New Delhi:Taking cognizance of Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley’s complaint against Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and five other AAP leaders for allegedly defaming him in the DDCA controversy, a Delhi court on Monday fixed January 5 for recording the complainant’s evidence. During the 35-minute long hearing, senior advocate Siddharth Luthra, who appeared for Jaitley, told the court that the accused Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders have made completely baseless and defamatory allegations against the Finance Minister regarding alleged financial irregularities in the Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA). Jaitley has filed a criminal defamation suit in Patiala House court against Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and five other AAP leaders for issuing allegedly false and defamatory statements against him and his family members. Jaitley has sought Rs 10 crore as damages from Kejriwal and other AAP leaders – Kumar Vishwas, Ashutosh, Sanjay Singh, Raghav Chadha and Deepak Bajpayee – for their alleged defamatory remarks. The complaint has been filed for the alleged offences under sections 499 (defamation), 500 (punishment for defamation), 501 (printing or engraving matter known to be defamatory), 502 (sale of printed or engraved substance containing defamatory matter), 34 (common intention) and 35 (when such an act is criminal by reason of its being done with a criminal knowledge or intention) of the IPC.

New Delhi, Dec 22 (IANS) The Rajya Sabha’s proceedings were again disrupted on Tuesday over the Delhi and District Cricket Association issue, as Congress members raised slogans against the government. Congress leader Kumari Selja raised the issue soon after the upper house met. Deputy Chairman P.J. Kurien, however, said an allegation against a member cannot be raised without prior notice. The deputy chairman tried to make the house function, but the din continued. After around half an hour, the house was adjourned till 12 noon. The proceedings in the upper house were disrupted on Monday as well after Congress members demanded Finance Minister Arun Jaitley’s resignation over alleged corruption in the DDCA.

Mumbai: Coming down heavily on Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis for allegedly supporting Advocate General of Maharashtra, Shrihari Aney over his controversial statement on a separate Vidarbha state, Shiv Sena on Saturday said “this is because of faulty blood”.

“Fadnavis and other BJP ministers have firmly supported Aney. This is not surprising. It is a case of faulty blood. What else to expect from those who don’t have the blood of ‘United Maharashtra’ flowing through their veins,” an editorial in Sena mouthpiece Saamana said.

“How can Fadnavis say that what Aney said is his personal opinion ? If a minister eats dung, can the CM say it is his personal view ?” the Sena said. There is united Maharashtra today because of the sacrifice of 105 martyrs. The posts of CM and Assembly Speaker exist because there is Maharashtra, it said. “Shiv Sena won’t change its stance on the (Vidarbha) issue,” it added.

“People like Aney should remember that those like Prashant Bhushan who spoke of plebiscite in Kashmir were beaten up in their office,” the editorial said.

Maharashtra State Assembly speaker, Haribhau Bagde, had recently rejected the Shiv Sena’s notice on privilege motion against Aney.

The Sena had demanded his removal from the constitutional post for his statement on creating a separate state of Vidarbha.

Aney had said on December 5 at Nagpur that the Centre should hold a referendum for separate state of Vidarbha.

He had also said the 105 persons martyred in January 1960 had not given up their lives for keeping Vidarbha in Maharashtra but only to ensure that Mumbai remained in Maharashtra.

PTI

(21 Dec) The next set of crucial state polls – Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Kerala, Assam and Puducherry – is likely to be held in April-May next year and will finish “well before May 24”, Election Commission (EC) sources told The Indian Express. This rules out any possibility of delaying polls in Tamil Nadu in the wake of the recent floods. “At this point, we are not considering any delay in the poll schedule as we are confident that the election machinery will be in place and much of the state would have recovered from the floods by then,” said a senior EC official, who did not wish to be identified. “Moreover, there is no such request yet from the state government or MPs.

” Poll officers pointed to the successful conduct of elections in Jammu and Kashmir last year just months after a similar calamity had hit the state. The then state Chief Minister Omar Abdullah had asked for the elections to be postponed. The EC kickstarted its preparations for the coming assembly polls with a visit to West Bengal this month. Chief Election Commissioner Nasim Zaidi and Election Commissioners Achal Kumar Jyoti and O P Rawat are going to Assam on Monday. The remaining visits will be wrapped up in the next two to three weeks, after which the poll panel will decide the final schedule. Of the states going to polls, the term of the Tamil Nadu assembly ends first (May 23) and Assam last (June 6).

