New Delhi, Jan 14: Leader of Opposition (LoP) in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday derided and taunted Kejriwal’s model of governance in the capital while launching a campaign to ‘expose’ its empty and hollow promises of transforming Delhi into a world-class city.

The Congress MP visited Delhi’s Rithala area on Tuesday to showcase the glaring gaps between the AAP government’s promises and reality on the ground. Undertaking the survey of a stinking area, marked with open drains and littered with filth, the Congress leader made a series of taunts at the AAP dispensation.

“Dekho, dilli dekho, yeh hai chamkati hui dilli. Paris jaisi dilli… sab jagah yahi haal hai” (See the city, this is Delhi, this is shining Delhi, the Delhi which looks like Paris), he was heard saying on camera.

In the run-up to the Delhi Assembly elections, broken roads, open sewers and stinking drainage systems have turned out to be major poll planks and all parties are raising this issue to the hilt.

Congress party also posted on X, “Arvind Kejriwal had promised to make Delhi shine like Paris. But, all his claims turned out to be hollow. Today, the people of Delhi are forced to live in clogged sewers, overflowing drains and immense filth.”

Rahul’s fresh pitch on the city’s poor and dilapidated roads and open sewers is a tactful drive to expose the AAP government on its broken promises and also recall the historic development drive undertaken during the Congress government, under the then CM Sheila Dikshit.

“Congress party’s promise is – we will return clean and beloved Delhi to the people of Delhi. We did it, we will do it again,” the party said in X post.

The verbal duel between AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal and Congress brass got a fresh twist after Congress leader Rahul Gandhi joined the campaign trail, with his first political rally in the Seelampuri area on February 13.

Rahul hit out at the AAP dispensation over issues like inflation, and ignorance of Dalit and minority communities and accused it of making false promises and spreading false propaganda.

In a quick retort, Kejriwal said that he won’t comment on Rahul’s remarks despite abuses.

“His fight is to save the Congress party, my fight is to save the country,” he posted on X.

New Delhi, Jan 14: Reacting strongly to reports of the death of an Indian national in Russia, India on Tuesday reiterated its demand for the early discharge of the remaining Indians currently serving the Russian Army in the conflict zones.

“We have learnt of the unfortunate death of an Indian national from Kerala who had apparently been recruited to serve in the Russian Army. Another Indian national from Kerala, who was similarly recruited, has been injured and is receiving treatment in a hospital in Moscow,” said Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal.

Offering condolences to the family of the deceased, the senior diplomat stated that the Indian Embassy in Moscow is in touch with the families, and all possible assistance is being rendered.

“We are working with the Russian authorities for early transportation of the mortal remains to India. We have also sought the early discharge and repatriation to India of the injured person. The matter has been strongly taken up with the Russian authorities in Moscow as well as with the Russian Embassy in New Delhi today. We have also reiterated our demand for the early discharge of the remaining Indian nationals,” he added.

The plight of Indians fighting for Russia in the Ukraine war is a key concern for New Delhi.

India has maintained that the recruitment of Indian nationals into the Russian army in a conflict situation is not in consonance with the India-Russia diplomatic partnership, and has asked for the early release and return of all such Indian nationals.

Last year, following Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s landmark visit to Moscow, Russia had decided to release and facilitate the return of all Indians fighting for the Russian army against Ukraine.

The breakthrough was achieved when PM Modi raised the matter at a private dinner hosted by Putin.

Over the last few years, over two dozen Indians were believed to have been forced into fighting the war against Ukraine after being tricked by agents into going to the country on the pretext of getting high-paying jobs.

Strong action has been initiated against agents and unscrupulous elements who recruited them on false pretexts and promises, the authorities had confirmed, last year.

“As a result of concerted efforts by Government, most of the Indian nationals in the Russian armed forces have been discharged and several have been repatriated to India. According to available information, currently only 19 Indian nationals remain in the Russian armed forces. Government has requested the Russian authorities concerned to provide an update on the whereabouts of the remaining Indian nationals in the Russian armed forces and also ensure their safety, wellbeing and early discharge,” Minister of State for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh told Parliament, last month.

Mumbai: Ahead of the BMC’s budget for the next year, Samajwadi Party’s (SP) MLA Rais Shaikh has demanded a white paper on civic body’s fixed deposits (FDs), including amount of FDs broken and current FDs, and on committed liabilities running into over Rs 2 lakh crores.

Shaikh, in his letter to BMC, said that the BMC’s financial liability has soared to over Rs 2 lakh crore, which is unprecedented in the history of the BMC. “The civic body has been dipping into its Fixed Deposits (FDs) to fund various projects. This has created a sense of fear among the Mumbaikars about the status of the civic coffers,” said Rais Shaikh, SP MLA.

Shaikh said that the BMC must present a white paper on its Fixed Deposits (FDs). “The white paper should include details of the total FDs as of March 31, 2024, and as of December 31, 2024. The BMC must also provide information on the number of FDs liquidated, along with the dates, amounts liquidated, and the purposes for which they were liquidated. The BMC should provide a statement of FDs for the entire current financial year,” demanded Shaikh.

“The BMC must fully disclose the committed liabilities, the amount in its fixed deposits, internal loans in the last two years, its plan to repay the liabilities, and overall financial management for the future,” added Shaikh.

He further said that the BMC, known for being the richest civic body in Asia, must come clean on the status of its liabilities to allay the fears among Mumbaikars. “If adequate measures are not taken right now, the BMC may be headed for a financial debt trap,” said Shaikh.