Express News Service
Heads of Missions Meet
Modi, Doval spell out a bold new approach
Over a hundred heads of Indian missions from across the world gathered at Kevadia, the site of the giant Sardar Patel statue in the Narmada district of Gujarat, for an annual conference. The entire diplomatic corps from over a hundred countries was housed for three days in luxury tents pitched next to the statue of the Iron Man of India. The mission heads left Kevadia all fired up after listening to the stirring speeches by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and National Security Advisor Ajit Kumar Doval. The PM exhorted the senior foreign service officers to dump old ways and think out of the box to promote national interest. He asked them not to be afraid of anyone as they represented a rapidly growing economy which is one of the largest in the world. He said India’s voice is heard the world over and its opinion is valued by all. Doval advised the officers not to stay stuck with old definitions and worldviews. He said times had changed and they should adapt to the changing times. Sessions were held at the conference on China, Russia, Africa, etc where the officers were brought up to speed with the government’s line on critical issues.
Poll Funding
Cops unearth hawala cash trail in Gujarat
Gujarat Police and the income tax department have unearthed an extensive network of hawala traders which, according to them, is being used by a political party for the transfer of funds to meet expenses for the ensuing state elections. Sources said this particular political party was transferring huge amounts of money from Delhi to *aangadias* (hawala operators) in Gujarat who in turn facilitate its distribution across the state to the party’s cadres. Police in Gujarat and Delhi have also reportedly identified the source of funds and the main player involved in this operation in Delhi. Hawala operators have already been questioned both in Delhi and Gujarat by the police and the income tax department. According to sources, these operators have given graphic details of how black money was being transferred from Delhi by the said political party and how carriers were used in Gujarat to funnel funds to the party’s candidates and office-bearers. Sources said investigations in the case are complete and a full report is being prepared with accounts of witnesses and hawala operators involved. Arrests are likely to be made as soon as cops get the political signal. Keep watching this space to be the first to know the name of the political party involved in this hawala operation.
Twist in the Tale
Minister’s name pops up in arms dealer’s petition
Fugitive arms dealer Sanjay Bhandari is locked in a court case against French defence firm Thales over a commission he claims was due to him but was not paid by the company. Bhandari’s lawsuit, filed in Paris against Thales, has already caused embarrassment to individuals and companies in India and abroad and has the potential to create legal trouble for them. Bhandari claims that Thales paid him only nine million euros instead of theagreed 20 million euros for facilitating the Indian Air Force’s 2.4-billion Mirage 2000 upgrade deal in 2011. Bhandari’s allegation spells trouble for the French government which owns around a quarter of Thales shares. He has said that Thales has created a complex web of companies to route commissions and payoffs to intermediaries in India and abroad. One such company is said to be owned by a Union minister in the present government. The said minister was reportedly a director in this company till a year before joining the government. Bhandari’s allegations are sure to find resonance in Indian political circles in the coming days. The government of India is seeking Bhandari’s extradition from the United Kingdom for his alleged “failure to declare his foreign assets under Black Money Act 2015” and “money laundering”. The Westminster Magistrates’ Court is expected to give a final decision in the extradition case on November 7 this year.
