QBullet: Govt Orders Paradise Papers Probe; Modi Meets DMK Chief
Here’s a roundup of the top stories of the day.
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1. Paradise Papers: Jaitley Orders Action, Says All to Be Probed
The multi-agency group probing the Panama Papers will be reconstituted to monitor a probe and take “swift action” on Paradise Papers which uncover financial holdings abroad that list a number of Indian entities, the Finance Ministry said today.
The announcement came hours after the release of the first set of Indian corporates in the ongoing investigation by The Indian Express in collaboration with the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) and German newspaper Suddeutsche Zeitung.
(Source: The Indian Express)
2. PM Modi Assures Centre's Assistance to Flood-Hit Chennai; Meets Ailing Karunanidhi
Amidst the persistent heavy rains and floods in Tamil Nadu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the state capital on Monday and reviewed the situation assuring the state government of all possible assistance from the Centre in tackling the problem. “I assure all possible support to the Tamil Nadu government to tackle the situation due to rains,” PM Modi said at a function to celebrate the 75th anniversary of Tamil daily Dina Thanthi in Chennai.
(Source: The Indian Express)
3. Traders Boycott Meet with J&K Interlocutor Dineshwar Sharma
Most trade bodies boycotted their meetings with the Union government’s newly appointed interlocutor for Jammu and Kashmir, Dineshwar Sharma, who arrived in Srinagar on Monday even as some of the major political players said they haven’t received any invitation for talks.
While Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti expressed hope that stakeholders will take part in the peace talks, the Opposition party, National Conference, said it was yet to receive an invitation from Sharma, who is on a five-day visit to the militancy-hit state. The Hurriyat Conference, which has not shown any interest in the talks, hasn’t been invited either by Sharma, a former intelligence bureau director on a maiden visit to the state after his appointment as interlocutor.
(Source: Hindustan Times)
4. Rahul Rakes up GST, Demonetisation in Himachal
Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi, who reached Himachal Pradesh on the penultimate day of campaigning, raised the issues of demonetisation and Goods and Services Tax (GST), and promised voters that he would review it once his party came to power at the Centre.
Gandhi, who addressed meetings at Paonta Sahib, Nagrota Bagwan and Chamba, said that Himachal Pradesh’s development model was far better than that of Gujarat.
(Source: The Hindu)
5. After Reservation in Outsourced Jobs, Bihar CM Nitish Kumar Bats for Quota in Private Sector
Chief minister Nitish Kumar defended on Monday his government’s decision to introduce reservation in outsourced services and said those criticising it understood little of the issue as he batted for quota in private sector while insisting that there is a need for a national debate.
“I personally feel that reservation should cover the private sector too. But the matter has to be decided by Parliament. Till then, it remains a subject for debate,” Kumar said, responding to a related question on the legality of Bihar Cabinet decision mandating enforcement of quota provisions in jobs sourced through outsourcing agencies.
(Source: Hindustan Times)
6. SC Backs Transgender After Air India Grounds Her Dream
Shanavi Ponnusamy from Thoothukuddi in Tamil Nadu dreamed of flying high above the discrimination she suffered all her life for being a transgender. But public carrier Air India decided to ground her aspirations by rejecting her application to serve as flight cabin crew.
On Monday, a Bench of Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra and Justices AM Khanwilkar and DY Chandrachud decided to take up Ponnusamy's fight.
(Source: The Hindu)
7. Sonia Ordered End to Probe Against ‘Tehelka’?
In May 2004, when the Congress emerged as the single largest party after the Lok Sabha polls and earned the invite to form the government, Sonia Gandhi refused to be prime minister and passed on the baton to Manmohan Singh.
However, even as Singh held the top office, many strongly believed that it was Sonia who served as the de facto PM and controlled the day-to-day functioning of the government. Times Now has now found irrefutable proof of her involvement in matters of governance, and how her views were writ for the government and took precedence over the stance of Manmohan Singh's PMO.
(Source: The Times of India)
8. Note Ban: Over 20,000 I-T Returns Picked for Detailed Probe
The Income Tax Department has picked 20,572 tax returns for "detailed scrutiny" suspecting discrepancies in incomes before and after demonetisation, official sources said today.
Separately, they said, the department has identified one lakh "high risk" cases of alleged tax evasion for detailed investigation.
According to the sources, 20,572 tax returns have been selected for detailed scrutiny after their profiles before and after demonetisation did not match.
(Source: The Times of India)
9. Kerala 'Love-Jihad Case': Hadiya Happy, in Good Health, Says NCW Chief
National Commission for Women chairperson Rekha Sharma on Monday said Hadiya, the woman whose marriage to a Muslim youth has been nullified by the high court, was “happy and in good health”.
Sharma met the 24-year-old woman at her home near Vaikkom in Kottayam district. “I just met Akhila (her name when she was Hindu) or Hadiya, whatever you call her. She is in good health and eating her food. Her security is not under threat. She was not tortured as it had been alleged. She was smiling and told me that she was waiting for 27 November to go the Supreme Court to tell her stand in the court.’’
(Source: The Indian Express)
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