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POLITICS

I-T dept detects alleged tax evasion in Nitin Gadkari's Purti group transactions

May 5, 2013, 10:27 am | Press Trust of India POLITICS

New Delhi: The Income Tax department has detected alleged tax evasion to the tune of Rs 7 crore in the business transactions of Purti group of companies related to former BJP President Nitin Gadkari. Probing the alleged dubious transactions of the Purti Power and Sugar Limited (PPSL) since 2012, the department has completed assessments pertaining to the last two financial years and has found evasion to the tune of more than Rs 7 crore, top official sources said. The Purti group, in its reaction, said it has not received any notice in this regard. A notice is not any indicator of any wrongdoing, it said, adding that Gadkari was not associated with the Purti group for the last

INDIA

I-T dept detects alleged tax evasion in Nitin Gadkari's Purti group transactions

May 5, 2013, 10:27 am | Press Trust of India INDIA

New Delhi: The Income Tax department has detected alleged tax evasion to the tune of Rs 7 crore in the business transactions of Purti group of companies related to former BJP President Nitin Gadkari. Probing the alleged dubious transactions of the Purti Power and Sugar Limited (PPSL) since 2012, the department has completed assessments pertaining to the last two financial years and has found evasion to the tune of more than Rs 7 crore, top official sources said. The Purti group, in its reaction, said it has not received any notice in this regard. A notice is not any indicator of any wrongdoing, it said, adding that Gadkari was not associated with the Purti group for the last

WORLD

Hillary top contender for 2016 US president poll: Survey

February 15, 2013, 9:06 pm | Press Trust of India WORLD

Washington: Former US secretary of state Hillary Clinton has emerged as the frontrunner for the 2016 presidential race, according to a new survey. The latest Fox News poll asks the simple question, "Would this person make a good president?" Out of a dozen potential 2016 candidates, the top two picks are the two former secretaries of state, Democrat Clinton and Republican Condoleezza Rice. Clinton, 65, who recently quit the state department, has not yet announced her intention to again run for the White House. She is the only one who garners a positive response from a majority of voters. The new poll, released on Wednesday, finds 55 per cent think she would be a good president, up from

POLITICS

BJP to stage nationwide protest against Shinde's remark

January 24, 2013, 6:18 am | CNN-IBN POLITICS

New Delhi: The BJP will hold countrywide protests from Thursday against Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde's "Hindu terror" remarks, Rajnath Singh said after taking over as the president of Bharatiya Janata Party. Outraged at Shinde's remarks on saffron terror, the RSS and the BJP have demanded an unconditional apology from UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. It is also contemplating legal action against the Home Minister and Home Secretary RK Singh for their controversial comments. Addressing the AICC meeting in Jaipur on Sunday, Shinde had alleged that the BJP and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh were running training camps to promote Hindu terrorism. "We have got an investigation report that be it RSS or BJP, their

POLITICS

BJP to hold protest against Shinde's Hindu terror remark

January 23, 2013, 2:25 pm | CNN-IBN POLITICS

New Delhi: Taking over as the president of Bharatiya Janata Party, Rajnath Singh on Wednesday condemned Union Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde's statement on Hindu terror and announced a nationwide protest from Thursday. Addressing the AICC meeting in Jaipur on Sunday, Shinde had alleged that the BJP and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh were running training camps to promote Hindu terrorism. "We have got an investigation report that be it RSS or BJP, their training camps are promoting Hindu terrorism. We are keeping a strict vigil on all this," he had said adding that, "Whether it is Samjhauta blast or Mecca Masjid blast or Malegaon blast, they plant bombs and blame it on the minorities." The Union

INDIA

BJP to hold protest against Shinde's Hindu terror remark

January 23, 2013, 2:25 pm | CNN-IBN INDIA

New Delhi: Taking over as the president of Bharatiya Janata Party, Rajnath Singh on Wednesday condemned Union Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde's statement on Hindu terror and announced a nationwide protest from Thursday. Addressing the AICC meeting in Jaipur on Sunday, Shinde had alleged that the BJP and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh were running training camps to promote Hindu terrorism. "We have got an investigation report that be it RSS or BJP, their training camps are promoting Hindu terrorism. We are keeping a strict vigil on all this," he had said adding that, "Whether it is Samjhauta blast or Mecca Masjid blast or Malegaon blast, they plant bombs and blame it on the minorities." The Union

POLITICS

New BJP chief Rajnath Singh calls UPA a failure

January 23, 2013, 2:02 pm | CNN-IBN POLITICS

New Delhi: Former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Rajnath Singh was elected as the Bharatiya Janata Party President on Wednesday as Nitin Gadkari opted out of the race following corruption allegations against him. Rajnath Singh began his term for 2013-2015 by touching senior BJP leader LK Advani's feet and sounding the poll bugle for the 2014 Lok Sabha elections. In a scathing attack on Congress soon after taking over, Rajnath Singh said the Congress had failed on all fronts and expressed confidence that the BJP will win in the 2014 general elections. Criticising Congress for price rise, Rajnath Singh said, "Congress has governed the country for the maximum duration in free India. It is responsible for the tough time our

POLITICS

Rajnath Singh elected unopposed as BJP president

January 23, 2013, 12:39 pm | CNN-IBN POLITICS

New Delhi: Bharatiya Janata Party leader Rajnath Singh was on Wednesday elected unopposed as the party president for the term 2013 to 2015. He succeeded Nitin Gadkari, who decided against contesting for a second term following charges of corruption against him. Singh has been BJP's president between 2006 and 2009 also. A resolution supporting Singh as the new party chief was unanimously adopted by the parliamentary board of the party, after which he filed his nomination papers. BJP Returning Officer Thawar Chand Gehlot announced that 17 other nominations were also filed in Singh's favour. As soon as the announcement was made, Singh touched senior BJP leader LK Advani's feet to seek his blessings. Along with Advani, those

