Never thought I'd sit in new Parliament building in my lifetime, I did now at age 91: HD Deve Gowda
Bengaluru, May 28: Former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda, who on Sunday attended the inauguration of the new Parliament building in New Delhi said it is his good fortune that he witnessed a great moment in India's democratic history.
The 91-year-old expressed his joy, saying he never thought that he would sit in a new Parliament building in his lifetime.
"It is my good fortune that I witnessed a great moment in India's democratic history. I entered the Karnataka legislative Assembly in 1962 and have been a Member of Parliament since 1991. When I entered this great house of the people 32 years ago, I had never thought I will be Prime Minister, and I did not expect to last this long in public life," Gowda said.
"But the even bigger surprise is that I never thought I will be seated in a new Parliament building in my lifetime I did so at the age of 91," he said in a statement.
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In the Indian tradition, and in the lifetime of an ordinary Indian, the construction of a new home and entering a new home is a very auspicious and rare moment, he said, adding that "In the life of a nation, it is an extraordinary moment."
Noting that when the old Parliament House was inaugurated, India was still under colonial rule and freedom was not on the horizon, the JD(S) patriarch, remembering the several prominent national personalities, said, "Our nation and Parliament is not stained by a bloody revolution".
"We became a nation through peaceful and non-violent means. This was a priceless achievement. That is our inheritance and that is the value system we have to preserve and pass on to our future generations," he said.
According to Gowda, since Independence our Parliament has seen highs and lows, and it has seen arrogance and humility, victories and defeats, but overall it has tried to keep a balance and fulfill the aspirations of the people of India.
Parliament has nourished all castes, all ethnicities, all religions, all languages and all geographies, the veteran leader said, "It has accommodated all nature of opinion, ideas and ideologies. It has celebrated diversity and there is no greater goal for us in this new home of our democracy than to preserve this enormous diversity of India."
He pointed out that the people of India have always been watchful and very wise, and that whenever they have seen someone commit excess and disturb the equilibrium of our nation, they have quietly taken them out of this great house.
"They have taught us all public servants the hardest lessons at times. I salute all the people of India on this occasion of the inauguration of the new Parliament building," Gowda said.
"I sincerely pray that our rich democratic tradition continues and flourishes as time passes by and helps India shine for all time to come," he added.
These are my thoughts after participating in the inauguration of the new Parliament building, today. pic.twitter.com/hc5HIYTY3P
— H D Devegowda (@H_D_Devegowda) May 28, 2023
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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.
