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Bengal Coal Scam: Abhishek Banerjee’s Wife Stopped From Boarding Dubai Flight, Detained at Kolkata Aiport

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Trinamool Congress national General Secretary Abhishek Banerjee’s wife Rujira Narula Banerjee encountered another instance of being prevented from boarding a flight to Dubai at the Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport in Kolkata. She was detained at the airport due to her alleged involvement in the Bengal coal smuggling scandal.

Rujira Banerjee, accompanied by children, was stopped from boarding flight

Rujira, accompanied by her two children, was prevented from boarding her flight upon reaching the Kolkata airport at 7 AM.

Rujira Banerjee has received a summons from the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and is scheduled to be questioned in two days. Today, when she arrived at the airport to catch a flight to Dubai, the immigration department stopped her and refused to allow her to board the flight.

Based on information from the Enforcement Directorate (ED), sources indicate that Rujira was stopped due to the presence of an active look-out circular issued against her.

ED’s allegations

According to the Enforcement Directorate (ED), Abhishek Banerjee and his family are linked to two companies, namely Leaps and Bound PVT LTD and Leaps and Bound Management Services LLP. The ED alleges that these companies received protection funds totaling Rs 4.37 crore from a construction company through individuals who are under investigation in the coal smuggling case.

Amit Banerjee, Abhishek Banerjee’s father, serves as one of the directors of Leaps and Bound Pvt Ltd. Additionally, Rujira Banerjee, Abhishek Banerjee’s wife, is a director of Leap and Bound Management Services Limited, along with his father.

Lawyer says she had informed ED about travel plan

According to Rujira Banerjee’s lawyer, she had previously informed the ED by sharing her travel itinerary and a copy of her tickets a few days ago.

“Though not required to intimate, still to express her bonafide, Rujira Banerjee, wife of TMC leader Abhishek Banerjee informed ED through email of her upcoming visit to Dubia from June 5 to June 13 with her children. There was no response/communication from ED objecting to such a visit which they could not have in view of the orders of the Supreme Court,” her lawyer said.

The lawyer, terming the move as gross violation of the Supreme Court’s orders, said, “She was stopped at immigration along with her minor kids and informed that she cannot travel abroad. She was also handed over a copy of summon directing her to appear before the ED office in Kolkata on June 8. We will be moving to court as it has been a violation of SC order.”

According to PTI’s report, multiple attempts to obtain a statement from the airport and ED authorities were unsuccessful, as they did not provide a response.

Coal pilferage scam and connection to Rujira Banerjee

In relation to an investigation into a multi-crore coal pilferage scam, Rujira Banerjee has previously been interrogated by central agencies. The probe is linked to an FIR filed by the CBI in 2020 regarding the said coal pilferage scam.

The alleged illicit mining of coal occurred at leasehold mines in the Kunustoria and Kajora areas near Asansol, West Bengal, belonging to Eastern Coalfields. Investigations have indicated financial transactions amounting to Rs 1,300 crore, with a significant portion of the funds allegedly reaching various influential individuals, as per the CBI.

The investigation has revealed that the money was deposited into foreign bank accounts of these influential individuals through hawala channels. Last year, Rujira Banerjee was questioned by the ED in connection with the coal pilferage scam investigation. The CBI also questioned her in 2021 regarding the same case.

National News

‘Don’t Have House In My Name, But My Govt Made Lakhs Of Daughters House-Owners’: PM Modi In Gujarat

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday said he does not have a house in his name, but his government turned lakhs of daughters in the country house-owners.

PM Modi, who has been on a two-day visit to Gujarat starting Tuesday, was speaking at the launch of various development projects worth over Rs 5,000 crore, including projects worth Rs 4,500 crore related to education sector, in Bodeli town of tribal-dominated Chhotaudepur district of Gujarat.

Don’t have house, but gave houses to lakhs of daughters: PM Modi

“Since I spent significant time with you, I know the issues faced by the poor people and I have always tried to solve those issues. Today I am satisfied because my government has built four crore houses for the people across the country. Unlike previous governments, a house for the poor is not just a number for us. We work to provide dignity to the poor by building houses for them,” he said.

“We are building houses as per the needs of the poor, that too without the presence of any middlemen. Lakhs of houses were built and registered in the names of our women. Though I don’t have a house in my name, my government made lakhs of daughters house-owners,’ he said.

PM invokes World Bank president’s comment

Modi also noted that World Bank president Ajay Banga was so impressed with the Gujarat education department’s command and control centre in Gandhinagar, called as ‘Vidya Samiksha Kendra’, that he urged him to start such centres across the country.

