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Breaking | Indian Govt Proposed Anil Ambani For Rafale Deal : Francois Hollande, Ex French Prez

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 India Government Chose Anil Ambani For Rafale, Says Francois Hollande: 10 Facts

Former French President Francois Hollande has been quoted by an article on French website Mediapart as stating that the Indian government had asked the French government to nominate Anil Ambani’s Reliance Defence Industries as its India partner in the Rafale jet deal. The charge has been denied by the Defence Ministry.

Here are the top 10 developments on this big story:

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, September 18

The Northern Railways has decided to start Captain Service in long route trains operating in the region to felicitate passengers. According to the Railways authorities, the decision was taken in view of increased rush of passengers during the festive season.

They said this service would be provided in more than half dozen long route trains operating from the Northern Region.

The railway authorities said the ticket checker deployed in trains would be given additional charge of Captain in long route trains. “The Captain will be given a complaint book and passengers can inform him about the problems being faced by them while travelling. The mobile number of the Captain will also be displayed on the reservation chart,” a railway official said.

In fact, the rush of passengers is expected to increase manifold during the festive season in the coming some days. “A badge will be given to the train Captain, so that passengers can easily recognise him. Passengers can register their complaints with the Captain. They can also give their feedback and suggestions about their travelling experience in trains,” said Ludhiana Railway Station Director Abhinav Singla.

He said the railways expect to improve its service on the basis of suggestions and feedback given by passengers. “We are duty bound to provide best possible service to passengers. We appeal to the passengers to give their valuable suggestions to the train Captain about the facilities provided in the trains, so that we can improve in future,” Singla said.

Our Correspondent

Zirakpur, September 17

“We will not allow anyone incriminated in any case of religious desecration to go scot-free”. This was stated by Punjab Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh here today.

The Punjab Chief Minister was speaking after inaugurating Cine Plaza near McDonald’s in Zirakpur. He lashed out at the Badals for fanning communal hatred, warning that nobody involved in the sacrilege cases would be spared.

Capt Amarinder Singh also flayed Akali veteran Parkash Singh Badal for trying to divert the people’s attention from the findings of the Justice Ranjit Singh Commission, which had squarely blamed the previous regime for the desecration of holy scriptures.

He reiterated his firm resolve to bring to book all culprits involved in various sacrilegious acts, saying that the SIT team would thoroughly investigate nearly 200 incidents of sacrilege of holy scriptures, including Sri Guru Granth Sahib, Gutka Sahib, Srimad Bhagwad Gita and Quran Sharif.

To a query on the proposed Congress rally in Parkash Singh Badal’s home ground Lambi, Capt Amarinder said he would expose the malicious intent of the Badals to vitiate the peaceful atmosphere in the state.

Capt Amarinder said his government had planned to develop Zirakpur town as one of the best cities in the state with ultra-modern facilities and civic amenities. The Chief Minister also stated that Zirakpur had only a few scattered houses and had, over the years, grown into one of the fastest growing satellite towns as an integral part of the tricity.

Highlighting the revived positive investment sentiment in the state ever since the Congress government took over, the Chief Minister said construction activity in Zirakpur had recently picked up, resulting in the sale of nearly 28,000 new houses in the area.

On the issue of Dashmesh canal, Capt Amarinder Singh said as the matter of river waters was with the Supreme Court, the state government would explore the feasibility of constructing Dashmesh canal in due course of time.

Prominent among other who were present on the occasion included senior Congress leader Kewal Singh Dhillon, Mohali Deputy Commissioner Gurpreet Kaur Sapra and SSP Kuldeep Singh Chahal.

Govt has planned to develop Zirakpur as one of the best cities in state, says CM

Punjab Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh said his government had planned to develop Zirakpur town as one of the best cities in the state with ultra-modern facilities and civic amenities. The Chief Minister also stated that Zirakpur had only a few scattered houses and had, over the years, grown into one of the fastest growing satellite towns as an integral part of the tricity.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other BIMSTEC leaders at the signing ceremony of BIMSTEC convention and the adoption of Kathmandu Declaration in Kathmandu on Friday. PTI photo

Kathmandu, September 8

The Nepal Army has withdrawn from the first BIMSTEC military exercise to be held in India following a political row in the country over the participation in the event, a media report said on Saturday.

Prime Minister KP Oli asked the national defence force not to participate in the drill, compelling the Nepal Army’s leadership to rollback its earlier decision to take part in the first ever military exercise of the regional grouping initiated by India.

The decision was taken just a day before the Army squad was set to travel to Pune, where the drill will commence on Monday, the Kathmandu Post reported.

The government’s decision came after strong criticism from different quarters, including influential leaders from ruling Nepal Communist Party.

The Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) is a regional grouping comprising Bangladesh, India, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Bhutan and Nepal.

The armies from all seven members states had agreed to send a 30-member squad for the six-day exercise. The event was dragged into controversy as no diplomatic or political level agreement was made before deciding to take part in the exercise.

