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☆ Data Dump Exposes the Fuzzy Lines Between Money and Politics in India
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-15 | by ( Alex Travelli | Hari Kumar | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Politics in India is an expensive business, and sometimes lucrative, too. In this year’s election, parties are expected to spend more than $14 billion — as much as in the United States. But there has been little in the way of transparency for the huge sums sloshing around. Reading between the lines of the spreadsheets full of names poses questions about the intersection of government and business in India. Construction companies, gambling impresarios, pharmaceutical bosses and many more corporate entities and individuals had forked over $1.7 billion in bonds since 2019.

Persons: Jairam Ramesh, Narendra Modi Organizations: State Bank of India, Indian National Congress, Bharatiya Janata Party of Locations: India, United States

☆ Indian nationals released after being detained in Qatar on reported spy charges
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-12 | by ( Jessie Yeung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —Eight Indian nationals who were detained and sentenced to death in Qatar on reported espionage charges have been released, according to Indian authorities. “The Government of India welcomes the release of eight Indian nationals working for the Dahra Global company who were detained in Qatar. They had been working for Dahra Global Technologies, a defense services provider based in Qatar, according to CNN News18. Qatar has not publicly addressed the arrest, sentencing and subsequent release of the eight Indian citizens. CNN affiliate CNN-News18 reported at the time that the eight Indians had been detained in August 2022 on spying charges.

Persons: ”, “, Amir, it’s, Narendra Modi’s, Jairam Ramesh, Modi Organizations: CNN, Eight, Dahra Global, External Affairs, Indian Navy, Twitter, Dahra Global Technologies, CNN News18, United Nations Locations: Qatar, India, State

☆ India opposition accuses govt of trying to hack lawmakers' iPhones
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-31 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Rahul Gandhi, a senior leader of India's main opposition Congress party, gestures as he addresses the media at Congress' headquarters in New Delhi, India, October 9, 2023. REUTERS/Anushree Fadnavis/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsNEW DELHI Oct 31 (Reuters) - Indian opposition leader Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government of trying to hack into senior opposition politicians' mobile phones, after they reported receiving warning messages from Apple (AAPL.O). "Hack us all you want," Gandhi told a news conference in New Delhi, in reference to Modi. In 2021, India was rocked by reports that the government had used Israeli-made Pegasus spyware to snoop on scores of journalists, activists and politicians, including Gandhi. The government has declined to reply to questions whether India or any of its state agencies had purchased Pegasus spyware for surveillance.

Persons: Rahul Gandhi, India's, Anushree, Narendra Modi's, Apple, Gandhi, Modi, Ashwini Vaishnaw, Jairam Ramesh, Shivam Patel, Rupam, John Stonestreet Organizations: Congress, REUTERS, Apple, Information Technology, Pegasus, Thomson Locations: New Delhi, India, DELHI

NEW DELHI/DOHA, Oct 27 (Reuters) - Eight Indian former naval officers who were handed the death penalty by a court in Qatar on Thursday were charged with spying for Israel, a source in India and another in Qatar said. Neither New Delhi nor Doha has officially stated the charges against the eight who were arrested in August 2022. In India, a government official aware of Doha's stance said the Qatar authorities had accused them of spying for Israel. The eight Indians will be able to appeal the death sentence, the source briefed on the case in Qatar told Reuters, as well as also saying they had been charged with spying for Israel. A spokesperson for India's foreign ministry did not respond to a request for comment about the sources' comments.

Persons: Jairam Ramesh, Krishn Kaushik, Andrew Mills, Dan Williams, Alison Williams Organizations: NEW, Reuters, Palestinian, Hamas, Qatari, Thomson Locations: NEW DELHI, DOHA, Qatar, Israel, India, Delhi, Doha, Jerusalem, Gaza, New Delhi, Qatar's

☆ India's Opposition Congress Dismisses Canada's Suspicions on Sikh Leader's Murder
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-20 | by ( Sept. | At A.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +4 min

By YP RajeshNEW DELHI (Reuters) - India's main opposition Congress party backed on Wednesday the government's rejection of Canada's suspicions that New Delhi's agents had links to the murder of a Sikh separatist leader, and urged a stand against threats to the country's sovereignty. Congress spokespersons backed what they called India's "fight against terrorism" and criticised Trudeau. Khalistan is the name of an independent Sikh state whose creation was the goal of a bloody Sikh insurgency in the 1980s and 1990s in India's northern state of Punjab during which tens of thousands were killed. "The Indian National Congress has always believed that our country's fight against terrorism has to be uncompromising, especially when terrorism threatens India's sovereignty, unity and integrity." Canada has the largest population of Sikhs outside the Indian state of Punjab, with about 770,000 people reporting Sikhism as their religion in the 2021 census.

