the leaders of BJP/its allies, intend to jeopardise the safety and security of the Leader of Opposition, as well as, seek to disturb public peace throughout the country, especially in view of the ongoing elections in state of Jammu & Kashmir and Haryana," the complaint read.
Not only have the leaders made the statements but also played an active role, through their associates, in spreading the same among the general public through social media and other means, in order to deliberately incite public aggression or outage against Gandhi and supporters or members of the Congress on basis of false, untrue, motivated and hate-filled statements, it said.
"Hence, it is imperative that an FIR under relevant provisions of the BNS, 2023 be registered immediately, without any delay," the party said.
"In addition to the above, it is also stated that calling the Leader of Opposition of India, a 'terrorist', 'number one terrorist' etc. not only undermines the public office he holds but the above-named persons deliberately seek to obstruct Rahul Gandhi in discharge of his public duties," the party said.
"The above intentional and well-thought acts of criminal intimidation, public mischief are deliberate attempts by BJP/NDA Leaders to create enmity, breach of peace, incite aggression, hatred and ill-will among the general public against Rahul Gandhi, the Congress and its leaders on the instructions of top bosses of the BJP/NDA, the complaint said.
"In view of the above, the above-named persons, all connected with a common threat to the ruling BJP, hatched a well-planned criminal conspiracy, with other known/ unknown associates to commit the above acts. Accordingly, I request you to register an FIR, inter-alia, u/s 351, 352, 353, 61 of BNS, at the earliest, against the above-named persons and their associates," the complaint by Maken said.