“The government directed the NA not to participate in the drill,” Kundan Aryal, the press advisor to Oli, was quoted as saying by the newspaper.

A senior Army official said even though they had not received a formal directive, the 30-member squad had been stopped from departing. Three Army officials who had already travelled to Pune to help plan the conference will also be returning soon, the Army officer said.

Cross-party leaders in Nepal had raised their concerns against the exercise after Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during his address at fourth BIMSTEC summit in Kathmandu last week, welcomed Nepal’s presence in the drill.

“There is no point in our Army Chief participating in the exercise which our government hasn’t approved,” Minister for Law and Justice Bhanu Bhakta Dahal told the Post. PTI 

The top court, however, ruled that it is not mandatory to link bank accounts with Aadhaar, the 12-digit personal identification number.

NEW DELHI:rmy Chief General Bipin Rawat on Sunday said that the youth fighting for freedom itself doesn’t know what they want. Speaking on Pakistan instigated violence in Kashmir, Army Chief said, “Pakistan wants these types of trouble (violence) to continue in Kashmir. They want that peace shouldn’t return in this area. They’re trying to radicalise the youth of Kashmir. Pakistan has decided to bleed India with a thousand cuts. This is a stated policy of Pakistan”

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Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, September 18

Attacking the BJP-led Central Government and the SAD, Congress leader Nimisha Mehta questioned the “will” of the two parties to have the Kartarpur corridor open for Sikh devotees.

Nimisha said Union Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal had all the time to point fingers at the conversation between External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and Punjab Minister Navjot Singh Sidhu but it was sad that she had not realised that her dear NDA government ministers were awaiting a proposal from Pakistan for opening the corridor.

“It is strange that it is the need of Sikh devotees of India to open the corridor and the Central Government, of which Harsimrat Badal herself is a part, and the Centre is expecting a proposal from Pakistan itself. How is it possible? If Indians are being affected, of course the Indian Government will have to put in a request and take an initiative keeping in view the faith of people,” said Nimisha.

But the statements of Union MoS VK Singh that they expect a proposal from Pakistan itself clarifies that it was a sheer delay tactic and a deep-rooted conspiracy of the SAD.

“How can we expect Pakistan to initiate things on its own when we need it the most here as devotees of our country want to visit Pakistan and not Pakistanis want to come here,” she said.

Nimisha said if Sidhu had gone to Pakistan, at least he raised the issue pertaining to millions of Sikh devotees whereas when the Badal family visited Pakistan they returned with buffaloes as a gift in 2012.

She added that the SAD was making tall claims of building the corridor now, whereas its leaders never accompanied the party’s then sidelined leader Kuldip Singh Wadala, who passed away months ago, even for a single prayer for opening of the corridor.

Imran Khan, along with senior Cabinet ministers, was briefed on Wednesday in detail on the various strategic intelligence.

Imran Khan has been accused by his critics of being the security establishment’s man. (File)

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, September 11

Former Union Minister Arun Shourie today alleged that the deal to buy 36 Rafale jets from Dassualt Aviation of France was the direct culpability of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in “compromising national security”.

When he announced the decision about getting 36 jets in April 2015 in Paris, Modi overturned the work of 7-8 years done by previous governments. There is no scope for discretion of the PM in such matters, said Shourie, addressing a media conference here.

He was accompanied by another former minister Yashwant Sinha and lawyer-activist Prashant Bhushan.

Shourie termed Finance Minister Arun Jaitley as “minister for blogging” in an obvious reference to his recent blogs on the subject. “His statement is contradictory to what he has said in Parliament,” said Shourie.

Jaitley says approval of the Defence acquisition council (DAC) was taken in May 2015, then how did the PM arrive at the number (36 planes) and the decision before the DAC had met. Dismissing claims of India-specific upgrades, Shourie referred to the April 2015 joint statement of Modi and French President François Hollande. It said the aircraft and associated systems and weapons would be delivered on the “same configuration” as had been tested and approved by the Indian Air Force.

Both Sinha and Shourie said the government has “spun a web of lies to protect Modi’s culpability in the largest defence scam” the country has ever seen.

“Every explanation they put out ensnares the government in the web of lies they have spun. This means they have a lot to hide,” said Shourie.

The following points need to explained: How price increased from 670 crore to 1,680 crore; how HAL was not included; why there is no transfer of technology; and how the deal is actually causing a delay.

New Delhi, September 9

In the midst of a political firestorm over the Rafale jet deal, the Indian Air Force is quietly making preparations, including readying required infrastructure and training of pilots, to welcome the fighter aircraft, official sources said.

They said the IAF is sending a batch of pilots by the end of this year to France for training on Rafale jets.

A number of IAF teams have already visited France to help Dassault Aviation, the manufacturer of Rafale, incorporate India-specific enhancements on-board the fighter aircraft.

Sources said Dassault Aviation had already started test flight of the fighter jets to be supplied to India and the company had been told to strictly adhere to the timeline for delivery of the aircraft.