Persons: YP Rajesh NEW DELHI, Justin Trudeau's, Hardeep Singh Nijjar, Trudeau, Abhishek Manu Singhvi, Jairam Ramesh, Indira Gandhi, Beant Singh, FRANK, YP Rajesh, Clarence Fernandez Organizations: YP Rajesh NEW, Twitter, Indian National Congress, Research, Economic Times, Press Trust of India, Indian Express, YP Locations: India, British Columbia, Delhi, India's, Punjab, New Delhi, Australia, Britain, Canada, United States, Ottawa, Indian

☆ India's opposition Congress dismisses Canada's suspicions on Sikh leader's murder
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-20 | by ( Yp Rajesh | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Congress spokespersons backed what they called India's "fight against terrorism" and criticised Trudeau. Khalistan is the name of an independent Sikh state whose creation was the goal of a bloody Sikh insurgency in the 1980s and 1990s in India's northern state of Punjab during which tens of thousands were killed. "The Indian National Congress has always believed that our country's fight against terrorism has to be uncompromising, especially when terrorism threatens India's sovereignty, unity and integrity." New Delhi, which urged Ottawa to act against anti-Indian elements, has long been unhappy over Sikh separatist activity in Canada. Canada has the largest population of Sikhs outside the Indian state of Punjab, with about 770,000 people reporting Sikhism as their religion in the 2021 census.

Persons: Hardeep Singh Nijjar, Nanak, Chris Helgren, Justin Trudeau's, Trudeau, Abhishek Manu Singhvi, Jairam Ramesh, Indira Gandhi, Beant Singh, FRANK, YP Rajesh, Clarence Fernandez Organizations: REUTERS, Twitter, Indian National Congress, Research, Economic Times, Press Trust of India, Indian Express, YP, Thomson Locations: Surrey, British Columbia, Canada, DELHI, India, Delhi, India's, Punjab, New Delhi, Australia, Britain, United States, Ottawa, Indian

Although some analysts said the meeting showed few concrete results, his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is now cashing in on Modi's enhanced image ahead of a series of state elections and national elections due by May 2024. In the run-up to the summit, Modi's face was plastered on G20 hoardings across the country. The BJP plans to highlight the "success of the summit" during fortnight-long celebrations of Modi’s birthday starting on Sunday, a party official said. Modi's contribution to India's rising global stature will be a key theme of a special five-day parliament session beginning next week, the official said. NATIONAL PRIDE"It’s really a fact that India's image has transformed under Prime Minister Modi," BJP vice president Baijayant Jay Panda told Reuters.

Persons: Narendra Modi, Anushree, Modi, Joe Biden, India's, Sanjay Kumar, psephologist, Baijayant Jay Panda, Yashwant Deshmukh, Jairam Ramesh, Ramesh, Manmohan Singh, Raju Gopalakrishnan Organizations: International Media Centre, REUTERS, BJP, Bharatiya Janata Party, New Delhi's, NATIONAL, Reuters, India Today, Thomson Locations: New Delhi, India, DELHI, Manipur

☆ India's Modi says peace returning to strife-torn Manipur
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-15 | by ( Rupam Jain | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/5] India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi addresses the nation during Independence Day celebrations at the historic Red Fort in Delhi, India, August 15, 2023. REUTERS/Altaf HussainNEW DELHI, Aug 15 (Reuters) - Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Tuesday peace was returning to the strife-torn northeastern state of Manipur where at least 180 people have been killed and tens of thousands forced from their homes in sectarian clashes since May. The country wants the people of Manipur to hold on to the peace of the last few days and take it forward," Modi said in an Independence Day speech from the ramparts of New Delhi's Red Fort. Manipur state chief minister hoisted India's tri-colour flag in the capital city of Imphal to commemorate Independence Day and there were no immediate reports of violence, officials said. Leaders from Indian opposition parties' alliance called "INDIA" said Modi's Independence Day speech will be his last as his party will be routed in the general elections.

Persons: Narendra Modi, Altaf Hussain, Modi, Kuki, Jairam Ramesh, bluster, Rupam Jain, Robert Birsel, Susan Fenton Organizations: India's, REUTERS, Indian, Bharatiya Janata Party, BJP, Independence, Thomson Locations: Independence, Fort, Delhi, India, Manipur, Myanmar, New, Imphal

☆ India's changes to forest conservation law draw flak from environmentalists
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-03 | by ( Arpan Chaturvedi | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

India says the new law is a milestone in "enhancement of the productivity of forests". Both parliament houses cleared the law in recent days and it will next go to the president for approval. India's environment ministry, which has drafted the changes, did not respond to Reuters queries. Opponents say India's new law will also change how it defines forests, and so it will apply to fewer green zones, leading to about 20-28% of existing forest cover losing regulatory protection. Such changes, critics say, could lead to excessive construction in the pristine tourist hotspot of Kashmir and other hilly forests in Himalayan states.

