MUMBAI: Days after Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray met PM Narendra Modi in Delhi, Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut on Thursday said that PM Modi is the top leader of the country and the BJP.

He made the statement in response to a question on whether he felt that PM Modi’s popularity is on a downslide as media reports suggested that RSS is contemplating to project state leaders as the face in the state elections. “I don’t want to comment on this I don’t go by the media reports. There is no official statement about this. The BJP owes its success to Narendra Modi in the last seven years and currently he is the top leader of the country and his party,” Raut said.

The Sena leader was speaking to reporters in Jalgaon. Insisting that a PM belongs to the entire country and not a particular party, he said, “Hence the PM shouldn’t get involved in election campaigning as it puts pressure on the official machinery.”

In a bid to develop Panchkula as an international tourist, medical and pharmaceutical hub, the Haryana government has come up with a novel plan to establish Panchkula Metropolitan Development Authority (PMDA) on the lines of Gurugram and Faridabad districts falling in National Capital Region.

It is pertinent to mention that Gurugram and Faridabad emerged as the only metropolitan cities in Haryana and feeling the need of developing another city like the two, the state government would build world-class infrastructure along with ensuring the availability of required facilities for the same. The government’s plan to set up Panchkula as Smart City, Tourist Destination, Education and Medicity Hub is likely to be completed in the stipulated time period.

To achieve the above mentioned target, a string of departments including HSVP, HSIIDC and Municipal Corporation would work in collaboration with each other to ensure the timely completion of certain projects. Maps and hoardings displaying the information about the ongoing and completed projects would be set up across the city so that everyone can have the updated and exact information regarding the same. Besides, a similar integrated development plan would be chalked out for Karnal, Hisar and other districts of the state.

“PMDA would ensure sustained and balanced growth of Panchkula. The Authority would work on the similar lines of Gurugram Metropolitan Development Authority (GMDA) and Faridabad Metropolitan Development Authority (FMDA),” said Chief Minister Manohar Lal.

Besides, the government plans to set up two big hospitals with modern health infrastructure in Sector-32 and Sector-5C. The state’s first joint food and drug testing lab is being opened in Panchkula’s Sector-3 with a cost of Rs 22 crore. National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT) is being built at Sector-23 so that it would help to establish Panchkula as an education hub.

A petition has been filed in the Supreme Court challenging Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) notification inviting Indian citizenship applications from non-Muslim refugees belonging to Afghanistan, Pakistan and Bangladesh.

Anis Ahmed, General Secretary of the Popular Front of India (PFI), filed the Public Interest Litigation (PIL) through Advocate A. Selvin Raja before the Supreme Court against the Centre’s move to grant citizenship to non-Muslim refugees in 13 districts in five states.

The plea sought direction to declare MHA’s May 28 notification as “unconstitutional, discriminatory and ultra vires” to Article 14 of the Constitution of India as it “utterly deprives the Muslims to seek for citizenship by registration and naturalisation unequally by virtue of their religion”.

The Home Ministry on 28 May issued a notification asking non-Muslims belonging to Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Pakistan and residing in 13 districts of Haryana, Punjab, Gujarat, Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh to apply for Indian citizenship. The plea said that the Ministry of Home Affairs carefully attempted to achieve the object of CAA, 2019 indirectly and implement the same by mere issuance of an executive order. “It is pertinent to submit here that the Union government did not frame the CAA Rules despite the fact that the CAA came into existence in December 2019 itself,” added the plea. In its plea, the PFI sought direction to “read down the Order issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs vide the gazette notification dated May 28, 2021 as it is issued in contravention of section 5 and 6 of the Citizenship Act, 1955. To prohibit the “colourable exercise of power” by the Union of India in the guise of section 16 of the Citizenship Act, 1955.”

“On one hand, the Union government delaying the process of framing rule and on the other hand, the Union government arbitrarily issued the impugned order and attempting to implement CAA 2019 in the guise of Citizenship Rules which was framed in the year 2009, which cannot be made applicable qua the impugned order because 2009 Rules does not classify ‘any person’ into persecuted six minorities belongs to three countries nor it excludes the applicability to Muslims,” it added. Thus, the whole exercise undertaken by the Union government is utterly illegal, PIL said. The petition further stated that while petitions challenging the CAA are still pending before the top Court and the Ministry of Home Affairs issued an Order vide gazette notification dated May 28.

