The Delhi High Court has scheduled a hearing for March 9 on the Enforcement Directorate's plea challenging a trial court order that refused to acknowledge its chargesheet against Congress leaders Sonia and Rahul Gandhi in the National Herald money laundering case.
The opposition party also vowed to expose the "vendetta politics" against its leadership, asserting that the Congress cadre is agitated and is going to show its strength against the "misuse of agencies."
The Delhi high court on Monday asked Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi and others to respond to a plea by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) challenging the order of the trial court that refused to take cognisance of its chargesheet against them in the National Herald case.
A Delhi court has declined to take cognisance of the Enforcement Directorate's (ED) complaint against Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, and others in the National Herald case, citing the absence of a First Information Report (FIR).
Delhi Police has filed an FIR against Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi and others in the National Herald case based on a complaint by the ED, alleging money laundering and abuse of position for personal gains.
The ED has accused Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, as well as late party leaders Motilal Vora and Oscar Fernandes, along with Suman Dubey, Sam Pitroda, and a private company, Young Indian, of conspiracy and money laundering.
Deputy Chief Minister of Karnataka, D K Shivakumar, responding to several media queries regarding the current 'internal conflict' in Karnataka Congress in reference to the chief ministerial position, said on Tuesday that he doesn't want to embarrass or weaken the party.
Fernandes was hospitalised in July after suffering a fall while doing yoga at his house.
Senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi, representing Sonia Gandhi, argued that the Enforcement Directorate's National Herald case is 'truly a strange' one, citing the absence of property or its use in the alleged money laundering.
Senior Congress leader Oscar Fernandes received the prestigious Nelson Mandela Award from the International Foundation of Minority Empowerment at the United Nation Church on Saturday.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has alleged that some Congress leaders pressured individuals to donate funds to the Young Indian and Associated Journals Limited (AJL) on instructions from senior party functionaries. The ED's chargesheet in the National Herald case claims that these individuals made payments to the company "under the influence" from senior leaders who promised them "certain favours" in party politics. The chargesheet, filed on April 9 before a local court, names Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi as accused, along with five others, under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). The agency alleges that these donations were not made voluntarily but in expectation of political benefits. The ED also found that YI and AJL received funds from various entities through "quid pro quo" arrangements, where individuals were asked to make payments for advertisements in the National Herald in exchange for past favours from Congress leaders.
Former union minister and Congress general secretary Oscar Fernandes who has been acting as trouble shooter for Congress president Sonia Gandhi told rediff.com in an exclusive conversation that Rahul Gandhi was ready to take over as the prime minister of India.
Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi are majority shareholders of Young Indian with 38 per cent shares held by each one of them. They were questioned for hours by the ED in this case a few years back.
Efforts will also be directed at creating a conducive environment for NRIs intending to reconnect to their heritage, Fernandes added.
But Congress' Kiran Chaudhary and BJP's Shakuntala Hegde lost in a close contest in the biennial elections.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has filed a chargesheet in the National Herald case, accusing Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi of a "criminal conspiracy" to "usurp" properties worth Rs 2,000 crore of its public company AJL by transferring 99 per cent shares for just Rs 50 lakh to their private company Young Indian. The ED has named Sonia Gandhi as accused no 1 and Rahul Gandhi as accused no 2 in the chargesheet, which was filed under various sections of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
As part of the Congress' strategy to draft in union ministers for full-time party work in the run up to the Lok Sabha polls, Labour Minister Oscar Fernandes has reportedly resigned. Fernandes is said to have taken the decision in order to devote himself full time to party work. The move came shortly after the Election Commission released the schedule for the five-phase Lok Sabha polls earlier on Monday. Fernandes is the second minister after Jairam Ramesh to have resigned.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has filed a chargesheet against Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, and others on charges of money laundering in the National Herald case. The chargesheet, filed on April 9, names Congress leaders Sam Pitroda and Suman Dubey as accused persons. The case pertains to the alleged fraudulent takeover of properties valued over Rs 2,000 crore belonging to the Associated Journals Limited (AJL), the publisher of the National Herald news platform. The ED alleges that Young Indian, a private company "beneficially owned" by Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, "acquired" AJL properties for a mere Rs 50 lakh, significantly undervaluing its worth. The case has been transferred to Special Judge Vishal Gogne's court for further proceedings.
Roads and national highways are the lifeline of the country, says Oscar Fernandes.
