Daily Digest July 17 BALASORE Aftermath..State Bandh Mamata Vs SIR Kerala CANINE
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NDTV
6 minutes ago
- NDTV
"Hounded By This Government For 10 Years": Rahul Gandhi Defends Robert Vadra
New Delhi: Congress MP Rahul Gandhi has backed his brother-in-law - businessman Robert Vadra - after the Enforcement Directorate filed a chargesheet in a money laundering case linked to a Gurugram real estate deal. "My brother-in-law has been hounded by this government for the last 10 years... this latest chargesheet is a continuation of that witch hunt," Mr Gandhi said on X. "I stand with Robert, Priyanka (Gandhi Vadra, the Congress MP from Wayanad) and their children as they face yet another onslaught of malicious, politically motivated slander and harassment." "I know they are all brave enough to withstand any kind of persecution and they will continue to do so with dignity. The truth will eventually prevail," Rahul Gandhi said. My brother-in-law has been hounded by this government for the last ten years. This latest chargesheet is a continuation of that witch hunt. I stand with Robert, Priyanka and their children as they face yet another onslaught of malicious, politically motivated slander and… — Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) July 18, 2025 Mr Gandhi's social media post follows the Congress party also backing Robert Vadra. General Secretary Randeep Surjewala told reporters " there is not an iota of illegality" in the land deal in question, and demanded to know when buying and selling land had been made illegal. The Enforcement Directorate filed its chargesheet Thursday afternoon. It names Mr Vadra and his company, Sky Light Hospitality Pvt Ltd, and is in reference to the alleged fraudulent purchase of 3.53 acres of land in Gurugram's Sector 83 in February 2008. The federal agency claims fake documents were used to facilitate and complete the purchase, and Mr Vadra then secured a commercial licence thanks to his position of power. On July 16 the agency had attached 43 properties - worth approximately Rs 37.64 crore - belonging to Mr Vadra, Sky Light Hospitality, and others named in the chargesheet. In a brief but forceful statement, Mr Vadra's office called the chargesheet "an extension of the political witch hunt by the present government against him", and said the businessman would nevertheless, as he always had, "continue to extend his fullest cooperation to the authorities". "... he is confident the truth will prevail and he will be cleared of wrongdoing... he is looking forward to the opportunity to defend himself and clear his name in court," the statement said.
NDTV
6 minutes ago
- NDTV
Rs 33,000 For A Water Jug: Row Over Chhattisgarh's Alleged Shopping Spree
Raipur: In Chhattisgarh these days, the Gem of a portal seems to have turned into a Pandora's box. Alleged purchases of sky-high jugs, luxury-priced TVs, and even sofas instead of medicines are fueling political fireworks - and the Congress isn't letting the BJP sit comfortably. Literally. The latest in this alleged buying binge comes from Korea district, where it is alleged that five smart TVs were purchased at an eye-watering Rs 9,99,500 each. The total alleged bill: Rs 49,97,500. These weren't for a high-tech control room or luxury conference setup but, as alleged by the Congress, were bought under the Tribal Development Department by the Commissioner's Office in Ambikapur from a firm based in Baikunthpur. Before the dust could settle, another purchase was making waves: one-litre water jugs allegedly bought for Rs 32,999.5 each. According to the allegation, the Balodabazar Tribal Welfare Department ordered 160 such jugs via the Gem portal, totaling over Rs 51.99 lakh. Congress President Deepak Baij claimed the alleged jug juggernaut reflects deep-rooted corruption. But the Tribal Welfare Department, in a defensive splash, issued a statement that no such purchase was completed - it was allegedly proposed by a former officer but cancelled in February 2025 due to inflated prices. Chhattisgarh's Tribal Welfare Minister while responding to the allegations by opposition said, "Why the anxiety? First check the facts before jumping to conclusions. When no purchase has been made, what's the point of an irresponsible allegation? The Congress seems to be in panic mode." While the jug and TV tales still swirl in controversy, a new entry has joined the alleged absurdity files: Sofagate. In Sakti district, the CMHO (Chief Medical and Health Officer) allegedly placed a medicine order on Gem, only for the specification to turn out to match a sofa. Yes, instead of life-saving calcium D3 tablets, the specs described a two-seater - 60 inches long, 635 inches wide (no, that's not a typo), and 55 inches tall. Allegedly, this was part of a medical supply order. When NDTV reached out to the supplier, VJ Enterprise, the manager claimed ignorance. "We deal in medicine. I'm not aware of any sofa. The staff handles these things - we'll have to check," said Sukesh Makhija. State Health Minister Shyam Bihari Jaiswal has promised an investigation into the Sakti sofa saga: "We'll look into it, and action will be taken against whoever is found guilty." Meanwhile, the alleged corruption cloud continues to loom over CGMSC (Chhattisgarh Medical Services Corporation), where scams totaling more than Rs 750 crore in reagent and medical equipment purchases are under probe by the ACB and EOW. So far, six people have been arrested in connection with the case.
New Indian Express
6 minutes ago
- New Indian Express
US House approves Trump's $9B cut to public broadcasting and foreign aid
WASHINGTON: The House of Representatives gave final approval to US President Donald Trump's request to claw back about $9 billion for public broadcasting and foreign aid early Friday as Republicans intensified their efforts to target institutions and programs they view as bloated or out of step with their agenda. The vote marked the first time in decades that a president has successfully submitted such a rescissions request to Congress, and the White House suggested it won't be the last. Some Republicans were uncomfortable with the cuts, yet supported them anyway, wary of crossing Trump or upsetting his agenda. The House passed the bill by a vote of 216-213. It now goes to Trump for his signature. 'We need to get back to fiscal sanity and this is an important step,' said House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La. Opponents voiced concerns not only about the programs targeted, but about Congress ceding its spending powers to the executive branch as investments approved on a bipartisan basis were being subsequently canceled on party-line votes. They said previous rescission efforts had at least some bipartisan buy-in and described the Republican package as unprecedented. No Democrats supported the measure when it passed the Senate, 51-48, in the early morning hours Thursday. Final passage in the House was delayed for several hours as Republicans wrestled with their response to Democrats' push for a vote on the release of Jeffrey Epstein files.
