Is ED being weaponised by Modi government to target opposition? Experts debate
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Indian Express
14 minutes ago
- Indian Express
Conviction for forgery to card game row, Maharashtra Agriculture Minister Manikrao Kokate again lands in a controversy
From facing the prospect of losing his Assembly seat due to a criminal conviction to being caught on camera allegedly playing an online card game during an Assembly session, Maharashtra Agriculture Minister Manikrao Kokate has spent the past year navigating one controversy after another. In February, a Nashik district court sentenced the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader to two years in prison for his role in a 30-year-old case involving document forgery and fraud. The case pertained to the illegal acquisition of two flats under the Chief Minister's discretionary quota. Under the law, any elected representative sentenced to two or more years in prison stands to lose their seat. Kokate, however, managed to retain his position after a sessions court in Nashik granted a stay on the conviction. The complaint was originally filed by former minister and three-time MLA Tukaram Dighole who alleged that Kokate and his brother had submitted forged documents to fraudulently acquire flats in the Nirman View Apartment complex in Nashik's Yeolekar Mala area. Dighole, a former Congress leader, lost to Kokate in the 1999 Assembly election in what was Kokate's debut win as a Shiv Sena MLA. Dighole passed away in 2019. According to the prosecutors, the Kokate brothers falsely claimed to belong to the Low-Income Group (LIG) and declared they owned no other property. This misrepresentation allowed them to benefit from the CM's 10% discretionary housing quota. Investigations later revealed that the documents submitted were forged. Kokate, a five-time MLA from Sinnar in Nashik district, has had a politically diverse career. Once a member of both the Shiv Sena and the Congress, he is now aligned with the NCP of Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar. Following the NCP's split, Kokate chose to side with Ajit and was rewarded with the Agriculture portfolio in the Devendra Fadnavis-led government. Controversy, however, has continued to shadow him. Just days before his conviction in February, Kokate triggered outrage with remarks comparing farmers to beggars. 'Even a beggar doesn't take one rupee, but here we are offering crop insurance for Re 1. Yet some people still try to misuse it,' he said, further alleging that applicants from other states were exploiting the scheme. In April, he courted fresh criticism after accusing farmers of intentionally defaulting on crop loans to benefit from government waivers, and then spending the money on personal celebrations. 'You take loans and then default for five to ten years, expecting them to be waived. Farmers are not investing in their land. The government gives assistance for everything from drip irrigation to ponds and pipelines,' Kokate said at the time. On Sunday, the state agriculture minister found himself at the centre of a latest row after a purported video of him playing an online card game on his phone in the Assembly was shared on social media by NCP (SP) leader Rohit Pawar. Kokate, however, denied the allegation. 'I was not playing Rummy,' he said. 'I was trying to watch YouTube to find out what was happening in the Lower House. Someone had downloaded the game on the phone, and I was just trying to skip it. The video might be from when I was trying to close it.'
Time of India
14 minutes ago
- Time of India
Local rare-earth production to take time, govt support needed for EV sector: Kinetic Green CEO
Sulajja Firodia Motwani, Founder and CEO of Kinetic Green , has called for government intervention in the rare-earth materials issue, stating that while the Indian electric vehicle (EV) sector has managed to cope in the short term, it will face significant challenges ahead, as "it's not easy to change your product design and supply chain." Kinetic Green founder emphasised that it could take at least two to three years for the players in the automobile sector to localise the supply chain or adopt alternative technologies. "It will impact the industry if it's not solved because it's not easy to change your product design and supply chain. The EV sector is scrambling somehow to manage for the short run. But I think there has to be a government-to-government solution very soon in the medium term. Because it will take two to three years to try to localise the supply chain or change the technology altogether. So I think it's important that this is resolved," Sulajja Firodia Motwsaid during the unveiling event of the company's electric Luxury Golf & Lifestyle Cart in partnership with Tonino Lamborghini SpA of Italy. She further added, "We faced a similar situation in COVID on semiconductors; if you remember, the government did follow through and resolve it. I'm hopeful that something will emerge from this." She added that until the issue is solved, the company is working on developing alternative technologies to mitigate the adverse impact of such restrictions arising from global geopolitical moves. "But in the meantime, we are finding alternatives so that the business can continue, but it's not ideal to do that, and also maybe not everybody can. So it (restrictions on rare-earth material by China) will impact the sector," she added. The central government has earmarked ₹1,345 crore to incentivise rare earth magnets production in India. For context, early this April, China announced a decision to implement export controls on certain rare earth-related items, pushing a supply shortage across the world, including India. Meanwhile, India is in touch with the Chinese side, seeking predictability in the supply of rare earth metals -- which had been put under the export controls regime by the Xi administration. China's overwhelming control of global rare earth processing - commanding over 90 per cent of the world's magnet production capacity - has created significant vulnerabilities for industries worldwide. These materials are critical across multiple sectors, including automobiles, home appliances, and clean energy China, there are only a few alternative suppliers of critical minerals. The Union Cabinet in January 2025 approved the launch of the National Critical Mineral Mission (NCMM) with an expenditure of Rs 16,300 crore and an expected investment of Rs 18,000 crore by Public Sector Undertakings. Recently, Union Minister for Coal and Mines G Kishan Reddy said the central government is actively encouraging private companies to mine and explore critical minerals overseas and bring them back into the country to serve the needs of the domestic industry. Speaking on the incentives to the industry, Motwani said, "The government has to continue supporting the adoption of EVs. Once we come to, today we are at about 7-8 per cent EV. Once we come to 25-30 per cent EV, then we'll have critical mass on supply chain, on scale, and on ecosystem. "We have begun well, but we are far from done. The government must continue supporting the adoption of electric vehicles," she added. She further noted the resistance from traditional internal combustion engine (ICE) players who have vested interests in maintaining the status quo. "There is a large counterforce from existing ICE manufacturers who naturally want to protect their investments and may not wish to see EVs succeed. However, it's encouraging that the government remains focused. Schemes like EMPS and the PM-eBus Sewa, lower GST rates, ecosystem support, and a strong Make-in-India push should continue to drive demand and adoption," Kinetic Green founder asserted.
News18
18 minutes ago
- News18
UP: Man sentenced to 10-year imprisonment for trying to rape Dalit girl
Last Updated: Muzaffarnagar (UP), Jul 20 (PTI) A court here has sentenced a man to 10 years of imprisonment for attempting to rape a minor Dalit girl in 2017. Additional District and Sessions Judge, Muzaffarnagar, Manjula Bhalotia on Saturday also imposed a fine of Rs 40,000 on the convict Jitendra Kumar, government advocate Pradeep Baliyan said on Sunday Giving details of the case, Baliyan said Kumar had entered the house of the 15-year-old and tried to rape her on September 23, 2017. The girl's uncle lodged a complaint against Kumar following which police had registered a case. PTI COR NAV DV DV Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