(21 Dec) Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley today filed a civil defamation case against Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and five other Aam Aadmi Party leaders in the city high court. Jaitley accused them of issuing false and defamatory cases against him and his family members. The defamation case against Kejriwal, Kumar Vishwas, Ashutosh, Sanjay Singh, Raghav Chadha and Deepak Bajpayee was filed by Jaitley over the leaders’ comments on the alleged irregularities in Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA). Jaitley, who was the president of DDCA till 2013, has rubbished the allegations against his family members.

“”I have no family member who has even one paise interest in any form of business. Why should my family be part of a sports management business?” he said. BJP leader Kirti Azad on Sunday alleged that Jaitley attempted to sweep under the carpet the alleged DDCA irregularities. He posed 52 questions for the minister on not only his role in the DDCA but also his and his family’s alleged involvement in Hockey India.

New Delhi, Dec 19 (IANS) The government intends to bring important legislation on structural reforms in the remaining three day left of parliament’s winter Session, notwithstanding the setback on the GST Bill, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said on Saturday. “The next three days are crucial with very important pieces of legislation coming up before parliament,” Jaitley said here addressing the annual general meeting of industry chamber FICCI. “India has almost ceased to be the centre of arbitration and adjudication and we need to bring it back because the arbitration costs abroad are enormous for our companies,” he said. “We are bringing in the bill for creating fast-track arbitration in the country, including single-member tribunals,” he added. The finance minister said another proposed legislation would be bringing in a new Bankruptcy Law for companies.

It’s that day the Congress leadership hoped they would never have to face. For the first time ever, party president Sonia Gandhi and her son Rahul will appear in court, in connection with the National Herald rip-off. Here’s what could happen. The trial court issued summons to Sonia and Rahul on a private criminal complaint of BJP leader Subramanian Swamy, who alleged conspiracy, cheating, breach of trust and misappropriation of National Herald property Court told their counsel on Dec 8 not to seek further exemption from appearance for their clients; asked them to appear in court at 3 pm on Dec 19.

Sonia, Rahul will present themselves before the trial court of Metropolitan Magistrate Lovleen at Patiala House complex as humble, law-abiding citizens Don’t want a show of strength before the court. PCC chiefs, CLP leaders told not congregate in Delhi Will fight case and Modi govt politically, but must show restraint since it is a court issue, says party Cong calls it extraordinary times, claims it has full faith in the majesty of justice MPs asked to gather at party HQ on Saturday ahead of the court appearance as a sign of solidarity The BJP-led Central government has decided to allot a house to Subramanian Swamy, who is the complainant in the National Herald case in which Congress chief Sonia Gandhi and her son Rahul Gandhi are expected to appear in court on Saturday. Multi-tier security cover at Patiala House District Court premises Shops inside the premises will remain closed on Saturday Area near Gate No 2, where the courtroom in which the hearing is scheduled is located, to be cordoned off 16 more CCTV cameras installed.

(17 Dec) Vendetta politics: Cong show of strength to mark Herald case New Delhi : There are strong indications that Congress president Sonia Gandhi and her son Rahul’s appearance at a Delhi court on December 19 in connection with the National Herald case would also be an occasion for a show of strength by the party. Authoritative sources have indicated that the two top leaders who have been charged along with five others are likely to prefer ‘jail to bail’ and are not inclined to seek bail, even if offered by the court. “You will get to know our strategy on December 19,”quipped party’s chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala when asked to comment on this issue. All lawmakers, chief ministers and senior party leaders have been asked to remain present at the party headquarters on the morning of December 19, and they could all march to the court in solidarity with the leaders.

The case, filed by BJP leader Subramanian Swamy, accuses the Gandhis and four others of forming a company with the intention of acquiring property belonging to the now defunct newspaper National Herald that was founded by Jawaharlal Nehru. The seventh entity summoned in the case is Young Indian, the company formed by them, in which the Gandhis own 76 per cent shares. Whereas the Congress has charged that the government is indulging in vendetta politics, union finance minister Arun Jaitley has maintained that is a baseless allegation as Swamy was not in the BJP when the case was filed. Meanwhile, the Enforcement Directorate has raided the office of former union finance minister P Chidamabaram’s son Karti in Chennai. The reason for the raids is unknown, but Karti issued a statement saying that there was no basis for the agency to visit his office. “Neither I nor any of my family members have any connections with the said firms,” he said. Reacting to the ED’s action, Chidambaram said, “Nothing was found in the “fishing and roving enquiry, and observed that the “foolish” government was harassing his son Karti and wondered how far it would go.

