'More than 10,000 official WhatsApp groups have been created by a leading political party to slam its rivals on social media, said an expert... If the Cobrapost investigation, which exposed that several Bollywood celebrities were willing to pass views of political parties as personal opinion for money, shook your conscience, there is not much you can do to restrict them from doing so because the relevant Indian law is silent on this matter.
'While Shakti Kapoor asked for a fee of Rs 9 crore for 9 months, Vivek Oberoi agreed to settle for Rs 80 lakh per month... After exposing the media outlets last year that were eager to be propaganda machines of the political parties in exchange for hefty sums, in another investigation, Cobrapost has found out that at least three dozen Bollywood celebrities were ready to follow the lead.
'Fighter jet deal caught in web of overpricing, abuse of authority and cronyism charges... On Friday, February 8, 2019, The Hindu daily in India reported that the standard Defence Procurement Procedure (DPP) was not included in the deal. It meant that standard clauses on “Penalty for use of Undue Influence, Agents/Agency Commission, and Access to Company accounts” of Rafale manufacturer Dassault Aviation and MBDA France were waived by the Indian government in the supply protocols.
'...First there was that price claim about how much the Rafale would cost, with the government suddenly refusing to give specific details. Then there was the matter of Dassault, the manufacturer, partnering with Anil Ambani’s Reliance Defence instead of the state-run Hindustan Aeronatics Limited and whether the Indian government had a role in this decision. Finally, there have been a series of questions about whether Modi broke protocol in the way the agreement actually took place...'
'The architects of demonetisation accelerated the downward spiral in investment in the formal sector, mortally wounded those in the agriculture and informal sectors, caused innumerable job losses, and seriously impacted GDP growth... The PM’s promise that Demonetisation would eradicate corruption was undoubtedly one of the main reasons for the initial goodwill towards Demonetisation from the very poor, despite the hardships it inflicted on them. Sadly, however, this promise too was belied.
'Barely two days after the Supreme Court held his ouster to be illegal and restored him to his position, Central Bureau of Investigation director Alok Verma was sacked by a high-powered committee on Thursday night. The 2:1 decision was made after a more than two-hour long meeting of the panel, which comprises Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the leader of the largest opposition party – Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge – and Justice A.K. Sikri.
'There is a fundamental flaw – both moral and procedural – in the way the committee headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi removed the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) director within 72 hours of his reinstatement by the Supreme Court. Of course the Committee violated the principles of natural justice as it did not give Verma a hearing before summarily transferring him. That is only one part of the problem. The larger ethical-legal issue is the prime minister was presiding over a matter in which his office also stands accused.
'Sunil Arora will be appointed as the next Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) by President Ram Nath Kovind. He is picked for the job despite his controversial past. In the notorious “Radia Tapes” — telephonic conversations between political lobbyist Niira Radia and several senior journalists, politicians, bureaucrats and businessmen, taped by the Indian Income Tax Department in 2008-09 — Arora appears thrice.
'Two villagers who told the Central Bureau of Investigation that they saw senior Chhattisgarh police officer S.R.P. Kalluri take part in the burning of dozens of adivasi homes in a 2011 operation had their names taken off the final list of witnesses filed by the agency in its chargesheet after “instructions” from above, leaked CBI documents reveal.
'...The Rafale deal has triggered a political controversy in India over the purchase of 36 twin-engine fighter jets from France. The deal is estimated to cost India Rs 58,000 crore, however, the Opposition in India has claimed that the deal has cost India thrice the amount it was supposed to, and that an Indian partner favoured by the government was unfairly chosen as a partner in the deal...'