The Order utterly discriminates and deprives a class of persons namely, the Muslims and it does not withstand the test of Article 14 in asmuch as it treats people within a particular class i.e persons entitled to apply for citizenship by registration and naturalisation unequally by virtue of their religion, the plea added.

Earlier, the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) had also challenged the notification in the apex court. The petition had been filed in the Supreme Court by League General Secretary P.K. Kunhalikutty, challenging the amendment to the Citizenship Act. The League wants the notification issued by the Central government inviting applications for citizenship to be stayed immediately. The plea also said that the two provisions read together do not permit the classification of applicants on the ground of religion and, therefore, the order goes beyond what is permitted by the provision itself. WITH AGENCY INPUTS

With the pandemic and lockdowns leading to businesses closing down and lakhs of people losing their jobs, the lure of earning easy money from home by means of apps, led to people getting trapped in a fraud syndicate operated by Chinese nationals in connivance with Indian fraudsters.

More than half a million Indians have been cheated of over Rs 150 crore in two months by a nationwide fraud syndicate operated by Chinese nationals in connivance with Indian fraudsters, who were offering lucrative returns on an online multi-level marketing (MLM) campaign through their two “malicious mobile applications” Power Bank and EZPlan, Delhi Police Cyber Cell DCP Anayesh Roy said on Wednesday.

Eleven people, including a Tibetan woman and two chartered accountants (CAs) based in Delhi and Gurugram, were arrested following multiple raids in Delhi-NCR and West Bengal since 2 June. The footprints of the syndicate were confirmed in West Bengal, Delhi-NCR, Bengaluru, Odisha, Assam, and Surat. Nearly Rs 11 crore of cheated money was blocked in various bank accounts and online payment gateways that were being operated by the members of the syndicate based in India as well as in China. Around Rs 97 lakh was recovered from one of the arrested CAs, Avik Kedia, who formed over 110 “shell companies” for Chinese fraudsters to route the money through multiple bank accounts.

DCP Roy said that CyPAD (cyber crime cell) officials recently came across several social media posts made by people across the country regarding two mobile apps—Power Bank and EZPlan—that offered to double the invested amount in 24-35 days. The apps also offered returns on an hourly and daily basis and had investment options starting from Rs 300 to several lakhs.

The Power Bank app was available on Google Play Store and trending at No 4. The EZPlan app was available on the website www.ezplan.in. DCP Roy said that since the messages were inducing the recipient to download an app through a short (encrypted) URL, the activity was identified as suspicious and the malware forensic laboratory of CyPAD-NCFL was asked to examine both the apps. “When analysed, CyPAD officials found that to deceive people, the Power Bank app projected itself as a product of a Bengaluru-based technology start-up. However, the server on which the app was hosted was found to be based in China. The app is associated with several dangerous permissions such as access to camera, read and write to external storage and to read contact details of the cellphone,” said DCP Roy.

Investigators analysed the modus operandi of the two apps and found that to entice investors, initially the fraudsters gave a small payout amounting to 5-10% of the invested money. People, believing the scheme to be genuine, started investing more money as well as circulating and sharing the apps with their friends and relatives. Once someone had invested a large amount, their account was blocked by the app, thus causing severe financial loss. To identify and nab the people behind the scam, a CyPAd officer became a decoy customer, invested a token amount using the app and followed the money trail. The linked payment gateways, UPI IDs, transaction IDs, bank accounts that were used for routing the money were identified and analysed. A web of nearly 25 shell companies for routing the fraud money was traced across the country and it pointed to the involvement of professional accountants. Several mobile phone numbers connected with the bank accounts and involved in the scam were found to have Chinese origins, said Roy.

“Further analysis of mobile numbers active in India led to the arrest of Sheikh Robin in West Bengal’s Uluberia on June 2. The same day, nine other suspects were arrested, while a Tibetan woman, Pema Wangmo, was arrested later from Delhi’s IGI Airport, following inputs from the Bengaluru Police that is also probing a similar cheating module. She was acting on behest of the Chinese and creating shell companies with Indian directors,” added Roy.

The other arrested persons were identified as Avik Kedia and Ronak Bansal, both CAs, Umakant Akash Joys, Ved Chandra, Hari Om, Abhishek Mansaramani, Arvind, Shashi Bansal and Mithlesh Sharma. At the time of his arrest, Robin had 29 bank accounts and 30 active cellphones. His disclosure revealed a startlingly well-planned conspiracy of cheating and fraud being organized by Chinese nationals through a labyrinth of shell companies, bank accounts, and dummy mobile numbers, the DCP said.