Mumbai, Dec 16 (PTI) Aam Aadmi Party workers from here and neighbouring Thane district today protested against the CBI raid at Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s office building in Delhi, calling it a “blatant misuse” of the agency by Centre.

AAP workers gathered at Azad Maidan in south Mumbai and held a demonstration denouncing yesterday’s raid, saying the action is akin to “unannounced emergency”.

“It is clear now that (Finance Minister) Arun Jaitley misled Parliament saying that the CM’s (Kejriwal’s) office was not raided. However, it is seen today that the CM’s office was indeed raided, all files examined and many files taken away by CBI,” AAP national spokesperson Preeti Sharma Menon said.

Dismissing Jaitley’s claim, Kejriwal today uploaded image of a document listing the files allegedly taken away by CBI from Delhi Secretariat.

Menon said similar demonstrations were organised at various places in the city “to raise awareness on the conduct of the Central government”.

The raid by CBI on the office of Kejriwal’s Principal Secretary Rajendra Kumar in connection with a corruption case had set off a bitter war of words between Kejriwal and the BJP. The CBI has denied that Kejriwal’s office, located in secretariat, was searched.

“This is a complete murder of democracy and the Aam Aadmi Party feels it is imperative for all persons who value their freedom to protest against this unannounced emergency,” Menon said.

The protest was jointly led by Menon and Ashutosh Sengar, joint in-charge of the party’s Maharashtra unit.

(17 Dec) Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has said that the CBI searched the office of his principal secretary with the intention of acquiring documents relating to an inquiry conducted into the alleged financial irregularities of the DDCA, the cricket association of which Arun Jaitley was president from December 1999 to 2013. On November 12, in the run-up to the India-South Africa Test match, the Delhi govt had set up a three-member panel to probe the allegations levelled against the DDCA. The probe panel members were Principal Secretary (PWD) Chetan B Sanghi, Secretary (Sports) Punya Salil Srivastava and senior standing counsel of Delhi govt Rahul Mehra. In its findings after a two-day probe, the panel highlighted the findings of three reports -the report of a probe panel set up by Serious Fraud Investigation Office (SFIO) of Ministry of Corporate Affairs, DDCA’s internal fact-finding panel and the Delhi High Court-appointed panel to oversee the polls of the DDCA’s sports working committee. Twenty plus irregularities, including those in accounting practices, for financial years 2008-09 to 2011-12 when Finance Minister Arun Jaitley was the president of the DDCA. * DDCA has weak internal control system, its fixed assets registers are not being maintained. * Major transactions made in cash of over Rs 20,000; transaction and payments were made to directors/ members without approval of Board of Directors and/or Central government. *

It took nearly 5 years to reconstruct Feroz Shah Kotla stadium from 2002 to 2007. The initial budget was Rs 24 crore, but it eventually cost Rs 114 crore. * No proper records of contracts issued for the stadium’s construction. * Unauthorised construction was done without permission from MCD and Delhi Urban Arts Commission. * The DDCA has constructed corporate boxes without appropriate approvals. “It is also observed that during the period under inspection, Shri Arun Jaitley, Hon’ble MP, and Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha is also the president of the DDCA, and presiding over the meetings of the executive committee (board of directors) like a non-executive chairman without involvement in day-to-day affairs of the company” – SFIO Report * Proof of “huge financial irregularity”. * Spurious and illegitimate payments were made to certain firms in 2013-14. * The association is overstaffed; still a lot of money has been spent on hiring superfluous workers. * Largescale payments were made in the form of overtime. * Payments were made to nine firms which, on investigation, turned out to have the same registered office, same e-mail IDs as well as common directors. * Duplicate bills were issued and the reasons for payments are falsified. * Payments were made to companies that have never done any job/work or assignment. * There is acute lack of transparency in the working of the DDCA. * Members were illegally running private cricket academies under the umbrella of DDCA and minting money. * No scope for students, genuine players to participate in DDCA matches