After spending nearly 50 years in a colonial bungalow at 24, Akbar Road, the Congress moved into a new office on January 15. Rasheed Kidwai, who knows the history of the Congress better than the Congress, looks back at the people who breathed life into this address.
The high court was hearing a plea moved by Swamy seeking to lead evidence before the trial court in the National Herald case, in which the Gandhis and others are accused.
The function, which took place after heavy rains had almost drowned the lawns of 10 Janpath, was a picture of an almost collapsed marquee, a waterlogged venue with the leaders and others having to wade through water and mud.
Naidu informed the House that he had received letters from Singh and 13 other MPs seeking leave of absence on medical grounds.
He said the state unit only sends the recommendation but does not take sides as to who should be given the ticket.
'If the Congress gets to form the government in 2024, then Sonia Gandhi by virtue of being CPP chairperson will have the authority to decide who will be the prime minister and not Kharge.'
The Central Board of Trustees, which is the apex decision-making body of the Employees' Provident Fund Organisation, met on Monday and approved the interest rate.
The long-awaited Rahul Gandhi touch to the All India Congress Committee was imparted today with the induction of a few general secretaries and the dropping of some
Senior Congress leaders have realised their work is being monitored by secretary-level functionaries who report to Rahul Gandhi.
Eight new faces were inducted in Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's council of ministers on Monday, with Sisram Ola and Oscar Fernandes making a re-entry after a gap of four years.
A delegation of Congress leaders from Karnataka on Saturday met Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh demanding immediate appropriate action on Governor H R Bhardwaj's report to the Centre recommending dismissal of the B S Yeddyurappa government in the state.
The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party in Karnataka had the last laugh as it won all the three Rajya Sabha seats it had contested in, out of total of four from the state that went for polls on Friday, while the Congress managed to win only one of the two seats to which it had fielded its candidates.
The enrollment of 32 lakh new members of Congress in Andhra Pradesh recently has given the party's top brass and state unit a reason to smile. The Congress' Andhra unit has been struggling with the open revolt declared by Member of Parliament Jaganmohan Reddy and is facing the possibility of a split in the party.All India Congress Committee general secretary Oscar Fernandes has also expressed his satisfaction with the party's membership drive in the last 10 months.
Metropolitan Magistrate Lovleen rejected Swamy's application while giving him the last opportunity to submit the list of complainant witnesses in the case in which he has accused the Gandhis and others of conspiring to cheat and misappropriate funds by paying just Rs 50 lakh through which Young Indian Pvt Ltd obtained the right to recover Rs 90.25 crore which AJL owed to the Congress.
Replying to a Calling Attention Motion, labour minister Oscar Fernandes, however, said there will be no amendment to the Employees' Pension Scheme 1995 in the wake of Sixth Central Pay Commission as the two issues are not related. He said two committees, including one headed by a special secretary, have been set up to review the EPF scheme and ensure that it brings better benefits to the employees.
Labour Minister Oscar Fernandes on Friday lashed out at the Communists for being 'unfair' in accusing the government of coming out with economy stimulus packages only to bail out the corporate sector without paying any heed to the fate of the retrenched workers.
The four Left parties that support the United Progressive Alliance government have already rejected the Bill, which has been approved by the Cabinet. Instead, they have asked for separate Bills for agricultural and non-agricultural workers.
A sample study conducted for the period August-October 2008 by department of commerce for 121 export related companies also revealed loss in export orders to the tune of Rs 1792 crore (Rs 17.92 billion), he said during Question Hour in Lok Sabha.
Such employees will get an allowance in cash equal to half of their wages computed on the basis of average salary for their entire service, labour minister Oscar Fernandes said during the question hour. Such employees will get an allowance in cash equal to half of their wages computed on the basis of average salary for their entire service, labour minister Oscar Fernandes said during the question hour.
Labour and Employment Minister Oscar Fernandes said about 400 government ITIs are also being upgraded under World Bank assistance and about 100 through domestic funding. Besides, about 1,396 government ITIs are being upgraded through PPP mode.
On Sunday, the Bharatiya Janata Party overturned its decision on inducting the controversial Sri Ram Sene chief Paramod Muthalik, and a day later, it was the Congress' turn. Dinker Shetty, an accused in the infamous Mangalore pub attack incident had joined the Congress, had his membership cancelled and his induction put on hold.