POLITICS

Advani's opposition led to Gadkari's opting out of race for BJP chief

January 23, 2013, 11:29 am | CNN-IBN POLITICS

New Delhi: Nitin Gadkari, who was being backed by the RSS, on Tuesday saw himself being opposed by one of the senior most leaders in the party, LK Advani. Gadkari, who till Monday, had the support of party leaders for a second stint as the BJP President, opted out of the race after a meeting with Advani and RSS leader Bhaiyaji Joshi. In Mumbai, at the meeting between Gadkari, Advani and Bhaiyaji Joshi, Advani stated that he wasn't in favour of Gadkari. Sources say that while Nitin Gadkari proposed Rajnath Singh's name as an alternative at the meeting. Rajnath Singh had been accused by party members of factionalism during his tenure in 2009 as the BJP President, and was

POLITICS

Live: BJP chief Rajnath Singh lashes out at Congress

January 23, 2013, 10:03 am | CNN-IBN POLITICS

New Delhi: 12:53 pm: BJP President Rajnath Singh also attacked the UPA government over Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde's Hindu terror remarks. 12:42 pm: Rajnath Singh, who took over as the BJP President, said he was not happy with the circumstances in which he was taking over as the party chief. "I'm hurt by the false allegations on Nitin Gadkari ji. I am accepting this post as a responsibility and not a job. The whole BJP is with Nitin Gadkari," Rajnath Singh said. Slamming the Congress and the UPA government, Rajnath Singh said Congress was responsible for the economic crisis in the country. "After Congress, India has become a current account deficit country. We also ran the

POLITICS

Rajnath Singh emerges from shadows to reclaim top post in BJP

January 23, 2013, 9:25 am | CNN-IBN POLITICS

New Delhi: In a dramatic late night twist on Tuesday, Nitin Gadkari opted out of the BJP presidential race and former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Rajnath Singh is now the consensus choice and will be elected later on Wednesday. Nitin Gadkari's backers in RSS had come under intense pressure from within the BJP when the Income Tax department turned the screws on the party president over his controversial dealings with the Purti group. Senior party leader Yashwant Sinha had even threatened to enter the fray. But the former UP chief minister defied all odds to reclaim the party's top post in three years. Rajnath Singh, who was the education minister in Kalyan Singh's first government, in the last

POLITICS

Gadkari makes way for Rajnath Singh to be BJP chief

January 23, 2013, 7:56 am | CNN-IBN POLITICS

New Delhi: In a dramatic turn in the Bharatiya Janata Party presidential polls, Nitin Gadkari has announced that he will not seek a second term after controversy erupted over his name. Rajnath Singh is now all set to occupy the party's top post as party leaders have reached a consensus on him as BJP President. After defying intense pressure against himself by a large section of the BJP and denying all allegations related to his Purti group of companies, Nitin Gadkari finally chose to throw in the towel. "I will continue to serve as a soldier and will stand by whoever is elected as president," Gadkari said. Through the day on Tuesday, as the Income Tax department started

POLITICS

UPA trying to malign me, will quit if found guilty: Gadkari

January 22, 2013, 4:46 pm | CNN-IBN POLITICS

New Delhi: Troubled Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) President Nitin Gadkari on Tuesday reacted to the Income Tax Department surveys on Purti group investors and accused the Centre of ordering I-T surveys to damage his presidential prospects. Calling it a controversy against him, Gadkari said he would never hesitate to quit the post if he is proved to be guilty. The BJP leader also added that this is a political controversy hatched to tarnish his image. Gadkari's statement read, "Coming as it does on the eve of his re-election as BJP President for a second term, the IT department's action smacks of the ruling UPA's nefarious designs to create confusion in the BJP ranks." Meanwhile, the Purti group issued a

POLITICS

Have been denied nomination form by BJP: Mahesh Jethmalani

January 22, 2013, 1:45 pm | CNN-IBN POLITICS

New Delhi: The power struggle within the Bharatiya Janata Party for the party president's post has worsened. Mahesh Jethmalani, who had threatened to contest against Nitin Gadkari said he has been denied nomination form by the party leadership for contesting elections to party president's chair. Jethmalani had threatened to contest the BJP presidential polls if Gadakri was the official candidate. "There are many better candidates than Gadkari...Particularly when the elections are so imminent," Jethmalani had said on Monday. But sources had said the BJP Constitution requires 12 years party membership to contest while Jethmalani has just three years. Jethmalani, however, claimed he has been a BJP member for 12 years. Lawyer Mahesh Jethmalani had resigned from

INDIA

Mumbai I-T wing probes firms funding Gadkari's Purti group

January 22, 2013, 1:13 pm | CNN-IBN INDIA

Mumbai: There seems to be fresh trouble for Nitin Gadkari who is set to be re-elected as the Bharatiya Janata Party President on Wednesday. The Mumbai I-T wing is surveying seven companies found to have been routing money into Gadkari's Purti Group after allegations against the companies surfaced in the Nagpur wing's probe. The Mumbai Income-Tax wing is scanning the companies which have their addresses listed in Mumbai. After the Mumbai wing finishes the verification, the Nagpur wing will take the probe forward. This comes just a day ahead of Nitin Gadkari's re-election as the BJP President. The BJP has been facing criticism from within the party over corruption allegations against Gadkari and charges against his Purti group.