News18 Daybreak | Opp'n Party Leaders to Come Together For Delhi Rally and Other Stories You Need to Watch Out For

In another big show of unity against the Centre, Opposition party leaders will come together for a dharna on Wednesday to “Remove Dictatorship, Save Democracy”.

The protest, organized by the Aam Admi Party, is slated will take place at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar in the afternoon after the Parliamentary session which will see the tabling of the CAG report on the controversial Rafale deal.

The rally comes close on the heels of the opposition show of strength in Kolkata last month under the “United India Opposition”. Around 20-odd parties came together to in under an anti-Modi banner in the run-up to the polls.

Mahagathbandhan again?: Almost all the 20-odd political parties who shared the stage in Kolkata on January 19 are expected to be there are today’s rally.

Delhi CM and AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal, West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee, Andhra Pradesh CM Chandrababu Naidu, Jammu & Kashmir National Conference Farooq Abdullah, and Janata Dal (Secular)’s Devegowda have confirmed their attendance.

The Congress, NCP, TDP, DMK, Samajwadi Party, BSP are also likely to send their representatives.

Protest away: The rally comes two days after Telugu Desam Chief CM Chandrababu Naidu went on a daylong dharna in the national capital demanding for special status for the state, which was promised during the state bifurcation. Several leaders including Congress chief Rahul Gandhi, NCP chief Sharad Pawar, TMC leader Derek O’Brien and Arvind Kejriwal visited Naidu in a show of solidarity.

TMC chief and West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee also staged a three-day sit-in protest against the Centre after CBI officials attempted to raid the house of the Kolkata Commissioner Rajeev Kumar. At the time, several leader including Gandhi and Arvind Kejriwal had extended their support to Banerjee. Andhra Pradesh CM Chandrababu Naidu, DMK’s Kanimozhi and Rashtriya Janata Dal’s Tejaswi Yadav had also visited the protesting CM.

Rafale

The suspense over the Comptroller and Auditor General’s findings in the Rafale deal may soon end with the tabling of the report in the Parliament today. Adding to the string of controversies around the fighter jet deal between India and France, a report in The Indian Express on Tuesday revealed that Anil Ambani had visited French Defence Ministers Jean Yves Le Drian’s office in Paris almost a fortnight before the deal was finalised. Anil Ambani’s Reliance Group was chosen as the offset partner for Dassault Aviation, manufacturers of the Rafale aircraft. Among other issues, the deal has particularly been controversial for this choice of offset partner as many allege that the French government under Francois Hollande zeroed in on Reliance upon Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s insistence.

Congress chief Rahul Gandhi, a constant critic of the Centre over the Rafale deal, in a Tuesday presser, highlighted the news report and also read an email alleging the signing of an MoU ahead of PM’s visit to France. "It seems like the Prime Minister is acting as the middleman for Anil Ambani in the Rafale deal,” Gandhi quipped. Gandhi went onto slam the CAG report and called it worthless. Union Minister Arun Jaitley hit out at Gandhi over the claims. “How many more lies will be peddled to sustain a sinking dynast? India, certainly deserves better,” he wrote in a Facebook post.

Karnataka SIT

A meeting of floor leaders in Karnataka over the setting up of the SIT probe into the audio tapes will take place today. The stand-off between the government and opposition continued in the assembly Tuesday over an SIT probe into the audio clip. Speaker Ramesh Kumar, who is also implicated in the controversy, even went as far as to compare himself to a rape survivor who has to undergo repeated charges. The BJP president BS Yedyurappa who admitted on Sunday admitted that it was his voice on the clip, told India Today TV that he along with a few other senior BJP MLAs, would meet the Speaker and convince him to have a House Committee since the SIT would be biased in its investigation. The tapes, released by Karnataka CM HD Kumaraswamy is an alleged recording of the BJP state president Yedyurappa trying to lure JDS MLA Naganagouda through his son Sharana Gouda with the promise of money and position.

