Vijay Mallya claims he informed Jaitley before leaving India
Congress terms Modi govt as ‘surrendered’
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New Delhi: In a fresh twist to the long-standing controversy over fugitive businessman Vijay Mallya’s escape from India, Mallya has claimed in a recent podcast that he informed then Finance Minister Arun Jaitley before departing for London in 2016. His remarks have reignited political debate, with Congress leader Pawan Khera lashing out at the Modi government, calling it “Narendra’s surrendered system.”
Speaking on the podcast, Mallya said, “I told Finance Minister Arun Jaitley before leaving for the airport and then I flew to London from Delhi.” He added that the revelation caused a storm in media and political circles at the time, with questions raised on how he left the country despite being under investigation.
Mallya also recalled that when the news first broke, Jaitley denied meeting him. “A Congress MP saw us and then told the media, ‘No, I saw them together’. Jaitley had to retract his statement. He then said I met him, but only while walking — it was a fleeting meeting,” Mallya stated.
Clarifying further, Mallya said he never claimed to have had a formal meeting inside Jaitley’s office. “All I said is that I told the Finance Minister while leaving that I’m going to London to go to Geneva for a meeting. I’ll be back. Please tell the banks to sit across the table and settle with me. How long does this take — this one sentence?”
He also criticised media reporting on his case, stating, “This is the problem with the media, particularly where I’m concerned. They conjure up stuff, blow things out of proportion. Okay, it’s good for their business, then let them continue doing it.”
Reacting to the revelations, Congress leader Pawan Khera posted on X (formerly Twitter), “Foreign Minister attacks Pakistan by telling them. Bank fugitives flee the country after informing the Finance Minister. Narendra’s entire system turned out to be surrendered.”
Mallya’s comments have stirred fresh debate over the circumstances surrounding his flight from India and the role of senior government officials during the period. The Opposition has once again raised questions on the Modi government's handling of economic offenders.
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PM Modi likely to visit New York for UNGA session next month
United Nations (PTI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to address the annual high-level session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in September, according to a provisional list of speakers issued by the UN here.
The 80th session of the UNGA will open on September 9. The high-level General Debate will run from September 23-29, with Brazil as the traditional first speaker of the session, followed by the US.
US President Donald Trump will address world leaders from the iconic UNGA podium on September 23, his first address to the UN session in his second term in the White House.
According to the provisional list of speakers for the high-level debate of the 80th session of the General Assembly, India’s “Head of Government (HG)” will address the session on the morning of September 26.
The Heads of Government of Israel, China, Pakistan, and Bangladesh are also scheduled to address the UNGA general debate on the same day.
Modi had travelled to the US in February this year for a bilateral meeting with Trump in the White House in Washington, DC. In a joint statement issued after their meeting, Modi and Trump had announced plans to negotiate the first tranche of a mutually beneficial, multi-sector Bilateral Trade Agreement (BTA) by the fall of 2025.
Even as trade negotiations were ongoing, Trump imposed tariffs totalling 50 per cent on India, including 25 per cent for New Delhi’s purchases of Russian oil that will come into effect from August 27.
Responding to the tariffs, India’s Ministry of External Affairs has said that the targeting of the country is unjustified and unreasonable.
“Like any major economy, India will take all necessary measures to safeguard its national interests and economic security,” it said.
Last week’s announcement of Trump’s executive order imposing the additional 25 per cent tariff came at a time when a team from the US is scheduled to visit India from August 25 for the sixth round of negotiations for the proposed bilateral trade agreement.
The two countries are aiming to conclude the first phase of the pact by fall (October-November) this year.
The UNGA list of speakers for the General Debate is provisional, and there is a possibility of changes in schedules and speakers over the next few weeks. The list will continue to be updated accordingly.
Considered the “busiest diplomatic season” of the year at the United Nations Headquarters, the high-level session opens in September annually.
The session this year comes amid the continued Israel-Hamas war as well as the Ukraine conflict.
Trump has said that in the six months of his second presidential term, he has solved several wars, including a peace agreement between Armenia and Azerbaijan, Cambodia and Thailand, Israel and Iran, Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Egypt and Ethiopia, and Serbia and Kosovo.
Trump has repeatedly claimed credit for stopping the May conflict between India and Pakistan.