“The Chinese fraudsters contacted Robin and others through encrypted mobile apps such as Telegram, Dingtalk and WeChat. The Chinese fraudsters and their local operatives also used sophisticated software and financial tools for automated fund transfer to manage the enormous scale of the fraud. Names of several Chinese nationals have been revealed so far. Investigation in respect of their whereabouts, specific roles and their large fraud network is underway,” DCP Roy added.

After heavy, incessant rains lashed Mumbai through the day, leading to severe water-logging at several places and putting dilapidated buildings at risk, a four-storey building in Malvani area of Malad West in Mumbai collapsed on Wednesday night. At least 11 people were killed and seven injured after the structure collapsed, out of which eight were children. Seven others were seriously injured and have been admitted at the BDBA Municipal General Hospital. Search and rescue operations are underway.

According to the BMC disaster management cell, the incident was reported around 11.10 pm from the New Collector compound slum on Abdul Hamid road in Malvani gate no 8 area. The slum pocket has come up on the collector’s land. As many as 18 people have been rescued safely, while seven people have been injured in the incident.

As per the BMC, the collapse engulfed a nearby residential structure. It also affected another residential structure in the area that is now in a “dangerous condition”. The building which is in a dangerous condition has been evacuated.

At the time of the collapse, many people, including some children, were inside the building. The fire brigade arrived soon after the incident. With the help of

the local police and people, fifteen people trapped in the debris were rescued. Debris removal is still underway. Three other buildings nearby are in “dangerous” condition and the residents have been evacuated, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation said. Eight fire tenders, one divisional fire officer, BMC ward officer and DMC Disaster Management and local police officers are on spot. There are 6-8 officers on a single fire tender, so there are around 48-64 fire officers on these eight fire tenders.

According to Maharashtra minister Aslam Shaikh, the building collapsed due to heavy rains in the city. Chief Minister Uddhav Thackrey has announced an ex-gratia of Rs 5 lakh each for the next kin of the deceased and Rs 1 lakh to the injured. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has announced an ex-gratia of Rs 2 lakh each from the PMNRF for the next of kin of those who have lost their lives due to a structure collapse in Malad West, Mumbai. Rs 50,000 will be provided to those injured. The Indian Meteorological Department has issued an “orange alert” for various districts, including Mumbai, for the next three days.

There has been a big change in the strategy of the BJP which has so far been fighting the Assembly elections by projecting the face of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Till the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, the party now plans to keep the face of PM Modi away from active campaigning in states and fight all the Assembly elections in the name of the leaders of the respective states.

In the three-day meeting of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) in Delhi, Sangh leaders told the BJP that till 2024, there should be no stain on the face of PM Modi, so Assembly elections should not be fought on his face.

It is worth mentioning that the way the BJP failed to perform as per expectations in West Bengal despite the Prime Minister’s massive campaigning across the state, Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee termed it the defeat of PM Modi. In West Bengal, PM Modi’s election rallies were projected in such a way that the Assembly elections were being held between Prime Minister Modi and Mamata Banerjee. The BJP’s failure to wrest the state from the TMC’s grip exposed chinks in the PM’s armour and his image as an unbeatable general seemed to have taken a beating.

The RSS has told the BJP leaders that PM Modi’s image is to be “saved” till the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. So in the Assembly elections to be held in 2022, the BJP will contest by projecting the leaders of the states—Yogi Adityanath in Uttar Pradesh, Tirath Singh Rawat in Uttarakhand, Vijay Rupani in Gujarat, Pramod Sawant in Goa. The party also plans to project a Dalit leader as CM face in Punjab. The BJP will contest elections in Himachal Pradesh on the face of Jai Ram Thakur.

Similarly, in 2023 in Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, the BJP will fight the Assembly elections in the face of the leaders of the states.

To improve the image of the Prime Minister, not only the BJP, but the Prime Minister himself has also intensified efforts. Decisions like announcing to give free vaccines across the country after 42 days, announcing free ration to 80 crore families till November, raising MSP on pulses, oilseeds, cereals, announcing the cancellation of class 12 CBSE examination are being seen as a part of this image-building exercise, which seems to have been dented a bit due to the poor handling of the Covid-19 second wave.

In the coming days, more such decisions aimed at bolstering PM Modi’s image are likely to be announced.