Citizenship Bill

The controversial Citizenship Bill has been listed for Wednesday’s Rajya Sabha session even after naked protests took place in the Northeast region. Black flags were raised and effigies in protest against the bill which seeks to provide Indian citizenship to non-Muslims from Bangladesh, Pakistan and Afghanistan. The day, February 12, was declared ‘Doomsday’ by the Manipur People Against Citizenship Amendment Bill (MANPAC) - a conglomerate of over 70 civil bodies — urging people to intensify the agitation. Anti-bill protesters from various tribal organizations and regional political parties led a torch rally at Jampuijala Bazar under Tripura’s Sepahijhala district and naked protest were staged in Imphal and Assam.

Vadra

Robert Vadra will appear before the Enforcement Directorate for the second time today over the Bikaner Land scam. Last month the Rajasthan High Court had directed Vadra, who is Priyanka Gandhi’s husband, and the partners of his company Skylight Hospitality Private to cooperate with ED on the probe. According to the chargesheets that was filed by the Rajasthan Police, land allotted for the resettlement of people, was fraudently taken in collusion with the state government and then sold. Vadra was also made to appear before the ED last week ,in an interrogation which lasted for 24 hours over the course of three days, in connection with a probe into allegations of money laundering in purchase of assets in London.

What You May Have Missed

Priyanka

Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, who is touring Uttar Pradesh, in her first comments to karyakartas (workers) on Tuesday urged them to stay united and say no to infighting.

“Guthbaazi khatam karo (end groupism),” Priyanka told all local leaders from Mohanlalganj, Unnao, Lucknow, among other constituencies in a meeting which is supposed to have lasted for one and a half hours. Her message to the party workers came a day after she made her debut in UP’s political arena with a mega roadshow, in which she was accompanied by Congress chief Rahul Gandhi and general secretary west UP Jyotiraditya Scindia.

Outlining the strategy, Priyanka said each booth must have 10-15 workers who will be responsible for getting people out of homes and to the polling centres. The leader also confirmed that there will not be any big organisational changes. The General Body meeting of Congress Parliamentary Party will be held today in which chief Rahul Gandhi is expected to lay out the strategy for the Lok Sabha.

Nageswar Rao

The Supreme Court on Tuesday held former interim chief of the CBI M Nageswara Rao guilty of contempt in the Muzzafarpur shelter home rape case. Rao was sentenced to confinement in the courtroom till the rising of the court and slapped with a penalty of Rs 1 lakh. The move came a day after Rao had tendered an unconditional apology and said he “cannot even dream of violating the court orders”. But a bench headed by Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi found him guilty for transferring the senior most investigating officer in the Muzzafarpur case despite being given categorical orders by the top court.

Fire karol bagh

After the tragic deaths of atleast 17 people in the fire, which broke out in Hotel Arpit Palace in Delhi on Tuesday, the police arrested two of the hotel’s managers for culpable homicide. The owner of the hotel is absconding. Union Minister KJ Alphons, who visited the site on Tuesday, said that he was sure that there would be a violation of norms. According to the fire services department, 35 people were injured in the blaze and have been taken to nearby hospitals. Most of the sixty people in the hotel were sleeping when the fire broke out and a majority of the deaths took place due to asphyxiation. Among those dead, a woman and child were killed when they tried jumping from a window. The case has been transferred to the crime branch with police pointing at huge violations of fire safety norms.

Lathicharge

Samajwadi Party leaders and workers were lathicharged by the police in Prayagraj during protests triggered by the Yogi Adityanath government’s denial of permission for SP chief Akhilesh Yadav to travel to the city. SP MP Dharmendra Yadav is reported to be among the partymen who were injured. SP chief Akhilesh Yadav on Tuesday posted pictures of him talking to airport officials and claimed that he was stopped by the authorities at Lucknow airport in a bid to prevent him from visiting Allahabad, renamed Prayagraj last year. The issue took centre stage in the UP legislature as SP members sat on a dharna to protest against the alleged action taken against their chief. Similar protests also paralysed Parliament proceedings.

Powerful women are no strangers to the India’s political landscape.