Persons: Anushree, Narendra Modi's, Bahar Dutt, Debadityo Sinha, Bhupender Yadav, Jairam Ramesh, Arpan Chaturvedi, Aditya Kalra, Kim Coghill Organizations: REUTERS, Indian, Ecosystems, Legal, Thomson Locations: Satjelia, Sundarbans, India, DELHI, New Delhi, Delhi, Kashmir

Violence erupted in the northern state of Harayana state on Monday after a right-wing Hindu organization led a religious procession in the Muslim dominated region of Nuh. However, opposition politicians and activists have called the attack a “hate crime” that targeted India’s Muslim minority population. Increase in hate crimesThe latest communal violence come against a broader rise in hate crimes against minority groups. Last month, the BJP chief minister of the state of Assam, Himanta Biswa Sarma, blamed Muslims for the soaring prices of tomatoes. Some cities named after historic Muslim figures have also been renamed to reflect India’s Hindu history.

Persons: Parveen Kumar, Narendra, Modi, Yogi, Asgar Ali, Mohammed, Ali, haven’t, Police haven’t, Asaduddin, ”, Jairam Ramesh, ” Asim Ali, Deepankar Basu, Himanta Biswa Sarma, Barack Obama, “ Hussain Obama ”, Obama, Adityanath, Donald Trump’s, Rana Ayyub Organizations: New Delhi CNN, Extra, Hindustan Times, Haryana Police, CNN, ” Police, Police, Bharatiya Janata Party, BJP, Dal, NDTV Locations: New Delhi, India, Harayana, Nuh, Gurgaon, Gurugram’s, Maharashtra, Mumbai, Haryana, Nuh Chowk, Gurugram, Hindustan, Delhi, Manipur, Assam, Uttar Pradesh, today’s India

☆ Indian court rejects Rahul Gandhi's plea to suspend defamation conviction
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Gandhi can now take his appeal to a larger bench of the same high court and then to the Supreme Court, his last option. "How come all thieves have the name Modi?," Gandhi had asked in an election campaign speech, referring to two fugitive businessmen, both surnamed Modi. Gandhi has separately challenged the conviction in a district court, which is yet to hear the case. "The refusal of stay of conviction would not in any way result in injustice to the applicant," the judge said. "There is no reasonable ground to stay the conviction of the applicant in view of the facts and circumstances of the case."

Persons: Rahul Gandhi, Gandhi, Purnesh Modi, Narendra Modi, Modi, Hemant Prachchhak, Jairam Ramesh, Ramesh, Abhishek Singhvi, India's, YP Rajesh, Raju Gopalakrishnan Organizations: Bharatiya Janata Party, BJP, YP, Thomson Locations: DELHI, India, Gujarat

☆ Modi inaugurates controversial new parliament building in India
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-26 | by ( Rhea Mogul | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

A cyclist rides past the construction site for the new Parliament building in January 2021. Controversial projectThe new triangular parliament building is part of a major overhaul of New Delhi’s colonial-era administrative center dubbed the Central Vista Redevelopment Project. The rush was widely thought to have resulted from hopes of opening the parliament building by the 75th anniversary of Indian independence in August 2022. Capacity is also limited — a concern magnified by growing calls to increase the number of MPs sitting in India’s parliament. A photo of the parliament's interior taken during a visit to the building by Modi earlier this year.

☆ Indian court denies Rahul Gandhi's appeal to stay defamation conviction
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-20 | by ( Sumit Khanna | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

AHMEDABAD, India, April 20 (Reuters) - A court in India's western state of Gujarat on Thursday rejected Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's petition seeking a stay of conviction in a defamation case, fuelling uncertainty over whether he will be able to contest an election due next year. "The Surat district court has not granted a stay on Rahul Gandhi's conviction," Naishadh Desai, a local Congress leader and lawyer, told reporters outside the court room. While Thursday's ruling was a setback for Gandhi, his jail sentence remained suspended until he exhausts all legal challenges. Senior Congress leader and Supreme Court lawyer Jairam Ramesh said the party would use every legal option to overturn Gandhi's conviction. The defamation case against Gandhi was brought by Purnesh Modi, a BJP legislator in the Gujarat state assembly.

☆ Adani's fall reignites scrutiny of billionaire's close ties with Modi
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-16 | by ( Sumathi Bala | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +7 min

Ashok Swain Uppsala UniversityHindenburg's report has further sharpened the focus on the billionaire mogul's close ties with Modi. After Modi became prime minister, Adani continued to benefit from the relationship but on a much larger scale, said Swain. In his address to parliament last week, the prime minister seemed unfazed by the opposition's criticism and made no mention of Adani. "And you can never breach this safety shield with the weapons of abuse and lies," he said, as opposition lawmakers chanted "Adani, Adani." "Prime Minister Modi and I are from the same state.

☆ Adani crisis: Billionaire scrambles to reassure creditors as market rout enters third week
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-06 | by ( Diksha Madhok | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

The loans were backed by shares in Adani Ports, Adani Green Energy and Adani Transmission, which have collapsed in value. While the Adani Group has vehemently denied the allegation made by Hindenburg Resarch as “baseless” and “malicious,” investors remain unconvinced. Adani companies will be reporting quarterly results this week. Moody’s said Friday that the plunge in the shares of Adani companies was likely to reduce the group’s ability to raise capital. Another agency, S&P, cut the outlook for its ratings on two companies, Adani Ports and Adani Electricity, to negative from stable, citing the risk of higher funding costs or reduced access to capital.

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