New Delhi, Jan 17: The BJP’s national executive meeting on Tuesday passed a socio-economic resolution praising Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s leadership for transforming India into the fifth largest economy from a ‘Fragile Five’ economy.
The resolution underlined that now the country is moving towards politics and governance of saturation, suggesting that the government’s progarmmes are fulfilling the requirements of the people, Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said.
He told a press conference that the resolution was proposed by Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. The BJP’s national executive also expressed its gratitude towards Prime Minister Modi for the construction of the Ram temple in Ayodhya, he said.
The resolution was seconded by Union Minister V Muraleedharan and BJP MP from Haryana Sunita Duggal.
“The opposition used to ridicule the BJP asking the date for the construction of the Ram temple in Ayodhya. Now, the temple is under construction and its date has also been announced,” Pradhan said.
In the last eight and half years, the government has made the Indian economy and society more inclusive and self dependent, the BJP leader said as he underlined that “Sabka Sath Sabka Vikas” is not merely a slogan but philosophy for his party.
“When we came to power, India was in the ‘Fragile Five’ and now, when we are completing 75 years of independence… (it) became the fifth largest economy, leaving behind the United Kingdom,” he said.
Pradhan said the resolution talked about welfare measures such as free ration to the poor, housing for all and free of cost vaccines during the COVID-19 pandemic.
He said that under the Modi government, India’s contribution to the world GDP rose to 3.5 per cent from 2.6 per cent.
The resolution also hailed the Modi government for developing a digital transaction ecosystem and stated that 40 per cent of global digital transactions are happening in India, according to Pradhan.
On the financial side, the resolution talked about the Goods and Services Tax and also 22.6 per cent rise in tax collections, he said. (AGENCIES)

Hoshiarpur, Jan 17: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday accused the BJP and the RSS of capturing all institutions in the country, and claimed there is “pressure” on the media, Election Commission and the judiciary.
He also took a swipe at the Aam Aadmi Party government in Punjab and asserted that Punjab should be run from Punjab only, not from Delhi.
Addressing the media here, Gandhi charged that the BJP and RSS have captured all the institutions in the country.
“Today all the institutions of the country are controlled by the RSS and the BJP. There is a pressure on all institutions. Press is under pressure, bureaucracy is under pressure, the Election Commission is under pressure, they put pressure on the judiciary,” he charged.
“This is not a fight between one political party and another political party. It is now a fight between the institutions of the country, which were captured by them, and the opposition,” he said.
Normal democratic processes in the country is now missing, he claimed.
Replying to a question on Bhagwant Mann, Gandhi said he had told the Punjab chief minister that Punjab can be run from Punjab only.
“It is a historical fact. If it is run from Delhi, then people of Punjab will not accept it,” Gandhi, whose Bharat Jodo Yatra is passing through the state, said.
Gandhi on Monday had told Mann that he should not become a remote control of anyone and should run the state independently.
Reacting sharply, Mann had said he was made the chief minister by the public and reminded Gandhi of the “insult” inflicted on Amarinder Singh by the Congress by unceremoniously removing him from the post. (Agencies)

NEW DELHI, Jan 17: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on January 17 registered a disproportionate assets case against a retired Indian Railway Traffic Service (IRTS) (1989 batch) officer Pramod Kumar Jena. The CBI seized ₹1.57 crore in cash, 17 kilograms of gold worth about ₹8.50 crore, the detection of bank and postal deposits of about ₹2.50 crore, and papers of several immovable properties, during searches at his premises, a CBI official said.
On January 3, the agency had booked the officer who retired in November last year, for allegedly amassing assets disproportionate to his known sources of income.
The CBI carried out searches at Mr. Jena’s premises in Bhubaneswar, the officials said.

Jan 17: Pakistan Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif on Tuesday called for “serious and sincere” talks with prime minister Narendra Modi on “burning issues including Kashmir”.

In an interview with Dubai-based Al-Arabiya news channel, Shahbaz said, “India is a very brotherly country, and we have always shared brotherly relations and it is unique. Pakistan has learnt its lessons, we had three wars with India and the consequence of those wars were more misery, unemployment, and poverty. We want to live in peace with India provided we are able to resolve our problems. ”

“It is up to us to live peacefully and make progress or quarrel with each other, and waste time and resources. We want to alleviate poverty, achieve prosperity, and provide education and health facilities and employment to our people and not waste our resources on bombs and ammunition, that is the message I want to give to PM Modi,” he added.

Suggesting that the UAE leadership could play an important role in bringing India and Pakistan to the table, he said, “My message to Indian prime minister Narender Modi is — Let’s sit, talk and bring to the table all our issues and find a resolution for burning issues like Kashmir.”

On the topic of Article 370, Shahbaz still repeated Pak allegations about minorities being ‘grossly mishandled’ in India. He added, “We are ready for talks and peace.”

“We are both are nuclear powers, if anything happens, who will live to tell what happened,” he said.

The Supreme Court on Monday said it could consider sending the application filed by Google back to the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT) – on a condition.

As the tech giant moved the apex court seeking stay on a Competition Commission of India (CCI) order imposing a Rs 1,337 crore penalty on it, a bench headed by Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud asked Google India counsel if it will follow the same regime in India as it does in Europe in connection with pre-installed apps in Android-based mobile smartphones.

The bench, also comprising Justices P.S. Narasimha and J.B. Pardiwala, asked senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, appearing for Google, that “will Google practice the same regime in place in India as you have in Europe?”

Singhvi contended before the bench that compliance in Europe pertained to Google’s standard ‘Mobile Application Distribution Agreement’ (MADA) unbundling. The Chief Justice added: “Please reflect on this and come back.”

The bench made this observation following the submission from Additional Solicitor General N. Venkataraman, representing the CCI, that Google had complied with a similar order passed by the European Commission.

Singhvi said when the matter came before the judge, he recorded that since there is a hearing in the matter in April, there is no need for an interim order. He added that Android is the world’s best ecosystem and these directions are extraordinary. Singhvi said that directions were that his proprietary software which makes everything is to be shared and the second is side loading.

Venkataraman alleged the company was discriminating against the Indian consumers.

Singhvi added that the matter was filed in December and on January 3, it was mentioned before the NCLAT and the date of compliance is January 19.

As the Chief Justice queried: “Are the directions consistent with steps taken by you?”, Singhvi said no.

The bench also added that it would send it back to NCLAT and ask them to deal with the application for stay.

The top court has scheduled the matter for further hearing on Wednesday.

On January 11, the Supreme Court agreed to examine an appeal by Google against a decision by the NCLAT, declining to stay a Rs 1,337.76 crore penalty imposed on it by the CCI in October for alleged anti-competitive practices.

Google moved the apex court after the setback at NCLAT, which did not stay the CCI order on abuse of dominant position in multiple markets in the Android mobile device ecosystem case. Earlier this month, the NCLAT did not find any urgency to pass an interim order, after noting that Google filed the appeal in December last year, though the CCI passed the order in October. It directed Google to deposit 10 per cent of the fine amount.

The tribunal had said that there was no urgency shown in the filing of the appeal, therefore Google could not be allowed to press for interim relief.

The CCI also imposed a penalty of Rs 936.44 crore on the company for abusing its dominant position with respect to its Play Store policies.