“The World Bank president (Ajay Banga) recently visited the Vidya Samiksha Kendra (in Gandhinagar). During out meeting, he urged me to start such centres in all districts of India and said the World Bank is ready to be a part of that project,” he said.

The PM said the new National Education Policy (NEP), which was left in limbo for three decades, was finally introduced by his government.

Without mentioning any names, PM Modi also attacked the opposition saying “they indulged in politics of reservation”.

“But until I became chief minister, no science school was functional in tribal areas of Gujarat…How will you get admission in medical and engineering colleges if you do not have science schools,” he said.

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National News

Asaduddin Owaisi Challenges Rahul Gandhi To Contest Election Against Him From Hyderabad

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Hyderabad, September 25: AIMIM Chief Asaduddin Owaisi has challenged Congress MP Rahul Gandhi to contest the 2024 Lok Sabha elections against him from Hyderabad and not from Wayanad. Participating in a rally on Monday, Owaisi said, “Is baar Wayanad se nahi Hyderabad mein muqabla karo” (This time fight from Hyderabad and not Wayanad). I am challenging you (Rahul Gandhi) don’t go to Wayanad, come to Hyderabad and contest elections.”

‘Come to the ground and let’s have a contest’

“You keep giving big statements, come to the ground and let’s have a contest. People from Congress will say a lot of things, but I am ready. Come and face this man with beard and sherwani, you will know what a contest means,” he stated. “Babri Masjid and Secretariat’s mosque were demolished under the Congress regime,” he charged.

The Congress people would do a lot of talking

“The same BJP MP who bad-mouthed in Parliament had also stood up against me to speak. I strictly told him to sit down. You can’t face my sharp tongue. The Congress people would do a lot of talking. I am ready. I am also appealing before the people of Telangana, remember, the common man was harassed and attacked during the regime of Congress. With great difficulty, we have ensured peace in the city. This peace should be intact,” Owaisi stated. Rahul Gandhi recently charged that BJP, Bharata Rastra Samithi (BRS) and AIMIM are collaborating ahead of the state Assembly elections.

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BJP MP Ramesh Bidhuri Abuses, Calls BSP’s Danish Ali ‘Pimp’, ‘Terrorist’ in Lok Sabha; Rajnath Singh Expresses Regret

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New Delhi: In a shocking use of unparliamentary language used in the Lok Sabha, BJP MP from Delhi, Ramesh Bidhuri, abused and used foul language on record against BSP MP Danish Ali. In the video which is being shared by parliamentarians of Opposition parties, it is evident that BJP MP Bidhuri used abuses and highly objectionable language for the BSP MP when he tried to reply to the BJP MP. Bidhuri made the remarks while participating in a discussion on the Chandrayaan-3 mission in the Lok Sabha and started his tirade after saying that “PM Modi was not trying to steal credit of the scientists…”

BJP MP Ramesh Bidhuri used words such as “extremist”, “pimp” and “terrorist” and abused BSP MP Danish Ali while speaking in the Lok Sabha. “Ye Mulla aatankwadi hai (This cleric is a terrorist)” and “bahar pheko naa iss mulle ko (throw this cleric outside),” said the BJP MP even as Opposition raised objections against the filthy language used by Ramesh Bidhuri.

Shockingly, former Union Health Minister Dr Harshvardhan of the BJP was seen laughing and grining on Ramesh Bidhuri’s highly objectionable remarks in the Lok Sabha. BJP MP Dr Harshvardhan was seated a row behind Ramesh Bidhuri.

Massive outrage across party lines

The comments by Bidhuri created massive outrage across MPs from across the party lines.

“Filthy language used by a BJP parliamentarian for fellow MP from BSP @KDanishAli. No shame left. This is sickening. Will speaker LS take note and take action?” posted UBT leader Priyanka Chaturvedi on X, tagging TMC MP Mahua Moitra.

Chairman, Media & Publicity Deptt of Congress party, also commented on the objectionable language used by Ramesh Bidhuri.

National Conference (NC) leader and former Jammu and Kashmir CM Omar Abdullah also criticised the MP for the language used against a fellow parliamentarian.

Rajnath Singh expresses regret over remarks

Raksha Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday (September 21) expressed regret in the Lok Sabha for the “objectionable” remarks made by BJP MP Ramesh Bidhuri.

Congress member K Suresh, who was in the Chair when the episode played out in the Lok Sabha, said that he had already instructed the officials to expunge the remarks.

“I express regret if the opposition is hurt by the remarks made by the member,” Raksha Mantri Rajnath Singh said in his comments.

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